Freshers

Please click here to download the Undergraduate Freshers Week Timetable for 2024-25

Academic progress for graduate students is primarily the concern of their University department. However, each graduate student will have regular meetings with their College Graduate Adviser. The College encourages graduate students with concerns about their academic progress to discuss them at an early date with their College Graduate Adviser and/or the Tutor for Graduates.

Academic expectations

Most of what you need to know about undergraduate academic life at Queen’s will be explained on arrival.

Your tutors will give you advice about how best to study, and there are plentiful further sources of advice from departments, from the JCR Academic Representatives and from fellow students. While much of this information will naturally vary from subject to subject, there are some important general points. A number of these will be discussed in a programme on academic writing that will begin with a lecture during freshers’ week.

You are expected to devote the majority of your time, in both term and vacation, to academic study.

You must not engage in any extracurricular activities that might interfere with meeting the responsibilities of your course. Consult your Personal Tutor with any questions about how to balance academic work with other interests.

Study at Queen’s, and in general at Oxford, is guided study. You are expected to work independently and unsupervised much of the time. Furthermore, the terms are short and you are expected to use vacations for study while away from Oxford. You should expect to have several academic commitments each week during Term, and often several pieces of work to complete at the same time, often with quite short deadlines. You are also very likely to have classes, with larger numbers of students, and lectures to attend each week. Managing your time properly is of paramount importance.

That said, your study is also very well supported. The facilities and resources for study in College and University are excellent, and you will have plenty of occasions to discuss your work with those who teach you. These come principally in the form of weekly small group tutorials, or small classes, which are the core teaching method in Oxford. Tutorials and classes are likely to be the main event in your week, and you are expected to attend them, properly prepared, without fail.

Everyone studying at Queen’s is expected to work to the best of their ability. The College expects that undergraduates will normally be capable of producing work of at least an upper second-class standard, and strongly encourages performance at a higher level. You must attend all your academic commitments, unless you have permission in advance to be absent, or you are prevented from attendance by medical reasons. You must also produce work for tutorials and classes as required by the tutor, to a standard appropriate to your stage of degree and abilities. The work must be your own: neither copied from others nor unattributed where you have used others’ work in support of your own arguments. You must also perform in examinations, including College examinations (‘collections’), to the best of your ability.

If you have questions about any aspect of your work you should raise them at an early stage with your Personal Tutor or, if more appropriate, the Tutor for Undergraduates or the Senior Tutor. The JCR Academic Affairs Representatives can provide valuable supplementary sources of academic advice.

Academic progress

If you are an undergraduate, your academic progress will be discussed regularly from week to week with those teaching you. They will also provide a termly written report on your work. This is provided through an online system which allows you to read the report yourself. These reports will be discussed in end of term meetings with your Personal Tutor (typically at the end of 8th week), and will also be seen by the Tutor for Undergraduates and the Senior Tutor. There will also usually be a meeting with your Personal Tutor at the start of each term (on Thursday or Friday of 0th week) to confirm academic arrangements for the term, at which the preparatory work you have done over the vacation may be discussed.

Collections

Academic progress is also assessed through termly examinations, called Collections, which are normally held at the start of each term after your first term, on the work you have done in the previous term and the vacation. Collections give you practice in examination technique, especially in those parts of a course where there may be no University examinations; let you know how you are doing in your work; and allow your tutors to detect where any weaknesses may lie so that they can help you to improve. You are expected to prepare properly for Collections and perform to the best of your ability in them. Collections are usually sat on the Thursday and Friday of 0^th Week, and the College expects that Collections will be marked and returned to you no later than the end of 4th week of Term.  The marks for Collections are reported to the Senior Tutor and the Tutor for Undergraduates. The College awards Collections Prizes for strong performance in Collections and the work done in term and vacation. Please familiarise yourself with the  Regulations for Collections if you have not already done so.

Unsatisfactory work

In the event of unsatisfactory work (e.g., work below an upper second-class standard), the College has academic disciplinary procedures which may involve referral to its Tutorial Review Committee, where the reasons for the poor performance will be discussed in accordance with the College’s Procedures for Academic Discipline. The Tutorial Review Committee has the power to recommend disciplinary action. the Procedures are available on our Academic policies webpage. They also cover what happens in the event that you should fail a University examination.

In order to protect Junior Members’ privacy and confidentiality, any academic disciplinary proceedings will take place ‘in-house’ – that is, through the structures of the College’s Personal Tutorial system, the Tutorial Review Committee, and Governing Body. The College asks Junior Members to sign a form, on admission, indicating that they are aware of and have understood the procedures and that they agree to them.

Scholarships and Exhibitions

The College awards Academic Scholarships and Exhibitions to undergraduates for excellent academic performance, on the nomination of their Personal Tutor. You become eligible for an Exhibition (£50 per term) or a Junior Scholarship (£100 per term) in the first term after you have passed the First Public Examination, and in each term thereafter.  Any student already awarded an Exhibition or a Junior Scholarship may be awarded a Major Scholarship (£150 per term) for sustained academic excellence. Any undergraduate who holds one of these awards may wear a Scholar’s gown, the cost of which will be reimbursed by the College.

College Prizes

A number of prizes in particular subjects are awarded by the Governing Body. Details can be found on our College Awards and Prizes page.

Feedback on teaching and learning

The College and the JCR Academic Representative organise academic feedback sessions throughout the year. This is in order to provide students with the opportunity to comment on the teaching they have received. We strongly encourage participation in these sessions and the provision of constructive feedback. The reports of these sessions are considered by the Senior Tutor, Tutor for Undergraduates, and the Tutors concerned.

Fitness to study

Students admitted for a course of study of fixed or limited duration are expected to complete the course of study within that duration, without interruption, unless a situation arises that makes that impossible. In rare cases, a Junior Member may encounter medical or other difficulties which lead the College to consider whether to suspend the student’s course of study for a set period of time (typically a year), such that they will not be able to complete those studies according to the originally anticipated schedule. This is called suspension of status. Should this arise, the College will follow its Fitness to Study procedures which are available on our Fitness to study and Academic policies webpage. You should discuss such difficulties as soon as possible with your Personal Tutor and with the Tutor for Undergraduates. The College will do everything it can to ensure that you understand the process of applying for and returning from a temporary break from study, and provide support throughout this process.

Accommodation is provided at the following locations:

• Undergraduates – the Main College Site (which includes Front Quad, Back Quad, Little Drawda, Drawda Hall and Carrodus Quad), James Street, the Cardo Building and St Aldate’s House. (Undergraduate freshers are accommodated in the Carrodus Quad Building and Front Quad rooms.)
• Graduates – Oxley-Wright Building, and shared three-bedroom flats at Venneit Close

The Cardo Building and James Street are looked after by a resident caretaker. Junior Deans are resident in Cardo, James Street, St Aldate’s House and Carrodus Quad.

