Detail from the Chancellor's robe
Detail from the Chancellor's robe
Credit: John Cairns

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HomeAboutOrganisationUniversity OfficersChancellorElection of the next Chancellor

Election of the next Chancellor

The Chancellor is the titular head of the University and presides over several key ceremonies. In addition to these formal duties, the Chancellor undertakes advocacy, advisory and fundraising work, acting as an ambassador for the University at a range of local, national and international events. In February 2024, Chris Patten, Lord Patten of Barnes, announced that he will retire as Chancellor at the end of the 2023-24 academic year. The incoming Chancellor will be in post for a term of 10 years in accordance with the Statute IX amendments enacted earlier this year. 

Convocation will be asked to elect a new Chancellor in Michaelmas term. To make this election accessible to our global community of more than 250,000 eligible colleagues and alumni, the Chancellor’s election will be held online. Information about voting and applying for the role will be kept up to date on this page. 

Eligibility to vote 

Those eligible to vote in the Chancellor’s election will be limited to members of Convocation, comprising: 

  1. Graduates of Oxford who have had their degree conferred (see FAQs for additional eligibility details);
  2. Members of Congregation;
  3. Retired members of staff who were members of Congregation on their date of retirement.

Voter registration has now closed.  

Alumni 

Any student who has completed an eligible degree prior to the Chancellor’s election will be able to vote, as long as voter registration is received by 18 August, and their degree is conferred by 1 October. 

An in absentia degree ceremony will be held on 1 October for graduands who wish to have their degree conferred in absentia so that they may be eligible to vote in the Chancellor’s election. Alumni who completed their studies in 2023 or before may only register to graduate at this in absentia ceremony; you will not be able to register for any of the in-person ceremonies prior to the election. Those wishing to be conferred in absentia must book in with their college by 20 September. Further information on eligibility can be found in the FAQ section of this page. 

Congregation 

Congregation members will not need to register to vote. When voting opens, you will automatically receive a personalised voting link to the email address held for you on the Congregation database. 

Retired Members of Staff 

Retired members of staff who were members of Congregation on the date of retirement will be required to register to vote in the Chancellor’s election. Voter registration has now closed. 

Please note that all voter registrations will be checked for eligibility in accordance with the criteria listed above.  

Applications for the role of Chancellor 

The role description for Chancellor of the University can be found here. Qualified candidates are invited to apply online without nomination by 50 members of Convocation, as was previously required.  

The Regulations governing the election of the Chancellor, including the exclusion criteria, can be found here.  

Applications for the Chancellor of the University of Oxford are now closed.

Voting procedure

Voting will take place during third week of Michaelmas term (week commencing 28 October). Voting will be held online only. The list of candidates will not be made public until early October, and no confirmation of individual candidates will be made before then.

The Alternative Vote system will be used, whereby voters can rank as many of the candidates as they choose. If the number of candidates in this election is fewer than ten, there will only be one round of voting, and lower ranking candidates will be eliminated until one candidate achieves 50% of the vote. If there are ten or more candidates, a second round of voting will be triggered. In this scenario, votes would be counted using the standard Alternative Vote method, but only up to the point where five candidates remain. These five candidates will go forward to a second round, to take place during sixth week of Michaelmas term (week commencing 18 November). The new Chancellor will be announced during Seventh Week. Registered voters will receive emails with a link to cast their vote for both of these rounds if two are required.

FAQs 

Registering to vote 

Who is eligible to vote? 

All members of Convocation are eligible to vote. Members of Convocation include: 

  • Members of Congregation 
  • Retired members of staff who were members of Congregation at the point of their retirement 
  • Alumni who have had their degree conferred at an official degree ceremony, either in person or in absentia (MA is not required).
      - Degrees by incorporation are eligible.
      - Non-conferrable awards (eg PGDip, PGCE, diploma, certificate) are not eligible to vote in Convocation elections.
      - Degrees by Resolution, honorary degrees and Affiliated Alumni do not qualify for membership of Convocation.

How do I register to vote? 

Members of Congregation do not need to register to vote. You will receive a personalised link to vote when the election opens.  

Voter registration for other members of Convocation is now closed; if you have not already registered you will not be able to vote in this election. 

My degree has not been conferred, what can I do? 

Students anticipated to complete their degrees in 2024 must graduate before 1 October to be eligible to vote.  

Alumni who completed their studies in 2023 or before may only register to graduate at this in absentia ceremony, not at one of the regular in-person ceremonies. 

An additional degree ceremony will be held on 1 October for graduands who wish to have their degree conferred in absentia so that they may be eligible to vote in the Chancellor’s election. Note that you will not be able to attend an in-person ceremony after your degree has been conferred.  

If you would like to have your degree conferred in absentia, please contact your college via the email address listed below. 

Applying for the role 

Applications for the role are now closed. 

Privacy policies

Information about how the University of Oxford uses the personal data collected from relevant parties in the course of the election can be found here:

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