Jump to content

Oxford Round Table: Difference between revisions

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→Intellectual Controversy: ref for "convicted felon" invitation
No edit summary
Line 4: Line 4:
{{POV-check|date=December 2007}}
{{POV-check|date=December 2007}}


The '''Oxford Round Table''' is an interdisciplinary conference held at one or more of the 39 colleges in the [[University of Oxford]] for about 20 years. The Oxford Round Table is an [[Illinois]] not-for-profit corporation, although there is a [[Kentucky]] for-profit entity registered under the same name by members of the same family.<ref>See 2007 listing for Illinois Secretary of State listings for Certificate of Good Standing. http://www.ilsos.gov/corporatellc/CorporateLlcController, regarding the incorporation in Illinois.
The '''Oxford Round Table''' is an interdisciplinary conference held at one or more of the 39 colleges in the [[University of Oxford]] for about 20 years. According to the Oxford Round Table website the ORT "does not have a formal academical connection with the University of Oxford."<ref>http://www.oxfordroundtable.com/index.php/view/Content-Main/page/disclaimer.html</ref> Oxford University itself has stated that events such as the Oxford Round Table are "external to the university" and "not, as such, authorised or endorsed by the university".<ref>http://www.thes.co.uk/current_edition/story.aspx?story_id=2039565</ref> The Oxford Round Table is an [[Illinois]] not-for-profit corporation, although there is a [[Kentucky]] for-profit entity registered under the same name by members of the same family.<ref>See 2007 listing for Illinois Secretary of State listings for Certificate of Good Standing. http://www.ilsos.gov/corporatellc/CorporateLlcController, regarding the incorporation in Illinois.


Another entity, Oxford Round Table, Inc., was incorporated in Kentucky in 1995 as a for-profit corporation, and reinstated in 1998 as a for-profit corporation. Samuel Kern Alexander was the incorporator.
Another entity, Oxford Round Table, Inc., was incorporated in Kentucky in 1995 as a for-profit corporation, and reinstated in 1998 as a for-profit corporation. Samuel Kern Alexander was the incorporator.

Revision as of 01:09, 24 December 2007

The Oxford Round Table is an interdisciplinary conference held at one or more of the 39 colleges in the University of Oxford for about 20 years. According to the Oxford Round Table website the ORT "does not have a formal academical connection with the University of Oxford."[1] Oxford University itself has stated that events such as the Oxford Round Table are "external to the university" and "not, as such, authorised or endorsed by the university".[2] The Oxford Round Table is an Illinois not-for-profit corporation, although there is a Kentucky for-profit entity registered under the same name by members of the same family.[3]

The first meeting of the Oxford Round Table was held at St. Peter's College in 1989. The round table brings together scholars from a variety of intellectual backgrounds, from new professors to college presidents, to discuss research on specific topics usually related to public policy. According to the conference's web site:

"Invitees to Round Tables are determined based on several criteria, among which are nominations by earlier attendees, courses that invitees teach, their presentations and writings, and their professional involvement in a relevant area of interest. An attempt is also made to diversify as to the type of institution, public or private, and to involve institutions representing different levels of education, i.e. schools, community colleges, four-year colleges, graduate and research universities."[4]

The approximate cost of attending the Oxford Round Table is $2,940 (for five days, not including transportation); it is not known if that rate will change with the depreciation of the American dollar.

Despite the name of the event, the Oxford Round Table has no formal ties to the University of Oxford, but rather with individual colleges in the University of Oxford. The ORT cooperates with various Oxford colleges, including Harris Manchester, St. Anne's and others to hold the meetings at the colleges when the undergraduate students not in session. Professors from UK universities, including Oxford, Cambridge and London, are invited to make presentations and facilitate the meetings.

Journal

The Oxford Round Table publishes a biennial Journal, The Forum on Public Policy: A Journal of the Oxford Round Table. The stated mission of the journal, according to its website, is

"to disseminate knowledge with regard to salient issues in public affairs. This includes research and policy advancement in both the public and private sectors that address government issues at state, national and international levels of discourse . . . articles must advance knowledge, theory, and practice . . . the content of articles must be accurate and technically competent . . . Third, articles must be well written, clear, well organized, and stylistically correct. A manuscript submitted for publication to the Forum must be original and not under consideration for any other publications. When a manuscript is published by the Forum, it become the property of the Forum with the Forum possessing exclusive right to publication. All authors will be required to sign a consent to publish form upon acceptance."[5]

Issues of the Journal are thematic in nature.[6] More recently the Journal moved to online publishing. The journal is indexed by Ebsco and Gale.

