Harvard Students Condemn Oxford University

Two Harvard students have condemned Oxford University, where they are Rhodes scholars, as 'outdated' and 'frustrating' and dismissed its world famous Bodleian library as 'less than inspiring'.

The students, whose courses are due to finish this summer, published their comments in a joint article in The Harvard Crimson, a newspaper produced by the Ivy League University.

Rhodes scholarships, founded by the 1902 bequest of Cecil Rhodes, the adventurer-magnate who gave his name to Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, fund 90 American and Commonwealth citizens to study at Oxford each year and are regarded as among the world's most notable academic prizes.

Alumni, known as Rhodes, include former US president Bill Clinton, Naomi Wolf, the writer and Kris Kristofferson, the singer and actor.

But the glitter has now worn off, according to Melissa Dell, 23, from Oklahoma and Swati Mylavarapu, also 23, from Florida. In the article published last weekend, they advise Harvard students considering following in their footsteps to Oxford to 'think twice'.

They said, "For those of us who have spent time at Oxford on the renowned scholarship, the title bespeaks a frustrating academic experience."

"As enchanting as the university's ancient spires may seem, Oxford's outdated academic system is far less charming."

Dell, studying economic and social history at Trinity college, and Mylavarapu, taking the same subject at Wolfson, complain of staff who 'spend more time avoiding e-mails than supervising students'.

They warn that many dons farm out teaching to inadequate junior researchers. "If you have visions of debates with famous Nobel prize winners, expect instead to be taught in a lecture half by an apathetic post-doc," they write.

Last weekend's article, headlined 'Oxford Blues', is scornful about the resources available to students at the university.

They write, "The ancient walls of the Bodleian library house a less than inspiring collection. You will likely spend most of your time in touch with Harvard librarians accessing materials not available at Oxford." (DNA)
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