Oxford vote could change 900-year-old tradition
The results of a postal vote about how Oxford University should be governed will be announced today.
Vice chancellor John Hood wanted to change the 900-year-old tradition of its self-governing council and bring in external members to oversee finances.
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His plans took a knock when members of the ruling body voted 730 to 456 against them but their rejection last month could be overruled by today's results.
They will supersede the earlier decision because more academics, senior administrative and library staff will take part in the postal vote.
Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world.
There is no clear date for when the university was founded but teaching existed at Oxford in some form in 1096 and developed rapidly from 1167, when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris.
University, Balliol and Merton Colleges are the oldest and were established between 1249 and 1264.
Emo of Friesland, who arrived in Oxford in 1190, was the first known overseas student.
Almost a quarter of its students now come from abroad with more than 130 nationalities represented among its 18,000 students.
From 1878 academic halls were established for women, who became members of the University in 1920.
Oxford is a collegiate university with 39 self-governing colleges related to the university in a type of federal system.
The university also has seven Permanent Private Halls, founded by different Christian denominations.
It is a member of the Russell Group of 20 research-intensive universities and is ranked third in the latest edition (2006) of the Times Higher World University Rankings.