Hosting College: Harris Manchester

The Oxford Round Table rents space from various Oxford Colleges, including Harris Manchester, to hold meetings at the colleges when the students are not in session. According to Oxford University, the Oxford Round Table is a "group external to the university", and its events are "not, as such, authorised or endorsed by the university."[7] Harris Manchester college was originally created by the English Unitarians as an alternative to established colleges that had a religious test requirement that would exclude dissenters from degrees. Since its founding in 1786, the College has been located in Manchester, York, London, and then arrived at Oxford in 1889. Harris Manchester College became a "Permanent Private Hall" in 1990. It became a full college under Royal Charter in 1996, primarily to serve mature (non-traditional) students.[8]

Oxford Academics

Oxford Academics who have participated in the Oxford Round tables include:

Charles Mould, D. Phil (Oxon) (Sixteen years as host, presenter and Facilitator) Dr. Mould is a Fellow of St. Cross College in the University of Oxford and for many years Secretary of the Bodleian Library, the University Library of the University of Oxford.

Canon Brian Mountford, D.Phil., Th.D. (Facilitator) Dr. Mountford is a Fellow of St. Hilda’s College in the University of Oxford and Vicar of St. Mary’s, the University Church of the University of Oxford.

Dr Ralph Waller, (MA Oxon, BD Lond, MTh Nott, PhD Lond) Dr. Waller is Principal (Head) of Harris Manchester College, the site of the Oxford Round Table office in Oxford.

Hugh Benjamin, Ph.D. (Facilitator) Deputy Director, Stantonbury School, Milton Keynes, UK

Oxford Colleges and their Conferences

Oxford Colleges lease their facilites during spring break (March and April) and during summer (July, August and September) for academic conferences. These activies are coordinated by Conference Oxford, an arm of the University of Oxford. A short list of the institutions is shown below:

  • Harris Manchester College, Oxford Round Table;
  • St. Anne's College, VMA and Ohio State;
  • Lincoln, Breadloaf;
  • Lady Margaret Hall, ASA, New York;
  • Trinity, Georgetown;
  • New College, Duke;
  • Queen's, Harvard;
  • Oriel, Northern Illinois;
  • Mansfield, Holy Cross University;
  • HMC, Boston University;
  • St. Edmund Hall, Florida State University;
  • Keble and Trinity, University of Georgia;
  • University College, University of Virginia;
  • Christ Church, SUNY Brockport;
  • Brasnose, University of Oklahoma;
  • Christ Church, NYU;
  • Worcester, Butler;
  • Pembroke, Fordham;
  • Pembroke, Tufts;
  • St. Peters, Butler;
  • St. Catherine's, NY Film Academy,
  • Lincoln, Rhodes College;
  • St. Peters, University of Michigan
  • St. Hugh's, High School programs
  • Trinity, U Mass;
  • Queens, Loyola Marmount University;
  • University College, SMU Law.

In addition, Oxford Brookes University participates in the Oxford Round Table, hosting visitors from Purdue University.

Recent American Academics Attending the Oxford Round Table

Diane L. Reinhard, President, Clarion University[9]

John B. Noftsinger Jr., associate vice president for academic affairs at James Madison University[10]

L. Preston Mercer, University of South Florida-Lakeland Vice-President and Campus Executive Officer [11]

Intellectual Controversy

The Oxford Round Table has been subject to debate on the forums of the Chronicle of Higher Education[12]. The price of the conference and the relative intellectual merit have been discussed at great length.[13]

In June, 2007, the Oxford Round Table, Inc., sued Sloan Mahone, an Oxford University researcher, over emails that she had sent and posts she had made on the Chronicle of Higher Education forum.[14] Dr. Mahone described the Oxford Round Table as a "tourist venture, not a prestigious academic event" and characterized the $3,000 participation fee as "outrageous." Claiming that these and other statements were "tortious interference" with "existing contractual relationships" and with "prospective contractual advantage," and "defamation," The Oxford Round Table, Inc. filed a lawsuit, claiming in excess of $75,000 in damages from her emails and internet discussion board postings. On November 7, 2007, the court dismissed the case, finding no basis to assert jurisdiction over the Oxford lecturer.[15] According to the Times Higher Education Supplement, the ORT has recently initiated legal action against Dr. Mahone in England.[16]

Many participants have offered accounts of their experience at the Oxford Round Table. An example, from a Texas Montessori day school director, Norma Morris[17]:

There you have it….the week of March 12-17 was the stuff of fairy tales (actually we all felt a bit like we were having a Harry Potter experience). Oxford University with its 39 colleges presented a treasure box full of history, sights, tales and traditions that I will continue to absorb throughout the year. The Oxford Round Table with its 35 delegates and 35 guests, 15 presentations and panel discussions, professional and volunteer staff, and Round Table facilitator Elizabeth Bohon Alexander, M.D. served up the latest in early childhood information, best practices and research that we can all take back to our states, countries and communities to savor, implement and model.[18]

An aspect of the controversy over the ORT is how participants are selected. This remains unclear, as Ms. Morris indicates from her own experience:

