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Oxford
University Archives
A history of
Congregation and Convocation
5. The mid 20th
century
In the years following the Asquith Commission, until the changes made
following the Report of the Franks Commission (published in 1966),
University government resided in Congregation. This was, roughly speaking,
the body of resident teachers, although some members were not resident, eg examiners and
members of delegacies, and some were not teachers, eg college bursars or
heads of houses. This assembly comprised those members of Convocation
actively engaged in teaching or administration and had wide powers: it
voted on all statutes and decrees, and had the power to amend statutes
although not the legislative initiation; it elected its members to other
University bodies (eg
the Curators of the Chest) and it approved the University's annual
financial statement; its approval was also required for the appointment of
a number of University officials such as the Registrar, Secretary of
Faculties and Secretary of the Chest.
In spite of this, Congregation was mostly concerned with routine work:
its commonest activity was to consider minor or non-contentious decrees (eg for the revision of
fund regulations, or for exemptions from Responsions). Congregation was
burdened with routine business in which its members had little interest and
in which its role was simply as a rubber stamp. For that reason, and
because it was held so frequently (once a week in term time), attendance
was poor.
The powers of Convocation were to elect the Chancellor and Professor of
Poetry; to give approval to the granting of degrees by diploma and honorary
degrees and to make a decision where Congregation had voted in favour of a
statute or decree but where they had failed to reach a majority of
two-thirds or greater. Even in the latter area, however, Convocation's
powers were small: it had the power of veto but this was only suspensory
and it had no powers of amendment or initiation. By this time, Convocation
was seen as a harmless survival of the past by some and an unfortunate
anomaly by others.
Some changes were made to the composition of Convocation in the early
1960s. In the Statutes for 1961, specific provision was first made for the
holders of University degrees other than the MA, DCL, DM and DD to be
members of Convocation . From this date holders of other degrees such as
the DPhil would be entitled to membership of Convocation 21 terms after
matriculation, provided they kept their names on the books of their college
or hall (by means of payment of University dues). The requirement to remain
on the college books was removed in 1963.
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