The Collegiate System of British Universities
Created | Updated May 17, 2003
The Collegiate System of British Universities
Several of the older universities1 in Britain run by a "Collegiate System". It is a system that is understood by few outside these universities, particularly by non-Britains. This article hopes to remedy this.Please note, however, I have only experienced the Cambridge system, so anyone else with experiences of other universities please tell me!
What is a college?
In essence a college is a self-contained unit of students and teachers, with its own living areas, eating areas and other such amenities. Collectively the colleges are grouped into a university. Each college arranges it's own admissions, employs staff (both academic and domestic) and provides accomodation and pastoral care for its students.
Colleges and Teaching
Responsibilities for teaching are mixed between the college and the university, with the university organising lectures and exams, whilst the colleges organise tutorials2 (A senior academic, who sets work, and a few students, going over the lectures). The university is responsible for setting the syllabus and giving degrees, whilst the college is, in some ways, on the students side- it is they who will plead to the examiners about mitigating circumstances for you poor exam mark.
Benefits of a collegiate system
Undoubtedly the main benefit of a college system is that it prevents the "one amnongst thousands" feeling that is present at some universities. One gains friends from many subjects within your college, and so the set up is a very social one.
1Cambridge, Durham and Oxford as far as I know2Or supervisions as they are called in Cambridge and Oxford
