Election FAQs

  1. What do the Oxford Business Alumni (OBA) Chapters do?
  2. Why are you running OBA Chapter committee elections?
  3. How will the OBA Chapter committee elections be run?
  4. Am I eligible to nominate myself for elections?
  5. How can I find out whether I have activated my OBA Account?
  6. How do I activate my OBA Account?
  7. How can I become a member of the Chapter?
  8. What are the committee job descriptions?
  9. How many positions are available for election on each OBA Chapter committee?
  10. Why is there no German OBA Chapter up for election?
  11. What is the role of the OBA Alumni Ambassador?
  12. What support can the Alumni Relations Office offer nominees?
  13. When is the nomination period?
  14. When is the voting period?
  15. How do I vote?
  16. When will the results be announced?
  17. How can I get support or more information about the election process?
  18. What is the time commitment required to be a member of an OBA Committee?
  19. How will I know if I’ve been successfully elected?
  20. What happens to the current Chapter committee members?
  21. What happens if the election process fails to generate the minimum number of nominees or votes?
  22. How do the OBA Chapters work in relation to the Oxford University regional societies?
  23. Why does my seconder have to be a Saïd Business School alumnus/a?
  24. Does my seconder have to reside in the same city as I do?
  25. Why am I unable to vote for the Chapter election in my region?
  26. Why have I not received my ballot details?
  27. What happens if there is no longer an OBA Chapter in my area?

 

1. What do the Oxford Business Alumni (OBA) Chapters do?

Chapter membership is a great way to strengthen your network. Our OBA Chapter committees are run by dedicated volunteers who are the driving force in their region encouraging reciprocal, lifelong relationships between and amongst Saïd Business School and our alumni.

Chapter membership is a great way to strengthen your network. Our OBA Chapter Committees are run by dedicated volunteers who are the driving force in their region encouraging reciprocal, lifelong relationships between and amongst Saïd Buiness School and our alumni. An integral part of the 17,000 Oxford Business Alumni Network, the OBA Chapters facilitate at a regional level a strong social and professional network . Each group run a minimum of two business focused events a year, peppered with informal social networking meet-ups to assist you to grow your network. Self-financing, a Chapter is formed when there is a minimum of 50 alumni in one city in order to have enough constituents to support their events. Over the past two years, Chapter membership has grown by over 50% - a direct result of the energy and dedication of our Chapter leaders!
Find out more about the OBA Chapter Network.

Due to the increased interest in the Chapter network we are running elections in the following 28 regional cities:

OBA Amsterdam OBA Bangalore OBA Bangkok
OBA Beijing OBA Boston OBA Brussels
OBA Delhi OBA Dubai OBA Hong Kong
OBA Johannesburg OBA Kuala Lumpur OBA London
OBA Lagos OBA Los Angeles OBA Melbourne
OBA Moscow OBA Mumbai OBA New York
OBA Paris OBA Paolo Alto OBA San Francisco City
OBA São Paulo OBA Shanghai OBA Singapore
OBA Sydeny OBA Tokyo OBA Toronto
OBA Washington OBA Zurich

 

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2. Why are you running OBA Chapter committee elections?

We are embarking on the elections in response to feedback from Chapter committees and constituent alumni, further informed by best-practice research. The elections are designed to address the following:

  • Generate interest in, awareness of, and membership to, the Chapters through a global campaign
  • Recruitment of more committee members in areas identified that need them
  • Gauge regional interest and identify areas that warrant support
  • Put in place a succession plan, through term limits, designed to refresh the committees and apportion responsibility with respect to the time commitment required

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3. How will the OBA Chapter committee elections be run?

The OBA Chapter committee elections will allow interested and motivated OBA Network members to nominate themselves for a position on one of the 28 OBA Chapter committees up for election, and become an integral part of the future direction of the global OBA Chapter network.

