The Oxford University Gazette has published the full report: Review of the Permanent Private Halls associated with the University of Oxford.
It is available as a PDF file, from here.
The whole report should be read to get the sense of it, but in response to anticipated interest Annexe E on Wycliffe Hall can be read as an html page here. (There is a similar annexe describing each of the individual halls.)
Hmmmm – not as damning as some will have been hoping!
Glad to see Dr T is getting the college better organised
You have a very peculiar understanding of better organised NP, unless it involves a purge of most of the academic staff as part of a ‘strategic’ plan to ‘capture the theological colleges’. Parts of this, if one is accustomed to managerial jargon, are pretty damning: i. Note the careful wording. ‘the panel feels that Wycliffe Hall does need to make a determined effort to clarify these matters to the rest of the University if it is to achieve manifest harmony with the University’s principles of education.’ This means that the Hall is on probation: Wycliffe management will now need to… Read more »
Is this Oxfordian code for:
“If you come to this college you will not be seen by real humans for three years”
and,
“Wycliffe is a Taliban ghetto” ?
I do think the classification of St Stephen’s House as ‘protestant’ at least deserves to be noticed. Also note that the review does not encompass Cuddesdon – I’m unsure what different status this has.
The recommendation for review if Halls offer courses accredited other than by the University of Oxford is a potential wider concern to the church – though it is review and not rejection.
Actually, given the timidity of academic language, thats an appalling report.
Further to Matthew B’s highlights: The Annexure expresses an “… anxiety about the delivery of the degrees … as well as other diplomas and certificates… it has concerns over the robustness of the monitoring of standards and syllabi (especially in the certificates). This situation is common to other Halls and the panel’s anxiety is directed also at the University procedures in this area.” and “the panel… does not believe that this resembles an Oxford experience in its essentials or that it is a suitable educational environment for the full intellectual development of young undergraduates.” Hallelujah. While theological colleges might be… Read more »
From an Oxford perspective, where four of the seven PPHs are Roman Catholic halls, St Stephen’s is labelled ‘Protestant’, i.e. non-RC. Oxford does have a rather different, institutional perspective on things! As for Cuddesdon, it’s not a PPH. It does, though, enrol students on theology courses at the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University, as well as undertake in-house teaching. One of the academic issues at the University of Oxford is with the ‘applied theology’ courses of the CTh/BTh/MTh degrees, in which in-house teaching is a major component.
Hi Martin-
Yes. The last time I chanced to pass by Wycliffe, one could scarcely move for guns. Rumours are that the real Mr Big is hiding underground and being fed daily on the delectable Wycliffe repast.
There’s an excellent letter in the Church of England Newspaper this week, which blows the gaffe on what’s been going on. Eeva John, Geoff Maughan and David Wenham have signed it. Can’t yet dig up a link (CEN is subscription only). But it confirms what was already known about management style “heavy handed and abrasive”), the ignoring of staff requests, and the lack of due process in personnel procedures.
I imagine that the Council and the Principal will attempt to tough all this out, and won’t admit to any shortcomings, in the hope that it will all blow over.
Chris, I’m glad you can confirm my worst (and most deeply prejudicial) fears about this most recently captured asset of the Sydney empire.
Please be careful for yourself in future!
Thank you Pete for alerting us to the letter. Much of this confirms the impression that the great purge is continuing: ‘Finally, the recent dismissals without grounds of Elaine Storkey and Andrew and Lis Goddard, none of whom had plans or desires to leave their posts at the Hall this year, has taken the toll of staff departures in one academic year to a total of 13…. they had simply outstayed their welcome as far as the Principal and the Council were concerned.’ ‘Furthermore, the severance of the contracts of three staff members without any justification other than the elimination… Read more »
“See how these Christians love one another” …
“I say to you, love one another as I have loved you”.
Ian C – the Lord also said “if you love me, you will obey my commands” and “I have not come to abolish the law”……. you cannot just say “love” and expect us to ditch biblical morality!
We do, NP, we do!
Because even if you call Alexandrian morals Biblical, it isn’t, never was, never will be.
Saying that love is the only command is quite true. It also requires unpacking, to make sure we understand what Jesus means by love. Thus, for example, love does not mean indulgence; but it does mean forgiving seventy times seven. What Jesus means by love can be partly ascertained in the context of all his other sayings.