(See also Accommodation and meals and Graduate facilities.)

Residence

All undergraduates, unless they have been informed otherwise, will be both allocated and expected to occupy a room in one of the College buildings for their first year of residence.

Returning undergraduate students may choose to live out of College but must inform the College Office and the Domestic Bursar’s Office, if they wish to do so.

If you live in College accommodation, you must sign a licence agreement with the College for your accommodation each year. NOTE that undergraduates generally occupy College accommodation on a termly basis and must arrive and depart on the dates designated in the summary licence document.  Graduates will have licences of up to 51 weeks if they choose to live in College accommodation.

Security, keys & access

For your security, the College and Lodge have strict security procedures in place for the issue and return of all keys. Undergraduates in termly accommodation are issued a key at the beginning of each term and must vacate their rooms by 10 am on Saturday of 8th week and return the key to the Lodge by 10 am. There is a charge for a lost or non-returned key (see licence agreement). Graduate students in College accommodation have extended accommodation licences and keep their keys for the entire period of the licence.

The cleaners in College are traditionally called Scouts. If a Scout finds a room unlocked, they will always lock them to protect your belongings. Please always lock your room and take your keys with you.

The main High Street gate to College is locked overnight. You can still access the college via the front High Street ‘late gate’ (next to the Silversmiths shop) or at the rear Library ‘late gate’, in Queen’s Lane. Your University Card (also referred to as a ‘Bod’ card) will provide access through gates, the post rooms, Library, and other doors on site. Your University Card must be kept secure and away from your phone. We recommend keeping this in your wallet, or on a lanyard. You should report loss or damage to the College Office. A £15 fee will be charged for the replacement of lost cards, and can be made online via the University website. After payment has been received a new card will be sent directly to the college office for you to collect. The Lodge can provide you with temporary access fobs while you wait for the replacement card to arrive.

If you see a stranger attempting to enter any building with you, do not give them access. Ask them to contact the Lodge and give them the number to do so. If they fail to do this, or if there is a problem, do not hesitate to get in touch with the Lodge or the police, irrespective of the time of day.

Crime

If at any time during your stay you become a victim of a crime, you should contact the Lodge or in the case of a more serious matter, you should call the police emergency number by dialling 999. If this happens try to remain calm and tell the operator what has happened and give your location. Please inform the Lodge as soon as practicable and update them with your situation. Information on security and staying safe can be found here and you are encouraged to read this information before your arrival. The University also has a security service and information can be found here.

Insurance

We recommend either you take out insurance to cover your belongings while you are at College (laptop, phone, bicycle, etc.), or check if your family’s home insurance will cover these items.

Housekeeping

Please review page 2 of the Service Level Agreement: maintenance and housekeeping

Maintenance and repair

Please note if you have any maintenance or housekeeping issues you should follow the guidance at the link, contacting the Steward in the first instance. They will assess the problem and organize a repair/replacement for you. Please give as much information as possible about the fault. Do not forget to include your room number and building. Unless it is an emergency, please report your issues during working hours Monday to Friday. For emergencies/queries after 4 pm or on weekends contact the Lodge, as indicated in the Service Level Agreement.

Laundry

All accommodation offered by Queen’s comes with access to laundry facilities. Please note that payment arrangements vary depending on which annexe you are in, but information will be displayed in each annexe’s laundry room and in most cases using and paying for the machines will happen through a mobile app.

Noise

While you should enjoy your time here, please be aware of how much noise you are making. If you are asked to keep the noise down, then please do so. Quiet hours are between 11pm and 8am. Others may have deadlines or exams even if you do not. Be respectful of your fellow students. Inform the Lodge to report any disturbances.

Smoking

The College and all associated accommodation are no-smoking and no-vaping sites.

What to bring or not bring

Undergraduates should remember that storage is not available during vacations (apart from Junior Members who reside overseas – excluding EU, Switzerland and Norway). Please do not bring more than can easily be transported at the end of each Term. Also bear in mind that undergraduates must vacate their room by 10 am on the Saturday of 8th week, so time available for removing belongings is limited. Information about vacation residence and storage during the vacations (for international students only) is available here, and further information can be found in the College Regulations for Junior Members and your Accommodation Licence Agreement, on our Policies and Procedures webpage.

Each room will be provided with a duvet, one pillow, and a mattress cover. Residents should provide their own duvet covers, pillow case, sheets, and towels. Self-catering facilities are provided in the graduate annexe and flats, and in the undergraduate annexes at St Aldate’s House, James Street, and the Cardo Building; each kitchen will have some crockery, cutlery, saucepans, a kettle, and a toaster. Where there are such kitchens provided residents should provide their own plates, dishes, cutlery, tea towels, and cooking utensils.

Electrical equipment, furniture, other equipment and damages

Please ensure you review the information found in the College Regulations for Junior Members and your Accommodation Licence Agreement, on our Policies and Procedures webpage. You should not bring cooking equipment, furniture or large items into College. You will be asked to remove items that are not permitted, or these may be removed and held safe; if you wish to hang pictures on the wall, contact the Steward directly.

All the rooms are provided with a desk, desk chair, coffee table, kettle, chairs, bookcase, bed, bedside cabinet, wardrobe and a set of drawers.

Electrical equipment brought into College must comply with UK regulations and have a current Portable Appliance Testing certificate (sticker). Further information can be obtained from the Steward’s Office, the College website and in your Accommodation Licence. Cooking appliances are strictly not permitted.

Residents with television sets or using a computer to download television programmes must ensure that they are personally covered by a licence. (See the TV Licensing website for further details.)

Fire and fire alarms

Fire alarms will be tested on a weekly basis in Main College and in all annexes. The days and times of these tests are as follows:

Main College	Tuesdays between 8.45 am and 9.00 am
Cardo Building/ James Street	Fridays between 10.30 am and 11.00 am
Oxley-Wright	Thursdays between 10.00 am and 10.30 am
St Aldate’s House	Mondays between 2.00 pm and 2.15 pm

Please note that every Tuesday between 8:30 am and 9:00 am the Tesco store next door to St Aldate’s House test their fire alarms.

It is important to familiarise yourself with escape routes from the building and watch the video on fire safety before you arrive or shortly after you move in. There are smoke detectors in your room and in the corridors. The kitchens are equipped with heat alarms.

If the fire alarm sounds, you must evacuate quickly and safely to an outside area and away from the building line. Do not use the lift, or re-enter the building until a Fire Officer, Porter, Junior Dean, Fire Marshall, or caretaker has informed you that it is safe to do so.

