Students called for the vote in protest at Professor Grant¡¯s support for higher tuition fees and his appointment as chairman of the NHS commissioning board, claiming he has a ¡°track record of actively undermining public services and public funding¡±.

The decision was condemned by UCL management, which warned that the move could have a ¡°significant impact on our approach to future investment¡±.

But the motion was rejected by students, it was announced on 26 January.

A total of 1,699 said they had confidence in Professor Grant and 1,185 said they did not. There were 391 abstentions.

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A university spokesman said: ¡°UCL welcomes the outcome of the vote announced yesterday by the UCLU.

¡°UCL is today one of the most popular and respected universities in the UK and internationally.

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¡°Malcolm Grant¡¯s track record of success in leading UCL speaks for itself, and UCL is pressing forward with its ambitious strategy, in line with its mission to be London¡¯s Global University.¡±

The motion¡¯s organizers have cried foul, claiming a senior university manager sent emails to all UCL students ¡°singing Grant¡¯s praises¡±.

The email by Rex Knight, vice-provost (operations), had ¡°interfere[d] in the democratic process¡±, claimed Michael Chessum, the leader of the no-confidence campaign and a UCL undergraduate. He is calling for the union to re-run the ballot.

¡°It has become clear that some university managers at UCL are using the resources and position of the college in order to protect their own position from criticism¡±, Mr Chessum said.

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The UCL spokesman said: ¡°There was a wide-ranging debate across UCL on the motion in the days leading up to the vote.

¡°The ¡®no¡¯ campaign's views in particular were prominent across campus and online. It doesn't seem unreasonable for the university to contribute to a debate that centred around the record of UCL's provost.

¡°Students will have been able to make up their own minds based on the range of views expressed during the campaign.¡±

jack.grove@tsleducation.com