Nominating Committee for the Vice-Chancellorship - TT2021

Result

On Thursday 10 June 2021 the following were duly elected to the Nominating Committee for the Vice-Chancellorship to hold office with immediate effect:

Professor Martin C J Maiden, BSc Rd’g, MA Oxf, PhD Camb, Fellow of Hertford, Department of Zoology until the start of MT2025

Professor James H Naismith, BSc Edin, PhD Manc, DSc St And, Fellow of Jesus, NDM until the start of MT2022

Dr Sam Wolfe, MA MPhil PhD Camb, St Catherine’s, Faculty of Linguistics, Philology & Phonetics until the start of MT2022

[The votes recorded were: for Dr Franklinos, 582; for Professor Maiden, 879; for Professor Naismith, 658; for Professor Paterson, 634; and for Dr Wolfe, 740]

Vacancies

Three persons, not also being members of Council, elected by Congregation, one to serve until the start of MT 2025 and two to serve until the start of MT 2022 (all with immediate effect).

General Notes

Electronic elections

Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, the elections on 10 June will be conducted electronically.

Nominations

Hard copies of nomination forms will not be processed. Completed nomination forms should be sent as an email attachment to the Elections Office by 4pm on 13 May. At least one nomination in respect of each candidate must be made on an official nomination form.  Please ensure that the nominators listed in section D are also copied into the email when the nomination form is submitted, as this will act as verification of the nomination in lieu of supplying original signatures.

General requirements and eligibility

All candidates are asked to note the general requirements which apply to all committee members, as set out in Council Regulations 14 of 2002 (General Regulations of Council for Committees).  Current members seeking re-election are also asked to check for specific restrictions on consecutive service. For further information, please see the eligibility and amendments to nominations sections within the Information about University elections pages of the Elections website.

Candidate’s statement

Candidates are invited to include with their nomination forms a written statement of no more than 250 words, setting out their reasons for standing and qualifications for the office being sought. In the event of a contested election, these statements will be published both on-line and in the Gazette.

Contested elections

In the event of a contested election, the successful candidates will be determined by an electronic ballot. A registration email with further instructions will be sent to eligible voters on Wednesday 26 May, using the email addresses provided in the electronic register of Congregation (NB with few exceptions, notably clinical staff, this will be the work address ending ‘ox.ac.uk’). Voters will need to respond to the email to confirm their registration and to receive links to the candidate statements and to vote. Candidates’ statements will also be published in the Gazette dated 27 May. Voters may wish to read these statements before completing their electronic vote. The voting period will close at 4pm on 10 June.

Uncontested elections

If the number of nominations received by the closing date is no more than sufficient to fill the vacancies, the candidates nominated shall be deemed to be duly elected as of the close of the nomination period on Thursday, 13 May. When required, places will be allocated according to academic standing, as defined in Council Regulations 22 of 2002, Part 2: Academic Precedence and Standing. If the number of nominations received by the closing date is less than sufficient to fill the vacancies, those candidates nominated will be deemed elected unopposed, and the remaining vacancies will lapse, in which case, in accordance with the regulations, the places must remain vacant until appointments are made jointly by the Vice- Chancellor and Proctors.

Period of office

All vacancies are from the beginning of MT 2021 unless otherwise stated. In accordance with Congregation Regulations 2 of 2002, in any election where vacancies are to be filled for periods of different length, the elected candidates shall hold office so that the tenure of those who receive more votes shall be longer than that of those who receive fewer votes; but if the election is uncontested or if two candidates receive the same number of votes, the candidate senior in academic standing shall hold office for the longer period.

Further information

For further information, please contact the Elections Office

General Information about this constituency

Elections to this constituency restrict candidates to persons, as defined in Statute I. This means that all members of Congregation are eligible to nominate a candidate or to vote, but prospective candidates who want to stand for election must be the resident holder of a teaching, research, or administrative post in the University or in any college, society, or Permanent Private Hall.

