Colleges of the University of Oxford
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The University of Oxford comprises 39 Colleges and 7 religious Permanent Private Halls (PPHs), which are autonomous self-governing corporations within the university. All teaching staff and students studying for a degree of the university must belong to one of the colleges or PPHs. These colleges are not only houses of residence, but have substantial responsibility for the teaching of undergraduates. Generally tutorials (the main method of teaching in Oxford) and classes are the responsibility of colleges, while lectures, examinations, laboratories and the central library are run by the university.
Undergraduate and graduate students may name preferred colleges in their applications. For undergraduate students, an increasing number of departments practice reallocation to ensure that the ratio between potential students and subject places available at all colleges are as uniform as possible. For the Department of Physics, reallocation is done on a random basis after a shortlist of candidates is drawn up and before candidates are invited for interviews at the university [1].
For graduate students, many colleges express a preference for candidates who will be undertaking research in an area of interest of one of its fellows. St Hugh's College, for example, states that it accepts graduate students in most subjects, principally those in the fields of interest of the Fellows of the college [2].
A typical college consists of a hall for dining, a chapel, a library, a college bar, senior, middle (postgraduate) and junior common rooms, rooms for 200-400 undergraduates as well as lodgings for the head of the college and other dons. College buildings range from the medieval to very modern buildings, but most are made up of interlinked quadrangles (courtyards), with one or more large wooden gates controlling entry from the outside.
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[edit] History
The University of Oxford's collegiate system springs from the fact that the university came into existence through the gradual agglomeration of independent institutions in the city of Oxford.
The first academic houses were monastic halls. Of the dozens that settled in the university during the 12th to 15th centuries, none survived the Reformation. The modern permanent private hall of Blackfriars (1921) is a descendant of the original (1221), and is therefore sometimes described as heir to the oldest tradition of teaching in Oxford.
As the University took shape, friction between the hundreds of students living where and how they pleased led to a decree that all undergraduates would have to reside in approved halls. Of the hundreds of Aularian houses that sprang up across the city, only St Edmund Hall (c 1225) remains. What put an end to the halls was the emergence of colleges. Generously endowed and with permanent teaching staff, the colleges were originally the preserve of graduate students. However, once they began accepting fee-paying undergraduates in the 14th century, the halls' days were numbered.
The oldest of Oxford's colleges are University College, Balliol, and Merton, established between 1249 and 1264, although there is some dispute over the exact order and precisely when each began teaching. The fourth oldest college is Exeter, which was founded in 1314 and the fifth is Oriel, which was founded in 1326. The most recent is Kellogg College, founded in 1990.
Women entered the university for the first time in 1878, becoming members of the University (and thus eligible to receive degrees) in 1920. Women's colleges before integration included Somerville College, St Anne's, St. Hugh's, and Lady Margaret Hall. Almost all colleges are now co-educational, the only remaining women-only college being St Hilda's which has decided to accept male members at all levels from 2008. Some colleges accept only graduate students. All Souls College accepts only fellows. Harris Manchester College accepts only "mature students" with a minimum age of 21.[1]
[edit] List of colleges
- For the college scarf colours see Oxbridge scarf colours.
[edit] List of Permanent Private Halls
| Name | Foundation | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Blackfriars | 1221, refounded 1921 | Website |
| Campion Hall | 1896 | Website |
| Greyfriars | 1224, refounded 1910 | Website |
| Regent's Park College | 1752, moved to Oxford 1927 | Website |
| St Benet's Hall | 1897 | Website |
| St Stephen's House | 1876, PPH status granted in 2003 | Website |
| Wycliffe Hall | 1877 | Website |
[edit] Heads of Houses
The senior member of each college is an officer known generically as the Head of House. His or her specific title varies from college to college as indicated in the list below. While the Head of House will usually be an academic, it is not uncommon for a person to be appointed who has had a distinguished career outside academic circles, especially in the Civil Service.
For a list of current Heads of Houses see Heads of Houses.
- Principal: Brasenose, Harris Manchester, Hertford, Jesus, Lady Margaret Hall, Linacre, Mansfield, St Anne’s, St Edmund Hall, St Hilda’s, St Hugh’s, Somerville, Regent’s Park, St Stephen’s House, and Wycliffe Hall
- Warden: All Souls, Green, Keble, Merton, New College, Nuffield, St Antony’s, Wadham, and Greyfriars
- Master: Balliol, Pembroke, St Catherine’s, St Cross, St Peter’s, University College, Campion Hall, and St Benet’s Hall
- Provost: Oriel, The Queen’s College, and Worcester
- Dean: Christ Church and Templeton
- Regent: Blackfriars
Note: Until 2004 the President of Templeton was both Head of House and Chairman of the Governing Body. In 2004 the college statutes were amended so that these roles were separated. The Dean is now Head of House. The Dean of Christ Church is head of both the college and the cathedral. Additionally, because of the nature of Kellogg, the president also takes the role of director of the department for continuing education for the whole of Oxford university.
[edit] Academic rankings
For some years an unofficial ranking of undergraduate colleges by performance in Final Honour Schools examinations has been published annually, known as the "Norrington Table" - [3]. As the table only takes into account the examination results for the year it is published in, college rankings may fluctuate considerably.
Beginning in 2005, the university started publishing a list of colleges classified by a "Norrington Score", effectively replicating the Norrington Table [4]. The university claim to have published the results "in the interests of openness". Although the university says that the college listings are "not very significant", the 2005 table is the first Norrington Table with official data, and also likely the first to be truly correct. Dame Fiona Caldicott, the Chairman of the Conference of Colleges, has said that in previous years some students have used the Data Protection Act to ensure their results were not published, rendering the unofficial tables inaccurate. [5]
[edit] Rivalry between Colleges
A tradition of the University is a friendly rivalry between colleges. Often, two neighbouring colleges will be rivals, and each college will pride itself in its athletic victories over the other one. Examples include:
- Exeter College and Jesus College
- Brasenose College and Lincoln College
- The Queen's College and St Edmund Hall
- Balliol College and Trinity College
- Christ Church and Pembroke College
- Keble College and St. John's College
- St Catherine's College and Magdalen College
As well as historic rivalries based on geographical proximity, colleges often develop foes in the sporting arena that can become full-scale rivalries, although these are usually much more short-term. A recent example of this came as a result of the 2006 rugby Cuppers final between Pembroke and St. Peter's that culminated in a fight between the Pink Pembroke Panther and the St. Peter's Squirrel, the respective mascots of each team.
[edit] Fictional Colleges of Oxford
For a list of fictional colleges of Oxford University see List of fictional Oxford colleges.
[edit] See also
- Oxbridge scarf colours
- University of Oxford
- University of Cambridge
- Photos of Oxford and the colleges
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ Who We Are. Harris Manchester College. Retrieved on 2007-12-23.
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