Constitution of the Senior Tutors' Committee

The Senior Tutors' Committee Constitution was revised by the Committee on 11 May 2018:

1. The following shall be members of the Senior Tutors' Committee:

i. The Vice-Chancellor (or their designated deputy), who shall be Chair;
ii. The Senior Tutors of all undergraduate and graduate Colleges;
iii. The Secretary of the Bursars' Committee;
iv. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education;
v. Two student members (normally the Presidents of the CUSU and GU).

The following shall be in attendance at the Senior Tutors' Committee:

vi. The Director of Admissions of the Cambridge Colleges;
vii. Student representatives as shall be from time to time agreed by the Committee.

The Committee shall have the power to invite members of Faculties, Officers of the Unified Administrative Service and members of other University and intercollegiate bodies for the discussion of particular items.

2. The Senior Tutors' Committee shall appoint an experienced Senior Tutor or recently retired Senior Tutor to be Secretary to the Committee for a period not exceeding three years in the first instance, with the possibility of renewal for a further period of three years, up to a maximum period of six years. The appointment shall take place normally at the first meeting of the Easter Term preceding a new period of office, the nomination having been announced at the second meeting of the Lent Term. In the event of an unexpected vacancy, or the taking of leave of up to one year, the Nominations Committee shall propose interim arrangements for the remainder of the current stint, or the period of leave involved.

3. The Senior Tutors' Committee shall appoint one or more experienced Senior Tutors or recently retired Senior Tutors as Associate Secretary(ies) to the Committee for a period not exceeding three years in the first instance, with the possibility of renewal for a further period of three years, up to a maximum period of six years. The appointment(s) shall take place normally at the first meeting of the Easter Term preceding a new period of office, the nomination having been announced at the second meeting of the Lent Term. In the event of an unexpected vacancy, or the taking of leave of up to one year, the Nominations Committee, shall propose interim arrangements for the remainder of the current stint, or the period of leave involved.

4.The total term of office for an incumbent serving separately as Associate Secretary and Secretary normally shall be no more than six years.

5. Senior Tutors shall attend all Senior Tutors’ Committee meetings or, if unable to attend, shall send, where possible, substitutes identified beforehand to the Secretary.

6. The Senior Tutors' Committee shall meet twice a term.

7. The Senior Tutors' Committee shall:

i. seek to co-ordinate the educational policy of the Colleges and the University by closer liaison with the Faculties and the central bodies of the University;

ii. initiate discussion on matters of common concern to the Colleges and the University;

iii. discuss all matters of educational policy affecting Colleges, consulting with the General Board's Education Committee where appropriate;

iv. discuss all matters affecting the welfare of students;

v. maintain an overview on the wider implications of changing policies on undergraduate student numbers and, after consultation with the Admissions Forum, take responsibility for formulating overall policy;

vi. in collaboration with the Graduate Tutors’ Committee, maintain an overview on the wider implication of changing policies on graduate student numbers and in collaboration with the Postgraduate Admissions Committee take responsibility for formulating policy;

vii. gather and disseminate examples of good practice with regard to College issues;

viii. respond quickly and efficiently to requests for views and decisions on matters referred to the Committee from other University bodies and bodies outside Cambridge and wherever possible to arrive at a consensus of opinion amongst the Colleges;

ix. keep in close communication with the Vice-Chancellor and their office to ensure the flow of information from the central bodies of the University and, if so desired, provide a member of the Vice-Chancellor's Advisory group (the Secretary of the Senior Tutors' Committee).

8. The Senior Tutors' Committee, through its members on the Colleges' Standing Committee (the Secretary and Associate Secretaries of the Senior Tutors' Committee), shall seek to co-operate in expediting the passage of business through the various intercollegiate bodies and the Colleges. The Colleges' Standing Committee, with members drawn from each of the Bursars' Committee, the Colleges' Committee and the Senior Tutors' Committee, will receive enquiries and proposals from any source and will agree the most efficient and effective timetable for consultation. The Colleges' Standing Committee will also provide a forum for ensuring better communication between those three intercollegiate bodies.

9. The Secretary and/or Associate Secretaries shall be responsible for representing the Senior Tutors’ Committee on principal joint College-University committees.

10. There shall be provision within the Agenda of the Senior Tutors' Committee and of each of its Standing Committees for the discussion of items under reserved business, for which student representative members or attendees shall not be present. Such items shall include:

i. employment or promotion, or any matter relating to the employment or promotion, of individuals;
ii. the admission and academic assessment of individuals;
iii. any other matter at the discretion of the Secretary of the Senior Tutors' Committee in consultation with the Chair of the Committee, in the case of the Senior Tutors' Committee; and the Chair of a Standing Committee in consultation with the Secretary of the Senior Tutors' Committee, in the case of a Standing Committee
 
11.  Service as a member of a Board, Syndicate, or other body shall be deemed not to be employment for the purpose of subsection (a); nevertheless, appointments, nominations for appointment, or co-optations of persons to serve as members of Boards, Syndicates, or other bodies may be reserved under subsection (c). In any case of doubt, the Secretary of the Senior Tutors' Committee in consultation with the Chair, or Chair of Standing Committee in consultation with the Secretary of the Senior Tutors' Committee, as appropriate, shall decide whether an item of business is reserved and the relevant officers decision shall be final. No student representative member or attendee shall receive papers relating to any item of reserved business, other than the Agenda note, but, if the Committee or Standing Committee so decides, may receive minutes of the decisions taken on reserved business. The Chair and Secretary of the Senior Tutors' Committee and Chairs of Standing Committees shall endeavour to keep those items falling under subsection (c) to a minimum.