Located in each staircase you will find a roll call list, along with a yellow high-visibility jacket. In the event of a fire alarm, it is expected that the first person leaving the staircase will stand a safe distance away from the building, and assist the porters on shift by helping to log each person leaving the building. Further information around fire alarm procedures will be communicated during your freshers’ induction.

Room inventory

A room condition and inventory form is provided on your arrival and is to be signed and returned to The Steward once you have occupied your accommodation. The room must be kept in the same condition throughout the academic year, and any maintenance issues must be reported to The Steward. Further information can be found in the Accommodation Licence Agreement.

Other domestic policies

The College has additional domestic policies regarding fire regulation, the testing of portable appliances, room condition, energy saving and recycling, repair and maintenance, planned and project works, snow, ice and other environmental debris clearance, and security which may be obtained from the Domestic Bursar.

Information for international students

All students, including international students, must apply for vacation residence if they wish to be in residence before Wednesday of 0th week (excluding initial arrival as a fresher) or after Saturday of 8th week. Details of how to apply for vacation residence will be publicised by the Domestic Bursar’s office each term and guidance on vacation residence can be found in Part 10 and Part 11 of the College Regulations for Junior Members. International students (who are typically charged overseas student fees) will usually be granted permission to stay in College during the Christmas and Easter vacations if they apply for such permission. However, this will require them to move to another building. Residence over the summer vacation is not permitted.

International students whose home address is not in the EU, Switzerland or Norway and who are not staying in residence over the whole Christmas or Easter vacation should refer to the College Regulations for Junior Members and the guidance on the vacation residence pages of the website. International travel will not be regarded as sufficient reasons for vacation residence before 0th week and after 9th week.

A limited amount of storage space may be available for these international students over vacations, but there is no automatic right to storage.

New graduates should report to the College Office as soon as possible on arrival at the College to pick up their University Cards.

The induction event for incoming graduate students will be held in the Shulman Auditorium from 3:00pm to 6:45pm on Wednesday 2nd October 2024. Attendance at the induction is compulsory, unless required otherwise by your Faculty or Department.

Freshers should aim to be in residence by Monday 7th October 2024, when Freshers’ Week begins. You are expected to move in on Sunday 6th October. International students can arrive from Wednesday 2nd October if necessary and should notify the College Office of their arrival date if arriving before Sunday 6th October. If you are being dropped off by car, further details about logistical arrangements will be provided nearer the time. The induction events on Monday morning are compulsory: please let the College Office know if you will not be able to move in in time.

For a full list of Fellows and Staff, see our Our People page.

Here is a short overview of the different academic roles in College, as well as a list of some of the key contacts.

The Provost

The Provost is Dr Claire Craig and is elected by the Fellows of the College and chairs the Governing Body.

Contact via the Administrator to the Provost’s Office, Sandra Smith: 01865 279125 or email APO@queens.ox.ac.uk

The Senior Tutor

The Senior Tutor deals with all academic issues that cannot be dealt with by Personal Tutors or the Tutor for Undergraduates or Tutor for Graduates. The Senior Tutor is Professor Seth Whidden, Fellow in French. He oversees all aspects of the academic life of the College, especially the organisation of College teaching and making new academic appointments.

Contact via the Academic Administrator, Cameron Ott: 01865 279167 or email senior.tutor@queens.ox.ac.uk

The Tutor for Undergraduates

The Tutor for Undergraduates deals with any academic welfare issues that cannot be dealt with by Moral Tutors. The Tutor for Undergraduates is Professor Charlie Louth, Fellow in German. He and the Senior Tutor oversee all aspects of undergraduate academic work. In particular, he has responsibility for welfare issues that relate to academic performance and for oversight of the procedures which assess whether a student is fit to study.

Contact tutor.undergraduates@queens.ox.ac.uk

The Tutor for Graduates

The Tutor for Graduates is Professor Rebecca Beasley, Fellow in English. The Tutor for Graduates and the Senior Tutor oversee all aspects of graduate academic work.

Contact rebecca.beasley@queens.ox.ac.uk

The Tutor for Admissions

The Tutor for Admissions is Prof Robert Taylor, Fellow in Physics. He organises the admissions of students to the College.

Contact via the Admissions Administrator: 01865 279161 or email admissions@queens.ox.ac.uk

The Tutor for Outreach and Access

The Tutor for Outreach is Dr Lindsay Turnbull, Fellow in Plant Sciences. She organises outreach initiatives and open days.

Contact via the Schools Liaison Officer: schools.liaison@queens.ox.ac.uk

The Dean

The Dean has responsibility for non-academic matters, especially discipline. The Dean is Dr Christopher Metcalf, Fellow in Classics. He is assisted by graduate members of the student body who act as Junior Deans: Heather Steele-Stellard, Martin Buttenschoen, Dylan Adlard, and Arundhati Wuppalapati. There is also a Decanal Assistant, Peter Wan, who is also a graduate student and provides additional support at the Venneit Close accommodation site.

Contact decanal.team@queens.ox.ac.uk

The Welfare Officer

The Welfare Officer, Luke Young, provides a day-to-day source of support and signposting for students and can be contacted by email or by phoning 01865 289137. Appointments may be booked online via the Welfare Officer booking system. The Welfare Officer is generally available during office hours and will get back to you as soon as possible within two working days.

Contact welfare.officer@queens.ox.ac.uk

The Equalities Officer

The Equalities Officer is responsible for the College’s Equal Opportunities policy. The current Equalities Officer is Mr Nicholas Bamforth, Fellow in Law. He may be contacted about any issues relating to equality that you feel cannot be dealt with readily by your Personal Tutor.

Contact nicholas.bamforth@queens.ox.ac.uk

The Academic Administrator

The Academic Administrator is Cameron Ott, assisted in the College Office by the Admissions and Graduate Administrator, Olga Lappa; the Tutorial Secretary, Dan Watkinson; the College Office and Admissions Assistant, Rina Carvalho; and the Schools Liaison, Outreach and Recruitment Officer, Molly Lockwood. The College Office is on the first floor of Front Quad, staircase 2. The office deals with requests for University Cards, confirmation of student status, application forms for financial assistance funds and various grants, degree ceremonies, and term-time lecture room bookings. Alternative arrangements for examinations and disability support are also handled by the College Office. The College Office is open 9.30 am to 12.15 pm and 1.15 pm to 5.00 pm Monday to Thursday, and 9.30 am to 12.15 pm and 1.15 pm to 4.30 pm on Fridays.

Contact 01865 279116 and email college.office@queens.ox.ac.uk

The Bursar

The Bursar, Dr Andrew Timms, deals with all financial matters in College. The Bursary is located on the first floor of Front Quad, Staircase 1 and the opening hours are 8.45 a.m. to 12.15 pm and 1.15 pm to 4.30 pm Monday through Friday.

