Governance & official documents
Statutes and Ordinances provide the framework that allows the College to govern its affairs.
The statutes contain the constitutional and governance provisions of the College while ordinances are the detailed regulations and procedures.
These documents are approved by Governing Body, which, together with the College Council, are responsible for the governance of Churchill College.
Other official documents, including annual accounts, College policies, are also approved by Council or Governing Body.
The Governing Body
The Governing Body usually meets twice a term, and is chaired by the College Master. The Governing Body includes most of the Fellowship*, and four student members: two representing postgraduates and two representing undergraduates. Governing Body votes on key decisions, and can be seen as steering the College’s direction.
*There are several categories of Fellows at Churchill College. Full details of College Fellowships, and the processes of election, can be found in the College’s Statutes and Ordinances.
The College Council
This is the main operating committee of the College and is the Trustee Body for the charitable corporation of the College. Members include the Master, the Vice-Master, the Senior Tutor, the Senior Postgraduate Tutor, the Bursar, eight other Fellows who are elected to serve for two years each, plus two undergraduates, two postgraduates and two staff members.
Council meets fortnightly during Full Term, and takes decisions on a wide range of matters. Some of these may in turn be referred to Governing Body. Its remit includes oversight of student admissions, educational, tutorial and disciplinary matters, and College finances and administration.
The Master
The Master, also known as Head of House is responsible for the overall governance of the College.
The Vice Master
The Vice-Master chairs several committees and has responsibility for a number of Fellowship matters, and deputises for the Master in accordance with the College’s Statutes & Ordinances.
The Bursar
The Bursar has general responsibility for all matters related to College finances and investments, the management of the College estate, facilities and services, staff, administration, communications, and fund-raising.
The Senior Tutor
The Senior Tutor provides collaborative leadership, advice and support to the Admissions Tutor and Postgraduate Tutor, Directors of Study, College Lecturers and Tutors to shape the educational and pastoral environment at the College.
Student Representation
The Junior Common Room (JCR) is the name of both the College undergraduate student union and the room in which it meets. Likewise the Middle Common Room (MCR) is the name of the postgraduate student union and the room in which it meets. These have elected committees and are tasked with representing the interests and needs of the student body. The student representatives attending Governing Body and Council will be Officers from the JCR and MCR. Officers are elected by the students annually.
(SCR is the Senior Common Room, which is the representative body of the Fellowship.)
Sub-Committees
There are many committees of the Council dealing with the detail of specific areas of the College’s operation. Most committees include student representatives from the JCR and the MCR. These include the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Finance Committee, Ethics Committee, Sustainability Committee.
Working Groups
Working groups are similar to sub-committees but are tasked with specific time-bound projects or tasks. They may be called into being by a sub-committee and disbanded on completion of the project.
Corporate Social Responsibility
CSR is about ensuring the College operates such that its economic, social, and environmental impact works to enhance society and the environment.
The Sustainability Strategy addresses the work which the College is undertaking towards a positive environmental impact. This includes economic considerations. The College’s Responsible Investment Policy also addresses economic aspects.
Social impacts the College has committed to are:
Academic
1.2.6 To foster academic excellence in the arts as well as in science and technology.
1.2.7 To be leaders in seeking to broaden access for UK undergraduate students, postgraduates and international students.
1.2.8 To provide an environment that fosters good relations between College members of all backgrounds, race, religion, gender, age, culture and disabilities.
1.2.9 To maintain a caring and supportive academic environment for all students and Fellows.
Employees
1.2.16 To encourage mutual respect and dignity and treat employees fairly and without discrimination.
1.2.17 To promote the health and well-being of all employees.
1.2.18 To encourage team working and the sharing of knowledge throughout the College community.
1.2.19 To provide a safe working environment and rewarding career for all employees.
1.2.20 To offer employees clear and fair terms of employment and provide resources to enable their continual development
Community
1.2.21 To make the College’s facilities available to the local community whenever possible and to support thereby local community, academic and charitable initiatives
1.2.22 To communicate with our neighbours and welcome them to the College, whenever appropriate.
1.2.23 To enable employees and students to undertake voluntary activities, whenever possible.
1.2.24 To encourage employees and students to support at least one charitable organisation every year through voluntary fundraising activities.
Policies which support these include our Health & Safety policy, Equal Opportunities Policy and Bullying and Harassment Policy
Accounts
The College's public accounts and accompanying Annual Report in the Recommended Cambridge College Accounts (RCCA) format.
Data protection statements
Freedom of Information
The official Publication Schemes for the College itself, for Churchill Conferences Ltd, for Churchill Residences II Ltd and for the Møller Institute for Continuing Education. The publication schemes have been prepared in accordance with s.19 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. They are a complete guide to the information routinely published by the College and its subsidiary bodies.
If you require further information or experience difficulty in using the schemes, email or write to the Freedom of Information Officer at Churchill College. The various documents are provided in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. If you require information that is not listed in our publication schemes, please make a written request to the Freedom of Information Officer.
Contact
The Freedom of Information Officer
Churchill College
Storey’s Way
Cambridge
CB3 0DS
Guidance for individuals requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act
As from 1 January 2005 you have the right, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, to request any information held by the College which it has not already made available through its publication scheme. To help the College respond to your request as quickly as possible, please use the following guidance.
- Requests should be made in writing (by e-mail or post) wherever possible
- Enquirers should provide us with an address for correspondence
- To save time, please make your enquiry as specific as possible. We are happy to offer guidance about the framing of enquiries.
- Your enquiry will be dealt with within 20 working days, as specified by the Act.
- If the costs of locating and collating the information would exceed maximum limit set by the government of £450, then the College may not comply with your request or may ask you to meet our reasonable costs in doing so.
- The College will provide copies of documents up to 10 pages long free of charge. Documents that exceed this limit may be charged for at a rate of 20p per sheet.
- If we intend to charge a fee, we will notify you as soon as possible after receiving your request. We will proceed with your enquiry once we have received your fee and respond within 20 days, less the time that it has taken to issue you with the fees notice.
- The College is not required to release information to which an exemption in the Act legitimately applies. However, we will explain to the enquirer why we have decided not to release information that we believe to be exempt.
- If you are not satisfied with the way that the College has dealt with your request, please address your complaint to Churchill College, Storey’s Way, Cambridge CB3 0DS.
- If the College is unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you have the right under Freedom of Information Act 2000, s 50, to apply to the Information Commissioner “for a decision whether, in any specified respect, a request for information made by the complainant (ie yourself) to a public authority (ie the College) has been dealt with in accordance with the requirements of Part I” of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. If you wish to exercise this right, you should contact the Information Commissioner at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Freedom of Speech
Freedom of Speech Code of Practice
The Secretary of State for Education has announced that the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 will not come into force as planned on 1 August 2024, and that options will be considered going forward, which could include the amendment or repeal of the Act.
Changes to College policies and procedures, including this Code of Practice, which had been formally approved by the College Council, are still due to take effect from 1 August 2024. Other work is now paused pending further clarity, and consideration will be given in due course as to whether any changes already implemented should be amended.
The Ministerial Statement and a Government press release contain more information
Freedom of Speech Code of Practice
