Who's Who and Who Does What?

The College is a working and residential community of around 750 people: Fellows (the 'Senior Members'), undergraduate and postgraduate students (the 'Junior Members'), and Staff. Its main purpose is to support education and research. For a smallish community, the College can appear remarkably complex. Subsequent sections of the Handbook will provide more detailed descriptions of the various departments and about how to deal with problems which may arise. This section provides a brief overview of the College as an institution. How does it work? How are decisions made and implemented? Who is responsible for which areas of College life?

The Master and the College Officers

Policies are decided by the committees (see below). The major committees are chaired by the Master, Professor Tony Badger. According to the College Statutes, the role of the Master is to `exercise a general supervision over all the affairs of the College'. Day-to-day administration is the responsibility of College Officers, elected from among the Fellows. The College Officers for 2006-2007 are:

Senior Tutor Dr Patricia Fara has overall responsibility for education and welfare.

Bursar Mr Donald Hearn looks after the College finances, staff, buildings, grounds and amenities.

Steward Mr Mick Petty has overall responsibility for the Catering, Housekeeping, and Conference activities of the College. 

Financial Tutor Dr Jacqueline Tasioulas deals with individual and collective student finances.

Dean Rev Gregory Seach is responsible for the Chapel, and also has a broad pastoral role in the College community.

Dean of Students Dr Tamara Follini deals with disciplinary matters.

Graduate Tutor Prof Nicola Clayton looks after the welfare of graduate students.

Assistant Graduate Tutor Dr Maciej Dunajski

Graduate Admissions Tutor Dr Anna Philpott deals with the admission of graduate students.

Tutors Mr Tim Brown, Dr Rachael Harris, Mr Aylmer Johnson, Dr Fred Parker, Dr Richard Dyball, Dr Hubertus Jahn, Dr Gordon Ogilvie, Dr Anne Stillman), oversee the welfare of the students allocated to them. A Tutor is also the student's representative in certain dealings with the University, the College or outside authorities.

Admissions Tutors Dr Tess Knighton [Arts] and Dr William Foster [Sciences]) deal with admissions matters and Open Days, and work with The Schools Liaison Officer Miss Rachael Morris

Rooms Tutor Dr Bill Byrne is responsible for the allocation of college rooms to Fellows and Students.

Praelector Mr Tim Brown presents you at degree ceremonies, where he is also required by the University to vouch for your learning and for morals.

Development Director Dr Toby Wilkinson is responsible for fundraising, alumni relations and communications.

Computing Coordinator Mr Aylmer Johnson is responsible for overseeing the College's computing facilities.

Director of Music Tim Brown will direct the Chapel Choir and oversee other musical activities in the College.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Staff Departments

A complete list of College Staff is available from the Contacts page of the web site.

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The Master and the College Officers

Statutes and Committees

Staff Departments          

            Professor Tony Badger

           Master of Clare College

                  Dr Patricia Fara

                    Senior Tutor