Hood : 'Close To Resigning' After Dons' Rebellion
Dr John Hood, Vice-Chancellor of the University.
Dr John Hood, Vice-Chancellor of the University, threatened to resign last week after Congregation frustrated him in his attempts to make academics more accountable. According to a report in The Independent newspaper, Andrew Dilnot, Principal of St Hugh’s College, dissuaded the Vice-Chancellor from resigning, whilst over the weekend rebel Dons added their voices to those telling Dr Hood to stay in his post.
An investigation by The Oxford Student has shown that many senior academics within the University were worried Hood might quit immediately after last Tuesday’s Congregation. One told the newspaper: “I am quite sure that many very senior people in the University were extremely concerned that the Vice-Chancellor might resign, either immediately after Congregation or at Monday’s University Council meeting."
After the body of Dons rejected his move to create ‘Line Managers’ for academics, Hood is alleged to have confided in Dilnot that he might resign over the matter. Last weekend, Hood met with some of his opponents from the academic community who signed the resolution, carried by Congregation, to table Dr Hood’s academic reforms until November.
The Oxford Student understands that the dons who gave him a ‘bloody nose’ at the Sheldonian, instigated the meeting in order to reassure the Hood of their belief that he should use his formidable talents to reform the financial operations of the University rather than interfering with traditional academic governance and trying to make tutors more accountable.
The academic community is rife with the rumours of Hood’s near departure with several senior sources confirming that concerns had swept Monday’s University Council meeting amidst fears that Hood was to become one of the University’s shortest serving Vice-Chancellors. An official University spokeswoman denied the claims that Hood threatened to resign: “We have no knowledge of the Vice- Chancellor making these remarks. He has not offered his resignation and has no plans to”.
The Vice-Chancellor’s Green Paper on governance reforms and academic strategy will go before Congregation in Michaelmas Term on 1st November 2005. If Dr Hood remains in his post, he will have to convince Dons of the academic, as well as financial merits, of the Green Paper’s proposals.
2nd Jun 2005