Oxford students criticise chancellor Lord Patten’s ‘quotas at universities’ comments in open letter

Chancellor says signatories' concerns 'appear to be based on a misleading headline and news article'

Lord Patten, pictured, as former BBC Trust chairman (Getty Images)

Students at the University of Oxford have signed an open letter criticising their chancellor’s allegedly disparaging comments about using quotas in the university’s application process.

Lord Patten, a former Conservative cabinet member and chairman of the BBC Trust, was responding to the Government’s White Paper outlining the need for universities to be transparent about their intake of black or minority ethnic (BME) students.

He told The Telegraph: “I don’t support quotas at universities. Nobody will explain to me how you can make a system of quotas work while retaining the highest admissions standards.”

According to Oxford student newspaper, Cherwell, 74 students, student leaders and officers signed the letter.

They claim Lord Patten demonstrated “a lack of respect” for students from state schools and for BME students, as well as “a lack of awareness” of how ethnicity and class intersect in secondary education in the application process, and while studying at the university.

OxStu reports the letter adds: “We must demand a full apology for your words, and a demonstration of your commitment to access and anti-racism.”

The signatories further highlighted: “Only 13 per cent of Oxford undergraduates identified themselves as BME in 2014, compared to an average of 18 per cent across Russell Group universities.”

Patten maintained that quotas “must mean lower standards” and told The Telegraph there “are better ways” of addressing social inclusion at universities.

The site reports he added he is in favour of universities recognising their responsibilities for “promoting social inclusion,” but that he continued: “I don’t think that if you want high-class universities you should expect them to lower their standards in order to make up for some inadequacies in our secondary education system.”

The JCR equality and diversity officer at St John’s College, James Cain, told Cherwell Patten should resign as a consequence of his comments. He said: “There’s no excuse for the continued racial insensitivity which is being promoted by the very top of this university. Change must happen - Patten must go.”

Responding to the open letter, Patten explained the signatories’ concerns “appear to be based on a misleading headline and news article.”

The Daily Telegraph had initially “misreported” Patten, says Cherwell, as claiming universities “cannot accept more ethnic minority students without eroding standards.” The chancellor consequently asserted the students were “attributing views and values to me which I simply do not hold.”

He emphasised he supported diversification at Oxford University and, according to OxStu, said: “We recently launched an annual summer conference for BME students from state schools. This was jointly led by students in the African-Caribbean Society. I am fully behind it and developments like it, which include the UNIQ summer school for state school students.”

The students’ concerns come amid recent research which has suggested Oxbridge universities are “failing” to take on students from poorer backgrounds, prompting the investigation’s lead researcher to call for the institutions to “rectify their diversity crisis.”