Your article onward governance reform at Oxford University ('Furious dispute in the ivory towers'.

Your article onward governance reform at Oxford University ('Furious dispute in the ivory towers', EDUCATION & CAREERS, 31 August) includes earnestly useful material but also a tie of errors of fact.

You say that there have been three "defeats" for reform. In fact, there has been no devoted of any kind on governance reform in novel times.

couple documents were produced for discussion' a third document, a university "White Paper", reflecting these discussions, does enjoin forward specific proposals for decision, and that will take place, as you say, this autumn.

It is not the case that the proposals call for the university's council to be "scrapped". Rather, the council's size and composition would be revised in recognition of its clew role in institutional governance.

You also highlight the issue of "lay" or external members of council. It is worth making it clear that council has had as it was members for a number of years. The case for increasing their number, despite claims to the contrary, is made in detail in the White Paper. near critics would like to suppress them from council altogether. Oxford University will indeed have to decide whether that can really be in its best interest.

Professor Keith Burnett

Head of Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division and member of the Governance Working Party, Oxford University

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