No 6718
Wednesday 15 November 2023
Vol cliv No 8
pp. 109–121
The Council begs leave to report to the University as follows:
1. In June 2023, the Senate approved changes to allow the introduction of electronic voting in votes of the Senate (Reporter, 2022–23: 6703, p. 715; 6708, p. 849). In its response to remarks on the Report, the Council noted that it would consult in the Michaelmas Term 2023 on further changes to Senate procedures, with the aim of publishing a Report (Reporter, 6708, 2022–23, p. 838). In a slight change of plan, the Council is publishing this Report to provide details of its proposals and at the same time is using alumni channels to consult with the wider membership of the Senate on the Report’s recommendations. The Council has also agreed to schedule an additional Discussion, on 5 December 2023, to give a longer timeline for review of the Report’s recommendations.
2. The Senate elects the Chancellor and the High Steward, two of the University’s highest offices. It also approves its own procedures. The Senate comprises all members of the University who hold certain degrees from the University and all members of the Regent House.
3. Following the election of the Chancellor in 2011, the Council set up a working group to review the election process. That group’s recommendations were submitted for approval in July 2014, but the Vice‑Chancellor withdrew them once it became apparent that it did not have the full support of the Senate and a vote might be called on them (Reporter: 2013–14, 6347, p. 536 and 6355, p. 705; 2014–15, 6361, p. 57). Members of the Senate welcomed parts of the 2014 recommendations. For instance, there was acknowledgement that greater flexibility was needed with regard to the timetable and that re-opening the nomination period due to the withdrawal of a nominee would not necessarily be conducive to the timely completion of the process. However, members of the Senate were less convinced about the revised role of the Nomination Board and questioned its retention. The proposal that voting should continue to be conducted under the Single Transferable Vote regulations also attracted criticism.
4. The Council has considered the comments made, including those at the Discussion in June 2023, and now proposes a new Ordinance to govern the process for electing the Chancellor and the High Steward (set out in Annex A).1 The new proposals incorporate the suggestions made by members of the Senate, most notably the removal of the Nomination Board and the replacement of the Single Transferable Vote voting system with ‘first past the post’. The main changes, when compared to the existing process, are set out in the table below.2
5. The Council has published information separately about a pilot
registration process for making nominations in elections and voting online in votes of
the Senate, and the ways for giving feedback on that process (p. 111).
It also invites members of the Senate to comment on the registration process at
the Discussion of this Report.
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(a) Removal of the Nomination Board |
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Current position: •A Nomination Board nominates a candidate for election as Chancellor, to ensure that there is at least one nomination. Once the Board has published its nomination, members of the Senate are invited to make their own nominations. |
Reasons for changes: •The Board’s nominee is likely to be seen as the establishment candidate, which could be a disadvantage to that candidate. •Unlike all other nominees, the Board’s candidate might not necessarily have the support of 50 members of the Senate. •See also (b) below; the Council makes a nomination if there are no candidates. •See also (c) below on changes to the election timetable. |
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(b) Election of a University Council nominee if no candidate is nominated |
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Current position: •The nomination process starts again if there are no candidates by the close of the nomination period. |
Details of changes: •If no candidate is nominated by the deadline, the Council3 nominates one candidate, who is automatically declared elected as Chancellor. |
Reasons for changes: •To conclude the process without the need to rerun the nomination process, and to provide a nominee in the absence of the Nomination Board. |
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(c) Changes to the election timetable |
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Current position: •The Nomination Board cannot formally meet until 70 days in term before the vacancy is due to occur (even if it has advance notice), but it has to publish the name of its nominee by the end of the 70‑day period. •Members of the Senate have 28 days of term to submit nominations after the announcement of the Board’s nominee. •Candidates cannot withdraw from the election if only 7 days remain before the first of the days appointed for voting. If a candidate withdraws, nominations reopen for a further 28 days and any days appointed for voting within those 28 days are automatically cancelled. •The process starts again from the beginning following the death of a candidate. •The Vice-Chancellor determines the days for voting in person and online. |
Details of changes: •The Council determines the timetable for the election, including the days for voting and the latest day on nominations of candidates must be received. •Elections will normally take place in Full Term and the Council will give at least 40 days’ notice of every election. •Candidates have to be formally nominated at least 17 days before the first day of voting in the election. •No timetable changes are triggered by the death or withdrawal of a candidate. If at the close of the nomination period there is more than one candidate, there will be an election. If there is one candidate, that person is elected. As noted above, if there is no candidate, the Council makes a nomination. |
Reasons for changes: •To provide a simpler timetable that is easier to follow and more flexible but within parameters in Ordinance to ensure fairness. •If the Chancellor resigns, the changes will allow the Council to start the nomination process as soon as there is notice of resignation, enabling better transition planning. |
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(d) Replacement of the Single Transferable Vote with the first-past-the-post voting system |
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Current position: •The Single Transferable Vote (STV) system is used in all elections. |
Details of changes: •The first-past-the-post voting system is used to elect members of the House of Commons; the candidate with the most votes wins the election. |
Reasons for changes: •In STV, voters cast a single vote but have the option to rank candidates in their order of preference. A vote may be transferred to a voter’s lower ranked alternates if their preferred candidate is eliminated or elected with surplus votes. STV works well if there are several vacancies, but where there is only one vacancy (as in the election of the Chancellor), it can lead to the election of a candidate who is not the first choice of the majority of voters. |
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(e) The Vice-Chancellor makes a choice if there is an equality of votes |
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Current position: •The election process starts again if the candidates with the highest number of votes have the same number of votes. |
Reasons for changes: •To conclude the process without the need to rerun the election. |
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(f) The Vice-Chancellor or a deputy is the returning officer |
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Current position: •There is no explicit reference to the identity of the returning officer, who is responsible for the conduct of votes. |
Reasons for changes: •To bring the process into line with other University elections and votes (in most University elections and votes, the Vice‑Chancellor is formally the returning officer, but has delegated this responsibility to the Registrary). |
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(g) Changes to align arrangements where there is no reason for them to be different |
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Current position: •There are differences between the arrangements for Senate elections and for votes on changes to Senate procedures.4 |
Details of changes: •The election framework remains broadly the same, except: –the Council determines the ballot timetable instead of the Vice‑Chancellor; –ballots normally take place in Full Term; and –the authority to postpone elections for up to 80 days is replaced with the authority to postpone a ballot so that an election can take place first. |
Reasons for changes: •To make the arrangements easier to follow. |
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(h) Additional publicity for Senate matters through alumni channels |
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Current position: •All announcements about voting and other matters of interest to members of the Senate are published in the Reporter and on the University website. |
Reasons for changes: •To make sure matters of interest to the Senate are brought to the attention of all members who wish to receive this information. |
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6. The Council recommends that the changes to the Ordinances governing Senate procedures, as set out in Annex A, be approved.
