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[notaprof]

If a centre at Oxford lists itself as a "Recognized Independent Centre of the University of Oxford," what does that mean?   Is it a degree-granting institution?  Would it issue transcripts?   Or does this just  mean that the centre rents space from Oxford?

I see some centres that list themselves as "Oxford University Centre for..." that house the academic department of whatever - (e.g. the Oxford University Centre for the Environment houses the department of Geography).  These seem to be more obviously part of the university.  The others above seem to focus on "promoting knowledge..."  and use some fuzzy language. 

Is there a significance to the word order University of Oxford vs. Oxford University?  The two types have different logos on their websites.

And an additional random question on academics in the UK: do students there transfer often from one school to another during their undergraduate years?  Do credits easily transfer from one school to the next?  

Thanks to forumites with any knowledge of this.

[the_walrus]

I can't help with the Centre issue, since it's quite an Oxford specific question.  RE the others, though:

Is there a significance to the word order University of Oxford vs. Oxford University?  The two types have different logos on their websites.

No, no significance.  Unlike the US where the order of placename and university is fixed in the university's name here it is not, and every university, best I have been able to tell, can be known as both University of X and X University.  I suppose this does only hold for universityies whose names consist solely of X and University.  So, e.g., Leeds Metropolitan University cannot go by 'the University of Leeds Metropolitan'.

And an additional random question on academics in the UK: do students there transfer often from one school to another during their undergraduate years?  Do credits easily transfer from one school to the next?  

Speaking only for my particular discipline (since I suspect transfer issues could be quite discipline specific here), it seems less common than in the US, but certainly not impossible.  It becomes increasingly difficult as the student becomes more senior to transfer with all the credits in tact, i.e., without starting over or losing a year, since you have to be able to say that they have more or less the background that they would have had had they been in the program for the number of years that they're claiming credit for.  So, for example, we've certainly had students transfer into year 2 of our 3 year degree (i.e., getting one year's credit).  I don't think I'm aware of any cases where a student has transferred into year 3 directly.

[scotia]

If a centre at Oxford lists itself as a "Recognized Independent Centre of the University of Oxford," what does that mean?   Is it a degree-granting institution?  Would it issue transcripts?   Or does this just  mean that the centre rents space from Oxford?

I see some centres that list themselves as "Oxford University Centre for..." that house the academic department of whatever - (e.g. the Oxford University Centre for the Environment houses the department of Geography).  These seem to be more obviously part of the university.  The others above seem to focus on "promoting knowledge..."  and use some fuzzy language. 

Is there a significance to the word order University of Oxford vs. Oxford University?  The two types have different logos on their websites.

This page explains the link http://www.ox.ac.uk/divisions/rics.html and shows the recognized centres. I took a quick look at the Centre for Hindu studies and it states that you have to be a member of the University of Oxford in order to be part of the centre. The centres do not award degrees - rather they act as a communities of scholars within the University of Oxford. They seem to run only extra-mural courses  or lecture series themselves, though faculty affiliated with them teach on Oxford degrees (I suspect that in most if not all cases staff hold appointments at Oxford and have interests relevant to the centres so affiliate themselves with the centres).

And an additional random question on academics in the UK: do students there transfer often from one school to another during their undergraduate years?  Do credits easily transfer from one school to the next? 

It is not usual for students to transfer, though it does happen occasionally. It is more usual for students who start at one university and for some reason want to transfer to another (eg realize they are in the wrong major - UK students are usually admitted directly to their major) do it after no more than one year and restart at the second with no/minimal credit transfer. Transfer of credits is possible in theory, but I have rarely seen it happen.

[bacardiandlime]

Such centres will not offer degrees. Transcripts are something that would only come from the university, and transcripts themselves are a relatively new concept in the UK, you'll find them to be much more minimal than in the US. (my doctoral transcript is a mostly blank page certifying I was enrolled on these dates and graduated).

Likewise, unlike the Carnegie system in the US, UK degrees aren't generally build around "credits" (as in, you need a fixed number to graduate). Undergrad transfers are rare as others have said, when I've seen it happen it has involved 1. switching subjects within the same university, which can mean just starting over, or 2. moving to another university, same subject, in which case (for instance) someone doing a degree in Mathematics may be able to enter the second year having completed a year somewhere else in a similar course. But it's uncommon. Starting over would be more typical.

