Governance changes rejected following postal vote

19 December 2006

Proposals to change governance arrangements at the University of Oxford have been rejected in a postal ballot of the nearly 4,000 members of Congregation, the University’s parliament and its highest authority.

A total of 1,540 members (60.7 per cent of those voting) voted against proposals, and 997 voted in favour. The result confirms the outcome of the vote by members who attended the Congregation debate on the proposals on 28 November, when 730 (61.6 per cent of those voting) voted against proposals and 456 in favour. The result of the postal ballot was reported by the Registrar to a meeting of the University Council this morning.

Following its meeting, which was chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, Dr John Hood, Council issued the following statement: ‘The decision of members of Congregation, expressed in a postal ballot, represents the culmination of a lengthy and demanding process for the University. It is a decision on which everyone will wish to have time and space to reflect. Council believes that the priority now is for the University to come together in order to advance Oxford’s standing as a pre-eminent democratic and scholarly community.’