Thirty-two black students were accepted for undergraduate study at Oxford this year, the highest number in ten years.

The acceptance rate of black students also increased to 14%, an improvement on both 2009 and 2010 figures (12.2% and 8.8% respectively). Black students accounted for 1.3% of all offers made in 2011, the same percentage as those students achieving AAA at A level who are of black ethnicity. A spokesperson for Oxford University promised that Oxford would “continue to do more to improve these numbers.”

White students still have a considerably higher acceptance rate at just over 24%, and such discrepancies led to David Cameron labelling the situation “disgraceful” in April of this year. The University explained that a lower success rate for black students was attributable to a number of factors, adding, “The latest national attainment figures show that of the 36,000 UK students getting AAA or better at A-level, only 452 were black. White students are still nearly three times more likely to get AAA at A-level than black students. School attainment is the biggest barrier to getting more BME [Black or minority ethnic] school students to Oxford.”

Black students’ choice of course was also said to have contributed to lower acceptance rates. A spokesperson explained that, “Black students still apply disproportionately for the most competitive subjects at Oxford, contributing to lower than average success rates.” Oxford’s three most competitive courses (E&M, Medicine and Maths) account for 44% of all black applicants, compared to 17% of all white applicants.

While conceding that they are not “as ethnically diverse as some universities,” Oxford insisted they “want talented black students to know they are welcome,” and stressed their commitment to “widening access to Oxford from under-represented groups.” A spokesperson also refuted criticisms that the UK’s top universities were “failing to attract minority ethnic students,” adding, “Of those (the 452 black students who achieved AAA at A-level), 221 applied to Oxford, and a similar number again applied to Cambridge. In other words, the overwhelming majority of straight-A black students are making Oxford or Cambridge applications.”

Hannah Cusworth, the OUSU Vice President and Access and Academic Affairs Officer, explained that whilst the figures do not “concretely show anything,” she found them “heartening,” adding, “they perhaps suggest that the attainment of black British students is improving.” She explained she was “shocked” to discover that only 452 black students achieved AAA at A-level according to the most recent statistics, and acknowledged that “attainment is a serious barrier to more black students winning places at Oxford and so schools have got to work harder.” When asked what Oxford could do to increase its intake of black students, Cusworth stressed the need for Oxford to “continue to refine its outreach work” and to “take [the issue of] supporting students after they receive their offers more seriously.”

Chidi Onyeche, the BME Officer for the Student Union, explained that although the statistics were “positive,” Oxford “still has a long way to go before we can celebrate any true achievement.” She criticised Oxford’s approach in “discouraging perceptions” of it as a “white middle class institution” as “misguided and limited.” In particular, Onyeche condemned the “Target Schools Initiative”, which sees a number of black and ethnic minority students coming to Oxford for a day, as it takes place “when the children are too young” and is “never followed up again.”

She also argued that, “Oxford seems focused on the success of the school visits but the way that they measure such success once again is misguided,” adding, “Success is not based on the number of people that apply after the school visits take place but how much closer we come to dismantling the perceptions and myths that surround this university.”

Oxford’s African Society also welcomed the increase in the acceptance rate for black students, yet highlighted the contrast in success rates for white students. In a statement, they called for the university to “educate prospective black candidates about subscription rates for various disciplines, so that they are able to make informed decisions in the application process.”

They argued that black students are “under-represented by a factor of 30” at Oxford, and also called for Oxford to make courses more “financially affordable” to black families by “setting up bursaries or offering partial fee waivers.’

They also highlighted a recent report by the NUS which showed that “1 in 3 black students feels that their perspective as black students is marginalised and disregarded in their higher education,” and called for the university to “encourage black students to apply by openly tackling institutionalised and individual acts of racism on campus.

Issah Abdul-Moomin, a first year PPE student, explained that, “increased diversity would be a great thing for Oxford,” yet acknowledged that, “looking at the statistics, it comes as no surprise that there are so few of us.” He said that this was something he had “anticipated” and which has “not been a huge problem,”. He concluded that, “the lack of diversity at Oxford is a problem that needs to be tackled at secondary school level by encouraging aspiration and improving attainment, rather than expecting the University to admit second rate applicants in order to tick boxes.”

