Oxford University Students’ Union has found itself without a “vital” member of its team after the contract of its Strategic and Financial Manager was abruptly ended last week.

Eleanor Crichton, a graduate from St Anne’s, took office in June on what was intended to be a nine-month paid contract.

However, she will now not be replaced by a full-time professional until at least August next year, with some of the position’s responsibilities having to be dropped as a result.

Lewis Iwu, OUSU President, has refused to divulge the reasons for her departure, saying it was a “confidential personnel matter.” But he did admit there had been “teething problems” with the position that he hoped would be “ironed out” with the next appointment.

He also admitted that OUSU hadn’t properly vetted candidates for the position when they were interviewed last year.

OUSU President Lewis Iwu created the position of Strategic and Financial Manager during his time as Finance Manager of OUSU two years ago. “The role of Strategic and Financial administration Manager is key to the long term vision and finances of the Student Union. The role will provide us with expertise, continuity and professionalism which I think will benefit the students of Oxford,” he stated.

In the meantime, the position will be filled by Richard Hardiman, last year’s OUSU Vice-President for Finance.

Iwu was keen to stress that Hardiman is only an “acting” Financial Manager and insisted that he would be replaced as soon as a more suitable candidate was found. However, both Iwu and Hardiman confirmed that Hardiman’s contract had been agreed until the 28 August 2009.

Hardiman is to stay as Financial Manager for over ten months in order to give OUSU time to hunt for a new candidate, said Iwu. He stated that the search for a new employee will not begin until January when the OUSU General Office Manager returns from leave, and expects to spend “at least four to five months” investigating the background and quality of potential applicants to ensure that they are able to better identify the “right type of candidate.”

Richard Hardiman was on the panel that was responsible for appointing Crichton.

He said that those on the panel felt Crichton had been the “strongest” candidate out of the final people that they saw. “It wasn’t that we brought some body in to fill the gap, regardless of who they were,” he said.

However, Hardiman admitted that the job description had been “written in such a way that it did not attract the most appropriate candidate” and explained that it was now necessary to “look at the type of applicant that was attracted by the job description last year and tweak it so that it attracts someone that job description suits better.”

Iwu too admitted failures in the recruitment process. He stated that the advertised job description had perhaps been “too vague” and would be “tightened” in the next advertisement.

Animal rights activist Mel Broughton has appeared in court accused of conspiring to burn down parts of Oxford University.

Broughton, aged 47, is one of the founding members of Speak, the animal rights campaign group which has protested against the recently-opened animal testing centre on South Parks Road.

He pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to commit arson, possession of “an improvised incendiary device or devices” and keeping an explosive substance with intent, during a hearing at Oxford Crown Court on Tuesday.

Mel Broughton was arrested in November 2007. His trial is expected to start on Monday.

The teenagers suspected of brutally bludgeoning an Oxford postgraduate around the head with a bicycle D-lock have appeared in court this week.

Craig Knowles and Thomas Mack, both aged 18 years, are alleged to have carried out the attack on Kentaro Ikeda as he rode down a deserted cycle path, which left the 26-year-old with a severely fractured skull and fighting for his life in intensive care.

The pair of youths, both from Marston, Oxford, were arrested and charged by detectives following an investigation into the assault.

Knowles and Mack both pleaded not guilty to the charges of robbery and carrying out grievous bodily harm with intent, during a hearing at Oxford Crown Court on Monday.

The charges of robbery relate to the alleged theft of the victim’s laptop and a translation device also belonging to him.

The prosecution barrister told the hearing that Kentaro was stopped on the cycle path and repeatedly struck with “a cycle d-lock”, causing the critical head wound.

The court also heard that when quizzed by detectives, Mack denied attacking Kentaro but would not give any further details; Knowles refused to comment at all.

However, Mack’s defence counsel later told the court that her client had been in the area at the time of the attack.
The suspects, both wearing Nike T-shirts and crucifixes, were kept behind a glass partition throughout the proceedings, listening impassively as the prosecution barrister detailed the extensive list of evidence what will be called upon during the trial.

Meanwhile friends and relatives of the accused watched on from the public gallery.

The pair have been remanded in custody until their trial, provisionally set by Judge Anthony King for February 2nd next year.

Kentaro, a student at St Edmund Hall, was discovered lying unconscious on the track between Ferry Road and the University Parks by passers-by, after he was set-upon in the early hours of July 31st.

Paramedics rushed him to the John Radcliffe Hospital, where he remained in intensive care for the following month. He has since returned to his home country of Japan so that he can be closer to his family whilst he undergoes further hospital treatment.

A visiting professor has sparked protests from many members of the Muslim community after she became the first woman in Britain to lead an Islamic prayer service.

Amina Wadud arrived in Oxford on Friday to perform the service before a mixed congregation of men and women at Wolfson College.

The event marked the start of a conference on Islam and feminism at the college and has provoked mosques throughout the country to weigh into the debate.

