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Statutes
and Committees
All aspects of the College's
activities have to be in accordance with the Statutes, which
the College is legally obliged to observe. The College cannot unilaterally
change the Statutes. From time to time it may propose changes, but
such proposals can only be put into effect when they are approved
by the Privy Council. The Statutes determine the composition of
the major decision-making bodies, which are:
The Governing Body
(the Master and all Fellows, plus four Junior Members) meets once
a Term. It may review any aspect of policy, although most practical
issues are dealt with by smaller, more specialised committees. The
Council (the Master, the Senior Tutor, ten other Fellows
and two Junior Members) meets between two and four times a Term.
It deals mainly with matters of education and welfare. The Finance
Committee (the Master, the Bursars, about eight other Fellows
and two Junior Members) is responsible for managing the College's
income and expenditure.
The Junior Members of
these statutory committees have full voting rights for all except
`reserved' items of business.`Reserved' items are mainly those which
may involve confidential discussion of individuals.
Besides the statutory committees,
a number of other committees are appointed by the Governing Body
or the Council. They include: the Liaison Committee (on which
Junior Members form a majority); the Buildings, Amenities, and
Gardens Committee (BAG); the Health and Safety Committee;
the Library Committee; the Accommodation Committee,
the Academic Computer Committee, and the Catering Committee.
These are not statutory bodies, so they may not make binding decisions
of their own unless delegated to do so. They make recommendations
to the Governing Body, Council or Finance Committee.
Governing
Body, Council and Finance Committees
Protocol for consultation with UCS and MCR
Student Membership
of the Committees
Governing Body: Presidents of the
UCS and MCR, together with two other student members, to be appointed
by the UCS and MCR.
Council: one student member
each from the UCS and MCR, appointed by each body.
Finance Committee: one
student member each from the UCS and MCR, appointed by each body,
who should be the President or the Treasurer.
Other student members may attend the meetings
from time to time, with the leave of the Master, where the business
of the meetings concerns other officers of the UCS and MCR.
Meetings Student members should
at the start of their tenure make themselves aware of the dates
for meetings of these Committees throughout the year. If student
members have business they wish to present to the Committees, they
should ensure that the item and any associated paperwork are presented
10 days before the meeting is to be held, at the latest. Every substantial
item should be accompanied by a paper explaining the issues that
need a decision.
Student members of these
committees come as elected individuals, and exercise their right
to participate in discussion and to vote as individuals. Whilst
they may seek to represent student opinion to the committee, they
cannot be 'mandated' to vote in any particular way.
In reporting the discussion
of particular items back to the student body, students are expected
to respect the element of confidentiality in committee discussion.
Students will naturally wish to report the tenor of discussion and
the decisions made by the committee, but should not identify particular
individuals or their views in such reporting.
Items for the Governing Body should go to
the Master; for the Council, to the Senior Tutor; for the Finance
Committee to the Bursar.
Consultation There will be an opportunity before each meeting
for student members to consult with the Master, Senior Tutor and
Bursar respectively about matters on the agenda for each of the
Committees.
Liaison Committee The main forum
for consultation between senior and student members of the College
is the Liaison Committee. The Liaison Committee does not itself
make decisions, but refers matters for discussion and decision to
the Council, Finance Committee and other Committees in the College
as appropriate. Its membership consists of the officers of the UCS
and MCR, the Senior Tutor, the Bursar, the Steward, the Tutorial
Bursar, the Rooms Tutor and one other senior member. Any matter
within the College that is of concern to the student body falls
within its remit, although it does not discuss any issue referring
to particular individuals. In practice, many of the matters that
come to the major College Committees will have received prior discussion
on the Liaison Committee.
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