Visitatorial Board Panel

The Visitatorial Board is able to hear employment matters (complaints and dismissals) where there is a question of academic freedom to be resolved, though for a first hearing the staff member may elect to instead have the matter heard by an employment review panel. The panel consists of four members selected from a panel of 12 members of Congregation, who must be engaged in teaching or research. The chair must be a person who is not a member of Congregation and is a barrister or solicitor of at least five years' standing or with judicial experience. The role of the chair is essentially to bring legal experience and an external voice to the panel: this includes making appropriate directions in advance of the hearing, deciding on how the hearing shall run and signing off the board’s decision. The chair also has a right to request that the staff member be suspended pending the outcome of the hearing where they deem this appropriate.

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Membership as at academic year 2026-27 will be as follows:

  Name Conditions of appointment Until
Chair Dame Elizabeth Slade An external chair appointed by the High Steward HT 2027
[1] Dr Anne E Ferrey, Kellogg, Nuffield Department of Medicine A member of Congregation required to engage in academic teaching and/ or research either by their written contracts of employment or by established and agreed practice and who shall be elected by Congregation under arrangements which shall be prescribed from time to time by Council under regulation. MT 2030
[2] Dr Tim Mawson, St Peter's, Faculty of Philosophy As above MT 2030
[3] Dr Paul Stavrinou, Lincoln, Engineering Science As above MT 2030
[4] Professor Anne Davies, Law Faculty As above MT 2027
[5] Dr David Metcalfe, Wolfson, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics As above MT 2027
[6] Dr Yolanda Spies, Continuing Education As above MT 2027
[7] Dr Kathryn Murphy, Oriel, Faculty of English As above MT 2029
[8] Dr Chris Thorogood, University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum As above MT 2029
[9] Professor Naomi Waltham Smith, Merton, Faculty of Music As above MT 2029
[10] Vacant As above  
[11] Vacant As above   
[12[ Vacant As above  
Secretary: Planning and Council Secretariat (Louise Hasler)

Note: A Visitatorial Board comprises an external chair appointed by the High Steward, sitting with four members of the panel selected by lot. 

The Visitatorial Board meets very rarely (the last time was in 2016). The board’s remit used to be far wider but was significantly limited when Statute XII was amended in 2017.

Regulations

For the regulations of the Visitatorial Board Panel, please click here:

Regulations

 

Statutes

For the statutes of the Visitatorial Board Panel, please click here:

Statutes

 

Contact us

Louise Hasler

Assistant Registrar (Governance)

Planning and Council Secretariat

louise.hasler@admin.ox.ac.uk

 

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