The Shackouls Honors College at Mississippi State University may soon be taking on some changes, with the greatest being its link with universities in Oxford, England.
Hagan Walker, Honors Council member, said there will not be many curriculum changes for current honors college members. Because the changes have not been approved by all, he could not give many details of the changes to come. The opportunity to study abroad will be more readily available because of MSU’s partnership with three universities in Oxford, England.
Christopher Snyder, Shackouls Honors College dean and professor of history at MSU, said MSU students have been going to Christ Church, New College and Trinity in Oxford via MSU’s study abroad program for the past five years. This summer, he will be taking 15 students to Oxford in May and June. While there, he will be teaching a seminar on J.R. R. Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Dean Snyder will be using his book, “Tolkien and the Making of Middle Earth,” in the class.
Snyder said many study abroad scholarships are available and he believes the study abroad program in Oxford could be a great experience for the students.
“Our students will benefit from full college privileges, being taught by Oxford faculty, attending lectures by some of the greatest scholars in the world and by being part of the vibrant intellectual life in Oxford,” he said.
Ben Bailey, honors college member, is currently studying in Oxford at Christ Church. He said the structure of classes is very different there. At MSU, students take multiple classes and are tested on them a few times throughout the semester. Classes at MSU may have up to 200 or 300 students. In Oxford, students may have two or three tutorials, which are classes in which they meet individually or in small groups with the professor. Instead of taking tests, the students will write essays on questions posed by their professors. These papers are generally 2,000 words long. Bailey said in his eight-week term, he wrote 13 research papers.
Bailey said students who choose to study in Oxford usually take one primary tutorial, which meets once a week. They also take on a secondary tutorial that meets every other week. Bailey said although it may seem like the students are only taking two classes, they will spend about 30 to 50 hours a week doing research, reading and writing essays. After the essays are written, the tutor will read them and discuss them with the students. He or she will ask the writer of the essay difficult questions that cause him or her to think deeply and argue to defend the points made in the essay.
“It is not a system where the teacher imparts knowledge on the student,” he said. “It’s a system where the student researches and develops an idea, and the teacher helps refine that idea.”
Bailey said he encourages all who enjoy a challenge, hard work and research to study abroad in Oxford, England. He will be joining the group from MSU when they join Snyder for their six-week term in the summer.