Contact bursary@queens.ox.ac.uk

The Domestic Bursar

The Domestic Bursar, Mrs Marie Bracey, has responsibility for all domestic matters in College, including accommodation, catering, events, fire, security and safety.

Contact via Domestic Bursar’s Administrator: DB.office@queens.ox.ac.uk

The Steward

The Steward, Susan Tutty, has responsibility for the Scouts (cleaning staff), maintenance, the Beer Cellar, and fire safety. She is assisted by the Housekeeper, Tracy Peart. The Assistant Stewards, Sean Meade, John Peart, and Michael Capon can help with organising the moving of furniture, setting up of equipment for functions, and any health and safety issues.

Contact 01865 279133 or email steward-office@queens.ox.ac.uk

The Chaplain

The College Chaplain is the Reverend Alice Watson, who is responsible for organising services in Chapel, which take place regularly during term time. She is also part of the welfare team, and is available to provide pastoral support to all member of the College regardless of religious affiliation. She is around in College most days, so feel free to drop in to Front Quad 5, room 2 for a chat!

Contact 01865 279143 or email alice.watson@queens.ox.ac.uk, or just drop round!

The Hardship Officer

The College Hardship Officer is Dr Keyna O’Reilly, Fellow in Materials Science. Her responsibility is to assist members of the College encountering financial difficulties or hardship.

Contact keyna.oreilly@queens.ox.ac.uk

The IT Office

The College IT Office is on the second floor of Front Quad staircase 1, Room 5, and its staff can provide information and advice on IT issues. The key contacts are David Olds, Mark Gray and Themba Mhlanga. The IT Office is open Monday to Friday – 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.

Contact 01865 279205 or email it-support@queens.ox.ac.uk

IT Office Blog

The Porters’ Lodge

The Lodge is staffed by the Head Porter, Chris Parsons, and a team of Porters on a 24/7 basis. The Porters ensure security of all our sites and will ask to see your University or ‘Bod’ Card when you enter the College. The Porters are a good first point of contact and have a wealth of local information. You will be allocated a mailbox or ‘pigeonhole’ in the post room, which you should check regularly for mail or messages; there is a separate parcel room next door. The parcel and pigeonhole rooms are located in the basement of Staircase 1. All outgoing post is collected from the Lodge by Royal Mail at around 5 pm every weekday afternoon. Other items can be left at the Lodge for collection by couriers. Please let the porters know if you intend to do this and leave your details with the package so we can reach you. Messenger service is a free postal service between Oxford University colleges. You can bring your letters to the Lodge and the porter on duty will endorse it with the messenger stamp and place in the tray for collection. Please note that the following items will not be accepted by the messenger service – food, money, clothing, valuables, breakables, long-tubed items (e.g. posters), umbrellas, heavy bulky items, books.

Contact 01865 279120 or email lodge@queens.ox.ac.uk

Head Porter 01865 279122 or email head.porter@queens.ox.ac.uk

The Catering Department – The Buttery

The Catering Manager is Debbie Kelly-Greaves, whom you should contact if you have any special dietary requirements.

Contact 01865 279131 or email deborah.kelly-greaves@queens.ox.ac.uk or buttery@queens.ox.ac.uk

The Beer Cellar

The Beer Cellar is open Monday to Saturday during Term from 7:00 pm to 11.00 pm. Members of the College can bring guests to the Beer Cellar but only members themselves can make purchases. Payments for items purchased in the Beer Cellar can be charged to your termly bill (or Batells account).

The Old Members’ Office

You may not want to think about leaving just yet, so it’s good to know that membership of Queen’s is lifelong. On departure from Queen’s you will join a global community of nearly 7,000 alumni, who stay connected to the College via the Old Members’ Office and its busy diary of events, packed e-communications, fundraising campaigns and publications.

Current members can get involved by attending events open to students, or contributing to the newsletters which are shared with Old Members regularly. Throughout your time at Queen’s there may be the opportunity to support the Office with its activities, including being a caller for the Telethons (from 2025), an ambassador for Giving Days or attending or helping at events.

Keep your eyes peeled for getting involved!

Contact 01865 279217 or email oldmembers@queens.ox.ac.uk

Head of Communications

The College is always keen to celebrate and share students’ achievements (both academic and extra-curricular).  Please send your news to the Head of Communications, Emily Downing, at news@queens.ox.ac.uk.  The Head of Communications would also like to hear from students who are willing to be involved in creating College content for social media, photoshoots, filming, and podcasts for student outreach and recruitment.  Please contact emily.downing@queens.ox.ac.uk to express your interest.

 

Booking rooms for events

If you plan to book a room for a student function or event, you should contact the Conference and Events Office. You can find everything about booking an event on the College website:

Book an event in College – The Queen’s College, Oxford

The sale of alcohol on College premises

No alcohol can be sold on College premises other than that purchased by the College and sold through the College Licensees. Please see the College Regulations for Junior Members on Provision and consumption of alcohol (Part 15) and Parties, meeting and events (Part 16). This applies to all functions or events where alcohol is consumed or sold. The Conference and Events Office can advise on the procedures for any events at which alcohol will be sold or provided.

Guest rooms

There are two guest rooms (one small single and one twin) available in College for Junior Members’ use. They can be booked through the Porters’ Lodge. The cost is charged to Batells (your student account) and the Bursary can advise of the current rates.

Punts

The JCR and MCR have a Punt booking scheme which operates during Trinity Term (MCR during summer as well). You can book them online and may need to contact the JCR or MCR rep for advice on how to do this. Once you have booked a Punt come to the Lodge and a Porter will give you a slip to hand to the operator. The Punts are moored on the river by Magdalen Bridge.

College Gym

The College Gym is situated on the second floor of Carrodus Quad. You will need to undergo an induction as well as a pre-exercise questionnaire prior to using the gym. For further information contact the Lodge.

Squash Courts

There are two Squash Courts situated at the rear of the Cardo Building. Bookings may be made online, and you will then be able to access the squash courts via the side gate using your University Card.

Bicycles and cars

Bicycles should be registered and a registration label obtained from the Porters’ Lodge. Details of frame numbers and other distinguishing marks should be noted, and a strong ‘D’ lock is recommended. There is some storage for bicycles on the Main College site, the Cardo Building, James Street, and Saint Aldates House, as well as at each of the graduate accommodation annexes.

Bikes can remain in college as long as you are a current student, and your bike is registered at the lodge. Otherwise, bikes must be taken home each year, and any left are culled after Trinity Term.

