Council Regulations 8 of 2002

1. An election in Convocation shall be held in Full Term, unless Council shall order otherwise, on a date fixed by Council.

Election of the Chancellor

2. The election to fill a vacancy shall take place as soon as may be after the announcement of the vacancy (subject to the provisions of regulation 1 above).

3. The Chancellor shall be elected in accordance with the following procedure:

(1) The Chancellor’s Election Committee shall organise the election process, and shall play no substantive role in the selection of a Chancellor.

(2) The committee shall consist of:

(a) the High Steward, who shall chair the committee;

(b) the Vice-Chancellor, who shall be deputy chair of the committee;

(c) one person appointed by Council from among current external members of Council;

(d) two members of Council appointed by Council from among the members of Council specified in section 4 (16)–(26) of Statute VI;

(e) one member of Congregation to be appointed by the Gardens, Libraries and Museums, University Administrative Services and the Department for Continuing Education:

(f)–(i) one member of Congregation appointed by each of the divisional boards;

(j) the early career research staff representative who attends Council;

(k) the Chair of the Conference of Colleges;

(3) The committee may co-opt up to two additional members for such periods as the committee shall deem appropriate.

(4) The committee shall report to Council as necessary.

(5) The committee shall be responsible for:

(a) establishing the timeline for the election process, including the date by which applications must be received and the date of the election;

(b) advertising the role and establishing the information to be provided by candidates;

(c) recommending to Council the term of office for each new Chancellor election.

(6) The date of the election is the day the poll closes, after which time it is no longer possible to cast a vote.

(7) The exclusion criteria for the role of Chancellor shall be as follows, with all applying from the point of taking up the post:

(a) the Chancellor cannot be a student of the University;

(b) the Chancellor cannot be an employee of the University;

(c) the Chancellor cannot be a serving member of, or a declared candidate for election to, an elected legislature;

(d) the Chancellor must not be disqualified from being a charity trustee by virtue of section 178 of the Charities Act 2011 (or any statutory re-enactment or modification of that provision) or subject to a disqualification order made by the Charity Commission and must be a “fit and proper person” as determined by guidance published from time to time by His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs.

(8) After the closing date for applications, the committee shall consider all those it has received, and, having due regard to the exclusion criteria only, shall put forward those candidates not excluded under the terms of (7) to the next stage of the election process.

(9) If only one candidate is eligible to progress to the next stage of the election process or if only one candidate remains after other candidates have withdrawn, Convocation will be asked to elect or reject such candidate via a “yes”, “no” vote by a simple majority. In the event of a “no” vote the application process will be reopened by the committee and a second election arranged.

(10) If no candidate is eligible to progress to the next stage of the election process, or all have withdrawn, Council shall invite further applications to allow an election to be held.

(11) If more than one candidate is eligible to progress to the next stage of the election process, an election by Convocation shall be held as follows:

(a) Voting shall be online.

(b) The electoral system shall be recommended by the committee to Council and published prior to the application process commencing.

(c) The Vice-Chancellor and Proctors shall decide on the validity of any vote which, in the opinion of the Registrar, is in doubt.

(d) The result of the election shall be published in the University Gazette.

Election of the Professor of Poetry

4. The election to fill a vacancy, other than a casual vacancy, in the office of Professor of Poetry shall take place not later than the term before the vacancy will arise and, in the case of a casual vacancy in the office of the Professor of Poetry, the election shall take place as soon as may be after the occurrence of the vacancy (subject to the provisions of regulation 1 above).

5. The Professor of Poetry shall be elected in accordance with the following procedure:

(1) The Professor of Poetry Election Committee shall oversee the election process.

(2) The committee shall consist of:

(a) a member of the Faculty of English Language and Literature, appointed by the General Purposes Committee of Council, who shall chair the committee;

(b) three academic representatives of the Humanities Division, appointed by the Division;

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

(d) one member of the Governing Body of All Souls College, appointed by the Governing Body;

(e) two external members with relevant experience/expertise in the writing of or study of poetry, appointed by the General Purposes Committee of Council;

(f) a student member representative, usually the President of the Oxford University Poetry Society, or their nominee.

(3) The committee may co-opt up to two additional members for such periods as the committee shall deem appropriate.

(4) The Director of Public Affairs and Communications, or their nominee, shall be in attendance.

(5) The committee shall report to the General Purposes Committee of Council and Council as necessary.

(6) The committee shall be responsible for:

(a) determining the timeline for the election process, including the date by which nominations must be received and the date of the election;

(b) approving the role specification for the post and determining the information to be provided by candidates;

(c) inviting written nominations from potential candidates, from within the University and from the public;

(d) ascertaining the willingness of candidates to stand for election.

(7) The date of the election is here understood to be the day the poll closes, after which time it is no longer possible to cast a vote: and not the date the results are announced.

(8) After the closing date for nominations, the committee shall consider all the nominations it has received, and, having due regard to the principles of equality and diversity and the approved role specification, shall determine which candidates will progress to the next stage of the selection process.

(9) If the committee determines that only one nominated candidate will progress to the next stage of the selection process or if only one candidate remains after other nominated candidates have withdrawn that candidate shall be deemed to be duly elected from the date appointed for the election; and the result of the election shall be published in the University Gazette.

(10) If the committee determines that no nominated candidate will progress to the next stage of the selection process, or all those nominated have withdrawn, Council shall have power to nominate a candidate, and such a candidate shall then be declared to be duly elected; and the result of the election shall be published in the University Gazette.

(11) If the committee determines that more than one nominated candidate will progress to the next stage of the selection process, an election by Convocation shall be held as follows:

(a) The form of the voting-paper, and the method of casting votes, shall be prescribed by the Vice-Chancellor.

(b) The Registrar shall be responsible for the counting of the votes but the Vice-Chancellor and Proctors shall decide on the validity of any vote which, in the opinion of the Registrar, is in doubt.

(c) In the case of an equality of votes, the Vice-Chancellor shall decide between the candidates.

(d) The Vice-Chancellor and Proctors shall attend at the place and day fixed for the meeting of Convocation to announce the results of the election during such times as the Vice-Chancellor shall determine (these times having been published in the University Gazette when the notice of the meeting was given).

(e) The result of the election shall be published in the University Gazette.

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