MERTON COLLEGE
OXFORD OX1 4JD
From
THE DEAN OF GRADUATES
Professor V Gouverneur
(01865) 275633 (College room)
(01865) 286500 (fax)
veronique.gouveurneur@merton.ox.ac.uk
Dear Fresher,
Welcome to Merton. As Dean of Graduates, I am responsible for graduate affairs in
general in the College, and if there is any way in which I might be able to help, either
now or at any stage during your time at Merton. If you have any questions relating to
your academic life at Merton your first port of call should be your College Advisor. If
you would like to meet with me as Dean of Graduates then please could you make an
appointment via the Academic Administrator (victoria.lill@merton.ox.ac.uk).
Please find available on this website some miscellaneous information about Merton and
Oxford in general, which you might find useful by way of supplement to the College
Handbook.
I hope you will enjoy your time at Merton and look forward to meeting you.
Professor Veronique Gouverneur
2011
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION FOR GRADUATES
COLLEGE ADVISERS
Everyone reading for a higher degree is assigned a Fellow of the College as his/her
`college adviser'. The aim is to provide an academic and social link with a senior member
of the College, and someone with whom you can discuss matters that you may not wish
to raise with your supervisor. The description of College advisers offered by the
University in 2008 states:
The College Adviser will be in a position to discuss the student’s academic work.
This does not mean that the graduate and adviser must be members of the same
Department or Faculty. The College Adviser is not in any way intended to replace
the University supervisor, or to act in his or her stead and should, therefore, not be
expected to give the same detailed academic guidance and direction. Thus, a College
Adviser to a graduate should not also be the graduate’s University supervisor. Rather,
the intention is to provide a focal point for an individual student’s relationship with
the College, which nevertheless includes an academic component.
The College Adviser is expected to monitor a student’s progress, to discuss the
University supervisor’s reports, and to be available for regular consultation on
academic or other matters, including those issues that a student may feel unable to
raise with his/her supervisor. Advisers should, as appropriate, comment positively
on students’ progress, and achievements; they are not only there to monitor students’
progress and pick up problems. The Adviser may wish to consult with the Dean of
Graduates about any students who appear to be experiencing difficulties with their
academic work, or direct students to other appropriate persons for assistance with
non-academic related difficulties.
The Dean of Graduates is responsible for the graduate affairs of the College in general,
and is always ready to help with any problems that college advisers may be unable to
handle - e.g. dealings with Faculty Boards and the British Academy, college endorsement
of applications, and so on. The Women's Adviser and Welfare Adviser are also available
for consultation if required.
MEALS
Junior members must book for evening meals via the College website at
http://epos.merton.ox.ac.uk using their University card.
New Junior members will have their meal accounts credited by £20 which will be added
to the first battels bill. After that advance payments, minimum £20, may be made during
normal bursary office hours, 9.00 a.m.-12.00 noon and 1.30 p.m. - 4.30 p.m. Monday to
Friday. Any unused credits will be refunded on battels at the end of the course of studies.
Booking for supper and Formal Hall must be completed by 10.00 a.m. for dinner on the
same day. There are restrictions on the numbers that may book in for supper and Formal
Hall.
It is not necessary to book in advance for breakfast or lunch. Payment for the meal is
completed by swiping the University card on the terminal in the Hall at mealtimes.
Bookings for guest meals may be made via the College website. Up to three guests may
be invited for any meal.
Special Guest Nights are normally held in Hall on Fridays of 2nd, 4th and 6th Weeks.
A joint SCR/MCR dinner is held during the Christmas and Easter vacations.
COLLEGE AMENITIES
All graduates are automatically members of the Junior Common Room as well as the
Middle Common Room, and of the Amalgamated Sports Club. A nominal subscription is
charged per term in arrears (on battels) by the MCR, to cover social and other events.
This charge will be levied unless the College is instructed to the contrary, as it is
presumed that all graduates will wish to take part in the social and other life of the MCR.
The College offers various facilities, including payphones and laundry facilities. The
MCR has its own common room (with newspapers, periodicals, television, video and
drinks cabinet), and there are personal computing facilities in the College. There is also a
College bar. The MCR currently holds two dinners a term and numerous social events.
FEES AND CHARGES
Academic fees, board and lodging and other charges are payable by the end of the first
week of each term. If there are any problems with these you should discuss the situation
with the Finance Bursar before the date when payment is due.
GRANTS
The College is willing to consider applications from graduates for grants towards
expenses incurred in travelling in the course of furthering their research, or any special
expenses incurred during research over and above those which would normally be
expected. Graduates may apply only once per academic year. Applications should
be submitted to the Academic Administrator by the end of the fifth week of any
term. Application forms are available from the MCR website under “Links &
Forms”.
LANCELYN GREEN FOUNDATION FUND
The Committee for the Lancelyn Green Foundation Fund makes grants to graduate
members of the College to further research into English and Classical Literature, or for
travel for the purpose of research into classical studies in Greece and the adjacent
countries. Applications should be in the form of a letter addressed to the Classical
Tutor.
