Assembly of Colleges
Assembly of Colleges | |
|---|---|
| Structure | |
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Political groups | Left Coalition
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Political groups | Opposition
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The Assembly of Colleges, also occasionally referred to as the First Assembly is the lower chamber of the Oxford Republic legislature. It consists of 222 representatives from a total of 38 University Colleges and 6 Permanent private halls.
Seats are proportioned to Colleges and PPHs in accordance with their student population, receiving a representative for about every 100 students. Due to the sheer size of the Assembly of Colleges, an individual may act as several representatives, and are accorded an equivalent number of votes.
The Assembly is a rather unique legislature in that it represents - and can only ever represent - a very small minority of those living within the Republic's boundaries; seats are proportioned not by administrative regions, and so non-collegiate citizens can never vote.
Membership
Qualifications
To sit in the Assembly, a representative must be a student (undergraduate or postgraduate) of the University of Oxford and a University College or PPH.
No additional requirements are placed on candidates by the Assembly, although colleges and PPHs may place additional requirements on those who represent them.
Districting
Each College and PPH is proportioned a number of seats according to their student population, with 100 students receiving 1 representative.
Each body receives a minimum of 1 representative regardless of their population - All Souls College has a representative despite a student population of just 8.
Elections
The vast majority of bodies elect their representatives yearly using a proportional voting method. Some colleges proportion a minority of their representatives to certain political caucuses regardless of their vote share, and several PPHs do not run elections at all, instead appointing their representative.
The great degree of autonomy in body elections means that elections can occur at any point, based on each bodies' own rules and regulations. As a result, the makeup of the Assembly is prone to regular change.
Terms
The Assembly places no restrictions on the number of terms a representative may serve, although the number is naturally limited by the student's degree length. Some colleges place term limits on their representatives.
In practice, a representative is generally in office (unless electorally defeated) for 2 years. Students with four year degrees often take a hiatus in their third year, returning after the completion of their exams.
Decorum
Political Parties
| Party Name | Logo | Leader | Position | Seats in the Assembly of Colleges | Member of the Governing Coalition? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mansfield Bloc | Progressive | 37 / 222 |
Yes | ||
| Magdalen Bloc | Conservative | 29 / 222 |
No | ||
| Christ Church Bloc | Conservative | 27 / 222 |
No | ||
| Balliol Bloc | Conservative | 26 / 222 |
No | ||
| Gender Equality Alliance | Progressive | 24 / 222 |
Yes | ||
| The Union | Conservative | 21 / 222 |
No | ||
| Green Bloc | Progressive | 20 / 222 |
Yes | ||
| Equality Alliance | Progressive | 19 / 222 |
Yes | ||
| Small College Alliance | Third Way | 11 / 222 |
Yes | ||
| Private Hall Bloc | Third Way | 8 / 222 |
Yes |