|
Oxford
University Archives
Incorporation
at Oxford
Incorporation first appears in the University Statutes in 1516 (Junior
Proctor's Book, NEP/supra/Reg C, fol 142) although it appears that the
practice had been in existence for some time before this date. The 1516
Statutes were the first to make written provision for the procedure for
incorporation ie the placing of members of other universities into the body
of the University in the same rank, status or degree as they had held in
their own university. If a graduate of another university, the degree a
person had obtained at his own university would be counted as if it had
been taken at Oxford and he was allowed to proceed from that point to
higher degrees in the University. If an undergraduate, the number of terms
which he had kept at his own university would be counted as though at
Oxford.
The idea of incorporation appears to have arisen from the concept of the
medieval university as a 'studium generale' - a centre of learning within
the larger 'republic of letters', with a large body of scholars from
various and distant regions. The universities in medieval Europe were
self-governing, numerous, and supra-national. They housed an
interchangeable and mobile population of scholars who enriched each other
by migrating between the centres. Incorporation was a formal embodiment of
this idea of mutual enrichment.
Incorporation took place each year at the Comitia (or 'Act') ie the ceremonial
culmination of the University's academic year, at which academic exercises
were performed and degrees conferred. Incorporation comprised two stages:
firstly, the supplication and obtaining of a grace to incorporate and
secondly, admission ie the actual incorporation. The incorporation ceremony
took place at a meeting of Congregation, where a candidate was presented by
a Regent Master (if a student or graduate in Arts) or by a Doctor of his
own faculty (if a graduate in Law, Medicine or Theology).
In the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, members of universities
in Scotland, France, Germany, Italy and Holland were incorporated as well
as members of the University of Cambridge and Trinity College Dublin, to whom
incorporation was later confined. The reasons for incorporating are not
recorded, but possible reasons might have been: if an individual had been
elected to a fellowship or scholarship in Oxford and wanted to complete his
course at Oxford; if an individual had had a degree refused at his own
university (eg
for theological, political or personal reasons); for a change of scene or
to broaden experience; if an individual was beneficed or in a
schoolmaster's place near to Oxford, it would be more convenient to
complete his course at the University; for the added prestige of an Oxford
degree; or, for foreign students, as a means to obtaining employment or
status in England.
From 1636 to 1856, the procedure for incorporation was chiefly that laid
down by the Laudian Statutes of 1636 (Tit IX sectio 8, De incorporatione).
According to the Statutes, the custom for those seeking incorporation was
to propose a grace through a Master after a testimonial, under the seal of
the university in which the individual had taken his degree, had first been
read aloud in Congregation. A few of these testimonials survive for the
18th century; they record either the degree which the applicant had already
attained or (in case of undergraduates) the number of terms of residence
already completed. The candidate then supplicated for the incorporation,
asking that he be admitted to the same degree, state and dignity in Oxford
(admittatur ad eundem Gradum, Statum et Dignitatem apud Oxonienses), as
that which he possessed in his own university. The candidate was presented
and then had to swear an oath to observe the statutes, privileges, customs
and franchises of the University. He was then admitted by the
Vice-Chancellor.
The Statutes also prescribed that no candidate formerly of Oxford or
Cambridge who had taken a degree from a foreign university was to be
admitted to the same degree in the University without completing the time
required for that degree according to the Statutes of Oxford or Cambridge,
and then only with the consent of the Vice-Chancellor, Proctors, a
professor and three doctors in the relevant faculty. The Statutes also made
it clear that although, once incorporated, an individual would be held in
the same position and state as he had enjoyed in his other university (eodem habeatur Loco et Statu,
quibus in aliqua alia Universitate gaudebat) he would still be
deemed to be junior (iunior)
to all those who had been admitted to the same degree at Oxford in the same
year.
The 1636 Statutes also stated that no doctor of divinity, medicine or
civil law could be incorporated except with the express consent of the
Vice-Chancellor, Proctors, a professor and three doctors in the same
faculty. This provision had also appeared in the 1516 statute. By the 18th
century, for example, if a Doctor of Medicine sought incorporation he had
first to be admitted to a college and matriculated. He, or his college on
his behalf, then had to submit evidence for his first degree to the
Vice-Chancellor who then passed it to the Chancellor. Sometimes the request
came back to the Vice-Chancellor in the form of a Chancellor's letter for
the information of Hebdomadal Board and the consideration of Convocation.
