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This publication scheme follows the model prepared and approved by the Information Commissioner.

The College makes information available to the public as part of its normal activities. The information covered is included in the classes of information mentioned below, where this information is held by the College.

On this page:

Classes of Information:

  • Who we are and what we do
    Organisational information, locations and contacts, constitutional and legal governance.
  • What we spend and how we spend it
    Financial information relating to projected and actual income and expenditure, tendering, procurement and contracts.
  • What our priorities are and how we are doing
    Strategy and performance information, plans, assessments, inspections and reviews.
  • How we make decisions
    Policy proposals and decisions. Decision making processes, internal criteria and procedures, consultations.
  • Our policies and procedures
    Current written protocols for delivering our functions and responsibilities.
  • Lists and registers
    Information held in registers required by law and other lists and registers relating to the functions of the College.
  • The services we offer
    Advice and guidance, booklets and leaflets, transactions and media releases. A description of the services offered.

The classes of information will not generally include:

  • Information the disclosure of which is prevented by law, or exempt under the Freedom of Information Act, or is otherwise properly considered to be protected from disclosure.
  • Information in draft form.
  • Information that is no longer readily available as it is contained in files that have been placed in archive storage, or is difficult to access for similar reasons.

The method by which information published under this scheme will be made available.

The College will indicate clearly to the public what information is covered by this scheme and how it can be obtained.

The College will provide information where possible on its website.

In exceptional circumstances some information may be available only by viewing in person. Where this manner is specified, contact details will be provided. An appointment to view the information will be arranged within a reasonable timescale.

Charges which may be made for Information published under this scheme

Material which is published and accessed on the College’s website will be provided free of charge.

Charges may be made for actual disbursements incurred such as:

  • photocopying
  • postage and packaging
  • the costs directly incurred as a result of viewing information

If a charge is to be made, confirmation of the payment due will be given before the information is provided. Payment may be requested prior to provision of the information.

Charges made for provision of information included in this publication scheme

Redacted copies of minutes. Charges covering the cost of redaction and reproduction are £5 per set of minutes of each meeting.

Given the costs of supplying minutes, it is suggested that enquirers informally contact the Bursary to ascertain the most efficient way of obtaining the required information.

Written Requests

Information held by the College that is not published under this scheme can be requested in writing or by email, when its provision will be considered in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.

Responsible Officer

The Secretary of the College Council is responsible for the Scheme on behalf of the College. The contact email address is foi@trin.cam.ac.uk.

Who we are and what we do

  • Brief History
  • Organisational information, structures, locations and contacts.
  • Legal framework
  • How the institution is organised
  • Location and contact details
  • Lists of and information relating to organisations for which the College has responsibility, those it works in partnership with, those it sponsors and companies wholly owned by it
  • Student activities

Brief History

Trinity College, Cambridge, was founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, who amalgamated institutions established earlier (one dating from 1317) and added further endowment. A brief history of the College is available. The College currently has around 180 Fellows (academic staff involved in teaching, research and administration) and about 1000 junior members in residence (about 670 undergraduates, 330 graduates).

The aims of the College are traditionally described as ‘the advancement of education, religion, learning and research’.

Legal framework

The Charter of the College of 1546 is available on request to the Bursary (in Latin together with an unofficial translation).

The current Statutes of the College are available. They were initially made under the Oxford and Cambridge Act 1923 by an Order in Council dated 30 April 1926. Subsequent alterations have been made on various dates by the procedure set out in the Statutes, namely approval at a meeting of the Governing Body (the Master and Fellows being graduates) followed by submission to the Privy Council for approval (after approval by the University of Cambridge, and confirmation at a second meeting of the Governing Body).

HOW THE INSTITUTION IS ORGANISED

In accordance with the Statutes, the College is administered by the College Council, which is normally chaired by the Master and meets every week during the University’s Full Term. Members of the Council are ‘charity trustees’ under the Charities Act 2006. The Council has Standing Orders governing its meetings, including one on conflicts of interest.

The Council is (with limited exceptions) subject to review by a College Meeting, namely a meeting of the Master and all the Fellows. There are at least two College Meetings each year, the Accounts Meeting following the audit and the Annual College Meeting at which members of the Council are elected (three each year, to serve for three years). Special College Meetings are summoned occasionally, by a procedure specified in the Statutes, usually to discuss matters of particular importance.

The principal officers of the College include the Master (who is appointed by the Crown), the Vice-Master (who is elected by the Fellows), the Senior Tutor, and the Senior and Junior Bursars (all three appointed by the Council) – these are all members of the Council ex officio. Other officers include the other Tutors, the Deans of College and Chapel, the Librarian, the Lecturers, the Steward and the Chaplains.

