The University of Texas, with its flagship campus in Austin, is one of the original eight “Public Ivys," according to Richard Moll. Moll coined the phrase in his 1985 book, Public Ivys: A Guide to America’s Best Public Undergraduate Colleges and Universities. The phrase has since come to include many more universities who offer an Ivy League education at a public university price.
UT earned such a distinction by providing a quality education for undergraduates since it opened its doors in 1883. As far back as 1839, the government of Texas set aside 40 acres of real estate in Austin for the purpose of starting a public university. They named the area College Hill. Construction did not begin until 1881, when Austin was officially made the main campus for the new university. By this time, Texas A&M had already beaten it to being the first university in Texas. Unfortunately, one of the most memorable points in the history of the University of Texas was when Charles Whitman barricaded himself and a rifle at the top of the Main Building Tower in 1966. He shot and killed 14 people.
Today, UT is one of the largest universities in the U.S. Enrollment reaches nearly 50,000 each year and the sprawling campus covers 350 acres near downtown Austin. Students and the public have access to seven museums and 17 libraries with over eight million volumes. Among its collections, the university owns one of only 21 copies of the Gutenberg Bible and the first photograph ever taken, created by Nicephore Niepce.
In terms of academics, UT consistently ranks very high. U.S. News and World Report ranks UT the 44th best university in the country and the 12th best public university. Many of its individual programs rank highly as well. For instance, the engineering school ranks in the top ten and the business school, fifth.
In athletics, UT also excels. Football is king in Texas and the UT Longhorns are consistently one of the best teams in the country. In 2005 won the NCAA national championship in Football. UT has also traditionally been successful in baseball, basketball, and swimming and diving. All large universities have their rivalries and for the Longhorns, its Texas A&M. The Longhorns and the Aggies have the third-longest running rivalry in the U.S.
In its long and distinguished history, UT has produced many successful graduates. Farrah Fawcett, Janis Joplin, Renee Zellweger, Roger Clemens, David Geffen, and many other famous people graduated from UT Austin.
The University of Texas along with the state capitol offers a steady economic base to the city of Austin that is able to stabilize Austin as other industries in Austin ebb and flow. For instance during the tech downturn in 2000/2001 which affected many cities in the United States part of the brunt of the economic downtown was mitigated by the employment base of University of Texas and the state capitol that
UT is an integral part of the city of Austin. Residents enjoy the atmosphere of prestigious athletics and academics that the school adds to their city.
Ranking
Oxford has been holding the rank of the best in the UK since 2003 in the Times Good University Guide (interestingly, the Sunday Times has placed Cambridge first from 1997 ? 2005). The Guardian league tables also awarded the top position to Oxford in 2005 and 2006. By international standards, Oxford was rated third (after Harvard and Cambridge) by the Times Higher Education Supplement in their World University Rankings for 2006. In the Academic Ranking of World Universities listings, Oxford achieved ninth place in 2003, eighth in 2004, and tenth in 2005 and 2006. Oxford is one of the four UK universities that belong to the prestigious Coimbra Group (a network of the best European universities). It is also one of the four UK universities that belong to the League of European Research Universities. It is the only university from the UK to belong to the core group of the Europaeum association. Though there is some controversy regarding these rankings, there is no doubt that Oxford deserves to be among the best institutions all over the world.
Heritage
The University of Oxford is the oldest in the UK. Though the exact date of establishment cannot be specified, the town of Oxford was obviously a center for learning in the early 12th century A.D. It is now some 900 years old. The infamous brawls of Oxford also have an equally ancient tradition. In 1209, after a particularly violent fight with the townspeople, some of the scholars escaped to the town of Cambridge to the north-east of Oxford, and set up another University there. This marked the beginning of the intense rivalry and love-hate relation between the two top contenders of the nation. European lecturers have come to the town of Oxford since 1096 to teach. The expulsion of several British scholars from France in 1167 brought another learned exodus to enrich the academy. In 1190, Emo of Friesland, the first foreign lecturer arrived officially to deliver the lessons. The Chancellor rank was created in 1201 for the Head of the University.
With the Reformation, the ties with the Roman Catholic Church were severed, and the mode of instruction shifted from the Medieval Scholastic to the Renaissance pattern. This may seem like trivia today ? but it was as tremendous as a sudden and total change in course curriculum, degree programs and admission procedures. The Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world till date. Written tests came to dominate the entrance procedures instead of the viva-voce in the 19th Century. It must be noted here that women were not allowed to obtain a degree from Oxford till as late as 1920. At present, there are some 39 colleges under Oxford.
Workings
The degrees conferred by Oxford are still very confusing, since most of them are governed by medieval coinages. The administrative structure is equally convoluted, and the degree awarding ceremonies are great and colorful occasions, drawing tourists every year. The academic year is divided into three terms of eight weeks each. It should be mentioned here that MA degrees were awarded to those who do not belong to the Church of England only from 1871.
The Best?
Is Oxford the best University in the world? This question will be greeted with a roar of disapproval from both Cambridge and Harvard ? just to name two. Then there is the entire American Ivy League, and the venerable institutions of Europe. But there is no doubt that Oxford is among the toppers, and is every student's dream.
Both Dane Smith & James Walsh are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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