[wegie]

Oxford has centres like a teenager has zits. Blink, and another one appears! Some last a long time and eventually grow up into something like departments (the Rothermere centre and OCHJS being notable examples), others bumble along, a few die after the initial money dries up. My last department brought forth three centres in the six years I was there (and already possessed a few more), all of which are still functioning in some form or another.

"University of Oxford" is a trademark, as is the belted logo. The university found out the hard way a decade or two ago when trying to clamp down on shops selling sweatshirts and the like bearing the original university shield or the phrase "Oxford University" (and not paying any money to the university) that the image and wording had been used without the university trying to enforce their ownership for so long that the university no longer had rights to them.

Transfers are possible. Usually at the end of the first year if they're going to happen at all. However, you can't transfer to Oxford. Ever.

[notaprof]

This is a great system, post a question at bedtime and wake up to answers from experts.  Thanks for the feedback everyone.

A friend's child is interested in a gap year program that travels all over but gets a transcript from one of the centres mentioned below.  A transcript is available by request and a $1000 charge on top of the cost of the expensive program.  This cost is paid to the program, so I don't know if the centre actually charges this high fee so that is why I don't want to name the centre.   It just sounds odd to me and I am pretty sure my own institution would not accept credit although perhaps one or two classes may qualify if my registrar is comfortable with the transcript from this centre.  I am advising my friend that the program sounds interesting but it they are counting on receiving credit that is a gamble, although it could be a life-changing experience if they are happy just paying for that. 

Thanks again for the info everyone.  Y'all never let me down!

[totoro]

I know that York University (Canada) is not the same as University of York (UK). So it's not a general rule that you can reverse the names. This thing with a centre providing a transcript for a fee sounds very odd.

There is also an Oxford Brookes University too. It is a former polytechnic.

[babbinacara]

A transcript is available by request and a $1000 charge on top of the cost of the expensive program.

That sounds deeply sketchy and as if this is a "Centre" in the city of Oxford that has little to do with the University of Oxford (I can't parse "Recognized Independent Centre"--seems that it should be one or the other...).

A U of Oxford Centre should be something like a research group with maybe a library, seminar and/or speaker series; so, e.g., a Centre for South Asian Studies might have associated staff in the departments of History, Anthropology, Archaeology, Political Science, Economics and more. Undergrad teaching would be in those departments, though such a Centre might offer an interdisciplinary Masters degree. I don't know what this thing is, but it sounds strange on a couple of levels.

[mingus]

Go here:

http://www.ox.ac.uk/divisions/rics.html

[mingus]

See also: www.ox.ac.uk/document.rm?id=1929

[the_walrus]

I know that York University (Canada) is not the same as University of York (UK).

Of course not; as I said, it's for UK universities, and University of York (UK) is indeed also known, at least in the UK, as York University.

[totoro]

I know that York University (Canada) is not the same as University of York (UK).

Of course not; as I said, it's for UK universities, and University of York (UK) is indeed also known, at least in the UK, as York University.

I worked there and we always were careful to call it U of York.

[the_walrus]

I worked there and we always were careful to call it U of York.

Well, the fact that you had to be careful just shows the reality of the generalization.  You can't legislate (successfully) language (which, is what management is probably trying to do, for branding purposes?).  But people inside Britain call it both.  E.g., a simple google search on the Guardian website reveals pages where in the text of articles the UK York is called not only The University of York but York University:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jun/26/in-praise-regional-base-ayckbourn

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/oct/19/york-university-browne-moorhead

If your point is that the official, registered name is "The University of York", then sure, yes, that's the official name.  As is University of Oxford that for Oxford Uni, and so on for countless UK universities.  But the point is that here, people freely change the order, this is part of the grammar of UK English, and doing so does not change the referent, which is, I believe, what OP's question was.

[totoro]

York University just sounds wrong to me (and see comments on that Guardian article), but for some reason Oxford University doesn't, which is what we were talking about. Maybe because I'm used to "Oxford University Press". I don't ever remember calling it London University either (I studied there and did O and A levels administered by them). Maybe usage has changed since I lived in Britain?

[drspouse]

One of my colleagues looked at several of our competitors' "official names" and most of the UK pre-92 institutions use University Of Anytown rather than vice versa, but all of them seem to have a preference. My colleague felt that Universith Of Anytown conveyed more "seriousness" than Anytown University, and hu also noticed that the opposite was true in post-92 institutions.