There are a number of Committees in the College, some standing, some appointed by the Council for a particular purpose. Members of committees are appointed by the Council, and membership of standing committees is reviewed annually. The committees make recommendations to the Council, and decisions are taken by the Council.

There is a Liaison Committee, including several representatives elected by the junior members of the College and some Fellows appointed by the Council, whose remit is to discuss and make recommendations about matters of concern to junior members. Its minutes are received by the Council.

The Council sets down rules, regulations and procedures governing all aspects of College life. As far as students are concerned, these cover such matters as admission to membership, allocation of rooms, educational matters, accounts and fees, prizes and scholarships for academic work, studentships for graduate study, and discipline. There is a ‘White Book’ of Regulations and General Information for Student Members of the College, updated each year.

Title
Publication Scheme, White Book 24/10/2023

    LOCATION AND CONTACT DETAILS

    Location and contact details are available:

    Location

    Contact – Trinity College, Cambridge, CB2 1TQ, U.K. Tel.: 01223 338 400. Fax: 01223 338 564

    Lists of and information relating to organisations for which the College has responsibility, those it works in partnership with, those it sponsors and companies wholly owned by it

    The College wholly owns the following registered companies:

    Trinity College (CSP) Ltd: This is a company for property development and other trading activities not involving the College’s main site.

    Trinity (B) Ltd: This is a company for property development and other trading activities not involving the College’s main site.

    Trinity (F) Ltd: This is a company for property development and other trading activities not involving the College’s main site.

    Walton Farms Ltd: This is a company for agricultural management and services and other trading activities not involving the College’s main site.

    Eureka Management Company Ltd: This is a company for property development and other trading activities not involving the College’s main site.

    Trinity (D) Ltd: This is primarily a property investment company (formally known as Meridian Delta Dome Ltd) which leases the O2 Arena and surrounding area.

    Dunsfold Airport Ltd: This is a company for property management, not involving the College’s main site.

    Trinity (E) Ltd: This is a company for holding investment property, not involving the College’s main site.

    These companies have their own publication schemes.

    STUDENT ACTIVITIES

    The principal student associations in the College are the Trinity College Students Union (TCSU) for both undergraduate and graduate students and the BA Society for graduate students. Both organisations have their own web sites:

    The College also has a number of clubs and societies. A directory of these is available.

    The College’s code of practice under section 22 of the Education Act 1994 is published as an Appendix to the ‘White Book’ of Regulations and General Information for Student Members of the College.​

    ​What we spend and how we spend it

    Financial information relating to projected and actual income and expenditure, procurement, contracts and financial audit.

    Financial information for the current financial year and for the financial years since 2001 is available as described below.

    • Funding / Income
    • Budgetary and account information
    • Financial audit reports
    • Capital programme
    • Financial regulations and procedures
    • Staff pay and grading structures
    • Register of suppliers
      Procurement and tender procedures and reports
    • Contracts
    • Research funding

    FUNDING / INCOME

    The College’s Accounts contain information on the sources of funding and the College’s income.

    Title
    College Accounts, Publication Scheme 19/12/2023
    College Accounts, Publication Scheme 20/12/2022
    College Accounts, Publication Scheme 06/12/2021
    College Accounts, Publication Scheme 10/05/2021
    College Accounts, Publication Scheme 10/05/2021
    College Accounts, Publication Scheme 10/05/2021
    College Accounts, Publication Scheme 10/05/2021
    College Accounts, Publication Scheme 10/05/2021
    College Accounts, Publication Scheme 10/05/2021
    College Accounts, Publication Scheme 10/05/2021

    Budgetary and account information
    Budgetary and account information is available in the College Accounts (see above)

    Financial audit reports
    Copies of the independent auditors’ annual reports to the Governing Body of the College may be found in the body of the Accounts (see above).

    Capital programme
    Capital expenditure is approved on an ad hoc basis in the light of current priorities and the availability of resources.

    Financial regulations and procedures
    The College’s financial regulations and procedures are incorporated in the College Statutes

    The Trinity College Staff Pension Scheme (the “Scheme”)

    Staff Pay and Grading Structure

    Details of the College’s pay and grading structure are available.​

    Trinity College provides for all permanent staff:

    1. A dedicated Pension Scheme
    2. Housing Support
    3. Health and Dental Scheme

    For further details of these please contact the Head of Personnel (hr@trin.cam.ac.uk).

