March 8, 1877] 



NATURE 



393 



all college teachers and professors, to be organised into a 

 series of consentaneous teaching bodies, one in each 

 Faculty. 



In sketching what seems a possible and satisfactory 

 scheme for the university reform of the future, it is de- 

 sirable first of all to ascertain what sum of money can be 

 spent with advantage in a single locality like Oxford ; 

 and, secondly, what can be reasonably done with the 

 surplus funds now administered through Oxford. It ap- 

 pears that about 400,000/. a year may be reckoned as the 

 immediate prospective revenue of the colleges and uni- 

 versity of Oxford. Of this, 150,000/. a year would nobly 

 endow a reformed Oxford, leaving 250,000/. a year for 

 other purposes. The University of Oxford is generally 

 regarded as <i place, whereas it is essentially a corporation. 

 Whilst the University could not with benefit dispense 

 more than 1 50.000/. a year within the city of Oxford, there 

 is no reason why it should not have a series of institu- 

 tions connected with it in London, or even in other great 

 cities. The universities founded in this way by the sur- 

 plus revenues of Oxford and Cambridge in London, Bir- 

 mingham, Manchester, Leeds, and Bristol, should be 

 equally endowed with the parent universities, and might 

 form as do the German universities a series of co-operating 

 institutions from one of which to another the student 

 could pass as the special direction of his studies might 

 determine, and the professorial positions in which (of 

 graduated value) would furnish a ladder to be climbed 

 by those who devote themselves to the professorial 

 career. 



Leaving the question aside, as to the ultimate disposal 

 of surplus revenues, there is no doubt that with the intro- 

 ductioa of a system of professorial teaching, combined 

 with a rigid pass examination, and the removal of the 

 baneful "competition for honours," Oxford could be 

 maintained in external appearance much as it is with 

 150,000/. a year of endowment. The college buildings 

 would remain as boarding-houses and would have to 

 compete as such with the ordinary lodgings in the city. 

 There would be a limited number (two or three in each 

 college) of domestic " tutors " or house-masters to pre- 

 serve order and give advice to the students resident in 

 colleges, whilst the entire teaching would be performed 

 by the greatly-increased professorial staff. 



With or without the more radical points of this change, 

 any Bill professing to reform Oxford and Cambridge 

 ought to embrace the following provisions, or some at 

 least of them ; none of them are comprised in the Govern- 

 ment measure. 



1. The creation of new professorships and their arrange- 

 ment with the old ones in Faculties (say Theology, Law, 

 Medicine, Physical Science, and Literature), on as com- 

 plete a scale as the most fully-developed German uni- 

 versity presents— say Leipzig — where with a total revenue 

 of 50,000/. a year the University has 115 professors as 

 against 43 in Oxford. 



2. The giving of the sole control of the curriculum of 

 study in each Faculty to the official members of that 

 Faculty, together with the sole right to appoint examiners 

 and to elect to vacant professorships. The existing 

 " Boards of Studies " might without difficulty be deve- 

 loped into the required Faculties. 



3. The exclusion of all non-resident graduates and of 



persons not officially recognised as teachers (members of 

 Faculties) from participation in university government. 



4. The imposition of a thorough matriculation examina- 

 tion (to embrace the elements of physical science and 

 other modern studies) on all students seeking admission 

 to the university ; the subjects of examination and 

 standard to be arranged and determined by a committee 

 of the faculties in concert with other great national educa- 

 tional bodies. 



5. The abolition of "college monopoly," and the introduc- 

 tion of free trade in the boarding and the teaching of 

 undergraduates — firstly, by permitting an undergraduate 

 (whether enjoying a college scholarship or not) to reside 

 where he may find the cheapest and best accommodation 

 either in or out of college ; and secondly, by pro- 

 hibiting any compulsory exaction from him of attend- 

 ance on, or payment for, any teaching which he does 

 not voluntarily select as the most likely to add to his 

 knowledge, or to enable him to pass with credit the only 

 examination he would have to undergo, viz., the "pass" 

 examination of the faculty, admitting him to the degree of 

 Bachelor or of Master. 



6. The institution of a Doctor's degree to be given io 

 the Faculty of Science, and in that of Literature after the 

 degree of Bachelor, on presentation by the candidate of 

 an original thesis to be approved by the Faculty, and to 

 be published (publication being indispensable). 



7. The annual assignment from surplus revenue of 

 some thousands a year to each Faculty to be dispensed 

 by them in special missions, explorations, travels, and 

 researches. 



8. The general control by the State Government of the 

 finances and public acts of the university. The con- 

 tinual control of a richly-endowed corporation by the 

 State is an indispensable safeguard* 



9. The prohibition of the employment of any collegiate 

 or university funds for any ecclesiastical purpose or for 

 any other non-academic purposes. 



10. The removal of all religious tests in connection 

 with any office (professorial or other) held in the uni- 

 versity or colleges, as well as the abolition of all compul- 

 sion in regard to religious observances such as are now 

 exacted from undergraduates. 



To make all or the major portion of the changes here 

 advocated would be truly to change the character of our 

 English universities. They would be restored to national 

 uses as universities worthy of the name ; they would 

 cease to be the " Kindergarten " of the wealthy classes, to 

 whom they belong by no right, and by whom they have 

 long been appropriated and misused. 



APPENDIX. 



Facts with regard to Teachers and Students in the 

 University of Oxford, derived front the " University 

 Calendar" of 1875. 



There are about 2,400 undergraduates, or persons in 

 statu pupillari, on the College and University books j 400 

 of these graduate in each year, the average time spent in 

 the University being over four years. 



Of these 75 per cent, read for honours in the various 

 schools or Faculties, whence it appears that there are 

 about (probably less than) 1,800 students in Oxford 

 reading for honours. Of these 1,800 it appears that 33 



