As we learn that, for the first time, Oxford and Cambridge are out of The Times top three UK universities, I speak with Dr Timothy Edwards, Principal of Selden College in Oxford, about this new independent academic institution, built around truth, character, academic rigour – and real marriage. You can watch Dr Edwards tell me more here.
Dr Edwards begins by telling me why he feels there’s a need for such an institution. Education, he says, serves the common good: it is not merely job training but character formation, “so that the families, the church and the nation are blessed”.
Rigour is explicit and measurable throughout the learning process at Selden College. The three-year award is decided by finals rather than coursework. In his words, “nine three-hour exams in the last two weeks of your career and your degree is awarded on that principle”. That approach requires depth, focus and honesty – not merely use of AI, he says.
Entry is competitive and expectations are clear. Applicants sit a three-hour entrance exam and “sign up to a basic statement of faith and code of conduct which is Christian”. That clarity affirms real marriage as the foundation of family life and safeguards it in practice.
Life together is part of the design, with standards shaping the community outside the classroom too. The first cohort is small, with table fellowship and mentoring at close quarters. As Dr Edwards puts it, “my guess is they’re going to be at least once a week around my dinner table”, and around colleagues’ tables. Formation happens face to face.
His mood is hopeful – “What a great classroom to teach. What a great bunch of students to have.” The culture he is aiming for prizes fidelity, duty and service. It prepares men and women to marry, build a home and raise children. Clear truth-telling makes space to honour man-woman marriage and the children it welcomes.
Dr Edwards concludes by saying, Selden College teaches the liberal arts as a unified quest for truth in word, in things and in conduct. The aim is graduates ready to serve, to marry and to lead.
What a refreshing change from today’s usual higher education story.
At C4M our focus is to champion real marriage, defend the freedom to support it, and encourage the next generation to build stable marriages and homes. We do this by campaigning, and travelling the country running free family conferences and marriage refresher courses. If this encourages you, why not get in touch to organise something, and pass this message to friends and family.