Oxford University is facing criticism after officials suggested the generosity of students had led to a rise in the number of rough sleepers in the city.
In an attempt to rid the university of its Bullingdon Club image, the university sent an email to students in an attempt to curb the practice of “trashing” – an undergraduate tradition involving covering each other in champagne and food after final exams.
It has become so unruly that the university says it cost £25,000 each year in security and clean-up costs.
The email also said the waste of food involved added to the stress of those sleeping rough in the city, a number that has doubled in the last year.
But it also implied that the goodwill of students was a contributory factor in that increase. It said: “Oxford’s students have a highly developed social conscience, as is evident from the number of homeless people who come to seek assistance in this city. Needless waste of food is an aggravation of their distress.”
The email, which was sent by the university’s senior proctor, Prof Mark Edwards, and the junior proctor, Cécile Fabre, went on to complain that trashing was harming the reputation of the university, as it portrayed “the whole of Oxford [as] one giant Bullingdon Club”.
“This is unlikely to have a positive effect on applications from under-privileged minorities,” it added.
Students flagged up the email on social media to express their incredulity at the suggestion that homeless people were drawn to the city because of the generosity of students.
Defending the email in Cherwell, the Oxford student newspaper, Edwards said: “The fact that homeless people come to Oxford from elsewhere is clearly acknowledged. This is a credit to the city’s excellent facilities, but also, we believe, to the generosity of students, townsfolk and tourists.”
Oxford University played down the comments, insisting the email was primarily aimed at curbing trashing. A statement said: “The overall intention of the proctors was to appeal to the social and environmental consciences of Oxford students, urging them to consider the impact of the waste and inconvenience caused by trashing.”
Linda Smith, the deputy leader of Oxford city council, said the rise in rough sleeping in the city was driven by government cuts to mental health and substance addiction services.
“It is national problem. We didn’t have this problem on our streets of Oxford 10 years ago,” she told the Guardian.
“Belatedly the government has woken up to this and Oxford was awarded £500,000 last week. We already fund 167 beds and we will be expanding our provision to fund an extra 64 beds next winter. We want to get to a position where nobody has to sleep rough on the streets of Oxford.”
Asked if rough sleeping was linked to the generosity of students, Smith said: “Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I’m not going to suggest that people should not give to beggars.”