Oxford University
Oxford University, one of the two great historic centers of learning in England. (Cambridge University is the other.) It is located in the city of Oxford on the Thames River, about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of London. Although a private school, Oxford University is considered a national institution because of the role its graduates have played in British life. Prime Ministers William Gladstone, Clement Attlee, Harold Macmillan, and Margaret Thatcher are among the many Oxonian political leaders.
Oxford is famous for its system of individualized instruction called tutorials. A unique feature is the body of Rhodes Scholars selected primarily from Commonwealth countries and the United States.
Oxford's older colleges are in the center of the city; the newer ones are in suburbs. Most of them are built in the form of quadrangles—four-sided courts, or yards, enclosed by buildings—and include living quarters, library, chapel, and lecture rooms. The chapels of New College, Magdalen, and Christ Church are noted for their musical services. Oxford's buildings, some dating from the 13th century, represent a variety of architectural styles. Tom Tower and the Sheldonian Theatre are among those designed by Christopher Wren.
OrganizationOxford University is a corporation under the title of “the chancellor, masters, and scholars of the University of Oxford.” The chancellorship is largely an honorary office held for life. The vice chancellor is actually the administrative head; he is chosen from among the heads of the colleges and holds office for four years. The university has charge of examinations and degrees. It operates Oxford University Press and Clarendon Press. Special institutions include the Bodleian Library, Ashmolean Museum (England's oldest museum, founded 1683), University Museum, and Commonwealth Forestry Institute.
Each college is a corporate body governed by its own scholars, called fellows, and provides for the residence and instruction of its students. Each has its own charter, property, and customs. Students study under the fellows and other tutors, all generally known as dons, and also attend lectures. For a bachelor's degree a student must attend the university for nine terms (three years) and pass written and oral examinations. Master's and doctor's degrees are also granted. Popular student sports include rugby, cricket, and rowing, Oxford Union is a famous debating society.
Oxford's colleges and their dates of founding are listed below. All are coeducational except for St. Hilda's, which is for women. Lady Margaret Hall, St. Anne's, St. Hugh's, and Somerville were originally for women, the others originally for men.
In addition to the colleges, there are six corporate bodies called “permanent private halls,” which were founded for members of certain non-Anglican religious groups. They are: Campion Hall (1896, Jesuit); Greyfriars (1910, Franciscan); Manchester (1786, Unitarian); Mansfield (1886, Congregational); Regent's Park (1810, Baptist); and St. Benet's Hall (1897, Benedictine). All of these bodies admit undergraduate and graduate students. St. Benet's Hall, Greyfriars, and Campion Hall are for men only; Manchester, Mansfield, and Regent's Park are co-educational.
HistoryOxford University began about 1133 as a guild of teachers and students but did not gain recognition as a university until after 1167. In that year King Henry II forced English students at Paris to return home. The first colleges in Oxford began about a hundred years later. The collegiate system developed after Merton College, founded in Surrey in 1264, moved to Oxford in 1274 and became a self-governing residential college within the university.
The Franciscans, Dominicans, and other religious orders did much to promote learning at Oxford. Roger Bacon and John Duns Scotus were among the early scholars at the university.
Under the traditional system every student had to be a member of a college or residence hall. The first unattached students were admitted in 1868. A society was soon organized for these students. Several societies of women students were also organized. Women were first admitted to examinations in 1884 but were not permitted to take degrees until 1920 and were not admitted to full university status until 1959. In the 1970's most of the colleges became coeducational. Today, only St. Hilda's (for women) is not coeducational.
Enrollment in the 1990's averaged 16,000 students.