PRESS ASSOCIATION -- A vote of no confidence by Cambridge academics in Universities Minister David Willetts and the Government's higher education reforms has failed to pass, after it ended in a stalemate.
The ballot showed 681 votes in favour, and 681 votes against, which meant the motion was not approved.
A group of Cambridge academics had called for a vote last month, amid concerns about the impact of budget cuts and plans to triple tuition fees to £9,000 per year.
Members of the university's Regent House - the name for the institution's governing body and electoral constituency - have been voting on the motion - known as a "Grace".
In a statement announcing the result, Cambridge University said: "A ballot of the Regent House delivered 681 votes in favour and 681 votes against a motion of no confidence in the policies of the Minister of State for Universities and Science. Under University regulations, such an equality of votes means the Grace - and hence the no confidence motion - is not approved"
The Regent House has more than 4,500 members, made up of university officers, heads and fellows of the university's colleges, and other staff members.
They were asked to vote on a grace which said: "That, in the light of sweeping cuts to the higher education budget, the trebling of tuition fees, and incoherent access policies, all decided on without adequate consultation, the University shall communicate to HM Government, by June 24, 2011 or as soon as possible thereafter, that it has no confidence in the policies of the Minister of State for Universities and Science, and that this duty be delegated to the Council."
Cambridge University Student Union president Gerard Tully said: "Students, both in Cambridge and across the country, have had no confidence in this Government's approach to higher education since day one: the reality of £9,000 tuition fees is simply that students from the least advantaged backgrounds will be deterred from applying to university by fear of debt. The White Paper promises new chaos - universities and students deserve and demand better.
"Publicly funded higher education is of great benefit to students, to the economy and to society at large: it's time the government recognised this and stop breaking a system that they don't understand."
Last month, Oxford University became the first English institution to pass a vote of no confidence in Mr Willetts, with dons voting 283 in favour and just five against.