Such views were shared by second year PPE student Nadia Odunayo, who argued that “There is definitely a problem with the intake of black students, but this exists not with the university being discriminatory, but with state schools not preparing the students to a competitive standard. If Oxford wants to remain one of the top universities in the world, they have to keep admitting the best students, regardless of background.”

A new report from admissions experts suggests almost two-thirds of universities will include information surrounding students’ social class, parental education or school performance in selection criteria next year, to ensure the most disadvantaged candidates have a better chance of getting on to degree courses.

The figures follow a warning from the Government’s Office for Fair Access (OFFA) that universities must be more “ambitious” in their efforts to “broaden their entrant pool” if they are to charge higher fees. Whilst it has previously been sufficient for institutions to generate more applications from disadvantaged students, for the first time next year they will be forced to set targets for the number of underprivileged undergraduates being admitted.

A sharp rise on the number of universities currently employing “contextual” information during admissions, increasing institutions are planning to make lower-grade offers to those from poor-performing comprehensives or fast-track deprived candidates into interviews.

The latest study, from the organisation Supporting Professionalism in Admissions, found that just over 40% of universities and colleges used contextual data to admit students last year, but noted that following the rise in tuition fees almost 63% “plan to use it in the future” to ensure poorer applicants are not deterred.

The survey suggested that Russell Group universities, including Oxford, were “more likely to be using contextual data” than other institutions. Earlier this year, it was discovered that only one-in-seven Oxford students are eligible for a full state grant.

However Oxford has denied that there will be any significant alterations to their admissions procedure. A spokesperson for the university’s admissions and education policy stated, “Oxford has in fact already been using a contextual data flagging system for the past three years, and will not be expanding or increasing its use of contextual data beyond the system already in place’

“While the flagging system has changed slightly this year, the changes only amount to a slight shift in the number of flagging mechanisms. Oxford will continue to use a contextual flagging system to identify additional candidates to be invited for interview only. This information plays no part in deciding which candidates get an offer, or what that offer is, and there are no plans to change or extend the contextual data flagging system to encompass the offer-making process.’

Timothy Hands, Master of Oxford’s Magdalen College School, supported the university’s decision, noting that the existing admission process “is wonderful”. He told Cherwell, “Anyone in an independent school is fully in favour of making decisions on potential not just on prior attainment. The care given to admissions by Oxford and Cambridge is absolutely excellent, and it results in a holistic assessment of the individual.”

Hannah Cusworth, Access and Academic Affairs Officer for OUSU, also praised the existing system, as “Oxford doesn’t just base its selection criteria on prior academic performance, many admission’s tutors focus much more on the academic potential of students they interview.”

First-year Leanora Volpe too emphasised the importance of interviewing disadvantaged students, commenting “That’s what the interview is there for – to give an applicant a chance to show their potential and interest separate from their academic performance.”

Clare Joyce, a University undergraduate, called the interview “the cornerstone of Oxford admissions”, but elaborated that “there is still more work to be done.” She felt that the university should also be “encouraging tutors when deliberating between candidates after the interview to consider educational and socioeconomic background.”

The Oxford University Conservative Association, supported Oxford’s decision as “admission should remain on merit”. Miles Coates, President of the society, told Cherwell: “A system that discriminated against candidates on the basis of their school would be unfair.”

However, Thomas Adams, co-chair elect of the Oxford University Labour Club, had more concerns. While he acknowledged the Government’s move to encourage more consideration of contextual date as “a step in the right direction”, he protested: “This entire situation is not helped by the ridiculous trebling of tuition fees which only puts off people from disadvantaged background from applying to university.”

Nathan Akehurst, a first-year at Lincoln College, too suggested that the targets are “too little and too late”, commenting “We exist in a climate of course cuts, diminishing participation, job losses, and increasing marketisation of our educational institutions, and this is the real issue that needs addressing.”

Oriel College has honoured one of its alumni by flying the flag of Gibraltar above the college.

Fabian Picardo, who studied Law at Oriel from 1990 to 1993, has been elected as the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, an achievement that has been commemorated by his former college. 

The flag was flown after Mr. Picardo’s democratic election as Chief Minister, and did not act as an endorsement of the candidate pre-election. Third year Orielense Mike Gale said he thought it was a “nice gesture” which “personalised and drew [Oriel’s] attention to an otherwise obscure news story.” He added that “remembering alumni is pretty standard at Oriel.”