A lot of things have dropped out of the sky for me over the years, but none quite so unexpected or mysterious as the invitation to participate in the Oxford Round Table on Early Childhood Education held at Harris Manchester College of Oxford, University, Oxford, England. I promptly called them and asked how they got my name. They said that I had been recommended to them by a past early childhood round table delegate. I have yet to find out who that person is.[19]

The criticisms of the Oxford Round Table focus on four areas:

  1. Apparent lack of intellectual rigor in the presentations [citation needed];
  2. The promiscuous nature of the invitations, which are documented as having been issued to first year graduate students[20], people in fields unrelated to the purported topic of the session to which they were invited[citation needed], and to at least one convicted felon[21];
  3. The extremely high cost for an academic conference[citation needed];
  4. The seemingly purposeful attempt to lead invitees to think they have been invited by Oxford University, rather than by a private outfit in Kentucky (as per an invitation letter[22])[original research?].

References

  1. ^ http://www.oxfordroundtable.com/index.php/view/Content-Main/page/disclaimer.html
  2. ^ http://www.thes.co.uk/current_edition/story.aspx?story_id=2039565
  3. ^ See 2007 listing for Illinois Secretary of State listings for Certificate of Good Standing. http://www.ilsos.gov/corporatellc/CorporateLlcController, regarding the incorporation in Illinois. Another entity, Oxford Round Table, Inc., was incorporated in Kentucky in 1995 as a for-profit corporation, and reinstated in 1998 as a for-profit corporation. Samuel Kern Alexander was the incorporator. As of the 5/2007 annual report, Samuel Kern Alexander III is listed as the President Elizabeth Alexander is listed as the Vice President Shenette Campbell is listed as the secretary. (Samuel Kern Alexander III is Professor of Law at Warwick College -IALS 17 Russell Square London England WC) This information is available via the Kentucky Sec'y. of State's Business Service Search Page. Search on Oxford, Godstow, Shenette, etc., to bring up the information about these corporations. In Florida, a "Florida Profit Corporation" named Oxford International Round Table on Education Policy, Inc., has the following filing information: Document Number P94000031096 FEI Number 593236783 Date Filed 04/25/1994 State FL Status INACTIVE The paperwork was filed by Deborah I. Freitas, with Kern Alexander and Wesley K Alexander also listed as Officers/Directors. Other corporations created by this group include: MAXWELL-KING COMPANY, INC. 397141 TINTERN ABBEY, INC. F97332 EDUCATIONAL FINANCE AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC. 734058 PUBLIC FINANCE AND LAW RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC. 741991 AWHO, INC. P98000064596 ECONOMICS AND EDUCATION INSTITUTE, INC. 741992 EDUCATION POLICY RESEARCH, INC. L49152 FLORIDA SCHOOL FINANCE PROJECT, INC. P94000044191 FINANCE AND LAW CENTER, INC. H64107 WISCONSIN SCHOOL FINANCE PROJECT, INC. P94000044188 SK ALEXANDER, INC. P05000080512 THE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEE AFFAIRS, INC. 472466
  4. ^ http://www.oxfordroundtable.com/index.php/view/Content-Main/page/index.html
  5. ^ http://www.forumonpublicpolicy.com/
  6. ^ http://www.forumonpublicpolicy.com/journals.htm
  7. ^ http://www.thes.co.uk/current_edition/story.aspx?story_id=2039565
  8. ^ [1]
  9. ^ http://news.clarion.edu/cgi-bin/archives.pl?state=Archives_Show_Article&article=2193&month=06&year=2001&day=29
  10. ^ http://www.jmu.edu/research/wm_library/Oxford%20Press%20Release.doc
  11. ^ http://www.lakeland.usf.edu/News_Releases/Spring_2006_Articles/03-31-2006_Mercer_goes_to_Oxford.html
  12. ^ http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,30869.0.html
  13. ^ http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,30869.0.html
  14. ^ Oxford Round Table, Inc. v. Mahone, Civ. No. 3:07CV-330-H (W.D. Ky., complaint filed June 25, 2007).
  15. ^ Oxford Round Table, Inc. v. Mahone, Civ. No. 3:07CV-330-H (W.D. Ky. dismissal ordered November 7, 2007).
  16. ^ "'Oxford' Events Firm Under Fire", THES, 21 Dec 2007
  17. ^ http://www.montessori.org/enews/imcenews_04_06/imcenews_04_06_oxford.html
  18. ^ Ibid.
  19. ^ Ibid.
  20. ^ http://www.nmsu.edu/~ucomm/Releases/2006/july/oxford_presentation.htm
  21. ^ "What gall for Hall to even consider taking this trip", The Times (Munster, IN), 25 Feb 04
  22. ^ http://www.wisc-iboricenter.org/images/oxford/oxford_let.html
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Oxford_Round_Table&oldid=179875291"