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CORPUS CHRISTI
COLLEGE
UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
PRESIDENT
CANDIDATE INFORMATION
CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: TUESDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2020
ccc.ox.ac.uk
CONTENTS
WELCOME 3
INTRODUCTION 4
THE COLLEGE 5
THE ROLE 8
OFFICERS 9
CANDIDATE PROFILE 10
TERMS & CONDITIONS 11
HOW TO APPLY 12
WELCOME
From the Vice-President and Chair of the Electors
Professor Hans KrausFellow and Tutor in Physics
I am delighted you show an interest in becoming thenext President of Corpus Christi College. The Fellow-ship seeks to elect a President to take o�ce from thebeginning of the 2020/21 academic year, and as Vice-President it is my responsibility to chair the election.I would be happy to speak to you personally and incon�dence should you have any further questions.
Corpus Christi College was founded in 1517 as a cen-tre for new learning in the University of Oxford. Over�ve centuries its fellows and students have striven toadvance their understanding and to think in new ways.
I arrived in Oxford 24 years ago and joined the Collegein October 1996; from the beginning I have valuedthe cohesiveness of the Fellowship, the communityspirit, and the academically stimulating environmentthat the College provides. My own subject is Physics,and my main research interest as a particle physicist isthe search for dark matter in the Universe. The latestin a series of ever larger dark matter detectors thatI am working with is being installed in a deep minein South Dakota. Whenever I return to College frommy frequent trips to the site of the experiment, I amreminded what a special place it is: the strength of itsacademic, intellectual and collegial values as well asits scholarly achievements, strike me anew. The Col-lege has a balanced subject coverage, spanning mostacademic disciplines and is particularly prominent inthe humanities. Corpus is academically ambitious andis best described as a close-knit community in whichall members support each other, encouraging every-one to thrive and excel, at all stages of their careers.
I hope that what follows about the College and theduties of the President will encourage you to make anapplication. We look forward very much to hearingfrom you.
Hans Kraus
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INTRODUCTION
The Governing Body of Corpus Christi College intendsto elect a new President, to take o�ce from October2020. The President chairs the College's GoverningBody, oversees the academic and administrative di-rection of its a�airs as a scholarly community, and isits principal advocate and representative externally, inthe wider University and beyond.
Corpus Christi College was founded in 1517 by theBishop of Winchester, Richard Fox, to specialise inRenaissance learning, especially Latin, Greek and He-brew, though it soon acquired interests in medicine,mathematics and astronomy. The College maintainsan international reputation as a centre of Classicallearning, but now its academic strength extends acrossthe Humanities (English, History, Philosophy), theSocial Sciences (Politics, Law, Economics), the Sci-ences (Mathematics, Physics, Materials, Chemistry,
Biochemistry), the Medical Sciences, and various in-terdisciplinary subjects. Corpus is characterised by itsacademic ambition, and by the warm and supportiveculture that its small size fosters. The College pridesitself in cultivating purposeful thinkers with a distinc-tive �air and independence of mind, and in supportingall its members in the development of their particularinterests and talents.
The Governing Body welcomes applications from suit-ably quali�ed individuals who possess a record of dis-tinction and leadership in academia or another profes-sional �eld. They will understand and enjoy the aca-demically serious and socially engaging spirit of theCollege, bring the ability to guide its decision-makingin a collegial manner, and relish the prospect of artic-ulating its purpose to a range of external audiences.
What follows is an introduction to Corpus Christi Col-lege, the o�ce of President, and the experience, skillsand qualities which the Fellowship expects in any can-didate.
This document should be read in conjunction withother supporting material and information on the Col-lege website: ccc.ox.ac.uk (in the process of beingre-designed).
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THE COLLEGE
General
Corpus Christi College ('Corpus') is one of the con-stituent colleges of the University of Oxford. Its an-cient buildings are some of the most beautiful in Ox-ford, and it enjoys an unrivalled position, overlookinggardens and meadows yet within �ve minutes' walk ofthe city centre and the Bodleian Library.
The College was founded in 1517 as a seat of Re-naissance learning and is now home to academics andstudents of most disciplines. It describes itself as asupportive community devoted to the serious and am-bitious pursuit of learning. The small site, beautifulbuildings and charming gardens, where there are no
injunctions to 'keep o� the grass', may be seen as ametaphor for the College's character: a close, informaland welcoming community in which Fellows and stu-dents work together to achieve academic excellence.
