Cambridge University Council

The Council of the University of Cambridge is the principal executive and policy-making body, having responsibility for the administration of the university, for the planning of its work and for the management of its resources.^[1] Since the Regent House is the governing body of the university, the council must report and be accountable to the Regents through a variety of checks and balances. It has the right to report to the university and is obliged to advise the Regent House on matters of general concern to the university. It performs both functions by authorising notices to be published in the Cambridge University Reporter, its official journal.

Cambridge University is an exempt charity, under the Charities Act 2011 regulated by the Office for Students. Under charity law its trustees are members of the University Council.^[2]

Membership

Membership of the council consists of the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University (the chancellor, primarily a ceremonial post, is appointed ad vitam, while the vice-chancellor is de facto the principal academic and administrative officer), nineteen elected members, and four appointed members, divided into classes as follows:^[3]

1. Four heads of colleges
2. Four professors or readers
3. Eight from the other members of the Regent House
4. Three students: ex-officio the undergraduate and postgraduate presidents of the Cambridge Students' Union as well as an independently-elected current student
5. Four external members

Current constitution

Position	Name	Term Ending
Chancellor*	Lord Sainsbury of Turville, K	LIFE
Vice-Chancellor	Prof. Deborah Prentice	30 September 2024
Heads of Colleges
President of Lucy Cavendish College	Prof. Dame Madeleine Atkins, LC	31 December 2020
President of St John's	Heather Hancock, JN	31 December 2024
Master of Fitzwilliam	Baroness Morgan of Huyton, F	31 December 2022
Master of Clare Hall	Prof. Alan Short, CLH	31 December 2022
Professors or Readers
Professor of Cardiovascular Pharmacology	Prof. Anthony Davenport, CTH	31 December 2024
Professor of Portuguese Literature and Culture	Prof. Maria Manuel Lisboa, JN	31 December 2024
Professor of Photonics†	Prof. Richard Penty, SID	31 December 2022
Professor in Modern Literature and Culture	Prof. Jason Scott-Warren, CAI	31 December 2012
Other members of Regent House
	Dr Zoe Adams	31 December 2024
	Dr Ruth Lisa Chadwick Charles, N	31 December 2022
	Dr Nicholas Holmes, T	31 December 2022
	Dr Ann Kaminski	31 December 2024
	Dr Philip Knox	31 December 2022
	Dr Andrew Sanchez	31 December 2022
	Dr Mike Sewell, SEL	31 December 2024
	Dr Pieter van Houten, CHU	31 December 2024
Three student members [3]
CSU Undergraduate President	Sarah Anderson, F	30 June 2025
CSU Postgraduate President	Sumouli Bhattacharjee, F	30 June 2025
Student University Councilor	Alex Myall, R	30 June 2025
Four external members
	Gaenor Bagley	31 December 2024
	Sharon Flood	31 December 2022
	Prof. Sir David Greenaway	31 December 2024
	Mark Lewisohn‡, CHR	31 December 2022

* The Chancellor (currently Lord Sainsbury of Turville) is not expected to attend meetings

† Professor Richard Penty currently serves as Master of Sidney Sussex College

‡ Mark Lewisohn also acts as Deputy Chairman of Council

External members

From January 2005, the membership of the council included two external members.^[4] The Regent House voted to increase the number of external members from two to four in March 2008,^[5][6] being approved by The Queen in July 2008.^[7]

Meetings

The council normally meets once per month, except August, in the Council Room at the Old Schools. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused meetings to be held via Zoom.^[8]