    Register of suppliers

    The College does not have an approved list of suppliers, but in order to obtain best value for money engages in various consortium purchasing arrangements. The details of those arrangements are not included in this publication scheme for reasons of commercial confidentiality.

    Procurement and tender procedures and reports
    The College is not a public authority for the purpose of European Law relating to tendering requirements. Its normal practice in relation to capital works is to procure them through a tendering process.

    Contracts

    The College does not publish details of its commercial contracts.

    Research funding

    The College funds its own scheme of Junior Research Fellowships. Senior Research Fellowships are also available from time to time.

    The College offers a number of Studentships for graduate students.

    Grants are available to graduate students in residence to support travel to conferences and other academic-related activities.

    The College has funding schemes to assist the research of its Fellows.

    What our priorities are and how we are doing

    Strategies and plans, performance indicators, audits, inspections and reviews.

    • Annual report
    • Teaching and learning strategy
    • Academic quality and standards
    • External review information
    • Government and regulatory reports

    ANNUAL REPORT

    Annual reports on Admission Statistics, Student Numbers and Examinations are published as special editions of the Cambridge University Reporter.

    TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGY

    The College’s teaching requirements are kept under review by the Education Committee and the College Council. Appointments are made on an ad hoc basis in the light of current priorities and resources.

    ACADEMIC QUALITY AND STANDARDS

    The academic assessment of students at the College is conducted through Tripos and other University examinations (for undergraduates) and through the Board of Graduate Studies of the University (for graduate students). Information may be found on the Cambridge University website.

    Details of the academic arrangements for students are available online. Termly reports written by supervisors on their students through the CamCORS system are carefully monitored by Tutors and Directors of Studies and feedback from the students themselves is invited on a termly basis through an online Teaching and Learning Questionnaire.

    The College adheres to the standards and requirements of the University and is represented on the Senior Tutors’ Committee which is concerned with educational policy, welfare issues and student numbers and promotes good practice across the constituent Colleges of the University.

    EXTERNAL REVIEW INFORMATION

    The Tompkins Table documents the comparative performance of Colleges in undergraduate examinations.

    • Tompkins Table

    GOVERNMENT AND REGULATORY REPORTS

    There are none at present.

    How we make decisions

    Decision-making processes and records of decisions:

    • Minutes of College Meetings and the Council
    • Minutes of student consultation meetings
    • Appointment committees and procedures

    MINUTES OF COLLEGE MEETINGS AND THE COUNCIL

    Minutes of recent College Meetings are available. Redacted Minutes of Meetings of the Council are available on request at a standard charge covering the cost of redaction and reproduction.

    APPOINTMENT COMMITTEES AND PROCEDURES

    Minutes of appointments committees are not published because they contain personal information. Advertisements for employment within the College, and the relevant appointment procedures, are available online.

    ​​Our policies and procedures

    Current written protocols, policies and procedures for delivering our services and responsibilities:

    • Policies and procedures for conducting College business
    • Procedures and policies relating to academic services
    • Procedures and policies relating to student services
    • Procedures and policies relating to human resources
    • Procedures and policies relating to recruitment
    • Modern Slavery Statement
    • Code of Conduct for members of governing bodies
    • Equality and Diversity
    • Health and Safety
    • Estate management
    • Complaints policy
    • Records management and personal data policies
    • Research policy and strategy
    • Charging regimes and policies

    POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CONDUCTING COLLEGE BUSINESS

    The membership of the Council and its schedule of meetings are as described above under ‘How the institution is organised’. The Standing Orders of the Council include inter alia the following provisions:

    HOW THE INSTITUTION IS ORGANISED

    ‘Every member of the Council shall observe the ordinance on Conduct of Business and Conflicts of Interest, and shall accordingly prior to the discussion of any item of Council business declare any conflict of interest and withdraw if required. Every member of the Council shall by the end of each Lent Term complete or update a form approved by the Council registering any interests of that member relevant to the conduct of the College’s business.

    ‘When a decision has been taken on an appeal heard by the Council, a formal completion of procedures letter will be issued by the Secretary to the appellant.’

    The College’s procedures for handling requests for information may be found in the introduction to the publication scheme and here. It should be noted that as matter of policy the College does not reveal to any enquirer the address, email address or telephone number of any officer, member of staff, or member of the College – and indeed need not confirm that a person being sought is a member of the College. Accordingly, unless a direct link is given, anyone who wishes to contact any officer or person mentioned in this Publication Scheme or otherwise on the College’s Website should do so by writing to that person care of the College, sending an email message to an address listed on this website, or telephoning the switchboard (01223 338400) and asking for the message to be passed on, or the call to be put through, to the person concerned.

