NATURE 



465 



ST. 



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Oxford and Cambridge and the Royal 

 Commission. 



THE original application for Parliamentar}^ grants, 

 which led to the appointment of the Royal 

 Commission on Oxford and Cambridge Universities, 

 came in 1919 from the heads of the scientific depart- 

 ments of Oxford. Not only were the immediate needs 

 stated and the provision necessary to enable work to 

 be continued^ as it had been carried on before the war, 

 but also a great development of the departments was 

 foreshadowed with increasing difficulties in the absence 

 of outside assistance. The Commissioners take the 

 \iew that a great opportunity has come for Oxford 

 science greatly to strengthen its position if the Uni- 

 \-ersity. and Colleges will take determined action and 

 if funds can be made available. Far from accepting 

 the idea that Cambridge should be allowed to develop 

 as a " Science " University while Oxford becomes still 

 more pronouncedly the home of the "Humanities/' 

 the Commissioners emphasise the great value of the 

 " juxtaposition, intellectually and socially, of the 

 best minds in diverse subjects, and the constant 

 interaction of the Humanities and Science on one 

 another." Accepting this point of view completely, 

 we propose to examine their report to see how it will 

 help the full development of science in the two 

 universities. 



Foremost in the changes recommended by the 

 Commissioners we place for this purpose the proposals 

 with regard to fellowships. The development in the 

 range and character of university studies has not been 

 accompanied by a corresponding growth in the number 

 of college fellowships available for distinguished 

 teachers. At Cambridge, where on the whole the 

 newer subjects are much more strongly placed than 

 NO. 2737, VOL. 109] 



at Oxford, there are university professors for whom 

 no college fellowships are available. The recommenda- 

 tion of the Commission to create fellowships without 

 stipend in the colleges for senior university officers — 

 for whose stipend the university is responsible — both 

 meets this anomaly and leaves vacancies in college 

 fellowships for younger teachers and researchers. 

 Many college societies will be greatly strengthened by 

 the additions that they will thus be able to make to 

 their body. And here we might say that it would 

 have been a great gain to Oxford and All Souls College 

 alike if the Commissioners had made specific provision 

 for the inclusion of scientific studies among those to 

 be supported by that college. Co-ordination between 

 the University teaching by Faculties and the college 

 teaching by tutorial supervision will be improved 

 under the proposed scheme. The Commissioners make 

 very few revolutionary proposals, preferring to build 

 ■ on the sure foundations laid by tradition and experi- 

 ence, and they recognise the great value of the personal 

 contact of the college tuition in Oxford and Cambridge. 

 But difficulties have arisen and will arise between self- 

 governing colleges choosing their own teachers and 

 university faculties controlling departments of study, 

 and the Commissioners have hit on a happy solution 

 of the problem. Colleges retain their freedom to 

 select their own staffs but are penalised financially if 

 a fellow elected to a teaching post is not acceptable 

 to a University Faculty for the position of University 

 Lecturer or University Demonstrator. 



Closely tied with the proposals about official fellow- 

 ships is the scheme for increasing the number of 

 unofficial research fellowships. Coupled with an in- 

 crease in the number of studentships in the Universities, 

 which would become possible if the recommendations 

 of the Commission as to grants is adopted, this scheme 

 will increase greatly the development of post-graduate 

 research work in the Universities. The Commissioners 

 rightly lay great stress on the importance of this, but 

 point out that it must be impracticable unless the 

 number of teachers is increased and the directors of 

 research are freed from some of the heavy burden of 

 routine teaching. Each proposed reform in turn falls 

 back upon the imperative need for financial assistance : 

 the recommendation of a grant of ioo,oooZ. a year to 

 each university in place of the present grant — now 

 become a recurring grant — of 30,000/. will have to be 

 accepted before any large proportion of the Com- 

 mission's proposals can be put into action. 



Certain sections of the Commission's report do not 

 deal directly with science but call for brief mention 

 here. The present control of the University by 

 Convocation or the Senate is to be greatly restricted. 

 Congregation or the House of Residents — University 



