The University of Oxford is one of the largest universities in the world, having the unique honor of topping the global rankings of standard universities in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. It is also called the Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars of the University of Oxford, or Oxford University.
It is also one of the most popular educational institutions, whose reputation cannot be compared to any other school. This is probably why Oxford University receives thousands of applications from students worldwide each year.
However, despite the worldwide popularity of Oxford University, many of us do not know how it works. While the history, traditions, and deeds of this universal mother of knowledge are still a mystery to many people.
Most people's minds about the University of Oxford have carved out many self-made ambiguities and misconceptions, which have no reality. Still, on the other hand, many strange traditions and unique events associated with Oxford University are absolutely true and based on reality, but many people are unaware of them. This article will unveil the Oxford University tradition, exciting events, unique facts, and some of the most mysterious secrets.
Oxford University's Own Police Force
Police entry into institutions is strictly forbidden. According to society's collective concern, the presence of the police in an educational institution can violate scientific traditions.
But sometimes, extraordinary situations arise that the school's management must seek the help of the police to maintain the continuity of education and restore institutional discipline. If the police enter the school, the students and their parents worry about returning immediately from the police educational institution because the idea of the police presence in the school is a concern. Absolutely unacceptable.
But the Oxford University Administration has never taken such views lightly. You may be surprised to learn that Oxford University has its own regular police force to prevent crime and maintain order.
This police force was formed in 1829, and the Oxford Police are the oldest police force in Britain. It should be noted that Oxford University police officers are affectionately known as "Bulldogs."
Interestingly, in 1940, the entire management of the Oxford Police was taken over by the United Nations. Besides crime prevention, Oxford police officers were given the authority to arrest students and their parents to ensure order at the university.
But in 2003, a public representative filed a written complaint against the Oxford University police's behavior, and a committee of inquiry was appointed to investigate and review it in detail. After months of research and investigation, the committee, in its report, suggested that the complaint against the behavior of Oxford University police officers was absolutely correct and that they desperately needed to be trained on modern lines. However, the United Nations has apologized for further patronage of Oxford University police in the future because of the high cost of contemporary training.
However, this does not mean that the Oxford University Police was abolished, but that even today, these officers, known as "Proctor Officers", are responsible for maintaining student discipline at Oxford for their administrative powers. Even though they have been reduced and can no longer arrest people, they can at most complain to the university administration about any disorder because the management of Oxford University Police has gone to the university administration.
Strange Rules For Admission To The Bodleian Library
The University of Oxford has more than an over library, but the most famous Bodleian Library is the most notable, was established in 1602. It is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, while the Bodleian Library is also known for its strange traditions. The rules for entering the Bodleian Library, in particular, make it unique.
A declaration was made hundreds of years ago for visitors to the library; i.e. only those who fully agree may enter the library. According to the ancient tradition of the Bodleian Library, it was necessary for everyone who came to the library to read the declaration aloud, but nowadays. Still, nowadays, the statement is written on a piece of paper by the permanent members of the library.
Interestingly, those not of the Bodleian Library are still required to repeat the rules and regulations loudly before entering the library. The University of Oxford has translated this declaration into more than a hundred languages so that visitors to the Bodleian Library will know precisely what promises of the statement they have read must be kept.
Some terms of the Bodleian Library Declaration are that they shall not damage any book, nor shall they steal any book, nor shall they take any book from its old place and put it in its new home. Also, avoid smoking during the study and do not bring any burning items to the library.
Notably, the management of the Bodleian Library is always serious about implementing its traditional declaration, and membership in the Bodleian Library is permanently revoked for violating any condition.
Is Oxford The Oldest University In The World?
Most people misunderstand that Oxford University is the oldest university in the world. This ambiguity has arisen because the talented children of the rich and capable people of every country on the planet have regularly come to this motherland to gain knowledge. When these students return to their homeland after acquiring knowledge, Oxford University's ancient traditions, academic environment, and quality of education are so much appreciated that listeners understand that Oxford University is perhaps not only the world's standard but also the oldest school.
However, the University of Oxford is the second oldest university in the world, and the world's oldest university is the University of Bologna in Italy. The University of Bologna was the first place where the word university was used by teachers and students.