A Muslim student at Oxford opposed the event, saying, “It is clearly stipulated in law, with agreement from the majority of Islamic schools of thought, that amongst the main factors in choosing an Imam, or leader of prayer, are being male, just, and having a good command of the Arabic language.”

He added that though there is no direct reference in the Qu’ran to suggest that a woman leading the congregational prayer is not allowed, the Qu’ran is not the sole basis upon which Islamic law is based upon.

He said, “Muslims extract law not only from the Holy Qu’ran, but also from the teachings of the Prophet and his progeny.”

He continued, “Islam venerates women, whether they be mothers or policy makers” and “promotes scholarship, as evident by the female academics in Islam at Al Azhar University.”

However, he continued that there is “no historical or theological basis to women leading mixed congregational prayer.”

Professor Wadud first delivered a Friday sermon in South Africa in August 1994 and, after leading a service in New York three years ago, received death threats from some extremists.

Traditionally, only male Imams hold mixed service.
Whereas women are allowed to lead the prayer for other women, men have to lead the prayer for a mixed congregation.

Dr. Taj Hargey, Chairman of the Muslim Educational Centre Oxford (MECO), who invited Amina Wadud to lead the prayers, argued that there should be no gender inequality, and the person leading the prayers should simply be the most qualified person.

He stated that he “believe(s) in equity” and that this event was a “fundamental success” for encouraging gender equality in Islam.

He claimed that he intentionally invited her “to promote theological self-empowerment and to challenge Wahhabi extremism.”

Dr. Hargey said he had expected the response as a result of “theological extremism”, but argued that they have no relevance to 21st century Britain.

However, Mokhtar Badri, the vice-president of the Muslim Association of Britain, said, “With all respect to Sister Amina, prayer is something we perform in accordance to the teachings of our Lord.

“It has nothing to do with position of women in society. It is not to degrade them or because we don’t think they are up to it.”

Nawaz Ahmad, President of the Oxford University Islamic Society, explained that some schools of thought believe “the reason for the prohibition for women to lead prayers is based on a statement of the prophet that men are to stand in front of women, and the imam (prayer leader) must stand in front of the congregation.”

Another Muslim student added, “this is due to one of the fundamentals of religion, modesty.”

He added that hijab and the headscarf are based on similar reasoning.

Despite the protests, Dr. Hargey is confident that the event is a successful step forward equivalent to that made by Emmeline Pankhurst.

He declared his intention to organise an event like this each year until a notable change in conservative Islam occurs.

Photo: Mark Bassett

Students at Christ Church have voted to add The Sun and The Daily Mirror to their JCR newspaper subscriptions.

The JCR motion, proposed by third-year history and politics student Ed Waldegrave, was adopted by an overwhelming majority on Sunday evening; only three students voted against it.

It is the second JCR this year to subscribe to the popular red-top newspaper, following Balliol’s decision in Hilary term.

Waldegrave said, “It [The Sun] is an important newspaper which three million people in the UK buy. It is not right for an Oxford college to suggest The Sun is not good enough for them.”

He added, “If it does have any effect on our reputation, it may slightly reduce the image of Christ Church as an elitist and snobbish institution which considers itself above the rest of the population,”

However, the opposition believe that this subscription will do nothing for the Christ Church name, and outsiders appear to agree.

Susannah Darby, one of the three who opposed the motion, said, “These newspapers do not promote the standard of debate expected of an Oxford college.”

Concerning the use of semi-naked women on page 3, Derby said, “I feel that it is incredibly demeaning to women, and that the nudity could be offensive to people of strong religious faith.”

Graham Dudman, managing editor of the Sun said, “We are delighted the students at Christ Church have made this decision.

“By subscribing to The Sun, they will benefit from the finest award-winning journalism combined with the most influential campaigns.

“Our news, sport and showbusiness coverage is second to none and of course we have the very best page three girls.”

OUSU’s woman’s officer, Kat Wall, supported Derby. She said, “the depiction of naked women (page 3) is a form of discreet discrimination.

Women may feel compared, in everyday situations, to these ‘sex objects’, and the repercussions on confidence and positive body image may be severe.”

Waldegrave admitted that he agreed with the feminist position, but he added, “if you are a woman and have a real problem with it from the feminist perspective, then it’s not going to do any good excluding it from the JCR when it’s everywhere in the country.”

However, Wall does not see this newfound interest in The Sun and The Daily Mirror as an example of college openness, and argues that “page 3 banter” amongst the undergraduates will exclude women from the college.

In February the traditionally left-leaning Balliol JCR voted to welcome back the Sun after a 35 year absence., earning the college a visit from the Sun Bus and two page 3 girls.

The rules of the Oxford Union are set for a radical overhaul after sweeping changes to the society’s rulebook were revealed this week.

The reforms were being billed as the most fundamental changes to the Union’s rulebook, which currently runs to over 127 pages, in more than a decade.

Members of the debating society were due to vote on the changes at Thursday night’s debate on the American election, with the proposals expected to pass comfortably.

The list of reformed rules includes the infamous Rule 33, which sets down strict campaigning guidelines for those running in the Society’s elections. The rule essentially outlaws canvassing, stating that those running for election cannot publicise their candidacy apart from telling their “close personal friends.”

