Oxford reforms give more representation to colleges

Pressure from Oxford University dons has led to a strengthened role for colleges in a reformed system of governance.

The planned reforms of the joint working party on governance, designed to create a more "streamlined and transparent" system, have been broadly welcomed at the university, although the firm proposals published this week represent a significant departure from the reforms recommended in Peter North's commission of inquiry into the university.

North's proposals to establish a single, 25-member executive policy-making council under a vice- chancellor who could be appointed from outside with an extended term of office have been accepted. But complaints from the colleges that the plans were too centralist have been accepted by the working party, which has altered its plans accordingly.

"The colleges clearly do have a unique role in terms of the balance of concerns and interests in the business of the central bodies," the working party report said.

The working party has agreed to include an extra college representative on the new council, elected by the conference of colleges, in addition to the conference's chairman. An additional college representative will also be co-opted to the planning and resource allocation committee, and to the educational policy and standards committee. Calls for a college representative to join the general purposes committee were rejected.

The working party also departed from North's plans to replace the 17 faculty boards with three "super faculties". There will now be three science divisions, and there will be a choice of one or two divisions in the arts. The new proposals will be debated by Oxford's Congregation of dons, which is to remain the democratic "sovereign body", next month.