Alumni Advisory Council FAQs

All Saïd Business School degree, diploma alumni and executive education open programme participants of three weeks or more who are actively registered as OBA Network members and completed their programme before 1 October 2020 are welcome to stand for election and to vote. Please read the election guidelines

An OBA Network member is a registered if they have activated an OBA online account and updated their contact details more recently than July 2012.

If you have not yet done so, please use the left-hand navigation 'I would like to register’ and complete the registration form. Hint: You will need your nine-digit alumni number found at the top of any email from the Oxford Saïd Alumni Team.

Please note: it can take up to  3-6 days to receive an email confirming your registration, but for voting eligibility, registration will be recorded from the day the process was initiated.

Due to the General Data Protection Law 2018 (GDPR) in the UK, we are not allowed to assume that OBA Network members who were previously registered in the old system would like to remain registered in the new system. 

Because of this, all members who wish to be considered active in the OBA Network must re-register for an Oxford Alumni Online account through the OBA Network website and also opt-in to the OBA Network. They must also re-confirm their contact information and location for verification against the nomination form.

Please click here if you need to register. It can take up to 3-6 days to receive your confirmation email, which will be titled Thank you for registering for Oxford Alumni Online, but registration will be recorded from the day the process was successfully initiated for voting eligibility.  

Once you have received a second email confirming that your account is active, confirm that your contact details are up to date you will need to log in and opt-in to the OBA Network. We also encourage you to retain your confirmation email in case there are any questions about the date of your registration.

In addition to voting eligibility, registering for an Oxford Alumni Online account will allow you to access the secure content on the OBA Network website, as well as the secure content on the University of Oxford Alumni Office website and select college websites, which are powered by the University’s system.

Click ‘I want to log in’ on the left-hand navigation bar and attempt to log in with your OBA username (usually your email) and password.

If you can’t remember your username or password, follow the prompts on the ‘Log in’ page to enter your email address to receive a username and password reminder. Once you have logged in you will need to check that you have opted-in to the OBA Network. You will be prompted to do so if you are not already a member.

Please note: the email address entered for a username and password reminder must be the email address that you used to create the account. We also recommend that the email address connected to your account be used as your username to make it easier to remember.

If your email address is not registered in the system, it is likely that you have not yet created an account and will need to do so by clicking ‘I want to register’ in the top navigation bar and filling out the form.

The Alumni Advisory Council is a committee of peers, elected by peers, and all eligible OBA Network members are encouraged to consider standing for election as a Council Member.

Whilst there is no specific Council Member ‘job description’, we recommend that interested alumni consider what your peers would deem desirable qualities in a representative. Possibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Previous volunteer experience with the School or another organisation
• A desire to further the School’s reputation and raise its global profile
• Experience or interest in serving as an ambassador for an organisation
• The ability to identify and advocate for the needs of others
• An open and diplomatic approach to differing perspectives
• A strong personal network of alumni
• Strong relationships with members of the School’s faculty and/or administration

Candidates standing for election are self-nominated. Nominations are due by 5pm (GMT) on 29 October 2020 and must include:

• A statement of up to 250 words and on why you are a good candidate to represent the School’s body of alumni and what experience you will bring to the Council. You can also upload a video statement of up to three minutes at the same time. Please make sure you provide a transcript of your video to successfully complete registration. Please find some hints about creating a successful statement here
• A photo and/or link to your LinkedIn profile 
• You will also need to supply an alumni seconder  - a University of Oxford alumnus/a who supports your nomination

The deadline for nominations is firm. The Electoral Reform Services must have receive a completed nomination form by 5pm GMT (GMT) on 29 October 2020. Incomplete forms and those received after the deadline are invalid.

Following the models of various Ivy League alumni associations, the AAC will have a Nominating Committee composed of the out-going Chair, the Associate Director of Alumni Relations and a minimum of three other members of the AAC who are remaining on the Council for their second term. They will select a slate of 21 candidates for the 2020 election. Please read the election guidelinesfor more information on the criteria that the Nominating Committee use to choose candidates.

Voting will take place from 12 November through to 5pm (GMT) on 26 November via a dedicated online platform managed by the Civica Election Services (CES), which can be accessed via a web link and access codes emailed to voters. You do not need to register with CES to vote, but you do need to be an actively registered  Saïd Business School member of the OBA Network.

All eligible OBA Network members are entitled to vote. Who votes are cast for will be at the discretion of the voter.

The Council will comprise of 20 seats, 15 will be alumni representatives who have been voted for by their peers as members of the OBA Network and will either be entering their second term (5) or will join following successful election (10) in December 2020. The remaining five seats will be non-elected, and include one Saïd Business School faculty member, the Associate Director of Alumni Relations and three alumni appointed by the Dean. In 2020 two Dean's nominees will remain for a second term and one will be appointed for their first term.

After the alumni members have been elected and the remaining alumni members have been appointed by the Dean, the AAC will choose a Chair and Vice-Chair from among its members. The Chair will serve as the AAC representative on the School Board.

Any prescribed roles and/or working groups within the Council will be determined by the Council.

Council Member tenure will be three years in the first instance and no member will serve more than two terms.

After elections are completed the Council will determine the democratic process by which they will select the Chair.

The Council’s mission will be to:

• Work closely with the Alumni Relations Office to strengthen the Oxford Business Alumni Network and enhance the alumni experience
• Advise the School on matters of concern to its alumni
• Support the School in its mission and help raise its global profile
• Contribute to the School’s governance through representation on the School Board

In addition to this mission, the Associate Director of Alumni Relations and the Alumni Relations team will work closely with the AAC members on developing specific short-term and longer term goals for the academic year, and for the Council’s overarching tenure.

The Council will meet as a group at least twice a year, and members can attend these meetings in person, via phone or Zoom or a combination thereof.

In addition, the AAC Chair will be required to attend at least four School Board meetings a year, also in person or by phone. These meetings usually last approximately two hours.

Beyond these guidelines, additional meetings can be added to schedule at the Council’s discretion.

Alumni Advisory Council members will be asked to participate in a variety of activities throughout the academic year, which may include (but are not limited to):

• Providing feedback and ideas for OBA Network events, policies and alumni offerings
• Serving as a point of contact for fellow alumni and relaying their thoughts to the Alumni Relations team
• Identifying opportunities to strengthen ties within the alumni community, and between the alumni community and current students
• Reviewing ideas under consideration by the School Board and/or administration and sharing feedback from the alumni perspective
• Spreading the word within the alumni community about School news, initiatives and campaigns
• Acting as an ambassador for the School, when appropriate, at industry events and within your personal and professional networks
• Assist the School in its fundraising obligations.

In addition, and depending on interest and availability, Council Members will have opportunities to represent the AAC at School, University and OBA Network events, and the alumni body at recruitment events and School open days.

AAC members may be asked for advice on fundraising-related matters. As an alumnus/na, however, you will be contacted about the annual alumni fundraising initiatives, either to donate or to help spearhead a donation campaign amongst your class or regional community.

If you are an alumnus/na who is personally interested in supporting the School as a volunteer fundraiser beyond the Annual Fund, please be in touch with the Development Office.

No, Alumni Advisory Council positions are purely voluntary and travel will not be required for participation.

If you find that you are not able to participate in AAC activities at the level necessary, you may voluntarily resign or be required to retire in absentia.