Today, the College comprises some 268 undergradu-ates and 107 graduate students. Corpus has 39 fel-lows (3 of whom are non-academic) and about 100non-academic sta�. The College has an endowmentof approximately ¿166 million. Further details of the�nancial position can be found online: College Ac-counts.
History and Character
Bishop Fox tucked his foundation onto a couple ofacres purchased from neighbouring Merton College,up against a southern �ank of the medieval city walland what would soon become the eastern boundaryof Christ Church, whose Cathedral spire overlooks it.In time, the original cluster of buildings, including themagni�cent Hall, the Chapel and the Library, whichwas internationally renowned from the start, was sup-
plemented to make four quadrangles. A �fth quad-rangle with a multipurpose, 135-person capacity audi-torium in the College's south-western corner was com-pleted in 2009. The modest footprint of the Collegemeans that it remains a highly selective, intimate es-tablishment, where Fellows, sta� and students workalongside one another and describe a sense of com-munity and goodwill.
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The College is not just its students' academic centre,but their domestic and social one too. Corpus under-graduates and graduates are housed on the main site,or in buildings opposite the College in Merton Streetand Magpie Lane, in the Liddell Buildings 'village' innearby I�ey Road (shared with Christ Church), thenew Lampl Building in Park End Street, and a fewother properties scattered about the city. The Col-lege shares a sports ground with University College,less than a mile away on the Abingdon Road. TheCollege Boat House is on the River Thames � more
or less visible across the south-facing College Gardenand Christ Church Meadows.
The College �ourishes as an independent, democratic,self-governing, academically ambitious establishment.It is well endowed �nancially � in the group of Ox-ford Colleges that can be described as fairly wealthy� and this endowment provides a sustainable supple-ment to various other sources of income. Corpus runsa busy conference business, conducted in vacations,and has an energetic and successful fund-raising anddevelopment enterprise.
The College is managed by a Governing Body con-sisting of the President and, currently, 39 Fellows. Inaddition the College has some �xed-term academicappointees who are not members of the GoverningBody: a number of College Lecturers who supplement
the teaching of the Tutorial Fellows; three ResearchFellows; and nine Junior Research Fellows. Corpus isalso home at any one time to a number of VisitingFellows and/or Visiting Scholars.
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The College's 268 undergraduates are admitted by theTutors to 'read' a variety of the humanities, scien-ti�c, social-scienti�c and medical subjects. In additionto University-run lectures and classes, undergraduatesare taught in small tutorial groups by the College Tu-tors and Lecturers, assisted by other Fellows, by JuniorResearch Fellows, senior graduate students, and col-leagues at other colleges. The College's graduate stu-dents are admitted through University Faculties, andare customarily supervised outside of College, but arementored by Fellows in (or near to) their subjects.
The College thrives at every level. It punches above
its weight in terms of university junior-member life:sporting, political, literary, theatrical, and musical.The very successful Chapel Choir tours internationallyand produces occasional recordings. Corpus under-graduates have historically performed well academi-cally and the College is committed to intellectual pur-suits in the community, and encouraging academicpurpose and attainment. The College's Fellows arebusily engaged in research as well as teaching, athighly regarded international levels. The College isespecially pleased to be home to the world-renownedCentre for the Study of Greek and Roman Antiquity.
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THE ROLE
The President is the Head of the College, and func-tions in three registers. Firstly, she or he must bea purposeful chair of the Governing Body, recognis-ing that the voice of each fellow is of equal account.Secondly, the President oversees the execution of theGoverning Body's will and is responsible for the ad-ministration of the College. Thirdly, he or she isthe principal representative of the College externally.Overall, the President has ultimate responsibility forthe e�ective operation of the College as a place ofeducation, research and scholarship, and for the ful-�lment of its charitable purpose.
The Presidency is a full-time role which combines an
active involvement in running the College with rep-resenting Corpus in the University as a whole, andin the wider world. As is stipulated by the Statutes,the electors are seeking someone with strong intel-lectual sympathies, proven academic or other profes-sional achievements, and the experience needed toadminister College a�airs and support the academicwork of the College. The President requires skills inspoken and written communication, administration,and consensus-building. It is this combination whichpermits him or her to guide the progress of an aca-demic community over which the President does nothave executive authority.
