Council Regulations 2 of 2019

1. The purpose of the Ashmolean Museum is:

(1) to assemble, preserve, and exhibit such objects of art and antiquity and such printed and other documents as may increase knowledge of history, archaeology, and art;

(2) to assist in relevant teaching and research within the University; and

(3) in general to promote the study and appreciation of such objects and documents by scholars and the public.

2. (1) The Visitors of the Ashmolean Museum shall be:

(a) the Vice-Chancellor;

(b) the Head of Gardens, Libraries and Museums;

(c) one of the Proctors or the Assessor as may be agreed between them;

(d) the Head of the Humanities Division;

(e) one person appointed by the Humanities Board;

(f) the Head of the School of Archaeology;

(g) the Professor of the History of Art;

(h)–(j) three members of Congregation elected by Congregation one from each of the Social Sciences Division, the Medical Sciences Division and the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division;

(k)–(q) to provide specialist skills not covered by existing appointments seven external persons appointed by Council, after consultation with the chair and vice-chair of the Visitors.

(2) Ensuring that the number of external Visitors is not greater than the number of internal Visitors, the Visitors may co-opt up to four additional members, who need not be members of Congregation and may be internal or external.

(3) The Vice-Chancellor, in consultation with the Visitors, shall appoint a chair from among the members under (j)–(q) in paragraph (1) above and a vice-chair from among the members under (d)–(j).

(4) The chair and vice-chair shall hold office for four years and may be reappointed for one further period of up to four years.

(5) Members under (e)–(q) in paragraph (1) above shall hold office as Visitors for four years and shall be re-eligible for one further period of office only.

(6) Casual vacancies shall be filled either for the remainder of the period of office of the person being replaced or, at the discretion of the appointing body, , for a full period.

(7) No person holding office in the museum shall be eligible to be a Visitor.

3. The Director of the Ashmolean Museum shall be the secretary to the Visitors, except that the Visitors may require him or her to withdraw from any meeting.

4. The Executive Officers of the Department may attend the meetings of the Visitors and may speak (but not vote) on any matter affecting their respective responsibilities, except that the Visitors may require them to withdraw from any meeting.

5. In fulfilment of their responsibilities, under Council, for the safe keeping, preservation, orderly administration and general policy of the museum, and within the approved budget reported to them, in accordance with section 7 of Statute VIII, the Visitors:

(1) shall, subject to the provisions of regulation 11 below, delegate the appointment of all staff in the museum in accordance with procedures set out in standing orders, except that the Curatorship of the Cast Gallery shall be held by the Lincoln Professor of Classical Archaeology and Art by virtue of his or her office;

(2) shall prepare annually a report on the activities of the museum to Council via GLAM Board.

6. The Visitors shall have authority, under Council , to make such other arrangements by standing order as are necessary to fulfil their responsibilities.

7. In carrying out their responsibilities the Visitors shall co-operate with the GLAM Board in facilitating co ordination between the University’s museums and scientific collections, particularly with respect to planning, allocation and use of resources, and the development, care, and promotion of the collections as national and international resources both for teaching and research and for public access.

8. The Director of the Ashmolean Museum shall be the first officer of the museum and shall act for and be responsible to the Visitors in the exercise of their powers.

9. The Director shall be responsible, under the Visitors, for all strategic aspects of the operation and well-being of the museum including:

(1) the allocation of space, resources, support services, and other facilities;

(2) acquisitions in accordance with the policy laid down by the Visitors;

(3) the conservation and study of the collections and their display and publication; and

(4) the participation in, and fostering of, scholarly work and public education within the museum.

10. The Director shall have the right to teach, subject to the Visitors being satisfied that this is not incompatible with the discharge of directorial responsibilities.

11. The Director shall be appointed by a board of electors consisting of:

(1) the Vice-Chancellor, or, if the head of the college specified in paragraph (2) of this regulation is Vice-Chancellor, a person appointed by Council;

(2) the head of the college with which the directorship is on that occasion associated, or, if the head is unable or unwilling to act, a person appointed by the college;

(3) a person appointed by the governing body of the college specified in paragraph (2) of this regulation;

(4), (5) two persons appointed by Council;

(6)–(9) four persons appointed by the Visitors, one of whom shall be the Chair.

12. There shall be the following Keepers in the museum who shall be responsible to the Director for the collections in their care:

(1) the Keeper of Antiquities;

(2) the Keeper of Western Art;

(3) the Keeper of Eastern Art;

(4) the Keeper of the Heberden Coin Room;

(5) the Curator of the Cast Gallery.

13. It shall be the duty of the Keepers to facilitate the inspection, study, and publication of the collections for which they are responsible.

14. The Keepers shall have power, delegated from and used in consultation with the Director and subject to such rules and policies as the Visitors may prescribe:

(1) to expend on maintenance or improvement all sums assigned specifically to their respective departments by gift, legacy, or benefaction or through allocation by the Visitors;

(2) to acquire by purchase or to receive by gift, legacy, exchange, or loan and to add to the collections entrusted to them such items as will increase the artistic or historical or archaeological value of the collections.

15. There may be Committees of the Visitors which shall advise the Director on day-to-day matters concerning the management of the museum and its collections and shall meet at such times and have such powers as the Visitors may from time to time prescribe.