Election is by self-nomination and seconded by a fellow alumnus/a, and administered on our behalf by the Electoral Reform Services. They are open to all members of Saïd Business School alumni and Oxford alumni who have activated their OBA Network account. Students are not eligible. By design, the elections will be not for a particular position, but for a place on the Chapter committee. A minimum of three seats are available for each committee and where there is a higher concentration of alumni, this is reflected in the number of seats available.

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4. Am I eligible to nominate myself for elections?

All Saïd Business School degree and diploma alumni, qualifying Executive Education alumni and Oxonians with an interest in business who are actively registered as OBA Network members are welcome to stand for election and to vote.

OBA Network members can self-nominate for a position on a chapter committee once they have activated their OBA Network account and are resident in a region in which a chapter currently operates. Current students are not eligible to participate in this process. As an alumnus/a you will need to have registered your OBA account before the nomination deadline (6 February, 23:59 (GMT)) in order to be eligible to run for election - please be aware it can take up to three days to verify your OBA account.

Each nomination will require the following:

  • A registered OBA account
  • Candidate details including alumni number and residential address
  • A seconder (a Saïd Business School alumnus/a)
  • An election statement of no more than 250 words
  • A recent portrait photo
  • A public LinkedIn profile weblink

The nomination form can be found online or by emailing OBA@electoralreform.co.uk

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5. How can I find out whether I have activated my OBA Account?

You will have activated an OBA website account if you have registered online at the Oxford Business Alumni website and updated your contact details more recently than July 2012. You will have set up a username and password and will be able to log in here

You will only be sent information on voting in your region, so it’s important that we have your current area of address on your OBA profile. If you have not updated your physical address recently, please follow this link and sign on.

5a I can’t remember my login in or password?

If you do not remember your username or password, please follow the link on the login page and enter the email that you are likely to have used to register for your account. Your username and a new password will be sent to you directly.

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6. How do I activate my OBA Account?

If you have not yet done so, please ‘Activate’ your account and complete the registration form. You will need your alumni number to register. (Your Alumni Number starting 8- can be found at the top of all communications from the School)

Please note: It can take up to three working days to receive an email confirming your registration. For voting eligibility, registration will be recorded from the day the process was initiated.

6a. Am I eligible to be part of the OBA Network?

You qualify to be an OBA member if you are:

  • Saïd Business School post graduate degree or diploma programme alumni
  • Saïd Business School undergraduate degree alumni
  • University of Oxford degree holding alumni interested in business
  • Qualifying Saïd Business School Executive Education participants (who have undertaken a programme of four days or more).

7. How can I become a member of the Chapter?

Once you have registered your OBA account online, you are one click away from joining a Chapter. Log-in to your OBA account and click on Join an OBA Chapter.

The Alumni Relations Office will ensure candidates are network members, chapter members and living in the defined area. We will contact you if there is a discrepency that renders your nomination ineligible.

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8. What are the committee job descriptions?

The elections will be not for a particular position, but for a place on the Chapter committee. A minimum of three seats are available for each committee and where there is a higher concentration of alumni this is reflected in the number of seats available.

Once the committee is elected, the expectation is that the committee positions such as, Chair, Treasurer, Communications Officer, Events Officer, Secretary, will be democratically assigned based on the individuals' skills, interests, and time commitment.

We recommend that interested alumni consider what their alumni peers would deem as desirable qualities in a committee member. Possibilities include (but are not limited to):

  • Previous volunteer experience with the School or another organisation
  • Experience or interest in serving as an ambassador for an organisation
  • An open and diplomatic approach to managing regional alumni requests
  • A strong personal network of alumni
  • An experience of fundraising, project and/or event management
  • A desire to further the School’s reputation and raise its global profile
  • Strong relationships with members of the School’s faculty and/or Alumni Relations Office

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9. How many positions are available for election on each OBA Chapter committee?

