Tutes: Thing of The Past?
THE TUTE IS AGAIN under attack following the announcment of future reductions in the number of History tutorials, leading to concerns amongst students that Oxford's unique teaching system is being systematically undermined across the board.
The Modern History Faculty has proposed cuts of fourteen tutorials over three years, including reductions in the core papers of British and General History.
Incredibly, the JCC which represents undergraduate historians was not consulted about the changes.
JCC President Jonathan Edwards told the OxStu: "It should never have got to the stage where I had to learn about immensely significant proposals from exterior sources." Edwards discovered the development through Sonia Sodha, OUSU VP (Access and Academic Affairs).
Earlier, Edwards had been reassured by the Co-ordinator of Undergraduate Studies Dr David Parrott that "nothing has changed here". Parrott described the reductions as "tentatively floated proposals".
But in the same week Christopher Haigh, Head of Faculty, wrote to Sonia Sodha outlining and clarifying the changes. He argued that "both students and academic staff have been on a tutorial treadmill, producing too much sub-standard work".
The proposals have already been introduced in some papers and will be fully implemented next year.
The development is part of a general trend across Oxford in favour of classes. A professor of Modern Languages told the OxStu that "the whole Humanities Division is considering new methods of teaching". Most science subjects already involve a mix of tutorials and classes.
Ralph Walker, Head of Humanities Division, told the Oxford Student, "all faculties across humanities are considering what the most effective teaching is". He refused to comment on the student opposition to cuts nor admit there might be financial considerations behind the move.
OUSU condemned the proposals last week in OUSU Council, passing a motion that stated "proposed teaching cuts are clearly resource-driven" by a huge majority. The History JCC have drawn up a statement to express their concerns, which says: "The faculty has much to do if it is to convince the student body of the case for change". Jonathan Edwards told the OxStu: "We see the tutorial as the foundation of the course here and have always opposed any move away from that." In regard to the lack of consultation he added: "the Faculty's approach must change fundamentally in the immediate future."
22nd May 2003