The full term of office is seven years (or less, when a by-election is held to fill the residue of the term of office for an elected member who is standing down early).

On 9 March, Congregation approved a part-suspension of Part 8 of Congregation Regulations 2 of 2002 to allow the three vacancies to this committee which lapsed in 2015 and 2019 to be filled by election. Because these are lapsed vacancies, the elections will be to fill the remaining term of the vacant positions, with immediate effect.

Further information on the committee can be found in regulation 6 of Council Regulations 21 of 2002.

For further information, please contact Antony Willott.

 

Nominations

Candidates:

Nominations for elections to this constituency are published weekly in the Gazette and on this website as they are received and processed. The details of any nominations received can be seen by clicking on the candidate's surname in any adjacent tabs.

Naismith

Professor James H Naismith, BSc Edinburgh, PhD Manchester, DSc St Andrews, Fellow of Jesus College, Medical Sciences Division (Structural Biology)

Nominated by:

Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Principal of Jesus, MPLS, Computer Science

Professor Andrew Baldwin, Pembroke, MPLS, Chemistry

Professor Patricia Clavin, Jesus, Humanities, History

Professor Benjamin Davis, Pembroke, MPLS, Chemistry

Professor Veronique Gouverneur, Merton, MPLS, Chemistry

Professor Matt Higgins, Merton, MSD, Biochemistry

Professor Yvonne Jones, Jesus, MSD, NDM

Professor Simon Newstead, Christ Church, MSD, Biochemistry

Professor Fiona Powrie, Wadham, Kennedy Institute

 

 

Paterson

Professor D.J. Paterson, MA, DPhil (Oxford), MSc DSc (WAust), Fellow of Merton College, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics (DPAG)

Nominated by:

Mr John Bowers QC, Principal of Brasenose

Professor Sir Rick Trainor, Rector of Exeter

Professor Irene Tracey, Warden of Merton

Professor Roger Goodman, Warden of St Antony’s

Professor Maggie Snowling, President of St John’s

Professor Dame Frances Ashcroft, Trinity, Medical Sciences

Professor Dame Kay Davies, Hertford, Medical Sciences

Professor Ewan McKendrick QC, Lady Margaret Hall, Law

Professor Sir Andrew Wiles, Merton, Mathematics

 

Franklinos

Dr Tristan E. Franklinos, MPhil, DPhil (Oxford), MA (St Andrews), Fellow of Trinity College, Faculty of Classics

Nominated by:

Dame Hilary Boulding, President of Trinity

Prof. Philip A. Booth, St Peter’s, History; Theology & Religion

Dr Andrew J. Counter, New College, Medieval & Modern Languages

Prof. Pepper Culpepper, Nuffield, Blavatnik School of Government

Dr Sophie V. Duncan, Christ Church, English

Prof. Stephen J. Heyworth, Wadham, Classics

Prof. Katherine M. Ibbett, Trinity, Medieval & Modern Languages

Prof. Marta Z. Kwiatowska, Trinity, Computer Science

Dr Barnaby L. S. Taylor, Exeter, Classics

Prof. Charlotte K. Williams, Trinity, Chemistry

Wolfe

Dr Sam Wolfe, MA, MPhil, PhD (Cantab), St Catherine's College, Faculty of Linguistics, Philology, and Phonetics

Nominated by:

Mr Miles Young, Warden of New College

Prof. Kersti Börjars, Master of St Catherine’s

Prof. Benjamin Bollig, St Catherine’s, Sub-Faculty of Spanish and Portuguese

Prof. Byron Byrne, St Catherine’s, Department of Engineering Science

Prof. Ian Watson, Christ Church, Sub-Faculty of French

Prof. Carolyne Larrington, St John’s, Faculty of English Language and Literature

Prof. Aditi Lahiri, Somerville, Faculty of Linguistics, Philology, and Phonetics

Prof. Martin Maiden, Trinity, Faculty of Linguistics, Philology, and Phonetics

Prof. Kate Nation, St John’s, Department of Experimental Psychology

Maiden

Professor Martin C.J. Maiden, MA (Oxford), BSc (Reading), PhD (Cambridge), Fellow of Hertford College, Department of Zoology