Controversy over the campaigning rules reached its peak a year ago, when the Society’s former Treasurer, Krishna Omkar, was elected as President in the Michaelmas elections only to be subsequently disqualified by an Election Tribunal and banned from ever running for election again, triggering a scandal that grabbed headlines around the world.

Ten months on, President Josh Roche announced the list of drafted changes during a press conference on Tuesday, saying he was confident that they would be passed handsomely when proposed to members.

“I have three key aims: better running of the Society, better service to its members, and a better image,” he said. “I am incredibly excited by these changes.”

He added that he hoped rewriting the rules would help boost the Society’s reputation in light of recent events.

“I know that in some quarters the Union has a bad image,” he said. “Some people believe that the Union can and will never change.

“This is our response; not in words but in deeds and on paper.”

A spokesman for the Oxford Union Society said, “We’ve essentially torn up the rulebook and started from scratch.

The proposed alterations to the Society’s electoral system are just one feature of a massive overhaul of the institution this term, with a re-introduction of ‘College Secretaries’ to improve links with Junior Common Rooms, a Members Survey and workshops for women all in the pipeline.

“I am confident that by the end of this term the Oxford Union will be in better condition than ever to meet the expectations of its Members.”

Reaction by members to the rule changes, has so far been cautiously optimistic.

Nick Coxon, a second year student at Wadham, said that he backed the changes but was unsure whether they would change the culture of the Union.

“The reforms are smart and they make sense,” said the PPEist. “But this should have happened a long time ago. For now, the Union is and remains an elitist institution.”

Students across Britain will now receive a ‘report card’ along with their traditional degree classification.

The reform of the centuries old system comes after a report said that the existing system of firsts, seconds and thirds no longer provides enough information for graduate employers.

Students will now receive a two-page sheet of paper giving a comprehensive list of their achievements.

The file, titled Higher Education Achievement Report, will include a breakdown of marks and may even give details of performance in oral tests and coursework.

Bob Burgess, the vice-chancellor of Leicester University, who developed the scheme, said, “the honours degree classification system is in urgent need of modernisation.

“Every year, the case for a significant change grows stronger and voices calling for reform grow louder.”

The new scheme comes off the back of the Burgess Report, which was commissioned by Universities UK, a body of UK university vice-chancellors.

With the lack of detail that an honours classification provides heavily criticised by the report, 18 UK universities are now trying out the new grading plan, including St Andrews and UCL.

Oxford University, however, will not be among the first group of institutions trialling the scheme.

However, a University spokesperson refused to rule out the possibility of joining the scheme in the future.

She said, “The skills recruiters will want are not necessarily those tested by an Oxford degree, which is why they have their own selection criteria for graduates.”

A Pembroke student has allegedly punched a porter from St John’s cCollege, Cambridge, after losing a rugby match last week.

Earlier in the day, Pembroke had been beaten decisively by St John’s but had joined their rivals in the evening after their black-tie dinner.

A third year from Pembroke, who wished to remain anonymous said, “the entire team were drunk and the bop was closed early as a result of drunken and rowdy behaviour.”

Varsity, the Cambridge student newspaper, reported that an Oxford student punched a porter, but the third year from Pembroke doubted this.

She said, “I know that someone definitely tried to punch a porter, but whether or not they actually made contact is unsure.”

There was no other damage caused by Pembroke rugby team, but their behaviour still marred the event for many other students.

Tom Chigbo, JCR president for St John’s said, “One or two people were involved in the incident, it’s not clear whether he landed the punch.”

He continued, “A couple of people got really drunk and irresponsbile.”

However, Chigbo added, “There isn’t some kind of war between John’s and Pembroke, but Johnians and quite disappointed that this happened.”

Dr Helen Small, the dean for Pembroke said, “I am currently undertaking disciplinary action against the rugby team, but I can’t say any more than that as the students have yet to be contacted.”

Caroline Daly, Pembroke JCR President, was unavailable for comment.

The future of the Varsity rugby match is safe, as a new sponsor, the Japanese bank Nomura, stepped in this week to back the historic game between Oxford and Cambridge.

Peter Bridges, chairman of Oxford’s rugby team, expressed his delight, saying, “Oxford University rugby football club (OURFC) is delighted that Nomura has agreed to sponsor both the men’s and women’s Varsity Matches in a four year sponsorship agreement.”

OURFC have been searching for a new sponsor since the bankrupt financiers, Lehman Brothers, collapsed in September, leaving a significant hole in OURFC’s finances.
Back row Blues player, Chris Davies said, “This is great news. We are very grateful.” Avid rugby fans are also relieved. One student said, “Varsity match is a massive tradition, it’s central to our sporting calendar.”

Bridges urged students to attend, “so we have a bumper crowd for our new sponsors.”

Matt Smith, a second year medic, said, “I am eagerly anticipating the upcoming game, and am glad that it’s taking place.”

The match is to be held on 11 December.