OBA Amsterdam: 3 seats OBA Moscow: 3 seats
OBA Bangalore: 4 seats OBA Mumbai: 3 seats
OBA Bangkok: 4 seats OBA New York: 4 seats
OBA Beijing: 5 seats OBA Paris: 3 seats
OBA Boston: 3 seats OBA Paolo Alto:3 seats
OBA Brussels: 4 seats OBA São Paulo: 3 seats
OBA Dubai: 3 seats OBA San Francisco City: 4 seats
OBA Hong Kong: 5 seats OBA Shanghai: 3 seats
OBA Johannesburg:4 seats OBA Singapore: 3 seats
OBA Kuala Lumpur: 5 seats OBA Sydney: 4 seats
OBA London: 4 seats* OBA Tokyo: 3 seats
OBA Lagos: 3 seats OBA Toronto: 4 seats
OBA Los Angeles: 3 seats OBA Washington 3 seats
OBA Melbourne: 3 seats  OBA Zurich: 3 seats

*Due to the size of the OBA London Chapter  and the need to keep activity going through this election period, we will be retaining the current three committee members (who are only a year in postion) which will provide a stable succession opportunity.

Note: Following the close of nominations, all applicants will be verified for eligibility to continue as a candidate in the relevant Chapter committee election region. Should the number of verified nominations, for a Chapter committee, be less than  the number of seats available, the status of that Chapter will be reviewed.  If the number of nominations equal the number of seats available the Chapter will be elected uncontested.

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10. Why is the German OBA Chapter not up for election?

Each of the key cities of Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich do not have the required minimum of 50 constituents to support Chapter activity. It was decided in consultation with the out-going committee that until the level of representation rises to support individual city activities, they will be OBA Alumni Ambassadors and work to grow the community to a level to sustain a Chapter. Each ambassador will work closely with the OUS groups in each area to provide business focused ideas for events. We will revisit this decision at the end of the next term in 2020.

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11. What is the role of an OBA Alumni Ambassador?

The role of the OBA Alumni Ambassador is to help grow the OBA Network in a region that has under 50 constituent alumni. Key to this role is to be a contact point for other alumni in a region and to also assist the School in its recruitment efforts. If you are resident in a city and are a degree or diploma alumnus/a and there isn't current representation by an OBA Chapter or an OBA Regional Ambassador, please get in touch.

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12.What support can the Alumni Relations Office offer nominees?

The Alumni Relations Office can provide you with factual information on the role of the committee membership, and how you can nominate yourself to stand as an OBA Chapter committee member. The ERS, our election administrators, can assist with more complex election process questions. Please email them at: oba@electoralreform.co.uk . We cannot write election statements, provide assistance with election campaigning, provide you with information which is not publically available or provide a language translation service.

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13. When is the nomination period?

The election nomination period is three weeks between Wednesday 17 January and Tuesday 6 February 11.59pm GMT. You will need to have registered your OBA account with your residential details before the deadline in order to be eligible to self-nominate - please be aware it can take up to three days to verify your OBA account.

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14. When is the voting period?

Our election voting period opens on Monday 19 February and closes on Wednesday 7 March 11.59pm GMT. You will need to have registered your OBA account with your residential details before the deadline in order to be eligible to vote for the candidates running in your area. Please note, you are only eligible to vote for the Chapter elections in your residential area.

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15. How do I vote?

You will be able to vote via the dedicated ERS OBA election microsite once the voting opens in February. You will only be able to vote for the election being run in your area which is why it is important that your residential details are up to date. We will be using the First Past The Post voting system.

Each voter in these Chapter elections is entitled to one vote which will allow them to place ‘X’s’ up to the number of seats available.

All the information you need to enable you to vote will be sent from the Electoral Reform Service via email. 

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16. When will the results be announced?

The Alumni Relations Office will announce the results of the Chapter committee members for each area on Monday 12 March. Once the committee is elected, the expectation is that the committee positions such as, President, Vice President, Treasurer, Communications Officer, Events Officer, Secretary, will be democratically assigned based on the individuals' skills, interests, and time commitment. The formal committee positions will be announced early in April 2018.

