Oxford Dons Vote No On Reform Proposals. (December 20, 2006)

On November 29 by a vote of 730 to 456 Oxford dons rejected plans that would have brought academic self-rule to an end and handed decision-making at the university to outside business leaders. However the matter was then subjected to a postal ballot of 3,770 members of the university's academic, library and administrative staff.

The reforms would have given lay members from outside the university a narrow majority on a slimmed down governing council. The current 26-member council, with four lay members, would have been replaced by a 15-place council, with eight outside members including the chairman, who would be the university chancellor, Lord Patten (see below), for the first five years.

In fact 2,537, i.e. 67.3% of those eligible did cast a vote, and the results, tallied yesterday, were 1,540 (60.7%) against the plans, 997 (39.3%) for the reorganisation.

Both Oxford's Vice-Chancellor, John Hood, a New Zealander and former businessman, and Chancellor, Lord Patton, had been vociferous supporters of the proposed reorganization and while there had been considerable speculation that Professor Hood would resign were the proposals defeated he announced yesterday that he has no intention of doing so.

In his statement Professor Hood said: "The proposals were supported by council last summer and commended to congregation. They reflected more than two years of debate and consultation. They also had my support because I believed they would serve the best interests of the university.

"However, members of congregation have taken a different view, first at the end of the debate in the Sheldonian Theatre last month and now in the postal ballot. That view, twice expressed, deserves to be respected."

The vice-chancellor went on to say, "In all the challenges we face as a university, we shall fare best if we are able to work collegially on the basis of mutual trust and respect.

"That is a central task for any vice-chancellor and it is why, in my recent letter to all members of congregation, I wrote: 'Whatever the outcome of the postal ballot, I assure you that I will want to do all I can to put aside division, continue dialogue with all shades of opinion and, in an atmosphere of trust, tolerance and goodwill, promote the academic aims and ideals of Oxford both within the University and in the outside world.'

"It is on this basis that, as vice-chancellor of Oxford, I shall continue to work unstintingly as the servant of a university with a great past and a great future."

If in fact the deep division in opinion between the vice-chancellor and the academic staff can be resolved is uncertain. In a not dissimilar situation which had been simmering for several years at Harvard University the state of affairs for the then President, Lawrence Summers became untenable and he resigned under considerable pressure.