Oxford University accused of ‘stitch-up’ over election of new chancellor

Oxford University has been accused of a “stitch-up” after changing the rules for the election of a new chancellor.

Dons and alumni have criticised the university over its new rules for the election of a successor to Lord Patten of Barnes, the former Conservative Party chairman, who will retire at the end of this academic year.

The chancellor is the largely ceremonial head of the university, who is usually an eminent public figure elected for life.

Previous chancellors have included Harold Macmillan, the former prime minister, and Edward Wood,  the 1st Earl of Halifax, who was viceroy of India.

At the time of the last election in 2003, anyone could stand for election if they were nominated by 50 members of Convocation, which includes all Oxford graduates and academics.

However, in the latest edition of the Oxford University Gazette, it has been announced that under new rules for the coming election, a small committee of academics and university administrators, including the vice-chancellor, will be able to choose who will go forward for election.

The committee will consider “the principles of equality and diversity and the approved role specification”, before deciding “which candidates are eligible to progress to the next stage of the election process,” according to the Gazette.

Neil O’Brien, Conservative MP for Harborough, and an alumnus of Christ Church College, Oxford, branded the changes a “stitch-up”.

He wrote on Twitter:

A serving don, who did not want to be named, told The Telegraph that the university was adopting an “undemocratic, Politburo-style election approach”.

“There’s been a lot of shock and surprise and outrage,” he said.

He said he expected dons to force a vote on the policy at Congregation, the governing body of the university, which consists of all academic staff.

Dr Yuan Zi Zhu, a politics lecturer at Oxford, said the changing of the rules was “incredibly petty and illustrates the control freak tendencies of modern academic managers”.

Writing on Twitter, the Rev Marcus Walker, an Oxford alumnus, said: “One of the joys of the university is that anyone with enough nominations can stand, and anyone qualified can vote. This is appalling.”

A spokesman for the university said: “The University of Oxford’s next chancellor will be elected by Convocation using an online platform. Eligibility for the role will first be checked by the chancellor’s election committee against criteria agreed by council.

“The committee will be made up of representatives from across the collegiate university and its council. Announcements about applications for the post and registering to vote will be made in due course.”