New-York tribune., 1875-12-25
OXFORD.
TT EDUCATIONAL MACHINERY.


UNIVERSITY REFoRM-PEoFEssORs AND TUTORS
| THE COST OF sTUDY-ExAMINATIoNs-TIIE RICH
| EST COLLEGE.
IFHoM An OCC CAsIoSAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBUsK
| OXFORD Dec At il not only her fair old age
and her fascinating treasures and traditions that
make Oxford interesting TO her visitors. II is not
only that she is the Oxford of Cranmer and Land
and Latimer,-the beautiful stately mother of great
priests and politicians and of writer's greatest of
| all The practical details Of her government and OF
| the work going on within these noble c0ngeries OF
tower and oriel and closter notable and in many
| ways unique.
| The great University is very dear TO the English
/ heart though the English head cannot be said to
approve its methods Internationally. Prof. Bonamy
Price for one. crticses severely the Oxford profess
sional system. the grounds that the undergradu-
ates and the professors do not belong each other
as in Scotland, Italy, Germany, and America; that
the student il not compelled to attend the lectures
of the professors being in reality owned By the col
lege tutors He suggests that tuition be taken out
of the hands Of the separate colleges, and that pro-
fessors and sub-professors, to be chosen from the
| Fellows or Honor Graduates, take the place OF the
! tutors thus in a limiting the more lnde-
pendent work Of the 30 colleges and halls, constl-
tuting the University, and making the professors re-
sponsb BILE to the institution for the quality OF ts ed
ucation In giving these suggestions Prof. Price
J does not question the general ability of the
tutors who. indeed. do not lead a life of rose
! color They are recruited from the ranks Of
college Fellows, and so begin the work of instruc-
tion with particular incentive to further improve
ments apd reward save the comparatively small
wages they receive. The combined income Of
tutorship and fellowship averages from $500 to
81 900 year. The Fellow. if unmarried, has fur
| tIartuore right tn roofl- within college
term of his Fellowship and, If he las taken theology
n claim 20 a succession to a college living This IL
/ the maximum Of advantage enjoyed by the brilliant
/ and successful student whose efforts have been
! crowned by the bestowal of this eleemosynary
reward known az a Fellowship. 1t is said to be no
/ longer sufficient to retain many as formerly
within college walls; they see only a treadmill
prospect and final supplanting in influence by clever
} juniors and large proportion of promising men
now leave the University for other professions, and
even for commercial ife and Prof. Price holds that
the inevitable consequence Is that the quality OF
the younger university teachers of those who hold
the practical education of the University in their
( hands il deteriorating'
Fellowships at Oxford used TO be- without eZcer-
/ ton forfeited by marriage, but in several of
the colleges they are bestowed without any such re-
stricton and in several those Fellows who have
been peculiarly useful tutors, may bee reelected or
in some cases continued their tenure by consent
! of the authorities. The possession of more than
certain amount of property usually operates rs bar
to the holding of a FeilOwship-the pleasant vision
| which nerves the poor student 70 the eager and
thorough study necessary to obtain IT, Each college
of this rich corporation has from ten 70 thirty Fellow
ships ~ bestow and then one besides. an immense
number of scholarships in the gift Of the University
Private tuition it is said is not go largely sought
for ef Dd
the elaboration OF professional teaching rendering it
/ less necessary But il is popular with those whose
preliminary training has been defective and in this
service many tutors and resident graduates Of high
standing exc out their incomes. Tor an hours lee
/ ture on six days in the week for eight weeks.
private tutor receives about 800; those who take
their pupils in small classes receive from each MEN,
| Der an average fee Of 800. Students who attempt
to supply Deficiencies by reading outside during va
cations may do for perhaps tl5 to $40 or S25 a
week. Teaching at Oxford is wider and more inter-
changeabe than il used to be. Many of the separate
colleges have combined for purposes of instruction,
thus giving a lecturer opportunity 20 devote himself
10 some special subject instead Of wasting intel
ectua strength in variety OF Investigations and
explanation.
Oxford has known poor and clever sons-Dr.
Samuel Johnson probably laid solid foundation of
bearishness when he walked Christ Church halls for
three years in windOwed boots'-and considering
its many pccuniary rewards to learning, it ought To
be inviting 10 the poyertystrcken. Ii has been es-
timated that if he choose 10 manage his life eco
nomically a student who takes residence within
College or Hall attain his degree of B. a. for
moderate total Of about $1jOO-this excluding
charges for clothes and books, and including the ex-
peuses Of Ion, admission, examination and degree
fees. and board lodging and washing for the twelve
I F4uff Il4tl
students those who enter the University without
becoming members Of College or Hall take licensed
lodgings in the city, and may, of make ther
living expenses still smaller. The matriculation fee
for members of College or Hall IL Sl2 80; for
attached students, $50. The examination fees,
payable when the name Of the candidate
is entered average s. or $6, with two ex-
ceptons. After passing both first and second pubic
examinations in music and medicine the candidate
paws fee of $40. The University degree fees vary,
the lowest being that Of $40 for the B. A., given to
one who has already been admitted TO the status OF
Student Of Civil Law Of Medicine The highest
Is 5000 for the degrees OF d. d., ID. {. l., or NJ D.
The average annual tuition fee in the different col
lege- is about 800. Room rent in the colleges and
halls ranges from $50 TO 800 year. In some of
them the undergraduate may hire his furniture from
the foundation at small charges, IN the others he is
Obliged to provide his own. The apartments
usually sittng-r0Om and bedroom and in several of
the colleges a study is added-and all generally look
upon n beautiful green quadrangle. There is an air
Of lazy scholarly comfort about the sittng-rooms
wherein books abound, and the heavy furniture is
often rather dingy.
For the advancement Of its members the Univer-
sty depends largely upon its examinations hut tho
number held during the year varies in the different
colleges: some have only one others two OF three.
The necessary subjects for examination also vary,
and in several of the foundations, proficiency in