Students of Affiliated Colonial Universities or Colleges, who satisfy the conditions for advanced standing prescribed by the particular Oxford Statute for their respective Universities or Colleges, are excused from the qualifying examination held by the Rhodes Trust for the Rhodes Scholarships. At present all Candidates for Rhodes Scholarships in the United States are required to pass this examination, though it is probable that a similar exemption will soon be granted to students of Privileged American Universities. All Rhodes Scholars are accepted by Oxford Colleges and by the University without further test, the qualifying examination for the Scholarship being accepted by the University of Oxford as the equivalent of ‘Responsions’, the first University examination.
Less than a half-century ago, the collegiate system was still supreme; it was to the College, that the undergraduate looked for ‘nutrimentum spiritus—et corporis’. There was but little University teaching and no University life. The examination system—introduced in 1805—was gradually raising the standard and requirements of scholarship. But for a few Professorial lectures, the University did practically nothing to provide for the teaching of its members; it merely conducted examinations and granted degrees. With the widening bounds of knowledge, and the incorporation of new subjects in the University Examination Statutes,—and especially with the successful invasion—despite Ruskin’s defiance of ‘Science’ and the scientific spirit, the inevitable duplication of instructors and the consequent necessary increase in College expenditure made the need of a closer and more effective organization of the teaching body more and more imperative. One of the first steps in this direction—which also marked the first encroachment on the old collegiate system—was the establishment in 1877-82 of the new University Professorships and the extension of the University Museum and scientific laboratories. This was followed by the large development of the system of inter-collegiate lectures and by the appointment of University Professors and of lecturers and tutors from other Colleges to assist in the tutorial and lecture work of the separate Colleges. These developments have overcome most of the serious defects of the decentralization of the collegiate system of teaching, felt in the lack of continuity or in the unavoidable overlapping of lecture-courses, as well as in the duplication and the inadequacy of the instructional force at any one College. They have provided the material out of which is being gradually evolved and organized a ‘graduate School’. In the closer relations between University and College, and in this more effective organization of the teaching body, Oxford is approaching the American and the German systems.
Character of courses.
Before giving a brief sketch of Oxford methods of instruction, it will be well to warn those unfamiliar with the system against certain very natural but entirely erroneous ideas and misconceptions on this subject. First of all, there is at Oxford no sharp line of division between undergraduate and post-graduate work. A Bachelor’s degree in Arts (Honours), Letters, Science, or Civil Law can hardly be compared with an American B.A. or B.Litt. The requirements for the ordinary Bachelor’s degree in the Honour Schools are very high and rigid; all work is concentrated along one definite line. ‘Specialization’, as generally understood, is not an apt designation of the course of study. There is a very considerable amount of general reading to do—much of it in private and during the Vacations—of which the examination requirements hardly give an adequate idea. And while method, as method, is not particularly emphasized or taught, some of the original sources in the field of work are studied, and thorough scientific work is done in the laboratories. An Oxford (Honour) B.A. therefore represents much more than mere routine undergraduate work. The work for the degree of Bachelor in Letters, Science, or Law may be fairly described as the equivalent of ‘post-graduate’ work. Thorough research, a dissertation or a special course of advanced study, followed in the case of the degree in Law by a very difficult examination, written and viva voce, are required, and a very high standard is set. One of the first ideas of which a Rhodes Scholar must disabuse himself is that the path to an Oxford Honour degree is smooth and easy.
Pass and Honour courses.
Another point must be emphasized. The ordinary and traditional course of procedure of an Oxford ‘Freshman’ is to register for the B.A. degree. But this is not all. He must decide whether he will read for the Pass or the Honour examination. In the former, there is only one standard, and there are no limits of standing within which the course of study must be completed. The Pass-man comes up to Oxford to live the social life, to take advantage of all its many opportunities for self-improvement, self-culture, self-development, and, incidentally, to acquire a modicum of knowledge. The man reading for ‘Honours’, on the other hand, naturally has to meet much higher requirements for the examinations. His success is measured by his place in the ‘Class Lists’, those who have passed the examination being distributed into three or four ‘Classes’, each representing a different level of merit. Furthermore, the Honour-man cannot take his examinations at his leisure. No one who has exceeded a certain number of Terms reckoned from his matriculation is admitted to the examination.
In all cases, however, candidates for any Bachelor’s degree (except occasionally for the ‘research’ degrees), will find the system of instruction the same. This consists partly of lectures, University or College, and partly of personal tuition, provided by the College. All work, whether it be lectures or work done for and with the Tutor, is governed by, and planned to meet, the requirements as fixed by the Examination Statutes.
Lectures. System.
All lectures are sharply divided into ‘Pass’ and ‘Honour’ lectures, and are designed to meet the requirements for Pass or Honour examinations. Most ‘Pass’ lectures are delivered by College Lecturers and Tutors for members of the particular College only (no members of other Colleges being admitted). ‘Honour’ lectures, however, are practically open to all members of the University, under the new system of inter-collegiate lectures. Both University Professors and Lecturers and College Lecturers and Tutors deliver Honour lectures, University and College lectures being practically merged in one system. The distinction between Professorial and College lectures has become one of origins only; in practice, it has been almost obliterated. Occasionally, Professors give a series of ‘Public Lectures’, that is, lectures open to the general public as well as to members of the University.
Lectures, however, are not the most important part of the system. The best and most telling work is done privately under the Tutor’s direction. There is no ‘credit’ or ‘hour’ system; there are no ‘required courses’. Strictly speaking, attendance at lectures is not compulsory. Theoretically, it is even possible to take an Oxford degree without attending a single lecture. However, as all lectures are based on, and intended to meet, the examination requirements, undergraduates find it advisable to attend those lectures which will be of use for the ‘Schools’—the final examinations. Few men go to more than ten lectures a week, and after passing the intermediate examination the average tends to become even less. Since the introduction of inter-collegiate lectures, a well-organized system of lectures has been made possible, especially in the Classical and Modern History work, Theology, and Mathematics, together with very complete and efficient private tuition. Due largely to the expense involved, as well as to the character of the teaching required, the University provides for most of the instruction in Theology, Law, Natural Science, and Medicine.[57]