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17. How can I get support or more information about the election process?

You will find information on the Oxford Business Alumni website about the elections and the role of Chapter committee members. The Alumni Relations Office will be sending out email information to each regional area. In addition, current members of the OBA Chapter committee may be available to talk to you about what being a committee member actually means.

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18. What is the time commitment required to be a member of an OBA Committee?

The Alumni Relations Office recommends that the committees meet at least three times per year, with each committee member agreeing to attend no fewer than two of these meetings. The expectation is that the OBA Chapters host a minimum of two key events per academic year and to communicate frequently with the Alumni Relations Office regarding chapter news, events and strategy.

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19. How will I know if I’ve been successfully elected?

All successful candidates will be contacted in the week following the close of the vote to confirm the results. The formal announcement of the results will be posted on the OBA wensite and communicationed via the March OBA e-newsletter.

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20. What happens to the current Chapter committee members?

Our current committee members will finish their term on commencement of the voting period. The Saïd Business School Alumni Relations Office would like to take this opportunity to thank all our existing committees for their support. Through their tenacity and inclusiveness they have contributed vastly to the ongoing success and growth of the OBA Chapter network. We are sure that some of them will continue to be involved!

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21. What happens if the election process fails to generate the minimum number of nominees or votes?

Should the number of verified nominations for a particular Chapter committee, be less than the number of seats available, the status of that chapter will be reviewed. Should the number of nominations equal the number of seats available then the committee will be elected via an uncontested election.

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23. How do the OBA Chapters work in relation to the Oxford University regional societies?

The global OBA Chapter committees are encouraged to actively liaise with the Oxford University Society (OUS) branches, and other Ivy League university societies in their regions to highlight different and complementary events to their memberships.

The OBA Chapters are complementary to the regional OUS branches rather than being a division of the OUS. President or Vice -President of any OUS committee will be unable to hold the position of Chair or Vice-Chair on an OBA Chapter.

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24. Why does my seconder have to be a Saïd Business School alumnus/a?

We have specified that the seconder needs to be a Saïd Business School alumnus/a to ensure that the nominee is already engaged with School alumni, as this is a key part of an OBA Chapter committee role. In addition, this also demonstrates to voters, the nominee's willingness to build their network with Oxford Saïd alumni, particularly if they are a non-School Oxonian. This decision was informed by feedback from our current committees.

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25. Does my seconder have to reside in the same city as I do?

No, your seconder does not have to reside in the same city as you, but they do have to be a Saïd Business School alumnus/a. We understand that in this mobile world your Oxford Saïd alumni peers, who can best advocate for your skills, may not always reside in the same city as you.

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26. Why am I unable to vote for the Chapter election in my region?

These elections are being conducted using the First Past the Post voting system. To trigger an election, there needs to be at least one more nomination than the number of seats available on each committee.
Where we have received an equal number of nominations to the seats available for any Chapter committee, these committees will be automatically elected. However, if there have been insufficient numbers of nominations, then the status of that chapter is being reviewed by Oxford Saïd Alumni Relations Office. 

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27. Why have I not received my ballot details?

If you have activated your OBA Network account after 12 February and you live in one of the regions where elections are being held, please contact ERS at OBA@electoralreform.co.uk with your full name, alumni number, matriculation date and programme. They will verify your account with the Oxford Saïd Alumni Relations Office and provide you with your ballot details. If you live in a region outside of the contested election areas, the Alumni Relations Office will be announcing details of other regional alumni activity in April 2018.

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28. What happens if there is no longer an OBA Chapter in my area?

The Oxford Saïd Alumni Relations Office is contacting the existing OBA Chapter committees as well as those nominees who expressed an interest in a particular region to discuss future possibilities of alumni representation in that area.  You can read more about the OBA Alumni Ambassador representation opportunity here. The Alumni Relations Offices values all constructive feedback from alumni, please contact chapters@sbs.ox.ac.uk if you would like to provide your input on regional activity.

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