Incorporation had to be approved by Convocation and then the applicant
would be admitted by Congregation.
The Laudian Statutes were amended in 1829 in respect of incorporation
(Tit IX sectio 8). From this date, the candidate was to read aloud to
Congregation letters of certification within 21 days of matriculating to
confirm that he had resided in his own university for the terms he wished
to have in Oxford. A grace was to be proposed through a master (after the
reading of the certificates) together with a testimonial under seal of the
other university. The candidate was then presented and admitted as before.
The statute was revised again in 1857 (Tit VI (IX) sectio VII) but only
minor changes were made. Doctors of theology, medicine and civil law were
still not permitted to incorporate unless they had the express consent of
the Vice-Chancellor, and Proctors etc. Incorporation was also still open to
members of Cambridge University and any other university (ab Academiis exteris),
although this lasted only until 1861 when the statute was amended to
restrict the ability to incorporate to members of Cambridge University and
Trinity College Dublin only. The University appears to have received
requests from various different universities to incorporate their members
in the years preceding the change in Statute. The provision for the
candidate to have matriculated in Oxford prior to seeking incorporation
also first appears in 1861.
In 1873 the requirement for testimonials to be read out in Congregation
was removed from the Statute and the permission of Hebdomadal Council was
required in its place. From this date, the restrictions imposed on doctors
of the three superior faculties seeking incorporation were also removed.
The new statute also amended the 1861 change restricting incorporation to
Cambridge and Dublin men, adding that members of other universities could
incorporate, but only with the express consent of the Vice-Chancellor etc.
The statute on incorporation was completely rewritten in 1878 (Tit IX
sectio VI, Statutes 1878) and appeared, for the first time, in English
rather than Latin. The content remained largely unchanged and lasted until
a further revision in 1908.
In 1908 the Statute, for the first time, listed those categories of
people who were permitted to seek incorporation. These were undergraduates,
BAs, MAs, BDs, DDs, and DScs of Cambridge and Dublin; DLitts of Cambridge;
and Doctors of Literature of Dublin (who incorporated as Doctors of Letters
in Oxford). Graduates seeking incorporation now had to satisfy Hebdomadal
Council of their reasons for doing so and to have fulfilled the equivalent
residence requirements for their Oxford degree in their former university.
A notice of intention to incorporate had to be sent to the Registrar by the
third day (this period was increased over time) preceding the Congregation
at which the incorporation was to take place and the certificates formerly
read in Congregation were to accompany the notice. In Trinity Term each
year the Registrar was to publish a list of all incorporations for the
academic year in the Gazette. This requirement ceased in 1975.
From 1912 the requirement for individuals seeking incorporation to have
matriculated already was relaxed. From this date candidates could have
already matriculated or certify that they intended to do so. All those
seeking incorporation (except undergraduates) needed to obtain the
permission of Hebdomadal Council. Application was to be made to Council
through the individual's head of house, or viceregent. Incorporation was to
take place in the Ancient House of Congregation.
The types of degrees which entitled their holders to apply for
incorporation increased in number during the twentieth century. In 1927
Doctors of Philosophy and Bachelors and Doctors of Law of Cambridge were
included for the first time. The latter would incorporate as Bachelors and
Doctors of Civil Law respectively. In 1936 Bachelors and Doctors of Medicine
and Masters of Surgery of Cambridge were added to the list; and in 1945
Doctors of Philosophy of Dublin became eligible.
From 1947, the Statutes set out certain criteria against which the
decision to allow incorporation was to be made. Those seeking incorporation
as BA were only permitted to do so for taking up a course of study or
educational position in Oxford, and stated to be 'of good character'.
Incorporation as MA was only granted to those pursuing a course of study or
educational position (as above) or to those who had 'rendered valuable
services to the university' or were 'by literary or academic distinction
highly qualified for the degree'. This last criterion was removed from the
Statutes in 1971.
