Congregation

Information about Congregation, including the legislative structure, and material for recent and forthcoming meetings

Congregation is the sovereign body of the University. It consists of about 5,000 members, comprising academic staff, heads and other members of governing bodies of colleges and societies and senior research, computing, library and administrative staff. The official register of Congregation is published annually in the Gazette each HT and additions to the register are published weekly (for example, the 2022-23 Register of Congregation). The electronic register of Congregation is managed by the Congregation Membership Administrator, Planning and Council Secretariat.

 

Changes to Congregation membership application process

Please apply for membership of Congregation applications using our web-form. There is also a separate MA by Resolution form for those who are already members of Congregation. As previously advertised, our processes have changed and we are no longer able to accept PDF versions of the form. 

 
Functions and procedures

For the functions and procedures of Congregation and other related matters, see Statute IV and Congregation Regulations 2 of 2002.

For queries relating to Congregation elections, please contact the Elections Office or visit the Elections pages.

For queries relating to Congregation membership, please contact the Congregation Membership Administrator or click on the Membership tab above.

For all other queries, please contact the Council Secretariat.

 

 

Membership

For the membership of Congregation, see Statute IV and Congregation Regulations 1 of 2002.

Congregation is the supreme governing body of the University, essentially consisting of all Oxford academic staff, and more senior academic-related staff.

Membership queries should be raised with college or departmental/faculty administrators in the first instance.

You should use the web form, and accompanying notes of guidance, to submit your application. Completed forms should be authorised by the head of college, head of department or faculty/divisional board secretary and returned electronically by the college or department administrator to the Congregation Membership Administrator.

If your application for Congregation is successful, a University card stating 'Congregation' will be issued by the Card Office in due course. Should there be a meeting of Congregation, you will be asked to show your card on entrance. Please note that if there is a meeting of Congregation before you receive your card, you may pre-register for the meeting as an alternative to presenting a card stating 'Congregation'.  Full details of the pre-registration process will be provided when the details of a meeting are advertised. Please contact the Card Office with any card related questions: university.card@admin.ox.ac.uk. 

Meetings

Items placed on the agenda for Congregation are published in the University Gazette. Stated meetings of Congregation are held, if there is relevant business, at 2pm on the Tuesday of the first, second, fourth, sixth, and eighth weeks of Full Term, and of the second week after Full Term (‘Tenth Week’). Meetings are usually held either in the Sheldonian Theatre in Broad Street or in the nearby Convocation House (part of the Bodleian Library complex). If there is no opposed business or any other reason to hold a meeting, any items on the agenda are declared by the Vice-Chancellor to have been approved without the meeting being held.

The scheduled meeting dates for the 23/24 academic year are as follows:

MT23: 10 October, 17 October, 31 October, 14 November, 28 November, 12 December.

HT24: 16 January, 23 January, 6 February, 20 February, 5 March, 19 March.

TT24: 23 April, 30 April, 1 May, 28 May, 11 June, 25 June.

15 November 2022 - Resolution Concerning the Oxford Magazine

Resolution concerning the Oxford Magazine.

Congregation instructs Council to ensure the continued publication of Oxford Magazine under the pre-existing arrangements with the University by providing the ways and means for its preparation and distribution (behind Single Sign On) within the University community. 

Response from Council

At its meeting on 31 October 2022, Council gave careful consideration to the resolution and concluded that the resolution was acceptable to it. Council recognises the importance of providing fora for free speech and critical debate in the University and is content to continue the arrangements for the Oxford Magazine which were in place in 2021-22 whilst its longer-term future is debated.

A meeting of Congregation will not be held, as no notice of opposition to the resolution has been received.

 

MEETINGS

Further information

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