Car parking is not available at any of the College accommodation buildings and the city actively discourages cars and limits areas to drivers through a zero emissions zone.

Course Fees

Home students:

Undergraduate rate: £9,250

A full break-down of the University fees for all taught and research postgraduate courses can be found on the University’s Fees and Funding webpages.

Accommodation Charges

The following are the accommodation charges for undergraduate students starting in 2024-25:

Undergraduate

Daily room charge: £27.49

£27.49 x 59 days = £1622.00 per Term (charged in advance each Term)

Vacation daily rate: £19.00

Graduate

Oxley-Wright and Venneit Close

Graduate Accommodation Contracts* (Oxley-Wright and Venneit Close**)

	Oxley-Wright	Venneit Close
40 Week	= £6,592.00	£5,274.00         40 Week Contracts will run 08.09.24 to 14.06.25
43 Week	= £7,087.00	£5,670.00         43 Week Contracts will run 08.09.24 to 05.07.25
51 Week	= £8,404.00	£6,723.00         51 Week Contracts will run 08.09.24 to 30.08.25

There are various payment options available; note that if a College room is accepted by a Graduate it is for the entire contracted period.

*some additional days can be added to either end of these contracts at a rate of £23.54 per day (Venneit Close at £18.83 per day).

For students living out there is a termly Kitchen Establishment Charge of £40.81.

Advice on funding

For Home undergraduate students

The Government’s website has information relating to applying for student maintenance and fee loans and links to other useful sites relating to funding for full-time higher education. The University’s website also has some very useful information relating to funding and bursaries.

If you have not sent your confirmation letter from your student funding agency to the College in advance you should take this to the Bursary as soon as possible after you arrive. All student loan instalments should be transferred immediately to your bank account. If you have not received your loan or do not know whether it is being sent directly to your bank account, please contact the Academic Administrator, Cameron Ott in the College Office.

For Overseas undergraduate students

You should ensure that you have funds for the complete period of your course. This should include costs of travel home, accommodation (including vacations), the University tuition fee and your maintenance costs. The College will need to receive a guarantee from you or your parents and/or your bank confirming that you have the funds to pay the first year’s fees, and also requires advance payment of your University tuition fee by 31 August.

For graduate students

You will need to provide evidence of your ability to pay the combined University and College graduate fee for the first year of your course, we require advance payment of your University tuition fee by 31 August.

Banking

If you wish to open a student bank account when you arrive in Oxford, you will be asked by the bank to provide documentary evidence proving your identity and your student status. Some banks will accept your University Card and/or enrolment certificate as proof of identity and confirmation of student status, but some are now requesting written confirmation from the student’s College. You should request a confirmation letter for your bank from the College Office, via college.office@queens.ox.ac.uk, giving them the details of your bank. This may take a few days at the beginning of Term due to the demands of administration on the College Office staff.

The Oxford Bank Guide for European and International Students can be found on the International Students page on the University website.

Batells

You will receive your first termly invoice (known as a Batells bill) when you arrive in October. This will include your fees, accommodation and any subscription charges. You should make it a priority to pay this as soon as possible. Batells are issued from the Bursary and can be paid online via our payment website (you will need your University login and password to access this site) You may also pay by bank transfer. Bank details will be shown on the Batells statement. If your Batells are not paid by the end of 4th week, you may find yourself barred from using College facilities. In subsequent Terms, Batells must be paid by the end of 1st week. Persistent failure to pay bills on time can lead to rustication (i.e. being sent down from College and not being allowed to return into residence until payment is made in full). Rustication can interfere with residence requirements under the University regulations and cause problems with completing your course of study.

Financial Assistance and Academic Support Grants

Full details of the financial assistance available at Queen’s, along with application forms, can be found on our website.

If you cannot pay your Batells on time, you should contact your Personal Tutor or the Tutor for Welfare, Prof Keyna O’Reilly, as soon as possible so that a solution can be sought. The College Office can also advise you on sources of potential financial help, especially from the University and the College. The College has a Student Finance Committee which considers applications for financial assistance twice a Term. The University also has a bursary scheme for undergraduate students.

There are also  University Financial Assistance schemes and application forms can be obtained from the College Office.

Academic Support Grants 

The College’s Student Finance Committee meets twice a term in weeks 3 and 7 to consider applications for academic support grants. These grants are made to help with the costs associated with completing a course of study: e.g. conference attendance, travel, books, printing, and dissertation research. Application forms can be found on the College website on our Financial Support page. Applications will need the support of your Personal Tutor or College Advisor.

650th Anniversary Trust Fund

There is also a fund that was set up by Old Members to support the extra-curricular activities of Queen’s students. Applications to this, the 650th Anniversary Trust Fund, are invited on an annual basis and the Old Members’ Office will contact you about it in due course.

The main College buildings are on the High Street. This site, often known as Main College, houses the College Library, the Hall, the Chapel, the Shulman Auditorium, the Common Rooms, the Bursary, and the various College offices. Your College teaching will usually take place on this site. Directly to the east of Main College, on Queen’s Lane, is the Carrodus Quadrangle, which is also part of Main College.

The College also owns four annexes. If you walk east along the High Street you reach Magdalen Bridge and beyond this the road splits into three. The most southerly route is the Iffley Road which leads to the Cardo Building on Iffley Road itself and to James Street, where there is more College accommodation. If you walk west along the High Street from the main College site and turn left at the Carfax clock tower down St Aldate’s, you will reach St Aldate’s House at 2 Speedwell Street. There is also an annexe in north Oxford, the Oxley-Wright Building, located at 116 Banbury Road, and one at Venneit Close. The College also has a boathouse on the banks of the River Thames (or River Isis, as it is sometimes locally known), a sportsground in south Oxford and squash courts at the Cardo Building. The Florey Building on St Clement’s Street in east Oxford is currently not in residential use.

Map of College main site

Know Your Oxford: a guided audio tour for new and prospective students

The College offers dining in Hall for every student whether they choose to live in or out. All meals are provided in Hall.

The times of meals during Term are as follows:

Breakfast	8.15 am – 8.45 am		Sundays   8.40 am – 9.00 am
Lunch	12.30 pm – 1.30 pm		Sat* & Sun   12.15 pm – 12.45 pm
Brunch (if brunch is provided there will be no breakfast or lunch on that day)	10.00 am – 11.30 am		Saturdays in 0th to 7th week (*otherwise as above)
Dinner	Cafeteria 1st Hall 5.45 to 6.30 pm Formal 2nd Hall         7.15 pm		Formal Hall         Saturdays 7.15 pm & Sundays 7.30 pm

You may bring guests to meals, for which there is a small surcharge, and there are rules concerning attire and other information found in the Regulations for Junior Members. Please note in particular that you must arrive promptly for dinner or you may not be admitted; the second sitting of dinner (‘Formal Hall’) is a more formal occasion, at which you should be dressed appropriately and wear your gown.

Paying for meals

Information about meals and the cost of meals can be found on the website Accommodation and Meals (Undergraduate) . You will be required to add funds to your university card in advance of booking or paying for meals and sundry items via the link. You can use your University Card to make payment for breakfasts and lunches taken in College. Access your EPOS (meal) account for signing on for dinner, payment and scrutiny.

As the provision of catering facilities is covered by the Kitchen Establishment Charge (KEC), there is no requirement to take or pay for any specified number of meals. This charge contributes towards the College kitchen running costs and is incorporated into the charges students living in pay. For students living out, it is a separate charge on their Batells as they too are permitted to use the College’s dining facilities. If you choose to live out you can enquire the termly KEC charge from the Bursary.

How to book meals

You should sign on for evening and weekend meals via the website using your Oxford Single Sign On (NEXUS) username and password to log in. Access and instructions will be provided by Bursary staff at Registration when you receive your University Card. It is not necessary to book in for breakfast, lunch or 1^st hall cafeteria supper on Monday to Friday, however formal 2nd hall dinner on any day, and all weekend meals, must be booked in advance through the signing-on system. You must sign on for 2^nd hall dinner no later than 11.00 am on the day on which you wish to dine (this may be done days or weeks in advance if desired) and by 11.00 am on Fridays for meals at the weekend.

The welfare of all members of the College community is of great importance to us. If problems do arise, a range of people in the College, the University, the National Health Service (NHS), and the wider community are available to provide help or advice. The NHS is available free of charge to all students.

College support

The induction sessions will provide more information about College welfare provision, and more detail is on our Health and Welfare page.

Personal Tutor
If you are an undergraduate, often the first person to turn to if you need help is your Personal Tutor, who is responsible for your academic and pastoral care. For graduates, the Graduate Advisor plays a similar role.

Welfare Officer
The Welfare Officer is here to support you with any welfare issues that arise and to signpost you to the support you need. Contact the Welfare Officer by email welfare.officer@queens.ox.ac.uk or by phoning 01865 289137. Appointments may be booked online via the Welfare Officer booking system. The Welfare Officer is generally available during office hours and will get back to you as soon as possible within two working days.

Junior Deans
The Junior Deans are postgraduate students who provide out of hours welfare support, between 7pm – 7am and on weekends. They can be reached via decanal.team@queens.ox.ac.uk or by calling the Porters Lodge: 01865 279120. They are also involved in disciplinary matters and you can contact them if you are concerned by issues such as noise, or the behaviour of other members of the College.

The Chaplain
The Chaplain is available to discuss any matter in confidence, whether or not it affects your life in College. You can contact the Chaplain by email at alice.watson@queens.ox.ac.uk.

Tutor for Welfare
The Tutor for Welfare oversees welfare provision in the College. Prof Keyna O’Reilly is the Tutor for Welfare. You can contact her via the Welfare Officer at welfare.officer@queens.ox.ac.uk

University support

Find out more about support available at the University, including the Counselling Service and the Disability Advisory Service, by clicking here.

NHS support

Download immunisation information here

The College Doctors

The College Doctors have agreed to accept any member of the College as a patient. Their surgery is at 19 Beaumont Street. The College requires all Junior Members to register under the NHS or to make a private arrangement with a doctor, who must be in Oxford, in which case you must notify the College of the name of the doctor. Junior Members should remain registered in Oxford during their time at the University, but can obtain treatment elsewhere as temporary residents.

Junior Members should bring a complete vaccination history, with dates.

JCR & MCR support

Within the College, the JCR elects three welfare representatives who organise events to promote your wellbeing and liaise with College on factors affecting student welfare. The MCR also elects a welfare representative with a similar function.

Every student room at Queen’s has network access via wired or wireless connection to the University network and Internet. Wireless (Eduroam) is available throughout the Colleges including other University buildings and libraries. College printers / photocopiers are located in the Library and Moffatt Room (Back Quad, staircase 6). The Moffatt room together with the Berners-Lee Room (Back Quad staircase 5, next to the JCR) have desks for quiet study where you can connect your laptop to wireless (Eduroam) or a wired Ethernet port. These two rooms are for quiet study and desks must be cleared daily to allow others to use the space.

Undergraduates can print for free in the Moffatt Room up to a quota of £25 per year (equivalent to 500 monochrome pages). Graduates have a print quota of £50 per year (equivalent to 1,000 monochrome pages per year). All printing over these quotas is charged to Batells at the end of Trinity Term at 5p per page for monochrome pages and 15p per page for colour pages. A discount of 1p per page is applied automatically for documents that are duplexed (double-sided printing).

Further information on how to print

You are expected to familiarise yourself with the College’s IT policies, which are available on our College Regulations webpage.

In particular, you should take note of the following four points:

1. Your use of the College and University network is not anonymous. File downloads, web browsing and emails could, if necessary, be traced back to your computer. The use of Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file-sharing software for downloading copyright material like music, films and software is forbidden, and carries a hefty financial penalty (minimum £60 University administration fee). The College and University monitors traffic across the wireless and wired networks to ensure that users keep within the IT policy.
2. You should make proper arrangements to back up your work. The consequences of losing academic work, especially shortly before a deadline, can be very serious indeed. Computer failure is not an excuse for late submission of work. Use of Microsoft OneDrive is recommended
3. You should make sure that your computer is protected against viruses, malware/spyware, and other malicious programs by installing up-to-date antivirus/antimalware software and applying regular operating system patches.
4. The College network is for academic work and should not be used for any personal or commercial profit. This includes, but not limited to running any Crypto Mining Software

Staff from the IT Office have provided online resources about how to keep your computer updated, backed up and protected as well as advice on purchasing a new computer. There is advice about how to connect to the University wireless network available here.

The College also runs its own Wireless Network for Students called QC-MyRoom, which can be used to connect devices that can’t connect to Eduroam. This includes Game Consoles, Printers, and other ‘Smart’ devices.

Please do get in contact with the College IT Office if you have any questions or concerns. The IT Office is located in Front Quad 1, room 5 and the team can be contacted by email (it-support@queens.ox.ac.uk) or via Microsoft Teams.

Oxford Libraries

Libraries will play a big part during your time at Oxford, whether providing access to online articles on your reading list or helping you find that elusive book. The Bodleian Libraries is the library service supporting the University and can help you get the most out of your course. Find out how the libraries can help you by visiting the Getting Started webpage. where you can watch a brief welcome video and register to attend a short webinar hosted by friendly library staff. These are available to all students from any college and are not subject specific. Subject specific library inductions will be available and you will need to sign up for these in due course.  Students with disabilities are encouraged to register with the Disability Advisory Service (DAS) to ensure that the Bodleian Libraries and The Queen’s College Library are best able to support you during your time at Oxford.

The Queen’s College Library

The College Library is situated along the west side of Back Quad and is on three levels: the Upper Library, Lower Library (ground level/entrance), and the New Library (underground) – the latter also has lift access.

There is detailed information about the Library on our College website and everyone is encouraged to read this information before arriving at Queen’s to commence their studies. The Peet Library of Egyptology is housed in the New Library and is available to Egyptology students from across the University, on request. Please contact library@queens.ox.ac.uk in the first instance.

The Library team consists of Dr Matthew Shaw, Librarian; Sarah Arkle, Deputy Librarian; Lauren Ward, Assistant Librarian; and Felix Taylor, the Library Assistant.  You can contact us on library@queens.ox.ac.uk or via Twitter @QueensLibOx or Instagram @queenscollegelibraryox

The College Library is open to all members of the College and is an integral part of College life. The Library team are on hand during office hours to help students find material, as well as give advice and support either in person or via email library@queens.ox.ac.uk which is monitored Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm.

Hours of Access

The Lower Library and New Library are accessible to all current members of College 24 hours a day, whilst the Upper Library is open when a member of the Library team is present (the exact hours for staffed services varies between term and vacation). Always check https://www.queens.ox.ac.uk/library-current-students for the most up to date information.

Visitors

You must always seek advance permission before bringing in guests to view the Library, and you should read the detailed information elsewhere on the website regarding times and permissions. Please avoid bringing in guests during Trinity Term which is the peak examination season.

Other members of the University who are not members of the College are not permitted to use the Library.

For safety and security reasons, the Library is monitored by CCTV.

Matriculation will take place on Saturday 19th October 2024 at the Sheldonian. You will be required to meet in College at 9am beforehand, wearing full academic dress.

You will receive further information by email nearer the time.

The University has a webpage explaining matriculation

Academic dress will be required for many important events during your time at Oxford including examinations and graduation. Please review the University guidance on academic dress

Noticeboards

Important information will be displayed on the noticeboards in Front Quad by the Porters’ Lodge. Please make sure that you read these notices carefully.

Email

At registration, you will be given an official College email address in the form ‘firstname.surname@queens.ox.ac.uk’ and information from the IT office staff about how to access your email. You are required to check this email account at least once a day and reply to any official email or email from your tutors within 24 hours. If you do not check your email you are likely to miss important information.

College Regulations

The College seeks to be a friendly and well-regulated academic community. To ensure that the environment is suitable for academic work and that the College runs smoothly to cater for your needs, there are College Rules and Regulations, which govern what is or is not permissible. The Rules and Regulations are best thought of like the Highway Code, which exists to ensure that road users know how to interact with each other to avoid collisions. They exist for everyone’s benefit, and you should familiarise yourself with them. Please read the College Regulations for Junior Members.

There are non-academic disciplinary procedures, described in the Rules and Regulations, which are applied when the rules and regulations are breached.

Your student file

Every student at the College has a student file which is kept by the College Office. This file stores information relevant to your academic career at the College, including: your UCAS form (in the case of undergraduates); application form (in the case of graduates); information about your fees; exam results and prizes; and, where relevant, information on any disciplinary matter relating to your academic work and progress. The student file may also contain medical or disability information where it is relevant to your education, e.g. a Student Support Plan or arrangements for taking exams under special conditions. Some of this information, including medical information, will be removed and destroyed six years after you leave the College. The rest will be digitised and kept in the College Archives. Access to personal information in the archives is strictly controlled and used only for legitimate research purposes. In addition to the student file, the College has access to eVision, the central University of Oxford student records system, and to TMS (for undergraduates) on which your progress is recorded. Other information may be recorded e.g. by your tutors, or by members of the decanal and welfare team, relating for instance to welfare matters and non-academic disciplinary proceedings. Full details of how we store, use and share your personal information, and your rights over your own information, can be found on our GDPR information webpage.

Noise

Noise is a particular issue, and reasonable quiet is expected at all times but required between 11 pm and 8 am on all College sites.

Harassment

The College also has a specific code of practice concerning harassment and bullying, which is intended to inform its members of the type of behaviour that is unacceptable and to provide members who are the victims of harassment with a means of redress. It is important that you read this document, which is available on our Equality Information webpage.

How the College is organised

The College community consists of around 330 undergraduate students, 160 graduate students, 40 Fellows, 35 Junior Research Fellows and College Lecturers, and a large number of College administrative, library and support staff.  It is an academic charity and is run by the Governing Body whose members are the Trustees of the charity. The Governing Body consists of most of the Fellows of the College. It determines the policies and governs the activities of the College. It elects College Officers such as the Senior Tutor, Tutor for Undergraduates, Dean and Tutor for Admissions who have responsibility for specific aspects of the College’s work. It is advised and assisted by a set of College committees with responsibility for considering particular areas of the College’s work. There is student representation on the committees and on the Governing Body itself.

The College itself is governed by Statutes and By-laws which you can read on our Policies and Procedures webpage.

As a College, we are committed to equality of opportunity, and specifically to the provision of education of excellent quality at undergraduate and postgraduate level for able students, whatever their background. In pursuit of this aim, we try to ensure that all students are helped to achieve their full academic potential. You can read our equality of opportunity policy on our Policies and Procedures webpage. If, while a member of the College, you become aware of any activity, official or unofficial, which appears to run counter to this policy, please report it to the Equalities Adviser, the Senior Tutor, the Tutor for Undergraduates or the Dean.

Complaints

Complaints should be directed to the appropriate person and your Personal Tutor can advise you about who that would be. In general, complaints about the behaviour of other students should be addressed to the Dean or Junior Deans. Complaints about non-academic College staff should be addressed to the Domestic Bursar. Complaints about College academic staff should be addressed to the Senior Tutor. Please also see the College complaints procedure.

Emergencies

In an emergency, members of College should call the appropriate emergency service (999 or 112) or the police non-emergency number (101) can be used if the situation does not require emergency services. In either situation students must also contact the Porters’ Lodge by telephone if urgent on 01865 279120, or by email to report a non-urgent situation.  For help in providing First Aid, the Porters should be contacted immediately.

