The Hebdomadal Council was the chief executive body for the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

from its establishment by the

Oxford University Act 1854 The Oxford University Act 1854 ( 17 & 18 Vict. c. 81), also known as the Oxford University Reform Act 1854 or the University Reform Act 1854,Sabine Chaouche. Student Consumer Culture in Nineteenth-Century Oxford. Palgrave Macmillan. 2020p 231 As ...

until its replacement, in the

Michaelmas term Michaelmas ( ) term is the first academic term of the academic year in a number of English-speaking universities and schools in the northern hemisphere, especially in the United Kingdom. Michaelmas term derives its name from the Feast of St M ...

of 2000, by the new

University Council A university council may be the executive body of a university's governance system, an advisory body to the university president, or something in between in authority. In the United Kingdom and many other countries, the council is responsible for a ...

. Chaired by the

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, the Hebdomadal Council held statutory responsibility for the management of the university's finances and property, university administration, and relations between the university and all outside institutions. Direct responsibility for academic administration was delegated to the General Board of the Faculties, with the Hebdomadal Council holding an oversight role. Eighteen members of the council were elected by

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of the full faculty. In the 1980s, there were also two student observers, one undergraduate and one postgraduate, selected by the

Oxford University Student Union The Oxford University Students' Union is the official students' union of the University of Oxford. It is better known in Oxford under the branding Oxford SU or by its previous name of OUSU. It exists to represent Oxford University students in ...

and the Oxford University Graduate Union respectively. The students were permitted to speak on agenda items, but not to vote. Hebdomadal Council's agenda was typically in two parts, and the students were asked to leave before the second half of the meeting. The council had the prerogative of initiating resolutions and statutes, which were submitted to Congregation for approval. It met once every two weeks during university terms and twice during the long vacation.

References

* Morris, Jan (2001). ''Oxford''. Oxford University Press (). pp. 40–42.
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''

Oxford University Gazette The ''Oxford University Gazette'' (often simply known as the ''Gazette'' locally) is the publication of record for the University of Oxford in England, used for official announcements. It is published weekly during term time. The ''Gazette'' ...

'', 17 June 1999.
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''Oxford University Gazette'', 23 April 1998. 1854 establishments in England 2000 disestablishments in England History of the University of Oxford Organizations established in 1854 Terminology of the University of Oxford {{UOxford-stub