Corpus Christi was shaken last month by the departure of the college’s Master and the Senior Tutor.
In a statement from Professor Christopher Andrew, the college announced, with “regrets”, the resignation of Sir Alan Wilson “with effect from 30 April 2007”.

The statement thanked him for his “contribution during his Mastership”. Wilson, a distinguished mathematician and former student of the college, had only taken up the position seven months earlier, in October of last year.
This was followed two weeks later by the resignation of Senior Tutor Dr Paul Schofield, “with effect from 14 May”.
In an accompanying statement, the college emphasised their desire to “wish [Schofield] well in his future career”.
Professor Paul Mellars has been appointed Acting Master, while the position of Senior Tutor is being temporarily filled by Keith Seffen.

The college declined to comment on the departures, but a University spokesperson was eager to stress that, contrary to speculation in the national press, there was “no connection” between the two resignations.

Regarding Dr Schofield, he said that the Senior Tutor had left to “spend more time on science-related projects”, which had required his departure at short notice, a statement confirmed by Schofield to Varsity. The spokeperson added that he had been only “months away” from seeing out his planned tenure anyway.

On the topic of Sir Alan Wilson, however, the spokesperson was more reticent. He said the Master was “moving on”, but admitted that a promised announcement about the departed Master’s future had so far failed to materialise.
Corpus JCR President Sam Hindes was broadly supportive of the college’s procedures following the resignations. He told Varsity that students had been promptly informed of developments and that the immediate announcement of acting replacements had served to “ensure continuity and minimise the problems for the students”.

But JCR representatives were excluded from Governing Body meetings that discussed the resignations on claims that “utmost confidentiality” was required in matters “relating to named personnel”.

Tom Parry-Jones

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