    • Contact – Trinity College, Cambridge, CB2 1TQ, U.K. Tel.: 01223 338 400. Fax: 01223 338 564

    PROCEDURES AND POLICIES RELATING TO ACADEMIC SERVICES

    Policies and procedures governing the conduct of examinations, breaches of such regulations including plagiarism, and appeal procedures for students, are issued by the University.

    Guidance is also given to students in the University’s Student Handbook and through links on the College website to information produced jointly by the Cambridge University Students Union (CUSU) and the University’s Board of Examinations.

    • Student Handbook

    PROCEDURES AND POLICIES RELATING TO STUDENT SERVICES

    Information on the arrangements for admission to Trinity is available.

    Residence requirements for students are available online. The College Accommodation Handbook which is issued to all students in residence on an annual basis may also be consulted.

    College Policies are available below, including the Code of Practice for Student Complaints. There is also a webpage of college policies:

    ​For policies relating to staff then please contact the Head of Personnel for more details (personnel@trin.cam.ac.uk).

    Information on the Computing Services provided for students by the College and the terms and conditions of use are provided in the ‘White Book’.​

    PROCEDURES AND POLICIES RELATING TO HUMAN RESOURCES

    The following College policies are available here:

    Equality and Diversity

    For policies relating to staff then please contact the Head of Personnel for more details (personnel@trin.cam.ac.uk).

    The Code of Practice for Student Complaints is also available.

    Information on the Computing Services provided for students by the College and the terms and conditions of use are provided in the ‘White Book’.

    Procedures and policies relating to recruitment

    Current vacancies at the College can be found online.

    Modern Slavery Statement

    In accordance with Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the College is required to prepare an anti-slavery and anti-trafficking statement for each financial year, setting out what steps it has taken to ensure that modern slavery is not taking place in its business or supply chains. The College statement for the financial year ended 30 June 2020 is published below.

    CODE OF CONDUCT FOR MEMBERS OF GOVERNING BODIES

    The College’s Ordinance relating to conduct of business and conflicts of interest is available.​

    CCTV Systems

    Title
    CCTV Policies, Data Protection, Publication Scheme 10/05/2021
    CCTV Policies, Data Protection, Publication Scheme 10/05/2021

      Trinity College Staff Equal Opportunities Policy is available.

      ​​HEALTH AND SAFETY

      1. A Health and Safety Committee comprising the Heads of all Departments of the College, and representatives of the students, meets termly to review Health and Safety policy and practice throughout the College.
      2. The Head of Personnel is also the College Health and Safety Co-ordinator.
      3. The Head Porter is the College Fire Officer.

      The College maintains generic risk assessments for many areas of activity, and also conducts specific risk assessments for individual activities and functions as required.

      College staff receive training as necessary in accordance with risk assessments, and relevant staff are also trained in the preparation of risk assessments.

      Any further enquiries about Health and Safety issues should be addressed to the Head of Personnel and Health and Safety Co-ordinator (personnel@trin.cam.ac.uk)

      Estate management

      Overall policy on the management of the physical fabric of the College is set by the Buildings Committee and Garden Committee, who in turn report to the College Council. Day to day management is the responsibility of the Junior Bursar, supported by: The Accommodation and Conference Co-ordinator, the College Housekeeper, the Clerk of Works, the Head Gardener, and the Head Porter. Rooms in College are allocated to students by a balloting system, the details of which are agreed with the Trinity College Student Union and the BA Society (which represents graduate students). The ballots are managed by the Accommodation and Conference Co-ordinator. Management of the College Sports Grounds and Facilities is the responsibility of the College Groundsman, under the overall direction of the Field Club.

      Complaints policy

      Any complaints by members of the public should be made in the first instance to the Junior Bursar. In the case of complaints to applications under the Freedom of Information Act, the Junior Bursar has specific authority to review the decisions and actions of the Freedom of Information Officer. Reference is made elsewhere to the separate procedures for complaints by students or members of staff.

      Records management and personal data policies

      The College carefully safeguards all personal data, and uses it only for specified purposes. Current students and applicants to study at the College are informed of the precise terms on which personal data for them is held. Potential applicants should apply to the Tutorial Manager (tutorial@trin.cam.ac.uk) if they wish to have advance details of this policy. Staff members are informed at the time of applying for a job of the terms on which personal data for them is held. Details of the policy in relation to personal data held concerning alumni of the College may be found here. The College Data Protection Officer is the Junior Bursar.

