Keble College’s Governing Body has informed students that it will not host a ball in 2025 after a student-run committee submitted two separate and complete ball proposals. An “informal” go-ahead was given to the drawing-up of a second proposal, which was a collaborative ball with St Catherine’s College, and was vetoed before being presented to the Governing Body, which usually confirms such proposals.
Last year, Keble interviewed and selected a committee to create a proposal for a ball in Trinity 2025. Over 15 students helped draft a proposal that included arrangements for food, security, and entertainment providers over the long vacation. However, when the proposal was sent to the college’s Governing Body in Michaelmas for final approval, it was rejected.
In an email announcing the rejected ball proposal, the JCR President cited the recent appointment of a new bursar as the main complication: “While the Ball Committee handles most of the work to put on a Ball, there’s a certain amount of unavoidable extra strain that it puts on College staff, particularly the bursar who is ultimately liable for ensuring events like this run smoothly.”
In an effort to overcome the difficulties a ball would place on the college in this situation, the Keble Ball President proposed a collaboration with St Catherine’s College in late Michaelmas, who are currently without a location for their summer ball due to construction work. This idea was taken to both colleges and they were given an “informal yes” to create a joint ball proposal.
Over the winter vacation, another committee of over 30 members was formed and a ball proposal was written up for a joint Keble–Catz Ball. The proposal included plans for Keble to host the ball with St Catherine’s to take legal and financial liability, and the colleges employed lawyers to draft contracts to ensure the viability of the plan.
Before the final ball proposal was taken to the Keble Governing Body meeting last week, committee members received an email from the Ball Presidents explaining that the proposal never made it to the Governing Body, “citing issues with college administration as the key deciding factor in their decision.” The email went on to say that “these are the unfortunate realities of dealing with instability in the college administrative system.”
