The Council of the University of Cambridge is its 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. Since the Regent House is the governing body of the University, however, the Council must report and be accountable to the Regents through a variety of checks and balances. It has the right of reporting to the University, and is obliged to advise the Regent House on matters of general concern to the University. It does both of these by causing notices to be published by authority in the Cambridge University Reporter, the official journal of the University.
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Membership
Membership of the Council consists of the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor of the University (the office of Chancellor, which is held for life, is mainly ceremonial, while the Vice-Chancellor is de facto the principal academic and administrative officer), nineteen elected members, and four appointed members, as follows:
External Members
From January 2005, the membership of the Council included two external members. The Regent House voted for an increase from two to four in the number of external members in March 2008, and this was approved by Her Majesty the Queen in July 2008.
Meetings
The Council must meet at least twice per term.