State-educated Students Driving Up Competition And Diversity At Oxford, Says Outgoing VC
More state school students are successfully gaining places at Oxford due to their own determination and heightened ambition rather than any preferential treatment from the university, claims Louise Richardson, outgoing vice-chancellor. Richardson dismisses allegations of prejudice towards private school applicants, stating that more “smart students” from the public sector are competing for places, leaving those who would have previously been selected feeling aggrieved when overlooked. She stresses that with an increasing number of applicants, rejecting more students is an inevitable consequence, but that this does not signify bias. Richardson departs Oxford satisfied that the number of state-educated students entering the university has risen to 68% from 56%, along with increases in the numbers of ethnic minority students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. She is equally proud that the level of entry requirements was not compromised during this expansion. Richardson is steadfast in her assertion that admission offers were made based on individual merit without regard to category. As the first woman vice-chancellor of Oxford and formerly at the University of St Andrews, she will be succeeded by another woman, fulfilling her personal goal of increasing gender diversity amongst the university’s senior leaders. Richardson asserts that gender should not be a criterion for evaluating success, pointing out that blame for a woman’s lackof accomplishment is often pinned on gender, making it harder for women who follow to thrive in that same role. Richardson is proud of the university’s research during her tenure, which included high-profile work on a Covid-19 vaccine by the Jenner Institute, arguing that Oxford has earned increased renown both domestically and internationally.
In her first year as vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford, Louise Richardson anticipated that the Brexit referendum would cause significant disruption. However, the impact on the university has been less severe than expected, with the main negative impact being a sharp decline in European student numbers, which have decreased from 8% to 3%. Richardson also expressed concerns about the long-term erosion of the university’s connections with Europe. Richardson believes that the tutorial system is a key reason why Oxford has produced so many prime ministers, stating that students are attracted to the university because they are ambitious and intelligent. However, Richardson criticized the Office for Students, stating that they have not improved the quality of education and have imposed unnecessary regulation and bureaucracy. Finally, the statue of Cecil Rhodes, a controversial colonialist figure whose statue overlooks Oxford’s High Street, remains a source of contention, with Oriel College expressing a desire to remove it, but being prevented by the government.
