How the University works
Introduction
The University of Cambridge is a confederation of Colleges, Faculties and other institutions.
The University functions with a relatively small central administration, and with central bodies consisting of, and mainly elected by, the current academic personnel of the Faculties and Colleges.
A large part of Cambridge's day-to-day administration is carried out by teaching staff on behalf of their colleagues, and the University's governmental structure is democratic.
As Cambridge approaches its 800th anniversary, it is not surprising that the way in which the University governs itself can appear complex. These pages outline the principal elements in these procedures in simple terms and define some Cambridge terminology. They are not an authoritative statement of the University's Statutes, nor of the legal position in relation to the rights and duties of any body or bodies.
Introduction
In 2009, the University will be celebrating its 800th anniversary.
As one of the world's leading universities, Cambridge has a reputation that reflects the intellectual achievement of its students and the outstanding work of the academic community of the University and the Colleges. Over the last 800 years, its contribution to the world has ranged from the discovery of the mechanism of blood circulation to the structure of DNA, from the great philosophers of the early 15th Century, to the groundbreaking work of its many Nobel Prize winners.
The University will be marking its 800th anniversary with an exciting and varied programme of events. We will be celebrating the ideas, people and achievements from the University that continue to transform and benefit the world and to look forward to future developments. It is also a chance to thank students, staff, alumni and the local community for the contributions they make to the university.
2009 Fund
University, college or student groups are invited to apply for grant money from the Cambridge 2009 Fund to support one-off events in 2009 marking the 800th anniversary and promoting or celebrating the contribution of Collegiate Cambridge to society. Guidance for applicants is available and you can download the application form from this site.
The University's Mission and Core Values
Mission
The mission of the University of Cambridge is to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning, and research at the highest international levels of excellence.
Core values
The University's core values are as follows:
-
freedom of thought and expression
-
freedom from discrimination
Education
-
the encouragement of a questioning spirit
-
an extensive range of academic subjects in all major subject groups
-
quality and depth of provision across all subjects
-
the close inter-relationship between teaching, scholarship, and research
-
strong support for individual researchers as well as research groups
-
residence in Cambridge as central to most courses
-
education which enhances the ability of students to learn throughout life
The University's relationship with society
-
the widest possible student access to the University
-
the contribution which the University can make to society through the pursuit, dissemination, and application of knowledge
-
the place of the University within the broader academic and local community
-
opportunities for innovative partnerships with business, charitable foundations, and healthcare
-
concern for sustainability and the relationship with the environment
The Collegiate University
-
the relationship between the University and the Colleges as fundamental to the nature of Cambridge
-
the interdisciplinary nature of the Colleges as a major stimulus to teaching and learning
-
the enhanced quality of experience for students and staff through College membership
University staff
-
recognition and reward of the University's staff as its greatest asset
-
the encouragement of career development for all staff
Other activities
-
the opportunities for broadening the experience of students and staff through participation in sport, music, drama, the visual arts, and other cultural activities
-
Introduction
The University of Cambridge is rich in history - its famous Colleges and University buildings attract visitors from all over the world. But the University's libraries, museums and collections also hold many treasures which give an exciting insight into some of the scholarly activities, both past and present, of the University's academics and students.
Information here will give you a taste of what is on offer - from the enormous collection of books at the University Library, one of the six legal deposit libraries in the British Isles; to the local geological finds at the Sedgwick Museum and archaeological finds at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology; to the fine paintings and sculpture at the Fitzwilliam and contemporary art at Kettle's Yard, wonderful collections of plants at the Botanic Garden; and specimens brought back by Darwin from his voyages on display at the Museum of Zoology; Darwin's rock collection is displayed at the Sedgwick Museum, which also has fine collections of fossils, rocks and minerals.
Special events go on throughout the year - talks, concerts, exhibitions, family workshops, courses for adults and displays - and also the education programmes for schools. Members of the public are given a warm welcome. Teachers interested in INSET programmes and special projects for schools should contact the education officer at either the Fitzwilliam Museum, Kettle's Yard or the Botanic Garden for details.
-
Computing Resources
The University aims to provide an advanced IT infrastructure suitable for the support of the teaching and research activities of Departments and Colleges. The Information Technology Syndicate, which contains strong College representation, is responsible for strategy, for establishing standards of use throughout the University, and for advising on all matters relating to Information Technology.
Computing resources for teaching, and for research that is not IT-resource intensive, are provided at three levels: general facilities are provided by the Colleges, facilities which need to be provided on a University-wide basis are the responsibility of the Computing Service, and Departments provide subject-specific facilities. The University data network (CUDN) is central to this strategy. It is connected with high-speed links to SuperJANET and the Internet in order to provide the necessary connectivity to the world at large.
Services
-
The University Computing Service. Hardware support can do repairs and you can obtain site-licenced free software (such as anitvirus software) and buy software from Software Sales.
-
The University Library
-
Departments and colleges, listed in A-Z list or with telephone numbers and addresses
-
The IT Syndicate supervises IT provision and use in the University and Colleges
-
The Language Centre provides access to facilities and expertise in language learning for use throughout the University
-
Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies (CARET)
-
Cambridge Computer Emergency Response Team
Facilities
-
Electronic mail at Cambridge including the Hermes Webmail Service.
-
Email directories of staff and students
-
World access email directory
-
University lookup service (Raven-controlled access)
-
-
The site-wide search facility, and information for local users about how to administer its use
-
The PWF, public workstations for students and staff, providing facilities for personal web pages and remotely accessible filespace.
-
Raven - the University's authentication service
-
CamTools - the University's collaborative working environment
-
Super computing
-
Cambridge eScience Centre
-
PWF Condor
-
The High Performance Computing Service, available only to registered local users
-
-
University-wide newsgroups - web interface for easy access
-
Support is available for Windows, Macs, Unix and Networks.
-
The Computing Service Help Desk offers immediate assistance with Computing Service facilities, and there are various other IT Help Desks within the University for some specialist systems.
-
The Computing Service offers IT Training Courses, nearly all free of charge to staff and students of the University
-
Wireless access: there are many hot-spots in the University. The Computing Service run lapwing, which supports an increasing number of hot-spots. Some colleges and departments run their own services. \
-
University Archives
The University Archives is responsible for the selection and preservation of the internal administrative records of the University of Cambridge, dating from 1266 to the present, and for making them available for administrative and research purposes. The archives are as diverse in their contents as the activities - self governance, teaching and research, property management, administration of justice, external relations - the University has pursued down the centuries. They include charters, statutes and title deeds, records of its legislative and executive bodies, central administration, Syndicates and committees, departments and faculties, students and law courts. Some recent records are accessible only to those with written authority from the appropriate officers, but most are freely available in the University Library Department of MSS \and University Archives. An on-line catalogue is available at http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk
