44-693: University College , formally The Master and Fellows of the College of the Great Hall of the University commonly called University College in the University of Oxford and colloquially referred to as " Univ ", is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It has a claim to being the oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1249 by William of Durham . As of 2023,
88-539: A collegiate system, all matriculated students are required to maintain an affiliation with a college or hall which is tasked with offering student support, welfare, and accommodation. Although the University of Oxford is already selective, an additional level of selectivity exists depending on different colleges and halls. Colleges and halls differ in their levels of selectivity, as evidenced by their varying offer rates. Except All Souls College which consists principally of research fellows, Nuffield College consistently possesses
132-513: A mathematics fellow (this is no longer the case) that Stephen Hawking read a natural sciences degree and ended up specialising in physics. Other former students include John Radcliffe (physician), William Jones (philologist), and Edmund Cartwright (inventor). Rudolph A. Marcus , a Canadian-born chemist who received the 1992 Nobel Prize in Chemistry , received a Professorial Fellowship at Univ from 1975 to 1976. A perhaps more unusual alumnus
176-407: A porter's lodge controlling entry from the outside. The first modern merger of colleges was in 2008, with Green College and Templeton College merging to form Green Templeton College . The number of PPHs also reduced when Greyfriars closed in 2008 and when St Benet's Hall closed in 2022. Reuben College , established in 2019, is the first new Oxbridge college since 1990, when Kellogg College
220-544: A property which became known as Aula Universitatis (University Hall) was bought in 1253. This later date still allows the claim that Univ is the oldest of the Oxford colleges, although this is contested by Balliol College and Merton College . Univ was open only to fellows studying theology until the 16th century. The college acquired four properties on its current site south of the High Street in 1332 and 1336 and built
264-691: A quadrangle in the 15th century. As it grew in size and wealth, its medieval buildings were replaced with the current Main Quadrangle in the 17th century. Although the foundation stone was placed on 17 April 1634, the disruption of the English Civil War meant it was not completed until sometime in 1676. Radcliffe Quad followed more rapidly by 1719, and the library was built in 1861. Like many of Oxford's colleges, University College accepted its first mixed-sex cohort in 1979, having previously been an institution for men only. The main entrance to
308-606: A statute to allow private halls which were not run for profit to become permanent private halls and the two halls took their current names. Each college and permanent private hall has its own arms , although in some cases these were assumed rather than granted by the College of Arms . Under King Henry VIII Oxford colleges were granted exemption from having their arms granted by the College of Arms; and some, like Lady Margaret Hall , have chosen to take advantage of this exemption, whilst others, such as Oriel , despite having used
352-520: Is a memorial in college ; Poet Laureate Andrew Motion ; author of the Narnia books C. S. Lewis ; and a Nobel Prize for Literature winner, Sir V. S. Naipaul . One of the translators of the King James Bible , George Abbot , was a master of the college. The actors Michael York and Warren Mitchell attended Univ, as well as broadcaster Paul Gambaccini . It was due to the college's lack of
396-508: Is Prince Felix Yusupov , the assassin of Rasputin . Univ had the highest proportion of old members offering financial support to the college of any Oxbridge college with 28% in 2007. Although not members of University College, the scientists Robert Boyle (sometimes described as the "first modern chemist") and his assistant ( Robert Hooke , architect, biologist, discoverer of cells) lived in Deep Hall (then owned by Christ Church and now
440-449: Is a descendant of the original (1221), and is 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. What eventually put an end to the medieval halls was the emergence of colleges. Often generously endowed and with permanent teaching staff,
484-512: Is an officer known generically as the Head of House . Their 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. For a list of current Heads of Houses, see Heads of Houses . The dean of Christ Church is head of both
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#1732775906504528-683: Is depicted lying dead on the Italian seashore. The college annexe on Staverton Road in North Oxford houses undergraduate students during their second year and some graduate students. The college also owns the University College Boathouse (completed in 2007 and designed by Belsize architects ) and a sports ground, which is located nearby on Abingdon Road . The Alternative Prospectus is written and produced by current students for prospective applicants. The publication
572-540: Is in the Name of the Lord. RESPONSE — Who has made heaven and earth. SCHOLAR — May the Name of the Lord be blessed. RESPONSE — From this time for evermore. SCHOLAR — Lord God, the resurrection and the life of them that believe, who are always to be praised both among the living and among the dead, we give You thanks for all our founders and other benefactors, by whose gifts we are nourished here for piety and
616-538: Is intended for "mature students" with a minimum age of 21. The newest college of the University, Reuben College , was established in 2019 as graduate-only, enrolling its first students in 2021 using the premises of the Radcliffe Science Library . Kellogg , Reuben and St Cross are the only Oxford colleges without a royal charter . They are officially societies of the university rather than independent colleges and are considered departments of
660-1434: Is read before every Formal Hall , which is held on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. The reading is performed by a Scholar of the college and whoever is sitting at the head of High Table (typically the Master, or the most senior Fellow at the table if the Master is not dining). SCHOLAR – Benedictus sit Deus in donis suis. RESPONSE – Et sanctus in omnibus operibus suis. SCHOLAR – Adiutorium nostrum in Nomine Domini. RESPONSE – Qui fecit coelum et terram. SCHOLAR – Sit Nomen Domini benedictum. RESPONSE – Ab hoc tempore usque in saecula. SCHOLAR – Domine Deus, Resurrectio et Vita credentium, Qui semper es laudandus tam in viventibus quam in defunctis, gratias Tibi agimus pro omnibus Fundatoribus caeterisque Benefactoribus nostris, quorum beneficiis hic ad pietatem et ad studia literarum alimur: Te rogantes ut nos, hisce Tuis donis ad Tuam gloriam recte utentes, una cum iis ad vitam immortalem perducamur. Per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum. RESPONSE - Amen. SCHOLAR — Deus det vivis gratiam, defunctis requiem: Ecclesiae, Regi, Regnoque nostro, pacem et concordiam: et nobis peccatoribus vitam aeternam. RESPONSE - Amen. SCHOLAR — Let God be blessed in his gifts. RESPONSE — And holy in all his works. SCHOLAR — Our help
704-463: Is some dispute over the exact order and precisely when each began teaching. The fourth oldest college is Exeter , founded in 1314, and the fifth is Oriel , founded in 1326. Women entered the university in 1879, with the opening of Lady Margaret Hall and Somerville College , becoming members of the University (and thus eligible to receive degrees) in 1920. Other women's colleges before integration were St Anne's , St Hilda's and St Hugh's . In 1974
748-572: Is the annual magazine sent to alumni of the college each autumn. The magazine provides college news on clubs and societies such as the University College Players and the Devas Club , as well as academic performance and prizes. News about and obituaries of former students are included at the end of each issue. Editors have included Peter Bayley and Leslie Mitchell . The Martlet is a magazine for members and friends of
792-582: The Church of England (subject to safeguards for religious instruction and worship), which made it possible for Catholics and Non-conformists to open private halls. The first Catholic private halls were Clarke's Hall (now Campion Hall ), opened by the Jesuit Order in 1896 and Hunter Blair's Hall (later St Benet's Hall ) opened by the Benedictine Order in 1899. In 1918 the university passed
836-538: The Norrington Table , was published annually. As the table only took into account the examination results for the year of publication, college rankings could fluctuate considerably. Beginning in 2005, the University of Oxford started publishing a list of colleges classified by a "Norrington Score", effectively replicating the Norrington Table. The university claims to have published the results "in
880-522: The University College Boathouse for the institution, a project which won a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Award in 2008. Previous projects include: Klippan House in Hampstead , London (originally known as 'Thwaitehead') – a large Victorian Grade II listed building originally designed and lived in by Ewan Christian . The practice's conversion of The Brassworks, a former Boosey and Hawkes musical instrument factory, into apartments for
924-468: The 14th century that the college was founded by King Alfred in 872. This explains why the college arms are those attributed to King Alfred, why the Visitor is always the reigning monarch, and why the college celebrated its millennium in 1872. Most agree that in reality the college was founded in 1249 by William of Durham . He bequeathed money to support ten or twelve masters of arts studying divinity, and
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#1732775906504968-523: The High Street shops, on Merton Street or in the separate Goodhart Building. This building is named after former master of the college, Arthur Lehman Goodhart . A specially constructed building in the college, the Shelley Memorial , houses a statue by Edward Onslow Ford of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley – a former member of the college, who was sent down for writing The Necessity of Atheism (1811), along with his friend T. J. Hogg . Shelley
1012-529: The arms for many centuries, have recently elected to have the arms granted officially. The blazons below are taken from the Oxford University Calendar unless otherwise indicated. Shields are emblazoned as commonly drawn, and notable inconsistencies between blazons and emblazons (the shields as drawn) are indicated. Each college also has its own colours used on items such as scarves and rowing blades . The senior member of each college
1056-501: The college and the cathedral. The president of Kellogg College is also the director of the Department for Continuing Education. As of 2019 the accounts of the Oxford colleges included total assets of £6.6 billion. This figure does not reflect all the assets held by the colleges as their accounts do not include the cost or value of many of their main sites or heritage assets such as works of art or libraries. The total endowments of
1100-465: The college had an estimated financial endowment of £146.084 million, and their total net assets amounted to £238.316 million. The college is associated with a number of influential people , including Clement Attlee , Harold Wilson , Bill and Chelsea Clinton , Neil Gorsuch , Stephen Hawking , C. S. Lewis , V. S. Naipaul , Robert Reich , William Beveridge , Bob Hawke , Robert Cecil , Tom Hooper , and Percy Bysshe Shelley . A legend arose in
1144-514: The college is on the High Street and its grounds are bounded by Merton Street and Magpie Lane . The college is divided by Logic Lane , which is owned by the college and runs through the centre. The western side of the college is occupied by the library, the hall, the chapel and the two quadrangles which house both student accommodation and college offices. The eastern side of the college is mainly devoted to student accommodation in rooms above
1188-465: The college, available in print and online. Colleges of the University of Oxford The University of Oxford has 36 colleges , three societies, and four permanent private halls (PPHs) of religious foundation. The colleges and PPHs are autonomous self-governing corporations within the university. These colleges are not only houses of residence, but have substantial responsibility for teaching undergraduate students. Generally tutorials (one of
1232-650: The college, including the social reformer and author of the Beveridge Report William Beveridge (who was a master of University College) and two UK Prime Ministers: Clement Attlee and Harold Wilson (a Univ fellow ). US President Bill Clinton (though he did not graduate) and Prime Minister of Australia, Bob Hawke were also students. Other heads of state and government to have attended Univ include Edgar Whitehead (Rhodesia), Kofi Abrefa Busia (Ghana), and Festus Mogae (Botswana). Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Robert Cecil studied law at
1276-612: The college, similarly U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch received a DPhil in law as a Marshall Scholar , while former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Bernard W. Rogers read Philosophy, Politics and Economics as a Rhodes Scholar , and former Court of Justice of the European Communities Judge Sir David Edward read Classics . In the arts, people associated with the college include poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (expelled for writing The Necessity of Atheism ), for whom there
1320-473: 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. Of the hundreds of Aularian houses (from the Latin for "hall") that sprang up, only St Edmund Hall (c. 1225) remains. The oldest colleges are University College , Balliol , and Merton , established between 1249 and 1264, although there
1364-416: The colleges were £5.1 billion as of 2019. Individual college endowments ranged from £1.2m (Green Templeton) to £577.6 million (Christ Church). In contrast to undergraduate programmes where the constituent college or hall handles both admissions and teaching, postgraduate students are admitted through a department, which is responsible for postgraduate education and supervision. As the university operates on
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1408-417: The fields of interest of the fellows of the college. 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, and lodgings for the head of the college and other dons . College buildings range from medieval to modern, but most are made up of interlinked quadrangles or courtyards, with
1452-602: The first men's colleges to admit women were Brasenose , Hertford , Jesus , St Catherine's and Wadham . By 2008 all colleges had become co-residential, although one of the Permanent Private Halls, St Benet's Hall , did not start to admit postgraduate women until Michaelmas term 2014 and women undergraduates until Michaelmas 2016. Some colleges, such as Kellogg , Linacre , Nuffield , St Antony's , St Cross and Wolfson only admit postgraduate students. All Souls admits only fellows. Harris Manchester