The Common Rooms

All students, whether undergraduate or graduate, are Junior Members of the College and are members of the Junior Common Room (JCR). This is in effect the student union for Junior Members of the College. The JCR is situated in Back Quad, Staircase 5, and is a social meeting place with newspapers, television, refreshments etc. It is run by a committee of elected representatives. It organizes everyday social events around the College and meets fortnightly to debate a whole host of issues. The JCR helps to organize part of the induction week for new undergraduates and produces its own Freshers’ Guide to the College, which is included in this pack. Its representatives seek and pass on the views of JCR members to College committees and Governing Body. There is no subscription charge to the JCR, but small levies are made for charities and the provision of some facilities, details of which will be provided by the JCR President when you arrive, and from which you have the right to opt out if you so wish. Find out more on the JCR website.

In addition to this, Graduate students are members of the Middle Common Room (MCR). The MCR is situated in Front Quad 6 in a room overlooking the Front Quad, and provides excellent social and academic focus and support. It is a friendly environment where newspapers, periodicals and refreshments can be enjoyed in comfortable surroundings. The MCR organises weekly dinners and regular monthly evening seminars, in addition to many other sporting and social activities. MCR representatives seek and pass on the views of MCR members to College committees and Governing Body. There is a subscription charge per term for the MCR. Students eligible to become members can opt out if they wish to do so. Find out more on the MCR website.

The Fellows and Lecturers are Senior Members of the College, and members of the Senior Common Room (SCR).

Fellows, Personal Tutors, and Graduate Advisors

The College has Fellows in almost all the subjects for which it admits undergraduate students. You can find listings of Fellows from our Fellows and Academics page. Most of the Fellows act as Subject Tutors (or Praelectors), teaching undergraduates from Queen’s (and those of other colleges) in tutorials and classes, as well as researching in their subjects. Most also hold posts with University departments (sometimes called faculties, schools, centres, institutes, etc.), which require them to give lectures, lead research groups, secure grants, participate in academic conferences, supervise graduate students for Masters’ degrees and doctorates, act as examiners, and assist in the administration of the departments and the University as a whole.

Those Fellows who are Subject Tutors have the responsibility to provide or organise teaching in their subject for the undergraduate members of the College. They are assisted by other tutors who are also Senior Members of the College with a special responsibility for teaching undergraduates. If you are studying a course that lies within the teaching specialism of one of the College’s tutors, it is likely that you will be taught by them. Otherwise, the Subject Tutor will arrange for you to be taught outside College, often by a Fellow or Lecturer at another Oxford college. In some cases, undergraduate teaching arrangements are made centrally by University departments. Where that is so, the Subject Tutor at Queen’s will still have organisational responsibility for the undergraduates concerned.

The teaching and supervisory arrangements for graduates are made by University departments, so it will generally only be by chance that they are taught or supervised by Senior Members of the College.

Fellows and other College tutors will sometimes be on sabbatical research leave, which means that they will not be teaching for the College, and may even be absent, researching elsewhere. They are also sometimes called upon to become College Officers, or undertake administrative or other responsibilities for the University, which reduces the teaching they can do. In such cases, the College will usually make an additional, temporary appointment to cover the teaching.

Most of the Fellows also act as Personal Tutors for undergraduates and Graduate Advisers for graduates. These roles are both advisory and pastoral.  Each of you will be allocated a Personal Tutor or Graduate Adviser. For undergraduates, this is likely to be one of the Subject Tutors who teaches your degree subject. For graduates, it is likely to be a Fellow working in a similar area. The Personal Tutor or Graduate Adviser will generally be the first person that you should go to if you need help or advice on an academic or welfare matter. In the very rare event that you feel unhappy about relations with your Personal Tutor or Graduate Adviser, you should consult either the Senior Tutor or the Tutor for Undergraduates (undergraduates) or the Senior Tutor or the Tutor for Graduates (graduates), if the concerns are primarily academic ones; or a member of the Welfare team if the concerns are primarily welfare ones.  You are of course free to discuss difficulties with any Senior Member of the College if you feel this would be helpful.

You will soon receive various pre-arrival forms in your electronic Freshers Pack – please review all the instructions carefully and return by the specified deadlines.

You should ensure that you read the following documents referred to in your College registration email:

Academic Disciplinary Procedures

College Regulations for Junior Members

Fitness to study policy and procedures

IT rules and regulations

Non-Academic Disciplinary Procedures

University Terms and Conditions for Matriculated Students

Full information about the activities and societies on offer at Queen’s will be provided during Freshers Week.

Music

There are two music practice rooms (in Back Quad Staircase 3 and Carrodus Quad), which can be booked online. There is an upright piano and a harpsichord in the Back Quad room, and a grand piano and a harpsichord in the Carrodus Quad room. There is also a Steinway grand piano in the Shulman Auditorium. If you wish to be added to the lists of those permitted to play the organ in the Chapel, or the grand piano in the Shulman Auditorium, you should contact Prof Rees to obtain permission: owen.rees@queens.ox.ac.uk.  Those permitted to use the piano in the Shulman Auditorium may book practice times on Sunday mornings and weekday evenings, when the building is not otherwise in use, through the Lodge.

The mixed-voice Chapel Choir, directed by Professor Rees, is widely regarded as the finest such choir in Oxford. The Choir sings for services in Chapel on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during Term, as well as performing at least one major concert each term, and undertakes other concerts and tours within Britain and abroad, broadcasts, and recordings. If you are interested in joining the Choir, please contact Professor Rees, owen.rees@queens.ox.ac.uk.

The College also has the Eglesfield Musical Society (EMS), the longest-running music society at Oxford, which organises an orchestra, chorus, string quartet, a cappella group, and jazz band, and puts on a musical each Trinity Term. Information about how to get involved will be available at the College Freshers’ Fair.

Sport

Sporting activities are arranged by students and you will receive information about sports at the College Freshers’ Fair.

Chapel

College chapels and choral services are a part of the Oxford experience, for students and visitors alike. Our present chapel was consecrated in 1719, and it remains a resource for all members of the College to seek stillness, explore their spirituality, express their creativity, and be open to life’s questions. Regular services follow the traditions of the Church of England, but they are open to all, and are appreciated by many members of the College regardless of religious belief or background. Former students often choose to celebrate their wedding in Chapel. The main service is Choral Evensong, which is sung by the College Choir at 6.30 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays and 6.15 pm on Sundays during term. On Sundays, this includes a sermon, and we aim for a diverse and challenging programme of guest preachers. A quiet service of Morning Prayer takes place Mon-Fri at 8.45 am, and Holy Communion is offered at 9.30 am on Sunday, as well as at least one other time per term. The Chapel is open all day, and there are times reserved for quietness or prayer. A full programme of services and events is made available at the beginning of each term, or ‘like’ the Chapel page on Facebook for updates.

The University Student Handbook provides general information and guidance you may need to help you to make the most of the opportunities on offer at the University of Oxford. It also gives you formal notification and explanation of the University’s codes, regulations, policies and procedures.

The University term dates are accessible on the university website here

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