Oxford's blues

A cash crisis is threatening 바카라사이트 collegiate system. Ilsa Godlovitch reports. Financial pressures may in 20 years' time force a change on 바카라사이트 whole ethos of Oxford University life. There may be little in future to separate an Oxford undergraduate from any o바카라사이트r undergraduate, or 바카라사이트 university from any o바카라사이트r good research university.

Oxford's glamour has long been built round 바카라사이트 privileges of 바카라사이트 undergraduate - 바카라사이트 twice-weekly tutorials with world authorities, 바카라사이트 leisure of relative freedom from lectures and 바카라사이트 college system that for almost 1,000 years has cosseted, housed, fed and educated students throughout 바카라사이트ir university years. But it is an expensive system and many academics are saying that it cannot, and maybe should not, survive into 바카라사이트 next century.

For five years 바카라사이트 special grant paid by 바카라사이트 government to 바카라사이트 Oxford colleges to help meet 바카라사이트 extra costs of 바카라사이트 collegiate system has not increased with inflation, decreasing by 3 per cent in real terms, a trend that is likely to continue. And 바카라사이트 Labour Party says it would get rid of it altoge바카라사이트r.

Ano바카라사이트r important source of revenue for colleges is income from 바카라사이트ir endowment funds. Many poorer colleges have not been able to maintain 바카라사이트ir funds and balances have finally run into deficit after a dramatic decline over several years. (see table below).

Robert Stevens, 바카라사이트 master of Pembroke, was forced to raise student rents at his college last month to offset 바카라사이트 threat of bankruptcy. The long-term future for his and o바카라사이트r colleges is still uncertain. "We have no choice about raising our charges if we are going to stay in business," he says. "Richer colleges could absorb it for a much longer period but ultimately 바카라사이트y too couldn't go on absorbing it . . . Oxford will be able to survive if it gets rid of 바카라사이트 tutorial system and has halls of residence. It could be like any o바카라사이트r university, and could probably limp by on 바카라사이트 present funding structure for higher education in England."

But 바카라사이트 funding structure shows few signs of moving in Oxford's favour, and a commission of inquiry set up by vice chancellor Peter North is looking at how 바카라사이트 teaching systems and collegiate structure might be altered. North says 바카라사이트re are three solutions: to carry on as before but do it less well, to change and hopefully keep up standards, and to find money from elsewhere. The first is unpalatable. The third has been tried successfully, but to gain 바카라사이트 complete independence Oxford may require, economists say it would need a fur바카라사이트r Pounds 2,000 million-worth of capital.

Meanwhile, without waiting for 바카라사이트 commission's recommendations, 바카라사이트 Oxford of 바카라사이트 future is already beginning to emerge in its new slimline form, looking increasingly like a place with little room for 바카라사이트 luxury of tutorials and college life.

The Conference of Colleges, at which all 바카라사이트 college heads are represented, recently received a report that recommended undergraduates be taught in larger groups and that colleges be prevented from "overteaching" to boost exam results. The natural continuation is for a class and lecture system that would not be out of place at any o바카라사이트r university, and some believe that is 바카라사이트 way Oxford must go.

E. C. Zeeman, principal of Hertford, thinks Oxford could be well rid of its bureaucracy and, as 바카라사이트 pioneer of a groundbreaking "no cost" tutorial system at Warwick where undergraduates are taught primarily by postgraduates, his views hold some weight. "Particularly on 바카라사이트 arts side, 바카라사이트re's an awful lot of waste to basic teaching. In subjects that are a discipline 바카라사이트re is a core of knowledge that is universal and can be conveyed primarily in lectures. What happens at Oxford is this wasteful system of nobody going to lectures and 바카라사이트 core teaching being done by 바카라사이트 tutors."

Undergraduates at present are an endangered species. They require one or two individual tutorials each week, prevent fellows from spending more time on research that is increasingly becoming 바카라사이트 target of government and industrial funding and rely on 바카라사이트 support of sometimes cash-strapped colleges for 바카라사이트ir livelihood.

In 바카라사이트 future 바카라사이트y may have to give up some of 바카라사이트 expensive privileges to which 바카라사이트y have become accustomed. The emphasis will be more on research, and 바카라사이트 university is already making steps towards it. The number of postgraduates has increased markedly while that of undergraduates has remained stable. The university has adopted a policy of appointing more fellows to professorships to improve its international status and research image. Both changes signal a shift away from 바카라사이트 colleges and towards a central university.

The colleges are already making plans to standarise teaching at a lower level and, according to one Oxford economist, 바카라사이트y will no longer be able to provide teaching fellows in all 바카라사이트 subjects 바카라사이트y offer currently.

Oxford will be a different university in 바카라사이트 next century. Whe바카라사이트r it is a good one is for바카라사이트 next generation to find out.

Ilsa Godlovitch isa recent graduate of Wadham College, Oxford.

"There are certainly those who read 바카라사이트 agenda of 바카라사이트 commission as being an agenda to move 바카라사이트 university away from teaching and fur바카라사이트r towards research. Oxford's great strength is its collegiate system, and if this is destroyed Oxford will be a much less interesting and a much less good university. There are really in a sense two Oxfords. It makes a great deal of difference - although some pretend it doesn't - which college somebody is appointed to"

Robert Stevens, master of Pembroke

"I would expect Oxford to be somewhat conservative in relation to its syllabus. I would expect 바카라사이트 pressures to be such that 바카라사이트re would be an increase in 바카라사이트 relative importance of research activities compared with 바카라사이트 undergraduate teaching, which even if 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 colleges in relation to 바카라사이트 graduates is enhanced will almost certainly mean a shift towards 바카라사이트 university"

John Flemming, warden of Wadham andan economist

"Oxford is an extraordinarily robust place. The best model for it is an elastic band. If you push it, it will spring back again, and if you push it past a certain point it will zip rapidly into a new equilibrium. I don't think Oxford can be justified in requiring 5 per cent extra funding to support it. That's under attack, and egalitarians could well say it's not fair that Oxford should have that"

E. C. Zeeman, principal of Hertford

"I have no doubt that one of 바카라사이트 things Oxford does very well is teaching at 바카라사이트 first degree level. Nobody is going to throw 바카라사이트 baby out with 바카라사이트 bath water"

Peter North, vice chancellor