Congregation
- Thursday 11 November 2010
- No. 4934
- Vol 141
- Congregation 16 November
- Congregation 25 November: Elections
- Congregation 30 November
- Congregation 2 December: Elections
Congregation16 November
16 November 2 p.m.
Presentation of Vice-Chancellor's Oration
The Oration delivered by the Vice-Chancellor on 5 October will be presented and may be discussed.
¶ The Oration has been published as Supplement (1) to Gazette No. 4929.
Congregation25 November
Elections
Contested election
Medical Sciences Divisional Board
Uncontested elections
Audit and Scrutiny Committee
Committee for the Nomination of Select Preachers
Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Board
Board of the Faculty of Philosophy
Details are in 'Elections' section below.
Congregation30 November
30 November 2 p.m.
¶ Members of Congregation are reminded that any two members may, not later than noon on Monday, 22 November, give notice in writing to the Registrar that they intend to vote against, or propose an amendment to, the resolutions below (see the note on the conduct of business in Congregation below). If no such notice has been given, and unless Council has declared otherwise, the resolutions shall be carried, and the meeting may be cancelled.
Voting on resolutions to consult affected employees on the changes that have been proposed to the Universities Superannuation Scheme
Text of Resolutions
Congregation notes that the University as an employer has a statutory obligation, under the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Consultation by Employers and Miscellaneous Amendment) Regulations 2006, to consult affected employees on the changes that have been proposed to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS).
Congregation further notes:
(a) that persons who are active members of USS or are eligible to join the scheme have received as part of that consultation process a copy of a USS document outlining the proposed changes and a document from the Employers Pension Forum for Higher Education (EPF) which purports to explain 'why changes are needed' and that 'the proposed changes are considered by the employers to be right for the benefit of the scheme and its members'; and
(b) that as the body representing all employee members of USS under the rules of the Scheme, the University and College Union has published on its website (at http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4598) criticism of the process being followed by Higher Education employers in carrying out the consultation, and (at http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/q/9/USS_statement2_Oct10.pdf) a critique of the EPF document.
Believing that consultation, if it is to be meaningful, must seek the views of those consulted when the latter have been provided with all the information necessary for them to make an informed response, Congregation determines that the University will:
(i) publish to all affected employees the alternative proposals for changes to USS put forward by the EPF and by UCU, together with supporting arguments for each;
(ii) conduct a consultative ballot on those alternative proposals;
(iii) publish the result of the ballot to scheme members within the University;
(iv) send the ballot result to USS as the principal local response to the statutory consultation exercise; and
(v) ensure all members of USS are able to engage in the process and that their comments are fully reflected in the institution's response to USS and that they are published locally.
Proposed by:
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Congregation2 December
Elections
Council
Humanities Divisional Board
Board of the Faculty of Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics
Board of the Faculty of Oriental Studies
Details are in 'Elections' section below.
Note on procedures in Congregation
¶ Business in Congregation is conducted in accordance with Congregation Regulations 2 of 2002 (Supplement (1) to Gazette No. 4633, 9 October 2002, Vol. 133, p. 160, as amended on 12 October 2004, Gazette, Vol. 135, p. 214; www.admin.ox.ac.uk/statutes/regulations/529-122.shtml). A printout of these regulations, or of any statute or other regulations, is available from the Council Secretariat on request. A member of Congregation seeking advice on questions relating to its procedures, other than elections, should contact Miss S. Cowburn at the University Offices, Wellington Square (telephone: (2)70193; email: sarah.cowburn@admin.ox.ac.uk); questions relating to elections should be directed to the Elections Officer, Ms S.L. Stacey (telephone: (2)80463, email: elections.office@ox.ac.uk).