St Hilda's College, Oxford

St Hilda's College, Oxford
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Name	St Hilda's College, Oxford
Established	1893
Location	Oxford, England

St Hilda's College, Oxford is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford, founded in 1893 by Dorothea Beale and Alice Joanna Sinclair to provide women with access to higher education at a time when they were excluded from Brasenose College, Oxford, Christ Church, Oxford, and other colleges. The college is named after Hilda of Whitby, a 7th-century Northumbrian saint, and has a long history of association with Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, Somerville College, Oxford, and other women's colleges. St Hilda's College has been a member of the Oxford University Women's Boat Club since its founding and has a strong rivalry with St Anne's College, Oxford and St Hugh's College, Oxford. The college has also been affiliated with the Oxford University Dramatic Society and the Oxford Union.

● History

The college was founded in 1893, with the support of Emily Davies, a prominent Girton College, Cambridge educator, and Baroness Burdett-Coutts, a philanthropist and Royal Holloway, University of London benefactor. Initially, the college was located at Cowley Road, Oxford, but it moved to its current site on the River Cherwell in 1920, near Magdalen College, Oxford and Wolfson College, Oxford. During World War II, the college was used as a Royal Air Force base and a British Army training center, and many of its students and staff were involved in the war effort, including Bletchley Park and the Special Operations Executive. The college has also been associated with the Oxford University Labour Club and the Oxford University Conservative Association.

● Buildings and grounds

The college's main building, South Building, was designed by Henry Wilson and completed in 1920, with funding from Sir Henry Wellcome and the Wellcome Trust. The building features a mix of Gothic Revival architecture and Arts and Crafts movement styles, similar to those found at Keble College, Oxford and St Cross College, Oxford. The college also has a number of other buildings, including the Jacobsen Building, which was designed by Arne Jacobsen and completed in 1960, and the Wolfson Building, which was designed by Powell and Moya and completed in 1970. The college's grounds include a River Cherwell frontage, a Fellows' Garden, and a Sports Ground shared with St Anne's College, Oxford and Wadham College, Oxford.

● Academic profile

The college has a strong academic reputation, with a particular emphasis on the humanities and social sciences, including English literature at the Faculty of English Language and Literature, University of Oxford, history at the Faculty of History, University of Oxford, and philosophy at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford. The college is also known for its research in the fields of medicine at the Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, law at the Faculty of Law, University of Oxford, and computer science at the Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford. Many of the college's tutors are also Fellows of the Royal Society, Fellows of the British Academy, or members of the Oxford University Faculty of Theology.

● Student life

The college has a diverse student body, with students from a wide range of backgrounds and countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and China. The college has a number of student organizations, including the Junior Common Room, the Middle Common Room, and the Senior Common Room, which provide opportunities for students to get involved in college life and to engage with the wider University of Oxford community. The college also has a strong sporting tradition, with teams competing in the Oxford University Rowing Clubs and the Oxford University Athletics Club. Many students are also involved in the Oxford University Student Union and the Oxford University Drama Society.

● Notable alumni

The college has a number of notable alumni, including Wendy James, a Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Oxford, Sheila Rowbotham, a feminist writer and historian, and Diana Athill, a novelist and memoirist. Other notable alumni include Barbara Castle, a Labour Party (UK) politician and former Secretary of State for Health, Shirley Williams, a Liberal Democrats (UK) politician and former Secretary of State for Education and Science, and Val McDermid, a crime writer and journalist. The college has also been associated with the BBC, the British Museum, and the National Trust.

● Governance and administration

The college is governed by a Council, which is responsible for the overall strategy and direction of the college, and a Governing Body, which is responsible for the day-to-day management of the college. The college is also a member of the Oxford University Colleges and the Conference of Colleges, and works closely with other colleges, including Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, Somerville College, Oxford, and St Anne's College, Oxford. The college has a number of Fellows, who are responsible for teaching and research, and a number of Tutors, who are responsible for the academic supervision of students. The college is also supported by the St Hilda's College, Oxford Endowment, which provides funding for scholarships, research, and other college activities.

Category:Colleges of the University of Oxford