As you may already be aware, in February 2024, the University's Chancellor, the Right Honourable the Lord Patten of Barnes, announced that he will retire from this position at the end of the 2023-24 academic year. 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.  

Members of Convocation will be asked to elect a new Chancellor in Michaelmas term 2024. 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.

As an alumni member of the Oxford community, you will be eligible to vote in the election, provided that your degree has been conferred before 29 September 2024. On Monday 8 July, the University’s Development & Alumni Engagement team sent out emails to prompt alumni who have undertaken eligible courses to register their interest to vote by 23:59 on 18 August 2024.

If you do not receive an email prompting you to register your interest to vote in the election, you can access the public form to register on the Chancellor’s Election webpage. If you do not know your Oxford number required to fill out this form, you can request it here.

If you have not yet had your degree conferred but would like to vote in the upcoming Chancellor’s election, please note the following:

Current degree students expecting to complete their studies before September 2024 must book onto a degree ceremony taking place no later than 29 September (provided results are released in time) to be eligible to vote.

Historic students who completed their studies on or before 31 December 2023, but who have not yet had their degree conferred will have the opportunity to graduate in absentia so that they may be eligible to vote in the Chancellor’s election.

An in absentia ceremony will be held on 20 September. If you would like to book this in absentia ceremony, please contact academic.office@chch.ox.ac.uk or fill out the in absentia Degree Ceremony booking request. The last date to register for conferral in absentia will be 6 September.

Enquiries about the election may be directed to the appropriate email address below.

General enquiries: chancellorelection@admin.ox.ac.uk
Alumni: enquiries@alumni.ox.ac.uk
Congregation: congregation.membership@admin.ox.ac.uk
Press: news.office@admin.ox.ac.uk.