Nominated by:

Mr Thomas Fletcher, Principal of Hertford

Professor Timothy Coulson, Jesus, Department of Zoology

Professor Susanna Dunachie, Kellogg, Nuffield Department of Medicine

Ms Jennifer Makkreel, Estates Services

Professor Sophie Marnette, Balliol, Sub-Faculty of French

Mr Nigel Portwood, Exeter, Oxford University Press

Professor Emma Smith, Hertford, Faculty of English Language and Literature

Professor Christoph Tang, Exeter, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology

Dr Alison Woollard, Hertford, Department of Biochemistry

Professor William Whyte, St John’s, Faculty of History

Contested elections

Candidate statements

In the event of a contested election, candidate statements will be published in the Gazette and on this website. The details of any candidate's statements received can be seen by clicking on the candidate's surname in any adjacent tabs.

Naismith

Professor James H Naismith, BSc Edinburgh, PhD Manchester, DSc St Andrews, Fellow of Jesus College, Medical Sciences Division (Structural Biology)

Candidate statement:

Personal History

I arrived in Oxford in 2017, after nearly 23 years at St Andrews. I am a senior research fellow at Jesus College and a member of the division of structural biology. I am a scientist working at the interface of chemistry and biology. Currently I am the director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute, (at Harwell). I am an elected fellow of the Royal Society, Royal Society of Edinburgh, Academy of Medical Science, American Association for Advancement of Science and European Molecular Biology Organisation.

Qualifications

I have experience in dealing with level appointments. I served on the University Court (governing body) of the University of St Andrews as the elected science & medicine professor. I was a member of the search committee for the St Andrews new principal & vice chancellor. I currently serve on the council of the Royal Society and was a member of the panel that interviewed and recommended the new foreign secretary. I currently serve as the UK representative on the board of the European X-ray Free Electron Laser. I served on the board of Diamond Light Source and was on the search panel for the new chief executive.

Motivation

I would like to contribute to the University and my skills fit this role. My experience has taught me the value of an academic voice in these appointments. The Vice-Chancellor is primus inter pares, thus must be a respected scholar, a leader, a colleague, a capable administrator, a skilled negotiator and an articulate spokesperson. 

Paterson

Professor D.J. Paterson, MA, DPhil (Oxford), MSc DSc (WAust), Fellow of Merton College, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics (DPAG)

Candidate statement:

I am a research-led teaching academic, Fellow of Merton College and Head of the Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics (2016-). Since arriving at Oxford in the mid-1980’s on an overseas scholarship as a graduate student (New College), I have had the privilege of viewing the collegiate university through many different lenses. As a JRF (Christ Church), Tutor (Merton), Sub-Warden, Senior Pro-Proctor and Deputy Head of Division (MSD 8 years) my experiences have been both challenging and rewarding. Chairing MSD Education, Research and Personnel committees, and as Acting Head of Division (6 months) on Council gave me further insights into the workings of the university. As President of The Physiological Society, and a fellow of several learned societies, I continue to run a research group, which has had uninterrupted external funding for over 35 years. My research career together with my lecturing, examining and service on national RAE/REF committees, is in keeping with my conviction of the importance of both academic research and teaching. As such, I have a good appreciation of the qualities I would most admire in a vice chancellor. If appointed, I would bring to the committee this experience that supports the core values of the university. 

Franklinos

Dr Tristan E. Franklinos, MPhil, DPhil (Oxford), MA (St Andrews), Fellow of Trinity College, Faculty of Classics

Candidate statement:

It is of great importance that the views of members of Congregation involved in the day-to-day teaching of our students, and in the research life of the University, are heard in the process of nominating a Vice-Chancellor: one of the privileges of academic life at Oxford—one to be guarded—is the direct involvement of academics in its governance. As an academic in the early stages of his career, with experience of service on faculty and college committees, I would hope to bring to this process a significant awareness of the needs of those working on the ground, and of the interests of graduate students and early career academics now and in the coming years, when resources across all disciplines are likely to be further straitened.