As the membership of Congregation grew wider, so the regulations
governing incorporation were amended. From 1952 Doctors of Science and
Music from Cambridge and Dublin; Doctors of Letters and Philosophy of
Cambridge; and Doctors of Literature and Philosophy of Dublin could apply
for incorporation if at the same time they (being qualified) applied for
incorporation as MAs. Such persons could be incorporated as Doctors (if
unqualified for MAs) if they were qualified under Tit X sectio 1, 1.1 to
become members of Congregation and have the MA conferred upon them under
Tit X sectio 1, 3.1(2).
Over time, there appears to have been greater regulation of
incorporation and the privileges it conferred. From 1964 the Statutes
specifically provided for the relevant Faculty Board to make decisions
concering the acceptance of an individual's former qualifications as
equivalents in Oxford. There has also been, in more recent years, increased
control over the number of degrees which a single candidate could
incorporate at any one time. For example, when, in 1993, incorporation was
opened to Masters of Engineering from Cambridge University, a candidate
could not be incorporated both as Master of Engineering as well as BA or MA
if he also held these degrees from Cambridge. Similarly, when Masters of
Natural Sciences of Cambridge became eligible for incorporation in 1997, it
was stated (in the Statutes) that Council had the right to determine which
components of the Natural Sciences course at Cambridge were to be
considered comparable to the degrees offered at Oxford (such as Master of
Biochemistry, Chemistry etc).
It is still possible to incorporate at Oxford. The current University
Regulations concerning incorporation(Council regs 22 of 2002) can be
found on the main University website.
During the nineteenth century, at least, there appears to have existed
another type of 'incorporation' known as admission ad eundem. Literally
meaning 'to the same', this appears to have been a lesser, more informal
version of incorporation. As it is not sepcifically mentioned in the
University Statutes, it is difficult to say, with any certainty, exactly
when it operated, what its purpose was, or the status of those admitted in
this way.
It appears to have been in existence, at the latest, by 1851. Candidates
were admitted with the same words as were used for incorporation (ut admittatur ad eundem Gradum,
Statum, Dignitatem apud Oxonienses quibus ornatus est apud suos
Cantabrigienses) but do not appear to have been accorded the
same privileges as those incorporating proper. For example, according to
the 1858 Statutes, whilst those who incorporated were entitled to
membership of Convocation, those who were merely admitted ad eundem gradum, statum,
dignitatem sine incorporatione (ie without incorporating) were not
entitled to membership. Similarly, those admitted ad eundem paid a set fee
of £1 for admission, as opposed to the scale of much higher fees payable by
those incorporating.
Admissions ad eundem
appear to have been made in Convocation as they are, until 1858, recorded
in the Registers of Convocation. From 1859, the records of admission then
appear in the Register of Congregation. The lists of those admitted ad eundem cease,
however, in 1861. In this year, the University Statutes concerning
incorporation were revised and a new form of incorporation, 'comitatis
causa' (see below) was introduced. It appears, from revisions to the
wording of the Statutes and from the lists of admission in the Registers of
Congregation, that this new form of admission replaced admission ad eundem.
Literally meaning 'for the sake of fellowship', comitatis causa was a
less formal version of incorporation used in the University for a few years
only in the 1860s. It did not involve admission to the body of the
University (although those admitted in this way, and ad eundem, are
included in Joseph Foster's Alumni
Oxonienses) or to any of its degrees but merely to the
privileges of Oxford which were associated with the degree which had been
obtained elsewhere. This excluded membership of Convocation.
Comitatis causa
first appears in the Statutes of 1861 (Tit VI (IX) sectio 7 De admissione ad privilegia
graduatorum comitatis causa, p134). Doctors and Bachelors of
Theology, Civil Law or Medicine and Masters of Arts from Cambridge
University or Trinity College Dublin could be admitted to the same
privileges that those who had obtained the degree at Oxford enjoyed (ad privilegia quibus nostrates
eundem gradum adepti fruuntur). The procedure for admission was
as follows: firstly the grace was given to supplicate, then the candidate
was presented for admission and then finally admitted by the
Vice-Chancellor. Admission did not require college membership or an oath.
Comitatis causa
appears for the last time in the Statutes of 1866. It was abolished in 1868
following a decision by Hebdomadal Council to revise the Statutes. Lists of
those admitted between 1861 and 1868 survive in the Registers of
Congregation. No applications for admission comitatis causa (or ad eundem) survive in
the Archives nor any explanation as to why it was sought.
Oxford University
Archives 2004
|