12. All Colleges shall pay a subscription to cover administrative assistance and the secretarial and other expenses incurred by the Secretary and Associate Secretaries, including a contribution towards administrative support provided by the Unified Administrative Service. The level of this subscription shall be reviewed as necessary by the Bursars’ Levies Panel.

13. The Secretary and Associate Secretary(ies) shall be given delegated authority to respond to such urgent business as may require attention before a Standing Committee or the Senior Tutors' Committee is able to meet, on the understanding that any such response would require ratification by the next meeting of Senior Tutors' Committee.

Standing Committees

14. The Senior Tutors' Committee shall have four Standing Committees: Nominations Committee, Welfare and Finance, Education, and the Graduate Tutors' Committee, whose duties shall be to meet at least once a term, prepare items referred to them in their particular fields for discussion at the full meeting of the Senior Tutors' Committee, to raise items for discussion at the Senior Tutors' Committee, and to discuss items appropriately with other interested bodies in the University. The Standing Committees shall have no powers of decision-making but shall have power to consult University bodies and Colleges to seek information or clarification with regard to items of business which fall within their remit.

15. There shall be six Senior Tutors elected to each of the following Standing Committees:

  • Welfare and Finance;
  • Education
  • Nominations

Membership shall be for 3 years from 1 October following the time of appointment, with the possibility of renewal for a further period of 3 years.

16. The Secretary, or an Associate Secretary of the Senior Tutors' Committee, shall be sent the Agenda of the meetings of the Standing Committees and the Admissions Forum and may attend any of the meetings as determined by the Secretary and Associate Secretary(ies).

17. The Standing Committees shall have the power to invite members of Faculties, the Unified Administrative Service and members of other University and intercollegiate bodies for discussion of particular items.

Nominations Committee

18. The remit of the Nominations Committee of the Senior Tutors' Committee, shall include:

Memberships of External Committees:

i. There shall be a list of all committees and memberships to which the Senior Tutors' Committee makes nominations, with retirement dates.
ii. The list indicating vacancies to be filled will be circulated to Senior Tutors as necessary at the appropriate time, with an invitation for expressions of interest for each vacancy.. There will normally be a deadline for expressions of interest.
iii.The Nominations Committee will review expressions of interest and seek to make appropriate recommendations to the Senior Tutors' Committee for appointments. In the event that no nomination is made for a given vacancy the Committee will approach eligible candidates as necessary.
iv. Members of the Senior Tutors' Committee will be invited to declare any interest in serving on external committees. A list of all committees will be made available to all Senior Tutors.
v. The Committee will be conscious of the need to spread the burden of work, to match interests to needs, and to secure continuity, succession, and effectiveness in the conduct of business.

Memberships of Standing Committees:

i. The Nominations Committee shall be responsible for ensuring that the procedure for electing members to the Standing Committees is carried out according to the any procedures laid down in the Constitution of the Senior Tutors' Committee. The Committee shall ensure a balance of representation in the Standing Committees.
ii. Members of Standing Committees taking leave of two terms or less shall be replaced on a temporary basis only, with the current member returning after their period of leave. Members taking leave of three or more terms shall be replaced on a permanent basis.

The Secretaries of the Senior Tutors' Committee

i. The Nominations Committee shall ensure that a procedure for the appointment of the Secretary and Associate Secretary(ies) of the Senior Tutors' Committee is agreed in good time by the Senior Tutors' Committee and implemented. The Committee shall be responsible for regular review and appraisal of the Secretary and Associate Secretary(ies).

Other matters

i. The Nominations Committee shall consider and propose for the approval of the Senior Tutors' Committee revisions to the Senior Tutors' Committee Constitution which concern memberships of the various committees.
ii. The Committee will have the following membership:
  • Secretary of the Senior Tutors' Committee (Chair);
  • Six Senior Tutors.
iii. Membership shall be for three years from 1 October following the time of appointment, with the possibility of renewal for a further period of three years.
iv. The Committee shall meet termly and shall have the power to co-opt other members as necessary for discussion of particular issues.

 

Graduate Tutors’ Committee

19. The Graduate Tutors' Committee shall consist of a Graduate Tutor from each College. The Chair of the Graduate Tutors' Committee shall be an experienced Senior Tutor appointed by the Senior Tutors' Committee, to serve for three years from 1 October following the time of appointment, with the possibility of renewal for a further 3 years, and the Deputy Chair of the Committee shall be elected by the Graduate Tutors' Committee from among their number.

20. There shall be three junior members on the Graduate Tutors' Committee: the Graduate Union’s President, the Graduate Union’s Vice President and the CUSU-GU Welfare and Rights Officer..

21. The Graduate Tutors' Committee shall consider matters relating to graduate students and where appropriate shall liaise with the Board of Graduate Studies. It shall recommend nominations for membership to relevant external bodies.

Welfare and Finance

22. The Standing Committee on Welfare and Finance shall consider all matters of student welfare and student finance and, where appropriate, liaise closely with the Bursars' Committee and the Graduate Tutors' Committee.

23. Membership shall include a representative from the Bursars’ Committee and a representative from the Graduate Tutors’ Committee.

24. There shall be no more than two junior members on the Standing Committee on Welfare and Finance, one graduate and one undergraduate, to be nominated by CUSU and the Graduate Students' Union.

Education

25. The Standing Committee on Education shall consider matters of College and University educational policy.

26. Membership shall include a representative from the Graduate Tutors’ Committee.

27. There shall be no more than two junior members on the Standing Committee on Education, one graduate and one undergraduate, to be nominated by CUSU and the Graduate Students' Union.