Dons Stage Revolt Over Vice Chancellor’s Plans To Reform University Governance
Dr John Hood (robed, centre) on the trip to his admission as Vice-Chancellor in October 2004.
Oxford dons are rebelling against a plan to change the way the University is run, warning students that undergraduate teaching is under threat. The proposals by Vice Chancellor John Hood, who has only been at Oxford for two terms, are threatening to “pull down the history of 800 years”, claim professors.
Opponents of Hood’s reforms have gathered enough signatures to convene the Congregation, an ancient parliament of over 3,000 academics, whose power to call university managers to account is rarely exercised. The changes could see a new board of trustees composed of business leaders with links to Oxford effectively running the university, as well as ‘line managers’ forcing tutors to devote more time to lucrative research and less to teaching.
Library provisions would also be restructured, with the centralisation of faculty libraries and the removal of multiple copies of books being mooted. Tutors interviewed by The Oxford Student have voiced grave concerns that if the proposals are implemented students will suffer, and have criticised university authorities for trying to push through reforms during the busy exam season.
“This is about protecting the future of Oxford as a place for study and freedom of expression,” said Gillian Evans, a Cambridge professor who does a lot of work in Oxford and is involved in the campaign to force the Vice- Chancellor to reconsider his plans. Three motions have been submitted to Congregation, which will meet on the 17th May.
One motion rejects Hood’s proposal to compel tutors to appear before joint college and university reviews that will evaluate their performance and could oblige them to ‘re-balance’ their academic duties. Academics fear they will be forced to spend less time with students and more on research to attract funding. “This raises the possibility of further cuts to undergraduate teaching,” said New College fellow David Palfreyman.
Gavin Williams, Fellow of St Peter’s and co-editor of The University magazine, told The Oxford Student it was important that students took an interest in the developments: “Students should take up their responsibility to examine the issues that are raised and engage in these debates,” he said. Williams expressed his opinions in a front-page editorial for The University Magazine.
A further motion calls for discussion on alterations to the university’s governing structure to be postponed until November. “Only Oxford and Cambridge still have direct democracies of academics running them. Hood’s plans are to pull down the history of eight centuries and give Oxford the same structure as the former polytechnics,” said Professor Evans. The final motion condemns the proposed changes to Oxford’s world famous libraries.
Claims that the Radcliffe Camera could be converted into a café and visitor centre were rubbished by university authorities, but academics spoken to by The Oxford Student insist the rumours are not without foundation. The motion says changes are being driven through without proper consultation and demands a full report from the curators before the plans are implemented.
University authorities have hit back at the tutors’ rebellion and maintain that students have nothing to fear from the proposals. Dr Hood said: “Oxford is embarking on a period of review and change necessary to retain our position as one of the leading universities in the world.” He added that the University welcomes discussion on the issues thrown up by the green paper.
28th Apr 2005