1496-608: The interests of openness". Although the university says that the college listings are "not very significant", the 2005 table was the first Norrington Table with official data and also probably the first to be accurate. Dame Fiona Caldicott , the Chairman of the Conference of Colleges, said that in previous years some students had used the Data Protection Act 1998 to ensure their results were not published, rendering
1540-552: The late nineteenth century. Belsize architects Belsize Architects are a British architectural practice based in North London , UK. Belsize Architects have completed buildings in a number of different sectors, ranging from commercial to residential. Notably, the practice has been commissioned to design new student accommodation for the University College, Oxford , after having previously completed
1584-540: The lowest offer rate and is thus considered the most selective college. On the other hand, Kellogg College and St Antony College are among the least selective colleges, typically characterised by higher offer rates. The table below exhibits the offer rates for postgraduate applications across each college over multiple academic years. For some years, an unofficial ranking of undergraduate colleges by performance in Final Honour Schools examinations, known as
1628-682: The main methods of teaching in Oxford) and classes are the responsibility of colleges, while lectures, examinations, laboratories, and the central library are run by the university. Students normally have most of their tutorials in their own college, but often have a couple of modules taught at other colleges or even at faculties and departments. Most colleges take both graduates and undergraduates, but several are for graduates only. Undergraduate and graduate students may name preferred colleges in their applications. For undergraduate students, an increasing number of departments practise reallocation to ensure that
1672-561: The ratios between potential students and subject places available at each college are as uniform as possible. For the Department of Physics, reallocation is done on a random basis after a shortlist of candidates is drawn upon and before candidates are invited for interviews at the university. For graduate students, many colleges express a preference for candidates who plan to undertake 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
1716-599: The site of the Shelley Memorial ). The former made a contribution to the completion of University College's current Hall in the mid-17th century. Samuel Johnson (author of A Dictionary of the English Language and a member of Pembroke College ) was a frequent visitor to the Senior Common Room at University College during the 18th century. The college produces a number of regular publications, especially for alumni. The University College Record
1760-537: The study of letters; asking You that we, using these Your gifts rightly to Your glory, may be led together with them into eternal life. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. RESPONSE — Amen. SCHOLAR — May God grant to the living grace, and to the dead rest; to the Church, the King, and our realm, peace and concord; and to us sinners everlasting life. RESPONSE — Amen. Many influential politicians are associated with
1804-406: The university for accounting purposes. The Oxford University Act 1854 and the university statute De aulis privatis (On private Halls) of 1855, allowed any Master of Arts aged at least 28 years to open a private hall after obtaining a licence to do so. One such was Charsley's Hall . The Universities Tests Act 1871 opened all university degrees and positions to men who were not members of
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1848-544: The unofficial tables inaccurate. 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: The Oxford and Cambridge colleges have served as an architectural inspiration for Collegiate Gothic Architecture, used by a number of American universities including Princeton University and Washington University in St. Louis since
1892-441: Was awarded a HELOA Innovation and Best Practice Award in 2011. The Univ Alternative Prospectus offers student written advice and guidance to potential Oxford applicants. The award recognises the engagement of the college community, unique newspaper format, forward-thinking use of social media and the collaborative working between staff and students. University has the longest grace of any Oxford (and perhaps Cambridge) college. It
1936-518: Was established. The collegiate system arose because Oxford University came into existence through the gradual agglomeration of numerous independent institutions. Over the centuries several different types of college have emerged and disappeared. The first academic houses were monastic halls. Of the dozens established during the 12th–15th centuries, none survived the Reformation . The modern Dominican permanent private hall of Blackfriars (1921)
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