St Chad's College

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St Chad's College, Durham
College Arms
Motto Non vestra sed vos
Not yours but you
Founded 1904
Principal The Revd Canon Dr J. P. Cassidy
(Senior Man: Justin Leslie)
Location North Bailey
Students ~400

St Chad's College main building looking south
St Chad's College main building looking north, with Durham Heritage Centre beyond
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St Chad's College main building looking north, with Durham Heritage Centre beyond

St Chad's College is a college of the University of Durham in England. It is the smallest of Durham's colleges, located on the Bailey next to Hatfield College, and occupying eight historic buildings at the east end of Durham Cathedral. The college is named after St Chad of Mercia, a 7th-century bishop.

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[edit] History

St Chad's was founded as an Anglican hall in 1904, chiefly, though never exclusively, for those considering ordination in the Church of England. The college has its roots in the Catholic wing of the Church of England, and those roots are still evident in services in the college Chapel.

The college remains a Church of England foundation. For the first 70 years of its existence a high proportion of students did their undergraduate degree (in any discipline) at St Chad's, and then remained for postgraduate training for ordination. The college ceased formal ordination training in the early 1970s, and its current students still read for degrees across all departments of the University. St Chad's was among the last university colleges in the UK to admit women undergraduates: the final all-male year entered in September 1987.

The college includes the North East Institute for Theological Education (an ecumenical institution of the Church of England, Methodist and United Reformed Churches). There are over a hundred students studying for University certificates and diplomas through ordination and ministerial training programmes affiliated with St Chad's throughout the North East of England. The college is also home to the Durham Media Academy, headed by accomplished filmmaker Richard Else.

[edit] Status

St Chad's is one of only two 'Recognised Colleges' in Durham University, the other being St John's. This means that it is an independent constitutive college of the University, financially independent and governed by its own board of governors. As a condition of recognition, the University's Council must approve the appointment of its Principal and be notified of changes to its constitution. In contrast, the 'Council Colleges' are actually owned, governed and managed by the University itself.

St Chad's has a small core of academic and research staff of its own in addition to those University staff who associate themselves to the college, chiefly through membership in the Senior Common Room -- a body numbering approximately one hundred. The College also has an unusally high percentage (more than 20%) of postgraduate students.

[edit] Finance

The college has a modest endowment, which is enough to fund significant annual capital improvements, several professorial fellowships and numerous student scholarships. About 20% of its income comes from public funds, with the rest raised through student fees, donations, research and conference income. The college is currently an exempt charity.

[edit] Accommodation

Students who study at St Chad's are accommodated in seven different houses: No. 1, Main College, Lightfoot House, Langford, Grads and Ramsey House (for undergraduates), and Trinity Hall (for postgraduates). Grads contains one of the oldest hanging staircases in England. Many of the college buildings are Grade II listed. In May 2006 the college's offer to buy a listed building (c. 1700) at No. 5 North Bailey was accepted, and the building will house both postgraduates and undergraduates from October 2007.

[edit] Societies and events

Since its foundation, the college has been noted for its Boat Club which has a distinguished record of winning races and regattas. St Chad's College Rugby Club is currently top of the University Premiership league and the college is unique in Durham in having its own professional coaching team.

Every year the college hosts a Candlemas Ball. Founded in 1957, this is one of the older and more flamboyant balls in the university. It is recognised, along with University College's June Ball, as being one of Durham's versions of the University of Cambridge's May Balls.

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] See also

[edit] External links


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