Oxford Values

Page added: 18 July 2025

Developing Oxford's shared values

The University’s People Strategy reflects our collective ambition to create an outstanding work environment for all staff. As part of this objective, work is underway to develop a shared set of Oxford Values that are co-defined and embraced by the University community, and central to our culture and decision-making. 

We recognise that many departments already have their own values. This initiative will build on that foundation, drawing on the collective insight of staff, students, alumni, departments, divisions, and colleges to articulate the values that represent Oxford at its best. It is not intended to replace existing values, but to enhance and reinforce them—creating a shared set of values that complements and supports the great work already underway. Emerging themes include integrity, respect, wellbeing, excellence, and EDI.

Why do shared values matter?

A clearly defined set of Oxford Values will help to: 

  • Improve the experience of staff, students, and alumni;

  • Provide a foundation for ethical and strategic decision-making;

  • Promote consistent and value-led behaviours; 

  • Enhance trust and credibility across the University community; and 

  • Strengthen talent acquisition, retention, and engagement 

To shape these values, we will: 

  • Review existing policies, surveys, and strategic commitments;

  • Engage stakeholders across the University through consultation and feedback;

  • Analyse and prioritise emerging themes;

  • Test and refine the proposed values;

  • Develop a clear roadmap for implementation;

  • Build policy, process and framework changes; and 

  • Launch a University-wide set of Oxford Values 

In February 2025, People Committee gave a clear mandate to explore a set of shared values aligned with the goals and priorities of the People Strategy.

The People Department is gathering insights from a wide range of groups and stakeholders to help shape and successfully develop our shared Oxford values.

What we’ve achieved so far:

  • Reviewed existing surveys, policies, strategies, and commitments to build on the University’s existing knowledge and insights.

  • Identified that all other Russell Group universities clearly articulate their values.

  • Learned from other organisations that what truly matters is being a values‑driven organisation.

  • Delivered 10 values workshops involving over 100 colleagues, sparking conversations about which values matter most to our community.

  • Launched the Oxford Values Survey to give every colleague the opportunity to contribute their views.

Next steps:

  • Thematic analysis: follow up sessions to explore the insights gathered so far, their context, and get a sense of the weight of each theme.
  • Testing: test the distilled values with the core working group to agree on their final form.
  • Build the policy, process, and framework changes.
  • Provide a roadmap for rollout and embedding the shared values across the University

Help shape Oxford’s shared values by contributing to their development. 

We’re inviting input from students, staff, alumni, partners, and experts across the University community. Your insights will ensure the values we define are inclusive, representative, and meaningful to all who are part of Oxford. 

We have hosted several values workshops with input from over 100 colleagues, sparking thoughtful conversations about what matters most to us. If you couldn’t attend a workshop, there is still an opportunity to help shape the values and behaviours that will strengthen and unite our University community. 

Please take a few minutes to complete our Oxford Values Survey, to share your views on: 

  • The core values that should shape our community; 

  • The behaviours that bring those values to life; and 

  • How we can embed them into everyday life at Oxford 

All responses are completely confidential. Your response won’t be linked to your name or email unless you choose to provide them.