The responsibilities include chairing meetings of theGoverning Body and College committees in a purpose-ful manner that ensures the successful and democraticoperation of the College. The President oversees themanagement of the College and works with Collegeo�cers and administrative sta� to ensure that thedecisions of the Governing Body and its committeesare carried out. It is essential that she or he become,and remain, closely involved in the �nancial a�airs ofthe College and able to o�er appropriate oversight.Equally, Corpus sees the President as having a veryimportant part to play, both symbolically and substan-tively, in fostering students' intellectual engagementand achievement.
The President represents the College to the widerworld in many ways, but has a particular role in thearea of fund-raising. She or he must be an e�ec-tive presence at public functions and in entertainingcurrent and potential benefactors, formally and infor-mally, within College and without, both during termand during vacations. Representation to alumni, thegeneral public, and potential donors will be a vitaland early part of the role. Events and meetings may
take place outside Oxford, and there is an especiallystrong network of friends and members of Corpus inNorth America. External representation may also benecessary when members of the College, or its a�airs,attract the interest of the media.
The President acts as the public face for the Col-lege, to current and former students, at a variety offormal and informal occasions, such as lunches on de-gree days, dinners, and events in the evening and atweekends; the role thus entails a certain amount ofentertaining, hosting and public-speaking. The Pres-ident is an embodiment of the character of Corpus,and his or her physical presence in the College makesa central contribution to its cohesion as a community.
The President is also the major representative of theCollege within the University of Oxford. Current far-reaching changes in the governance and funding ofhigher education make it particularly important thatthe College's concerns are given weight by the Uni-versity, and vice versa, through the President's mem-bership of central committees of the University andthrough meetings with other Heads of House.
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OFFICERS
The President is supported in his or her administra-tive and pastoral work by a team of college o�cers.Roles marked with ∗ are held by academic Fellows ofthe College normally for a period of three years.
• The Vice-President∗, Professor Hans Kraus � sup-ports the President and deputises during periods ofabsence;
• The Bursar, Mr Nicholas Melhuish � responsible forinvestment, property, �nancial, legal, line manage-ment of members of the �nance and IT sta�;
• The Domestic Bursar, Mr Andrew Rolfe � responsi-ble for domestic services, HR, accommodation andoversight of the College's operational sites, cater-ing, conference facilities and line management ofmembers of domestic sta�;
• The Development Director, Mr Nick Thorn � re-sponsible for fund-raising and external relations,with a focus on building relationships with alumniand others to support the College's priorities;
• The Fellow Librarian, Dr Neil McLynn, Librarian,Ms Joanna Snelling and Archivist, Mr Julian Reid� who ensure that our library is an invaluable re-source, and that security and scholarly accessibilityof our remarkable rare book and manuscript collec-tion are maintained;
• The Senior Tutor∗, Dr Mark Wormald � respon-sible for implementing academic policy, academicrecruitment, monitoring student progress;
• The Tutor for Admissions∗, Professor Robin Mur-phy � responsible for organisation of undergraduateadmissions, liaison with schools and potential un-dergraduate applicants;
• The Tutor for Graduates∗, Professor Colin Akerman� responsible for supporting the College's graduatecommunity;
• The Chaplain and Dean of Welfare, the ReverendCanon Dr Judith Maltby � conduct of services inthe Chapel, pastoral care of all students and leadsenior member of the welfare team;
• The Academic Registrar, Mrs Rachel Cli�ord � sup-ports and advises on the College's key educationalpurposes.
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CANDIDATE PROFILE
To succeed in this appointment the successful candidate will need a broad range of skills and experience:
• A �gure of achieved distinction and intellectual cal-ibre, with a record of successfully leading an es-timable institution or organisation, or a demon-strated potential for providing such leadership. ThePresident will not necessarily come from within theacademic world but, coming from whatever back-ground and with whatever experience, will have astrong sense of the meaning and purposes of aninstitution of higher learning, advanced teaching,and research, and so be capable of o�ering inspir-ing, empathetic and sustained leadership to a non-hierarchical and diverse self-governing communityof scholars.