10 November 2023
Deborah Prentice, Vice‑Chancellor
Zoe Adams
Madeleine Atkins
Gaenor Bagley
Milly Bodfish
Sam Carling
Anthony Davenport
John Dix
Sharon Flood
Alex Halliday
Heather Hancock
Louise Joy
Fergus Kirman
Sally Morgan
Richard Mortier
Sharon Peacock
Vareesh Pratap
Pippa Rogerson
Jason Scott-Warren
Andrew Wathey
Pieter Van Houten
1The current Ordinance for the Nomination and Election of the Chancellor is published in Statutes and Ordinances, p. 109.
2Any reference to the process for the election of the Chancellor also applies to the process for the election of the High Steward.
3For the purpose of making a nomination, the membership of the Council would not include its student members, nor include the Chancellor on the occasion of an election to the office of Chancellor. However, the Council would consult with its student members before making a nomination.
4As set out in the Ordinances for the Nomination and Election of the Chancellor (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 109) and Graces of the Senate (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 115).
(a) By replacing the existing Ordinance for the Nomination and Election of the Chancellor (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 109) with the following:
1. The Council[2] determines the timetable of the election to fill a vacancy in the office of Chancellor, including the days and hours for voting and the nomination period. Following receipt of notice of a vacancy, the Council will publish the timetable for an election in the Reporter as soon as practicable, and will include information on the arrangements for registration of voters voting electronically and the accepted methods for submitting nominations.[3]
2. Elections will normally take place in Full Term and the Council will give at least forty days’ notice of voting opening. The deadline for the receipt of nominations will be at least seventeen days before voting opens.
3. For a nomination to be valid it must be:
(a)made in writing and signed by at least fifty members of the Senate; and
(b)accompanied by a statement dated and signed by the person nominated consenting to the nomination; and
(c)received by the Registrary by the deadline for nominations.
All valid nominations will be published in the Reporter as soon as possible.
4. (a) If at the close of the nomination period there is only one candidate, or if only one candidate remains after any other nominated candidates have withdrawn, the candidate is automatically elected as Chancellor.
(b) If at the close of the nomination period no candidate has been nominated, the Council will nominate a candidate. This candidate is automatically elected as Chancellor.
(c) If at the close of the nomination period there is more than one candidate, an election will take place.
The provisions of Special Ordinance A (viii) 5 concerning reserved business apply to nominations by the Council under Regulation 4(b). The Council will consult with its student members before making a nomination.
5. Voting in person will take place on two days, which need not be consecutive. One of the days for in‑person voting will be a Saturday. Voting electronically will take place on ten consecutive days, to overlap with at least one of the days appointed for voting in person.
6. The form of the voting paper and the method of casting votes will be determined by the Vice‑Chancellor.
7. In case of an equality of votes, the Vice‑Chancellor will choose between the candidates. The Single Transferable Vote regulations shall not apply to voting under these regulations.
8. The Vice-Chancellor, or a duly appointed deputy, will be the returning officer. The Proctors, or those appointed as their deputies for the occasion, will be in attendance on the two days of voting in person.
9. The result of the election will be published in the Reporter as soon as possible.
[1] As noted in Statute A I 9, this Ordinance for the election of the Chancellor also applies to the election of the High Steward.
[2] In the election of a Chancellor, the Council comprises all members excluding the Chancellor.
[3] The Council has confirmed that the accepted methods for submitting nominations shall be on paper with handwritten signatures delivered to the Old Schools and by electronic means linked to an email account registered with the University for this purpose.
(b) By amending Regulation 10 of the Ordinance for Graces of the Senate (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 115) as follows:
10. In a ballot of the Senate voters shall cast their votes in person or electronically. The Council determines the timetable of the ballot, including the days and hours of voting, and the arrangements for registration of voters voting electronically. Voting will normally take place during Full Term, with voting opening between fourteen and twenty-eight days after publication of the Notice announcing the ballot, unless the Council decides to postpone the ballot to allow an election of the Chancellor or the High Steward to take place first. Voting in person will take place on two days, which need not be consecutive. One of the days for in-person voting will be a Saturday. Voting electronically will take place on ten consecutive days, to overlap with at least one of the days appointed for voting in person.