Note that a similar misconception exists about the Oxford University Press. However, there is hardly any other press on our planet that is world-renowned as Oxford University Press.
Oxford University Press
Oxford University has 15 vice-chancellors, none of whom have been involved in the business, as it is the only business press in the world run solely by selected academics. Oxford University Press has thousands of employees. The press also publishes and sells books in many languages worldwide and has regular offices in over fifty countries.
The first Oxford University Press office outside the United Kingdom was established in 1800 in New York. Needless to say, it is the largest university press in the world and the most famous. Still, it is not the oldest, as the Cambridge University Press is honored to be the oldest university press. However, some still claim that Oxford University Press published its first book in 1478.
Only a few years after the printing press in Britain, the Oxford University Press received royal approval from the British Royal Government in 1586, while Cambridge University received royal approval as a university press a few years ago in 1534. ۔ So, the race to be the oldest university press went to Cambridge University Press.
The World's First Public Museum
The Oxford University's Ashmolean Museum was built in 1683. The museum is a testament to the efforts of an enlightened British thinker, Mr Elias Ashmole (1617–92), who donated all his antiquities, paintings, books, and other vital items to Oxford University to establish the Ashmolean Museum. Donations to the Ashmolean Museum included the first discovered dinosaur chest bone, a very rare and precious dinosaur.
Thus, the museum became the first public museum in the world. Elias Ashmole was also the museum's first chief administrator. Not only that, but Elias Ashmole also drafted a special 18-act law to ensure the museum is run in a disciplined manner and maintained, according to which the museum must be audited annually. It was also necessary to have a monthly review of the information in the detailed list of all the artifacts in the museum. Besides, a Board of Governors was formed to maintain and operate the museum.
Surprisingly, even today, all the museums worldwide operate considering the 18-point rules by Ashmole. However, Ashmole's experience as the museum's chief administrator was very disappointing. He resigned after only three years, as he was unhappy with his monthly salary and thought it was worth a little. Therefore, it is tough for him to follow the rules.
However, the work that Ashmole did by establishing the first public museum at Oxford University will never be forgotten.
Oxford University Has More Employees Than Students
There are over 30 colleges in Oxford, each of which handles the overall management of its students. Each college has separate offices, classrooms, libraries, museums, publishing houses, and residential houses for students and teachers. Also, the administration of each college arranges for other staff to provide student care, housing, office cleaning, and other necessities.
That's why Oxfordshire needs over 30,000 employees all the time, while the total number of students at Oxford University is limited to more or less 24,000. In that sense, Oxford University has more employees than students.
Perhaps that is why there are two known ways to enter Oxford University. The first way is for you to become a part of Oxford University as a student and make a name for yourself in history forever, but it will require hard work, higher academic qualifications and a lot of money, while the second way; you can take any small job in Oxford according to your ability.
This is the easiest way to enter Oxford University. Still, on the other hand, the fact that Oxfordshire has so many employees adds 2.3 billion to the UK economy each year, helping to stabilize the UK economy. Significant help in maintaining. Perhaps that is why some economists believe that Oxford University has also played a key role in making Britain economically strong.
A College, Built As A Punishment
Of course, every college at Oxford University has its unique identity and history. Still, among the colleges of Oxford, Balliol College is a bit more special because it was built by a convict for his sentence. Yes! The perpetrator, identified as John Balliol, was accused of deliberately insulting the bishop frequently with his speech and writing.
The charges were tried in a formal court against John Balliol, and if convicted, he was asked to build a college in Oxford as punishment. To dispel the alleged erroneous ideas spread by John Balliol by spreading the light of knowledge among the college students he made.
Fortunately, the sentence handed down to John Balliol proved highly beneficial to advancing knowledge, and Balliol College, founded in 1263, was undoubtedly one of the best colleges in Oxford. Since its inception, Balliol College has produced three well-known writers, poets, actors, and three British Prime ministers. In fact, Oxford University has made 27 British prime ministers. Thirteen from Christchurch College, three from Trinity College, two from Brasenose College, and one from Hertford College, Jesus, St Hugh, St. John's, Somerville, and University College.
Students Eat At The Lower Tables
Oxford University is a unique place of strange traditions, where university administrators pay as much attention to upholding the oldest practices as they do to maintaining quality education.
