St Cross College, Oxford

Colleges and halls of the University of Oxford
St Cross College
                           
College name St Cross College
Latin name Collegium Sanctae Crucis Oxoniae
Motto Ad quattuor cardines mundi
Named after St Cross Road and St Cross Church[1]
Established 1965
Sister college Clare Hall, Cambridge
Master Sir Mark Jones
Undergraduates 0
Graduates 492 (2011/2012)
Location St Giles'


Location of St Cross College within central OxfordCoordinates: 51°45′24″N 1°15′37″W / 51.756528°N 1.260311°W / 51.756528; -1.260311

College website
Boat Club shared with Wolfson College Boat Club
Blazon Argent a cross potent purpure a quarter counterchanged

St Cross College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is an all-graduate college with traditional-style buildings on a central site in St Giles', just south of Pusey Street. It aims to match the structure, life and support of undergraduate colleges, with the relaxed atmosphere of an all-graduate college.[2] Founded in 1965, the college is the fourth youngest of Oxford's 38 colleges.

On 18 November 2010, it was announced that Sir Mark Jones, previously Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum had been elected as the next Master of the college; he took up the post in September 2011.[3]

History

St Cross College was formally set up by the University in 1965; it was to admit its first graduate students (five in number) in the following year. The establishment of the college, together with that of Iffley (now Wolfson College), arose out of pressure on the University during the early 1960s to solve the related problems of the increasing number of faculty and graduate students who lacked a college affiliation.

The early location of St Cross was on a site in St Cross Road, immediately south of St Cross Church. The college was named for its proximity to these places. In 1976 negotiations began between the college and the members of Pusey House over the possibility of moving the college to the St Giles site. The negotiations were successful, and in 1981 the college moved from St Cross Road into a site owned by Pusey House for a leased period of 999-years. The old site on St Cross Road continued to be used, initially by the Centre for Islamic Studies (at that time an Associated Centre of the college), and then subsequently in the early 1990s the site was developed by the college in collaboration with Brasenose College. The site now houses two residential buildings, which were opened in 1996.

Buildings

The college is located on St Giles near to the Ashmolean Museum, and immediately north of Blackfriars. It is also within metres of the Classics faculty and the Oriental Institute. Regent's Park College, one of Oxford's Permanent Private Halls, is also nearby.

The Pusey House buildings date from the period of 1884 to 1926 and are mainly the work of the architects Temple and Leslie Moore and Ninian Comper. Discreet internal alterations were made when St Cross moved in by Geoffrey Beard and the Oxford Architects Partnership. Among these was the conversion of a cloister and store rooms into the Saugman Hall (now the Saugman Common Room) named after Per Saugman, a former Director of Blackwell Scientific Publications and a former fellow of the college. The first quadrangle was named the Richard Blackwell Quadrangle in honour of Richard Blackwell (another former fellow); both Saugman and Blackwell played a crucial part in securing for St Cross the large Blackwell benefaction for the college. Most students, however, refer to the Richard Blackwell Quadrangle by its nickname: 'the Quad'.

Behind the main buildings to the west, and through the 'four colleges arch' (named after the four colleges which had contributed especially generous capital and recurrent funding to St Cross: Merton, All Souls, Christ Church, and St John's), lies a large open garden bordered by medieval boundary wall. It should be noted that 'Four Colleges Arch' is referred to by most students as 'that arch'. This has offered the college the possibility of expanding its buildings and erecting a second quadrangle. Work has so far been completed on one new wing, containing a hall and kitchen, with bar, function room and games room below, and study bedrooms above. The final sections of the quadrangle were set to be completed in time for the college's semicentennial in 2015.[4] However, planning permission for the new building was rejected, as it required the demolition of a medieval boundary wall, an action which the council qualified as 'unjustifiable'.[5] Planning permission was subsequently granted following an appeal. [6]

Academia

St Cross has just under 500 graduate students at any one time, studying for degrees in all subjects.[7] There is a strong emphasis on international diversity, with 70% of the students coming from outside the UK. This is reflected in the college motto Ad quattuor cardines mundi, meaning ‘to the four corners of the earth’. The fellowship is similarly diverse and represents a broad range of academic disciplines in the sciences and the arts. Unusually for an Oxford college there is a founding tradition of sharing social facilities between fellows, members of Pusey House, the Common Room and students, with no separate high table or Senior Common Room. This gives the college a much more informal atmosphere and makes it an important community of scholars who forge links across a range of subjects.

The college has an active social calendar for both current students and alumni. There are a range of college societies and sports teams (often in collaboration with other colleges), as well as weekly academic seminars and annual conferences.

The college's Boat Club, shared with Wolfson College is particularly successful, and like many other college boat clubs competes both within the university itself and in external competitions.[8] The St Cross women's football team also enjoys success, becoming Cuppers Champions in 2015.[9]

Other events in the college include regular feasts, 'bops' and balls. As a result of the large international community at St Cross, the college strives to cater a wide range of events from other cultures; St Cross was the first Oxford college to officially celebrate Chinese New Year.[10] Reunion events for alumni are hosted by the college annually both in Oxford itself and abroad.[11]

Traditions

Grace

The College grace is:

“ (ante cibum) Adesto nobis, Domine Deus noster: et concede ut quos Sanctae Crucis laetari facis honore, ejus donis quoque salutaribus nutrias, per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum.

(before the meal) "Be present with us, O Lord our God: and grant that those whom thou makest to rejoice in the honour of the Holy Cross, thou mayest also nourish by wholesome gifts, through our Lord Jesus Christ."

 ”
“ (post cibum) Gratias agimus tibi, Domine, pro omnibus beneficiis tuis per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum.

(after the meal) "We give thanks to thee, O Lord, for all thy favours through our Lord Jesus Christ."

 ”

Notable alumni

Fellows and Masters

Sir Mark Jones, Master

Masters

Fellows

References

  1. ↑ Emilie Savage-Smith (2009) St Cross: The first 45 years. St Cross College Record 26:78–90
  2. ↑ Why Choose St Cross College St Cross College Website, 30 May 2012.
  3. ↑ Sir Mark Jones elected Master of St Cross College University of Oxford news 18 November 2010.
  4. ↑ Quadrangle design shortlist St Cross College News, 12 June 2012.
  5. ↑ Niall McLaughlin's Oxford college plans rejected Architects' Journal, 28 October 2013
  6. ↑ "St Cross College achieves planning permission for the proposed West Quad". ox.ac.uk.
  7. ↑ OU Facts and Figures Oxford University Website
  8. ↑ Wolfson-St Cross Boat Club College Website
  9. ↑ 'St Cross Women's Football Team are Cuppers Champions 2015' St Cross College news, 3 March 2015
  10. ↑ 'International Community' St Cross College, 30 May 2012.
  11. ↑ 'Alumni reception held in New York' St Cross College News, 30 May 2012.

Bibliography

External links

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