Oxford Values

Find information about the work underway to create a shared set of Oxford values

Page updated: 5 September 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.

What we’ve achieved so far

  • Reviewed University policies, strategies, and commitments to build on our 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 values-driven;

  • Used the insights gained from the discovery phase of the project to shape possible options for our Oxford Values.   

Consultation

The People Department is gathering insights from a wide range of groups and stakeholders across the Collegiate University to help shape and successfully develop our shared Oxford values. In 2024-25 we:

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

  • Launched the Oxford Values Survey to allow every colleague the opportunity to contribute their views. The survey received 128 responses from across the Collegiate University; and

  • Engaged with colleagues in a variety of meetings across the University, including the Divisional Safety Partnership and the People Forum. 

Next steps

Over the 2025-26 academic year we will:

  • Deliver further workshops with alumni, academics and students;
  • Run follow-up sessions to explore the insights gathered so far, their context, and get a sense of the weight of each theme;
  • Test the distilled values with the core working group to agree on their final form;
  • Build the policy, process, and framework changes; and
  • Provide a roadmap for rollout and embedding the shared values across the University.

Publications

VIEW THE PEOPLE STRATEGY

View the People Strategy as plain text 

Contact us

Jo Mason, Head of Partnerships
joanne.mason@admin.ox.ac.uk 
peoplestrategy@admin.ox.ac.uk