Oxford University also has a unique and unusual tradition of having meals for students at lower tables than for professors and other academics. Tables are set up in a high place in the dining hall for university teachers. The teacher's menu differs from the food menu designed for the students.
This ancient tradition of Oxford University is carried on by all the colleges in Oxford, except one, Linacre College. Yes! Linacre College is known for being a tradition-breaking college at Oxford University.
The administrators of this college are not convinced of any difference between the students and the teachers at the dining table in the events held at their place, and the students and teachers sit at the same tables and eat according to the same menu. But whenever a luncheon, such as a luncheon or a dinner, is held at Oxford University's main dining hall, Linacre College students also have to adhere to the tradition of sitting at the lower tables than their teachers.
Oxford Time
In the past, every city in the UK and every town around it had its own local time. According to this, the routine of life was run. However with the development of electronic communication and means of transportation, especially the advent of high-speed rail, it became increasingly difficult for the British people to adapt to different working hours.
Most of the British public gradually used the time in London in the early 1840s. Because of the increasing use of London time, in 1880, the British government changed the working hours across the country according to London time. Still, this decision was refused by the Oxford University Administration.
The university administration was of the view that since the school is sensitive to preserving its traditions. Therefore, Oxford University should be exempted from the following London time.
The British government allowed Oxford University to maintain its Oxford time, keeping traditions in mind. Remember that Oxford Time is five minutes behind the current London Time, and even today, the Christchurch bell rings exactly to Oxford University to inform students that the main door of the classroom is closed and reopened. Besides, all colleges in Oxford follow Oxford working hours for lectures and other events.
Punishments At Oxford University
Oxford University is one of the few schools worldwide where "formal dinners" are held regularly on various important occasions. But these dinners are different and unique in that the students who attend them have stringent rules about what to do and what not to do at the dinner table. For example, one cannot talk about politics while eating, no English or Latin word can be mispronounced, it is forbidden to laugh too loudly, and one cannot express slander or contemptuous behavior towards one's partner.
It should be noted that violation of any principle is punishable severely on the spot. This punishment can be less or more fines, while students are sometimes given unusual sentences of defamatory types, such as punishment for drinking alcohol, etc. Each Oxford University College has its own rules for punishing students.
Sometimes students are asked to drink wine in a glass. Many times students have been punished for drinking alcohol in their own shoes, while some students have been punished for violating the rules by drinking alcohol in the shoes of others.
Women Were Barred From Oxford University
Apparently, the name Oxford University brings to mind the idea of international academic equality and gender equality. Still, in the past, Oxford University has been identified as a very conservative and gender-neutral university. Women could not come and study at Oxford University until 1878.
Surprisingly, when the debate over the inclusion of female students and faculty at Oxford University first began, the university administration and students strongly opposed the idea. After many years of struggle and movement, Oxford University finally allowed female students to be awarded degrees in 1920. Still, Oxford University had only a few colleges where female students could be admitted to study, and in 1974, all Oxford colleges allowed women to enter and stay.
But on limited seats. However, the situation has transformed, and the number of undergraduates at Oxford University is more or less the same.
Where Admission Is Not Only Difficult But Also Impossible
All Souls College at Oxford University is by far the most prestigious educational institution in the world. It is challenging for a student to get admission to this college. All Civil College receives only 80 applications each year, of which only 2 students are admitted to the college. The All Souls College entrance exam is one of the most challenging exams in the world.
This test does not require students to answer yes or no on a piece of paper, but in this test, applicants have to show their creativity, research, and unique thinking for college admission and a small question from the examiner. It is common for an applicant to be rejected for admission to All Souls College, even after hours of debate in response to the question. If you are lucky enough to enter All Souls College, you can stay in this college as long as you want.
The lucky student who gets admission here is given the best education, accommodation, and food, as well as 1400 British pounds every month. It should be noted that All Souls College is also the wealthiest College at Oxford University, with assets worth 420.2 million pounds.
Lawrence of Arabia, a well-known British spy, is said to have been among the luckiest applicants to have attained the most prominent position in All Souls College. He attributed everything he achieved in his life to college. The tombstone of Lawrence of Arabia is still inscribed today, "Fellow of All Souls College."