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Professor Beinart will be a fellow of St Antony's College.
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Vice-Chancellor, ex officio
Chairman of the General Board, ex officio
Mr A.B. Atkinson, FBA, Warden, Nuffield College
Professor M.M. Bowie, FBA
Professor J.M. Brady, F.Eng.
Professor R. Freeman, FRS
Professor A.M. Hudson, FBA
Professor S.D. Iversen
Professor A.E. Morpurgo Davies, FBA
Professor G.K. Radda, FRS
Professor T. Smiley, FBA
Professor J.T. Stuart, FRS
Sir Keith Thomas, PBA, President, Corpus Christi College
Professor Sir David Weatherall, FRS
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Taking account of previous awards made and of enhancements of existing awards, and after allowing for retirements, etc., the position, as from 1 October 1996, is that seven professors hold awards of £16,424 per annum, fourteen hold awards of £12,318 per annum, thirty-one hold awards of £8,212 per annum, thirty-four hold awards of £5,478 per annum, and sixteen hold awards of £2,000 per annum. All those who applied in the 1996 exercise have been notified direct of the result of their application.
A further exercise will be held in 1998 to consider the making of new or enhanced awards payable from 1 October 1998.
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The County Council has produced a leaflet entitled `Parking Enforcement Changes in Oxford', which sets out the circumstances in which those infringing parking regulations will be liable to receive a parking ticket or to have their car towed away. A copy of this leaflet has been distributed to departmental administrators, college bursars, and arts faculty librarians, to be displayed on notice boards. The County Council itself is distributing the leaflet directly to all residents in Oxford.
Further information may be obtained by telephoning the County Council on Oxford 247090.
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(Statutes, 1995, pp. 362–4). Provisions for other leave are set out in the same section (pp. 360–1). The following guidelines describe the General Board's policy and practice in respect of applications for leave which do not fall within the category of straightforward sabbatical leave or dispensation, i.e. special leave.
(a) Applications for leave to accept an appointment in the public service of national importance are normally granted by the General Board, provided that the purpose of the leave can be shown to be compatible with the academic interests of the faculty, the faculty board lends its support to the application, and it is clear that the individual intends to return to university service after the period of leave. Leave for this purpose for heads of departments or professors can, however, be problematic, for obvious reasons.
(b) Applications to national bodies for prestigious and competitive research awards (such as British Academy Research Readerships and Senior Research Fellowships, EPSRC Senior or Advanced Fellowships and Nuffield Foundation Social Science Research Fellowships) should be made to the General Board through the faculty board. It is usual for such national bodies to specify that applications should be made through the employing institution, and in Oxford's case this involves routing the application via the faculty board to the General Board. The University will normally support such applications for prestigious awards, but it is necessary for the faculty board and the General Board to consider carefully what replacement teaching arrangements will be required if an application is successful.
Leave granted under (a) and (b) does not count against sabbatical entitlement: indeed the rules of some research awards specifically forbid this. However, as in other cases of special leave, the period of leave does not count as qualifying service for the purpose of calculating future entitlement to sabbatical leave, and sabbatical leave is not normally granted in the period immediately preceding or following periods of such leave, although some flexibility may be exercised in respect of periods of special leave not exceeding one year, especially in connection with the holding of research awards.
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When sabbatical leave entitlement had been exhausted, an application has to be considered in whole or in part as one for special leave. In such cases, faculty boards are required, when making recommendations to the Appointments Committee of the General Board, to specify whether, and if so how, the grant of such leave would be in the academic interests of the faculty. Where there is no statement of academic interest, or this statement is not persuasive, special leave will not be granted.
Applications for special leave cover many kinds of situation. One would be an unrepeatable opportunity to pursue academic interests where the applicant is ineligible for sabbatical leave. In such a case it would be necessary for the faculty board to demonstrate the academic advantage (to the University rather than to the individual) of the individual being able to accept the opportunity, and for an explanation to be given of why such an opportunity could not be taken up at a later period when the applicant would be entitled to sabbatical leave. Another situation where special leave might be applied for would be where there was a need for fieldwork for a period exceeding one year, which could therefore not be accommodated within the sabbatical provisions. In such a case it would be expected, as usual, that as much of the leave as possible would be taken as sabbatical or sabbatical in advance of entitlement, and the faculty board would again need to demonstrate the academic advantage to the University of the application's being granted.
Very occasionally applications are made for leave to enable someone to accept an appointment in another academic institution (other than a routine visiting appointment held during sabbatical leave). In such instances, the faculty board would need to make an extremely convincing case as to desirability of the individual being offered reversionary rights to his or her university post for any application to be successful. Factors taken into account would include all relevant circumstances relating to the individual's role within the faculty and the consequences for the faculty, in terms of the refilling of the post, if leave were not to be granted and the individual were therefore to resign. On this latter point, it should be noted, of course, that if leave is granted and the individual subsequently resigns during the period of leave or at the end of it, the uncertainty about the long-term filling of the post will have been exacerbated. The longer the appointment in the other institution the less likely it is that leave will be granted; leave will not be granted save in the most exceptional circumstances to enable someone to decide whether to accept a permanent appointment elsewhere.
