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Statutes and Regulations
Palatine Centre

Ordinance 10 Canon Professor

This Ordinance was adopted by the Council on 5 December 2023

 

1. This Ordinance supports Statute 19, Clause 19.5 and should be read in conjunction with it. 

2. Terms defined in the Statutes will have the same meaning in these Ordinances.

3. The Appendix to this Regulation forms part of the Ordinances.

4. Canon Professors are joint posts between the University (Department of Theology and Religion) and the Cathedral. The number of such posts is determined by the University and the Cathedral.  

5. For the time being there are the following Canon Professors:

  1. The Van Mildert Canon Chair in Divinity; and
  2. The Michael Ramsey Canon Chair in Anglican Studies.

6. The post-holder combines an academic post in Christian theology with a residentiary or non-residentiary canonry at the Cathedral. For this reason the post is only open to candidates who are also qualified to be canons of the Cathedral.  

7. The post-holder becomes a member of the Foundation of Durham Cathedral whose members are appointed by the Lord Bishop of Durham. Canon Professors are appointed by the Lord Bishop of Durham on the recommendation of a Board of Electors. The Lord Bishop of Durham may refuse to accept for appointment any candidate recommended by the Board of Electors. Acceptance should not be unreasonably withheld.  

8. In the event of a vacancy or impending vacancy the Board of Electors shall be constituted, as below, to recommend the appointment:

  1. Vice-Chancellor and Warden, who shall be the chair of the Board of Electors;
  2. The Executive Dean of Faculty for Arts and Humanities;
  3. Two members appointed by the Dean and Chapter of Durham;  
  4. One member appointed by the Council; and
  5. One member appointed by the Senate.  

9. The Board of Electors shall co-opt one external assessor.  

10. The process of appointment of a Canon Professor is set out in the Appendix to this Ordinance.  

11. Canon Professors may retire in accordance with the constitutional documents of the Cathedral in force at the time of retirement. A person who ceases to be a canon of the Cathedral (for whatever reason) shall automatically cease to be a Canon Professor.

12. A Canon Professor may be removed from post where the University's HR processes have been followed and are concluded (and the decision has been made for a Canon Professor to be removed) and shall consult with the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral in relation to such removal, who shall follow their own internal processes in relation to the Canon Professor as a canon of the Cathedral as relevant and appropriate in the circumstances.  

Purple Dividing Line

Appendix 

The Appointment of a Canon Professor

1. Where a vacancy or impending vacancy in a Canon Professor post arises, the Board of Electors shall convene to discuss and agree the skills and experience required to fill the post, taking into account the requirements of the Lord Bishop of Durham for a person to hold a canonry and the requirements of the University for an academic post in Christian theology.

2. The Board of Electors shall determine the application and recruitment process.

3. The Board of Electors shall consider the applications of a long list of candidates for a Canon Professor post and select from it a short list of candidates for interview.

4. All candidates on the short list shall be invited for an interview with a panel comprising at least four members of the Board of Electors, at least two representing the University and at least two representing the Cathedral.

5. The Board of Electors shall agree standardised questions for each candidate to ensure a fair and transparent process and may agree such other assessment criteria or process as they deem necessary from time to time.

6. Following the completion of the interview and assessment of candidates the Board of Electors shall convene to discuss the candidates and to agree a recommendation to the Lord Bishop of Durham.

7. The Board of Electors should seek to reach a consensus on the recommended candidate however where consensus cannot be reached, a decision may be made by a majority of the Board of Electors present at the meeting and where there is an equality of votes, the chair of the Board of Electors may use a casting vote.