For a list of tutorials taken by past OPUS students, visit: http://www.oxfordprogram.com/Program/listings.html

Credits:

Up to eight credit hours may be earned in the primary tutorial; four or five credits can be earned in the secondary tutorial. Thus, a maximum of thirteen credit hours may be earned for a single term's work.

At the conclusion of the term, the tutors will submit grades (and a detailed tutorial report) to the program's academic advisor who will forward these to SUNY Brockport. Grades are based on the tutorial essays, tutorial discussions, and sometimes on written examinations.

Curriculum:

All instruction at Oxford is arranged on an individual basis: Normally a participant in the SUNY Brockport Oxford program will (prior to arriving in Oxford) identify a primary topic to be studied in a tutorial of nine meetings and a secondary subject to be studied in a tutorial of five meetings. Up to eight credit hours may be earned in the primary tutorial; four or five credits can be earned in the secondary tutorial: A maximum of thirteen credit hours may be earned for each term's work.

The Tutorial Method

Teaching in Oxford consists of an individual weekly tutorial meeting with a tutor, who, at each meeting, assigns a paper that forms the basis for the following week's discussion. Tutors provide bibliographical guidance to a topic about which participants are expected to write an essay demonstrating their understanding of the issues involved and their ability to analyze those issues critically.

This intensive method of teaching requires (and provides) a high degree of motivation. Tutorials are challenging interactions between the student and the tutor. The method provides the student with a continual assessment of progress in mastery of the subject being studied. Participants are encouraged to choose subjects which can be pursued as an independent study at the upper division level.

Although the instruction in the Brockport Oxford Program is centered on the tutorials, participants are usually able to attend some of the many lectures that are offered at Oxford. The University Lecture List, published every term, provides information about these lectures. Each college posts them in a central place and they are also available in most libraries. On the invitation of their tutors, participants attend those university lectures that they are assigned.

Tutorial Topics:

At the start of each term (participants in SUNY Brockport's Oxford Program are required to be in residence at Oxford for 12 weeks in order to ensure they are able to complete a substantial and coherent body of academic work in one term) the student will meet with the program's academic adviser (who holds an appointment as a fellow or lecturer at a college of Oxford University). The student and adviser will jointly plan an academic program that is consistent with SUNY Brockport's academic requirements and the requirements of the participant's own degree program.

One of the most important features of the SUNY Brockport Oxford Program is that participants are able to study -- on an individual basis (one tutor, one student) -- almost any academic subject normally taught at the upper division level (Junior or Senior year) except the laboratory sciences.

In previous semesters, participants in SUNY Brockport's Oxford program have studied with many distinguished scholars. Among the subjects participants have studied in Oxford are: English literature, British history, American history, European history (ancient, medieval and modern), philosophy, classics, European literature, women's studies, politics, international relations, psychology, law, physics, mathematics, biology, chemistry, art history, economics, geography, sociology, etc.

The program's academic advisors at Oxford will assign to each participant two tutors -- one for the primary tutorial and one for the tutorial in the secondary topic (all tutors are fellows or lecturers of the colleges of Oxford University). These tutors will, in conference with the participant, develop a detailed and highly individualized academic program of tutorial meetings. Normally these meetings are one-on-one, but sometimes students studying the same topic are "paired" with an Oxford undergraduate.

For each tutorial the student will (after consulting a reading list provided by the tutor) write an essay which is usually read at the meeting. The tutorial system encourages individual research and independence of thought.

Students report that the highly personal attention given to each student greatly increases the student's self-confidence and writing and analytical skills. Sometimes the tutor offers a related lecture or seminar which she or he will invite the student to attend.

At the conclusion of the term, the tutors will submit grades (and a detailed tutorial report) to the program's academic advisor who will forward these to SUNY Brockport. Grades are based on the tutorial essays, tutorial discussions, and sometimes on written examinations. The academic portion of the SUNY Brockport Oxford Program is directed by a fellow or lecturer at a college of Oxford University who has extensive experience in teaching American students. All tutors in the program are drawn from senior members of the colleges of Oxford University who regularly tutor matriculated Oxford University undergraduates.