A Vice-Chancellor should command the respect of the University as a whole and show a commitment to academic excellence. An understanding of, and respect for, the democratic structures of the collegiate University and the different roles of Colleges, Faculties, Departments, Council, and Congregation are of paramount importance. The Vice-Chancellor must be able to represent the interests of the academy in general and the University in particular, nationally and internationally, and must be able to build bridges and facilitate exchange, whether financial or intellectual. Above all, the Vice-Chancellor must lead by example, demonstrating and defending the values and interests of our University. If elected, I will endeavour to help the University choose a Vice-Chancellor who will understand, and rise to, the challenges of the office. 

Wolfe

Dr Sam Wolfe, MA, MPhil, PhD (Cantab), St Catherine's College, Faculty of Linguistics, Philology, and Phonetics

Candidate statement:

The upheaval of the past fourteen months has cast into sharp relief the need for effective, collaborative, and sensitive leadership to take the University forward. The challenges facing the next Vice-Chancellor are considerable. Whilst COVID-19 has reminded us of the University’s strengths, for many it has either compounded or highlighted existing weaknesses; a newly elected Vice-Chancellor will need to grapple with maintaining the University’s reputation for world-leading research and teaching whilst ensuring the financial security which permits both. Presenting Oxford as socially responsible, both in terms of access and outreach activities and our impact on our planet, is likely to be more integral to the role than it has ever been before.

If elected to the Committee, I would aim to ensure we nominate a candidate who can rise to these challenges with particular regard for Oxford’s unique history of democracy and self-governance, working constructively with Colleges and Congregation members, so that the significant policy challenges ahead are dealt with in a way that enjoys broad support from across our community.

Since arriving in Oxford five years ago, I have served on the Faculty of Linguistics, Philology, and Phonetics Faculty Board, the Conference of Colleges Steering Committee, and coordinated a national project on care-leavers’ access to Higher Education. In addition to experience of recruitment exercises within a University and College context, I have been closely involved in recruiting senior leaders in the Further Education and charity sector. 

Maiden

Professor Martin C.J. Maiden, MA (Oxford), BSc (Reading), PhD (Cambridge), Fellow of Hertford College, Department of Zoology

Candidate statement:

After working in the NHS for nine years, I joined the University in 1997 as a Welcome Trust Senior Fellow. Since 2004 I have been a Tutorial Fellow at Hertford College and Professor of Molecular Epidemiology in the Department of Zoology. I have undertaken a wide range of academic and administrative roles in Hertford, the Department, and the University. I was closely involved in the response to the Tinbergen building closure (2017-18) and was Senior Proctor 2019-2020. Consequently, I have a comprehensive overview of the many constituencies within Oxford and their complex and interconnected needs. I know intimately the difficulties of maintaining the high standards of teaching, research, and administration that Oxford sets itself and the enormous pressures that this generates for all members.

Being a Proctor provides unique insights into the extremely challenging, but highly rewarding, role of the Vice Chancellor. Oxford’s long-term success across an extraordinary range of intellectual and practical activities is principally due to its ideals of academic freedom and self-governance. Balancing the requirements of all members of Oxford’s complex ecosystem in an environment of limited resources and ever-increasing externally imposed constraints is very demanding. The Vice Chancellor simultaneously has a vital outward-facing role, including interfacing with government and donors. The coming period will present Oxford with many challenges and to face these effectively we must choose an outstanding individual as Vice Chancellor to guide us. I am confident that I can broadly represent the members of the University in making this crucial choice. 

Elections to this body

Current
Future
Past

Current members of this committee


SEE THE CURRENT MEMBERSHIP

Contact the Elections Officer


For further information, please email the Elections Office.

University of Oxford elections


For general information on the election(s) to a specific committee see this list

or, select the constituency from the list below