by Tony Rucinski, Coalition for Marriage
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.