• Capable of providing strategic vision; fostering col-legiality through their active presence and a sharedsense of common purpose with the Fellowship; tak-ing an energetic and constant interest in the aca-demic progress and wider achievements of the Col-lege's talented undergraduate and graduate stu-dents from a wide range of backgrounds.
• Capable of being the primary public face of the Col-lege in a complex and dynamic environment; thiswill include representing and furthering the interestsof the College at University level; fostering good re-lationships with old members and others and pos-sessing a visionary and pro-active approach to theCollege's development work.
• Capable of performing the multi-faceted leadershiprole for the non-academic sta�, handling multiplelines of reporting and with the ability to make de-cisions e�ectively but collegially.
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TERMS & CONDITIONS
The President's stipend will be in the region of¿120,000 per annum (under review). The salary ispensionable within the Universities SuperannuationScheme. Common table is provided free of charge andthere is a budget for College expenses incurred by thePresident, including entertainment. A personal assis-tant is provided by the College. The President mustseek the consent of the College if she or he wishes tohold other o�ces. There are arrangements in placefor occasional sabbatical leave for the purposes of ad-vanced study or research, and an academically-activePresident will also be entitled to a research allowance.The responsibilities of the President involve activitiesat certain weekends during term-time and at certainperiods during vacations. It is expected that the Pres-ident will be required to attend College functions bothin and out of term, and undertake international travelon College business.
Accommodation is provided in the President's Lodg-
ings, a substantial Elizabethan-Jacobean house, witha beautiful garden, some �fty yards from the main Col-lege buildings in Merton Street. The lodgings consistof a house in its own private garden. Parking is pro-vided beneath the adjoining Oldham building or in theFellows' car park. The Lodgings must be the Presi-dent's main place of residence during his/her term ofo�ce. They are provided free of rent, rates, tax andmaintenance costs; the cost of utilities is split withthe College on a 50/50 basis. The post is eligiblefor non-contributory private medical insurance. Holi-day entitlement is 20 working days but in addition theCollege closes for 5 days at Christmas and 4 days atEaster. Employees are also entitled to all UK BankHolidays.
We expect to appoint a President for a �xed termof 7 years. The post is subject to the College Re-tirement Age (currently the September prior to theincumbent's 69th birthday).
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HOW TO APPLY
APPLICATIONS
The College has engaged David Richards of OCT Associates to assist it with this appointment. If you would liketo discuss the opportunity before deciding whether to apply, David would be pleased to talk to you. Please emailhim ([email protected]) to arrange a time to speak.
Applicants should send a covering letter, setting out their interest in, and suitability for, the position, togetherwith a full curriculum vitae, by email (preferred) to: [email protected]. If you have di�culty in makingan email application please contact OCT Associates. In your covering letter, please give details of any dates onwhich you would not be available for interview within the periods set out below.
Though not mandatory, we also ask you to complete and return the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form,available for download separately from the OCT Associates website. This form is for monitoring purposes only. Itwill be kept separately from the rest of your application and will not be seen by the panel involved in short-listingor selection decisions.
Since we will correspond with you by email and phone, please ensure that you provide us with an email addressand phone numbers that you are happy for us to use for this purpose. Please provide a mobile phone contact ifpossible.
The College reserves the right to approach potential candidates who have not applied.
CLOSING DATE
Please note that the closing date for applications will be Tuesday 25th February 2020 (at noon UK time). Lateapplications may not be considered.
SELECTION PROCESS
Applications will be acknowledged by OCT Associates upon receipt. After the closing date all candidates will bekept informed by email or phone of the status of their applications. Fellows will meet in early March to agree ashortlist for interviews, which will take place in the second half of March. References on shortlisted candidateswill be taken up at this point. A small number of candidates will then be invited back for �nal interviews in April2020.
It is anticipated that a �nal decision (by a vote of the Fellows) will be made in May 2020.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
Corpus Christi College is an equal opportunities employer. Please inform us in your application of any reasonableadjustments you might need in order to attend an interview.
TRAVEL EXPENSES
Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed to candidates required to attend for interview, by application toOCT Associates. Rail travel should be Standard Class, and mileage claims will be reimbursed at HMRC standardrates. Please discuss any signi�cant expenses (e.g. international travel or long journeys) with David Richardsbefore incurring the expense.
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