The University of Oxford ( Oxford University informally, or simply Oxford ) is a university research college based in Oxford, England.
While Oxford has no known date of foundation , there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096 date , which is the oldest university in the English-speaking world , and the second oldest university in the world . It grew rapidly from 1167 when Henry II banned English students at the University of Paris to conflicts between students and townspeople of Oxford in 1209 , some academics fled north - east Cambridge, where they established the University of Cambridge has become . . The two " ancient universities " often referred to collectively as " Oxbridge " .
The University is composed of a variety of institutions , including 38 constituent colleges and a wide range of academic departments organized into four sections. Most undergraduate teaching at Oxford is organized around weekly tutorials at self-governing colleges and halls , supported , lectures and laboratory work for university faculties and departments . Oxford educated many notable alumni , including 27 Nobel Prizes ( 58 members in total) , 26 British Prime Ministers (most recently David Cameron ) and many foreign heads of state .
Oxford is home to several notable awards, including the Clarendon scholarship in 2001 was launched and the Rhodes scholarship that brought graduate students to read at the University for more than a century.
Buildings , collections and facilities:
The University is a " University City " in the sense that it is not a main campus ; Instead , universities , departments , accommodation and other facilities through the center of the spread of the city. The area of science , which houses most of the departments of science , is the area that is closest to a campus likeness. The ten acres Radcliffe Observatory Quarter in the northwest of the city is currently under development . But the websites of the largest " schools of similar size of these areas.
University buildings emblematic as the Sheldonian theater for concerts, lectures, and University ceremonies and school examinations where the examinations and some conferences are held . The University Church of St. Mary the Virgin is used for ceremonies of the University for the construction of the Sheldonian . Christ Church Cathedral was unique as both a chapel of the college and as a cathedral.
In 2012-13 , the University is building the controversial hectare ( 400 x 25m ) Castle Mill development 4-5 plants every student apartments overlooking Meadow Cripley and historic Puerto Prado, close view of the towers in the center of the city . The development has been compared to building a " skyscraper next to Stonehenge. "
Organization:
As a collegiate university, Oxford 's structure can be confusing to those not familiar with it. The university is a federation consisting of over forty self-governing colleges and halls , along with a central administration headed by the Vice - Chancellor.
The academic departments are located within the structure of the Federation; we are not affiliated to any university in particular. Departments for teaching and research, determine the curriculum and guidelines for the teaching of students , perform research, and deliver lectures and seminars.
Colleges arrange the tutorial teaching for their students, and members of an academic department are spread around many colleges. Although some universities have thematic routes (eg Nuffield College as a center for the social sciences ) , these are exceptions , and most colleges have a broad mix of academics and students from a wide variety of topics. Facilities such as libraries at all these levels : by the central university ( the Bodleian ) , by the departments (individual departmental libraries , such as the English Faculty Library ) , and by colleges ( one of which maintains a multidisciplinary library for the use of its members) .
Affiliates:
Oxford is a member of the Russell Group of research -led British universities by the Coimbra Group , the G5 , the League of European Universities and the International Alliance of Research Universities . It is also a key member of Europaeum and is part of the 'Golden Triangle ' of British universities .
Colleges :
Being a member of the University, all students, and most academic staff , must also be a member of a college or hall. There are 38 colleges in the University of Oxford and six permanent private halls , each controlling its membership and with its own internal structure and activities. Not all colleges offer all courses , but usually cover a wide variety of topics.
The colleges are :
- All Souls College
- Balliol College
- Brasenose
- christ Church
- Corpus Christi College
- Exeter College
- Green Templeton College
- Harris Manchester College
- University Hertford
- Jesus College
- Keble College
- Kellogg College
- Lady Margaret Hall
- Lincoln College
- Linacre College
- Magdalen College
- Mansfield College
- Merton College
- New College
- Nuffield College
- Oriel College
- Pembroke College
- Queen's University
- The Somerville College
- St Anne's College
- St Antony's College
- St. Catherine College
- St Cross College
- St Edmund Hall
- St Hilda's College
- St Hugh's College
- St John's College
- St Peter's College
- Trinity College
- University College
- Wadham College
- Wolfson College
- Worcester College
Permanent Private Halls founded by different Christian denominations . One difference between a university and a HPP is that while the former by supporters of the university, the management of a residential PPH, at least in part , to the same Christian denomination. The six current PPHs is:
- Blackfriars
- Campion
- Regent Park
- St Benet of
- Casa de San Esteban
- Wycliffe
The PPH and colleges come together as the Conference of Colleges, the common interests of the various faculties of the University represented , and to discuss policy and to deal with the central University administration . The Conference of Universities established as a recommendation of the Commission francs in 1965.
The members of the colleges of education ( ie , fellows and tutors) are collectively known as professors, although the term is rarely used by the university itself . In addition to residential and dining , colleges provide social , cultural and recreational activities for its members . Universities are responsible for admitting undergraduates and organizing their tuition ; for graduates , this responsibility lies with the departments. There is no common title for the heads of the universities ; names used include Warden , rector , director , president , rector, master and dean .
Academic year :
The academic year is divided into three terms San Miguel term lasts from October to December ; Hilary quarter January to March; Trinity and April-June quarter . Within each of these terms , Council determines an eight-week period called a term , during which undergraduate teaching takes place . These teaching terms are shorter than those of many other British universities , and the total duration of the full terms amounts to less than half the year . However, students also expect an academic work during the three holidays (known as the Christmas, Easter and the long vacation ) do.
Internally at least , the weeks of the term is often by the time elapsed from the beginning of each term refers to : So the first week of a full term , "one week" and the last is " eight weeks " . The week numbers continues until the end of the term, and begins again with negative since the beginning of the next term , through " minus first week " and " noughth week " that "one week" precede . This week starts on Sunday . Undergraduate must be in residence from Thursday of 0th week .