The Oxford governance debate: HEFCE and the wider implications.

The recent highly public debates in th e University of Oxford about its future governance arrangements have raised questions of importance to all institutions involved in the provision of higher education, about public policy and state control and the role of the funding councils. This article begins with an outline of the relevant distinctive features of Oxford governance. It is mainly concerned with the history of the controversy as it has unfolded during the last few years, with particular reference to the part played by HEFCE. It concludes with a note on proposed moves within the University of Cambridge and an appendix comparing the way the direct democracies of the two ancient universities conduct their public debates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]