Colleges have previously honoured the achievements of foreign alumni in the same way: University College flew the American stars and stripes when Bill Clinton was elected as President. 

 

Oxford University Press are set to release the 300th Very Short Introduction title in January 2012.

The series, which first began publishing in 1995, is described by OUP as making “challenging topics highly readable” and covers a vast range of subjects in all areas. One of the main features of the series is the fact that the books are written by authors at the top of their field, who condense their knowledge into a small and easily digestible volume.

The series’ website encourages readers to ascertain the “gaps in your knowledge” in order to identify those titles you should consider.

Unsurprisingly, the VSI series has proved popular with students, offering an easy in to an unfamiliar subject. Third year historian Emily Gill described the books as “great” and said she found them a “really useful” source for approaching a new module.

Also set for release in 2012 is the Very Short Introduction app. The app will be free and it is hoped will introduce the series to new readers. Its content will include summaries of all titles along with a sample chapter of each, as well as questions written by the authors to encourage and direct readers’ thoughts on the topics covered by the series, and “Meet the Author” videos.

The 300th title will be “Film”. To date, the most popular titles are those on Buddhism, Globalization, and Literary Theory.

Christopher Hitchens, literary critic, journalist and polemicist died from oesophageal cancer on Thursday 15th December, aged 62, sparking a widespread outpouring of grief and mourning.

The author, particularly well known in later years for his bestseller God is not Great (2007), often starkly divided opinion. However, his death united many critics in praising both his intellectual vigour and his courage in facing death.

Born in 1949, he matriculated at Balliol College in 1967, graduating in 1970 with a third-class degree in PPE. One contemporary of his, Richard Heller (Balliol PPE 1966), remembered a Balliol JCR that was “shared at night between politics and poker”. As a poker player Heller often ignored the political section “which tended to be dreary and derivative as various Marxist sects asserted their unique right to provide a vanguard leadership to the revolution in Oxford University”.

However, “one voice from the political section could make the poker players look up from their cards”, that of the young Chris Hitchens (as he styled himself then), “he was ironic, he was funny, he could mock himself as well as his opponents”. Even though they belonged to the two separate sections of the late night Balliol JCR, Heller was “glad that I witnessed the early training of the finest polemic writer since Orwell“.

Hitchens was certainly a memorable figure, as Balliol Master Sir Drummond Bone, who was a member of the MCR while Hitchens was in the JCR, can confirm. He told Cherwell that despite the separation “I knew who he was even then – who didn’t?”

Hitchens also managed to maintain a strong relationship with Balliol in his later years, through the ‘Pathfinders’ scheme, in which ex-finalists travel around America, liaising with a network of old Balliolites. Although he had given up hosting the students a few years ago, he remained ever-committed and personable.

Greig Lamont, who left Balliol in June 2011, had asked Hitchens for assistance in relation to some potential work in Iraq, “I emailed from the west coast, out of the blue, whilst he was laid up in Washington post-op. He replied within hours with nothing but help, suggestions and a list of people I should get in contact with”. Lamont also felt “greatly touched by the warmth (he always ended his emails ‘fraternally’ or ‘love Hitch’) with which he greeted a stranger’s request for help and advice”.

Current students also mourned his loss. Jonathan Scott a 3rd year Balliol student, praised him as an intellectually inspiring individual “partly because he’s obviously very clever, and had an incredible turn of phrase, but mostly because nothing was sacred to him”. He also pointed to Hitchens’ intellectual consistency, especially regarding his decision to support the Iraq war, often seen as a turning point for many of his former friends on the left. He stated that “in hindsight, he can perhaps be accused of errors of fact or of prediction, but probably not inconsistency of principle”.

Anirudh Mathur, a first year PPE student, also agreed on the issue of Iraq, saying it was “important to distinguish that he was one of the most vocal critics of how the war was actually carried out, even if he was a liberal interventionist”.

Hitchens was diagnosed with cancer in June 2010, announcing it publicly in a piece for Vanity Fair entitled ’Topic of Cancer’. His approach to death was much the same as his approach to life, referring to the cancer as “something so predictable and banal that it bores even me”. Hitchens died at a cancer hospice in Houston, Texas and leaves behind his wife, three children, many friends and countless admirers.