SIMMS FUND
The College Simms Fund Committee considers applications for grants from the Simms
Fund to assist graduates in the completion of their theses, if they have encountered
difficulties or delays beyond what would normally be expected, particularly if the thesis is
likely to be submitted in a reasonably short time. Requests for grants for other major and
exceptional research expenses may also be considered, if these cannot be reimbursed
from regular funding authorities. Application forms are available from the MCR
website under “Links & Forms”.
HARDSHIP
The College has a Student Hardship Committee to consider cases of financial distress
among junior members. Details may be obtained from the Chaplain.
LIBRARIES
The opening times of the College libraries are posted on the Lodge noticeboard. Apart
from the various University Libraries (about which information is provided in a separate
leaflet) the Oxford City Library in the Westgate Centre is worth mentioning.
GOWNS
Gowns are always worn for formal dinner during Full Term and for Chapel services.
Several Oxford outfitters stock them. Those reading for higher degrees may wear either
the Advanced Student's gown or the academic dress of their own universities. Those
reading for a second BA degree may wear the Advanced Student’s gown when required,
but must wear the Commoner’s gown when sitting examinations. Visiting Students may
wear the Commoner’s gown.
ADDRESSES
Please inform BOTH the Lodge AND the Tutorial Office of any change of
address or telephone number, and leave a forwarding address when you are away
from Oxford. Failure to do so can cause a lot of inconvenience to both the College and
yourself.
At the end of the academic year please make sure that the Tutorial Office and the
Domestic Bursary know whether or not you will be in Oxford for the following year.
Otherwise you could find yourself being charged fees unnecessarily.
RESIDENCE
`Keeping Term' is defined by the University Statute as spending 42 nights in Oxford
during the period of the University term (usually from about a fortnight before the
beginning of Full Term to about a fortnight after the end). If you have a room or set,
you must fill in a departure card if you plan to be away for more than three days.
ACCOMMODATION FOR COUPLES
The College has a small number of flats for graduate couples. Please contact the Estates
Bursary if you wish to apply for one. Otherwise the University Accommodation Office at
Ewert
House,
Ewert
Place,
Banbury
Road,
Oxford
OX2
7DD
http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/accommodation/
may be able to help. For advertisements, the local weekly paper The Oxford Times, which
appears on Fridays, will probably be more useful than the daily Oxford Mail. A few
accommodation agencies will be found in the classified telephone directory. The College
is not able to offer accommodation to families with children.
PROCTORIAL REGULATIONS
Graduate members of the College, unless they are Oxford MAs or MAs by incorporation
from Cambridge or Trinity College, Dublin, are in statu pupillari and subject to the
Proctor's regulations concerning the conduct of junior members of the University though in practice some of these regulations are relaxed in favour of graduate students.
If in doubt please contact your college adviser or the Dean of Graduates.
MEDICAL SERVICES
Details of the services of the College doctors (Drs Bogdanor, Leaver and O’Shea), nurse
(Mrs Brough), and dentist (Mr Le Tocq) are given in the College Handbook. There is no
obligation to use the College's medical facilities; if you live out of Oxford with your
family, you may prefer to register with a local doctor. But most graduates will probably
be best served by the College arrangements.
Please inform the Lodge if you are ill, so that any necessary help can be given.
The College also has a Welfare Adviser (Corin Throsby) who may be consulted if
required.
TELEPHONES
Graduate rooms are provided with phone jacks linked to the University network.
Graduates may, at their own expense, make use of these private lines in conjunction with
telephone services companies approved by the University and the College. There are two
payphones in the Merton Street precinct and University network line in the laundry in
Holywell Street. You must supply your own handset. Calls may be made using 0800
phone card. Your room telephone number is available from the Lodge. A separate phone
instruction sheet will be circulated by email to all graduates on arrival.
CLUBS
Information about the many University clubs and societies can be found in Vade
Mecum (available from any stationer), which appears each term. The following
organisations may be of particular interest:The University Club – situated at Mansfield Road, provides social, sporting and
hospitality facilities for all staff, post-graduates, alumni and retired staff of the university
and associated institutions; (tel: 01865 271044; email: reception@club.ox.ac.uk)
The British Council – has local offices at 1 Beaumont Place, and welcomes overseas
students (tel: 01865 316636).
The Newcomers' Club The Oxford University Newcomers’ Club is an organisation,
run by volunteers, whose aim is to help newly-arrived wives, husbands or partners of
members of the University and visiting scholars to settle down and to give them the
opportunity to meet people in Oxford. The Club is based at 13 Norham Gardens (just
north of the University Parks); (email: ncomers@herald.ox.ac.uk)
BICYCLES
Bicycles are not to be brought into College quadrangles, rooms or corridors. Bicycles
may be kept in Old Warden's Lodgings Yard or in the bicycle store in the basement of
Holywell Buildings. The College accepts no responsibility for bicycles, and junior
members are advised not to bring expensive bicycles to Oxford.
CARS
Junior members of the College are advised against bringing motor cars and motor cycles
into Oxford because of tight traffic restrictions, the scarcity of parking places and the
high level of car crime. Junior members are not allowed to park vehicles on College
premises. However, there are a limited number of spaces available at the Sports Ground.
You will need to contact the Estates Bursary to see if any spaces are available before
coming to Merton. There is a charge of £60 per term plus £10 deposit and you will be
required to register your vehicle with the Estates Bursary.