      Research policy and strategy

      Junior and Senior Research Fellowships are provided to enable individuals in the early years of their academic careers and those with distinguished records of achievement to engage in full-time research at the highest level in their specialised area.

      All Fellows holding College Lectureships are expected to devote themselves to research and learning in their field.

      • Junior Research Fellowships
      • Senior Research Fellowships

      Charging regimes and policies​

      Details of charges made for the provision of information included in this publication scheme are available. Details of the Fee and charges levied by the College are available.

      • Charges made for the provision of information​

      Lists and registers

      • Any information we are currently legally required to hold in publicly available registers
      • Asset registers
      • Disclosure logs
      • Register of gifts and hospitality provided to senior personnel
      • Any register of interests kept in the College

      ANY INFORMATION WE ARE CURRENTLY LEGALLY REQUIRED TO HOLD IN PUBLICLY AVAILABLE REGISTERS

      There is none.

      ASSET REGISTERS

      Details of the College’s rented properties is available.

      DISCLOSURE LOGS

      The College does not maintain a disclosure log.

      REGISTER OF GIFTS AND HOSPITALITY PROVIDED TO SENIOR PERSONNEL

      No register is considered necessary as business gifts and hospitality received by College personnel are of negligible value only. Under the College’s rules the Secretary of the Council must be notified of any gift(s) of value above £150 received from a relevant third party.

      ANY REGISTER OF INTERESTS KEPT IN THE COLLEGE

      The register of interests of Members of the College Council is maintained in the Bursary.

      The services we offer

      Information about the services we offer, including leaflets, guidance and newsletters.

      • Prospectus
      • Services for outside bodies
      • Course Content
      • Welfare and counselling
      • Health including medical services
      • Careers
      • Chaplaincy services
      • Services for which the College is entitled to recover a fee
      • Sports and recreational facilities
      • Museums, libraries, special collections and archives
      • Conference and Catering facilities
      • Advice and guidance
      • Local campaigns
      • Media releases

      PROSPECTUS

      Information on admission to the College is available online. A copy of the College’s admissions prospectus may be requested from admissions@trin.cam.ac.uk. The University undergraduate admissions prospectus is available online. University graduate admissions information is also available online.

      • College Admissions
      • University Undergraduate Admissions Prospectus
      • University Graduate Admissions Information
      • Services for outside bodies

      The College does not normally provide services for outside bodies.

      COURSE CONTENT

      Information on courses at both undergraduate and graduate level is available online.

      WELFARE AND COUNSELLING

      Information concerning welfare and counselling services for students is provided in the ‘White Book’.​

      In addition to the pastoral support provided by their Tutors, students are also able to approach:

      • the College C​haplains
      • an Advisor for Women Students

      Information concerning the University Counselling Service is available online.

      HEALTH INCLUDING MEDICAL SERVICES

      Information concerning the College Nurse and health services available to students is available.​

      CAREERS

      Careers advice is available to members of the College through the Cambridge University Careers Service.

      CHAPLAINCY SERVICES

      Information concerning the religious life of the College is available.

      • Chapel and Choir

      SERVICES FOR WHICH THE COLLEGE IS ENTITLED TO RECOVER A FEE

      SPORTS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES

      Information concerning College sporting and recreational facilities is available.

      • Sport at TCSU site
      • Sport and Gym Information

      MUSEUMS, LIBRARIES, SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES

      Information concerning the College Library, including special exhibitions, is available. Inquiries concerning the College Archives should be made to the College Archivist and Manuscript Cataloguer (email: archives@trin.cam.ac.uk).

      • College Library

      CONFERENCE AND CATERING FACILITIES

      Trinity College normally only hosts academic conferences, sponsored by a Fellow of the College, or by the College itself. It is not available as a commercial venue for conferences, academic or non-academic. Enquiries concerning Catering facilities should be addressed to the Catering Manager (catering@trin.cam.ac.uk).

      ADVICE AND GUIDANCE

      Information concerning the Tutorial system and Direction of Studies, and other information concerning advice and guidance available to members of the College may be found in the ‘White Book’ and on the Trinity website:

      • Information for Undergraduate Students
      • Information for Graduate Students
      • College Life
      • Term Dates

      LOCAL CAMPAIGNS

      Information is available concerning the College’s Alumni Relations Office and the Trinity Campaign.

      • Alumni Relations Office
      • Trinity Campaign

      MEDIA RELEASES

      Press releases issued by the College may be found via the Cambridge University News Service.

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