Cuts to combat 'chronic under-funding'
Dramatic cuts in student numbers, sweeping changes to University funding and a controversial shake-up of teaching methods have been proposed.
Over the next five years numbers of international student intake could rise to 15 per cent of total undergraduates, with graduate numbers to increase, partly to provide teaching methods designed as a replacement for tutorials.
The proposals, set out in a green paper by University pro-vice chancellor Bill Macmillan, highlight how Oxford plans to deal with 'chronic underfunding' to prevent the loss of its place in the international super-league.
"It might be fruitful to design patterns of teaching, learning and assessment focusing on outcomes rather than the allocation of teaching hours," the paper reads. In practice this means a reduction in the number of tutorials and the development of other types of teaching."
At a press conference Macmillan denied the paper heralded the end of the tutorial system: "To compete Oxford needs a unique factor, that is the tutorial system. It would be foolish to abolish it or compromise on teaching quality."
"Most tutorials represent a genuine intellectual engagement but some do turn out to be mini-lectures."
Macmillan said Oxford needed to think more about student learning and less on the mechanics of teaching.
The 'learning environments proposed include 'college families', where undergraduates, graduates and tutors come together in what Macmillan describes as 'intellectual communities' for supervisions, seminars and teaching. This idea would be particularly relevant to the sciences but could also be applied to arts subjects.
However Macmillan has emphasised tutorials will remain at the heart of an Oxford education. He said that to abolish them totally would be foolish, but stressed the need for "appropriate teaching", involving a "plurality of methods" and avoiding "narrow focus". He also urged students not to "assume the future must be like the past".
Student Union President John Blake has welcomed the report but said tutorial reform would have to be considered carefully.
"It is excellent that the university is beginning to discuss the issue and there is a real opportunity here for students to engage with the university."
The document also highlighted the significant financial problems facing Oxford, claiming: "Nearly all of the University's core activities lose money". Educating an undergraduate for example costs up to £18,600 a year, of which only £9,500 is covered by fees. The University also sustains an annual deficit of around £28 million in publicly funded teaching and £68 million in the area of research.
Currently, the Oxford University Press contributes substantially to the University's income, transferring a minimum of £12 million a year. Despite this, there remains 'no free cash flow for investment, depreciation or increased debt servicing'.
One suggestion is to increase donations from ex-students. Alumni donations trail far behind that of top American Universities, where Harvard and Stamford both received over £250 million in 2002-3 in comparison with the £58 million given to Oxford.
The paper also suggests the University needs 'much greater financial security and autonomy' if it is to address these problems, although total privatisation, pointed to as inevitable by Trinity president Michael Beloff earlier in the year, is ruled out.
In what is described as 'a deeply problematic funding environment', the general excellence of teaching is stressed, although 'areas of localised weakness' are identified. The paper admits 'Oxford does not rank as well as expected' in terms of citations, and that in some areas the University are 'short of stars'. Overall however, 'the data do not support the notion that Oxford is in decline'.
Open meetings will be held on 3rd and 7th February and in light of received responses it will be presented to the University Council in Trinity.
27th Jan 2005