In each of the situations outlined above, applications are considered on their academic merits, but it is emphasised that the nature of special leave is that it is granted exceptionally rather than automatically. Advice on the likelihood of success of any application can be obtained from the Secretary of Faculties or the secretary of the Appointments Committee of the General Board.
The General Board takes the view that academic staff are specifically appointed to undertake both teaching and research, and (although the Board would support arrangements whereby teaching in excess of a contracted or reasonable stint was relieved) an extremely good case needs to be made in support of an application for special leave which would have the result of the individual's teaching being conducted mainly or wholly by someone else. This is a especially true given that the sabbatical leave scheme has been preserved intact throughout retrenchment, so providing the opportunity for individuals to concentrate on research in one term out of every seven. Willingness to forgo university stipend or the ease with which funding for a replacement appointment may be attracted will not be sufficient to guarantee in any way the success of an application for special leave.
It is emphasised that any application for leave, including any application for funding which might result in the need for leave from university duties to be granted, must be made to the General Board through the faculty board (and head of department, in departmentally organised faculties). In every case the academic advantage to the institution will be the general criterion by which applications will be considered: in every case the General Board requires details of any necessary substitute arrangements, including those relating to examining and graduate supervision.
It is recognised that some offers are made to individuals at short notice. Given the fact that all members of the academic staff have clear obligations to the University under the terms of their contracts, however, no such offer should be accepted without the explicit approval of the General Board under the procedures set out above: for this reason any prospect of such an offer, however indefinite, must be discussed (in strict confidence) with Dr Whiteley, secretary to the Appointments Committee of the General Board, at the very earliest opportunity. Delay in bringing to the attention of the University the possibility that an offer may be made will mean that if applications and substitute arrangements then have to be considered at short notice, this might compromise the chance of leave being granted.
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`Any junior member as defined in Tit. XIV, Sect. iv, 1, cl. 2, may speak at a meeting of Congregation, if called upon to do so by the Chairman at the Chairman's discretion, provided that the Chairman may at any time terminate a debate on the floor of the House and proceed to the final speeches and the taking of a vote.'The Chairman of Congregation will normally expect to call upon nominated representatives of the Oxford University Student Union if they wish to speak in debate, and will normally expect to call upon junior members to speak only from among those who have given advance notice of their wish to be called. Should the Chairman consider that the number of junior members who have given such notice is excessive, he or she will have to be selective in calling upon them. The Chairman will try to ensure a balanced debate in relation to the apparent spread and strength of views held by junior members. If informed selection is to be possible it is desirable that when giving notice of the wish to be called a junior member should indicate (a) whether he or she intends to support or oppose the motion before the House, (b) whether he or she would speak on behalf of any club, committee, group, or association, (c) whether he or she is supported by other junior members (up to twelve of whom might sign the notice).
If the number giving notice is small they will all be admitted to the floor of the House although this does not ensure their being called. In other cases some selection may be necessary at the stages of both admission and calling of speakers. If there is to be time to tell applicants whether they will be admitted notice will have to be received in good time. Junior members should therefore send in such notice, in writing, to the Registrar to be received at the University Offices not later than 10 a.m. on the Monday preceding the debate in question. The name of any representative nominated by OUSU should also be communicated to the Registrar, in writing, through the President by that time. A notice will then be posted in the University Offices and on the gate of the Clarendon Building not later than 10 a.m. on the morning of the debate, indicating whether all applicants will be admitted to the floor of the House or, if selection has had to take place, the names of those selected for admission to the floor.
Junior members not admitted to the floor of the House will normally be permitted to listen to the debate from the gallery. Junior members on the floor of the House will be asked to remain in their places while a vote is being taken.
Under Tit. XIV, Sect. IV, § 1, cl. 2, junior members are defined as `those persons who, having been admitted to matriculation, are residing to fulfil the requirements of any statute, decree, or regulation of the University or reading for any degree, diploma, or certificate of the University and who have not proceeded to membership of Convocation'. (Membership of Convocation is normally obtained by taking the MA degree.)
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Tickets for the events on 10 and 12 February cost £8/£6/£4, and tickets for the 14 February concert cost £5/£2.50. Tickets are available from Blackwell's Music Shop, or at the door.
The 10 and 12 February concerts will be preceded by a free pre-concert talk at 6.30 p.m.
Mon. 10 Feb., 8 p.m. (with Patrick Ireland): quartets by Mozart (K.387), and Janácek (no. 1), and the Brahms Quintet (op. 88).
Tue. 12 Feb., 8 p.m. (with Augusta Harris): quartets by Mozart (K.168) and Ligeti (no. 1), and the Schubert Quintet (D.956).
Fri. 14 Feb., 12 noon (with Victoria Smith and others): Beethoven's Septet (op. 20), and Schubert's Concertante (D.487).
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There will be an associated lecture/demonstration and discussion in the Music Faculty at 2.30 p.m. on the day of the concert.
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