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

Convocation has now elected a new Chancellor: Lord Hague of Richmond.

To make this election accessible to our global community of more than 250,000 eligible colleagues and alumni, the Chancellor’s election was held online in two rounds. The list of candidates who went forward from the first round of voting, held during Week 3 of Michaelmas Term (week commencing 28 October), and their statements of interest can be found here. Links to the results of this and the second round held during Week 6 of Michaelmas Term (week commencing 18 November) can be found in 'Related documents' on the right and in our news story about the announcement. 

Outcome of the first round of voting

Voting in the first round of the election has now concluded. The list of five candidates who stood in the second round of the election, held during Week 6 of Michaelmas Term (week commencing 18 November), and their statements of interest can be found here.

The previously published details of the election procedure and guidance are retained below for information.

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. The first round of voting is now open. Registered voters received an email from Civica on 28 October inviting them to cast their votes.  

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, members who applied before the deadline of 18 August 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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