Abstract

A warm welcome to the new academic year at Oriel, to all our Freshers, and to all our returning students. It is a pleasure to see you again and we are delighted to have you here. All of you are now part of a great College that has been a place of study and learning for nearly 700 years and still occupies the land originally acquired by our founder Adam de Brome in the 1300s. Our royal foundation dates back to 1326, under Edward II. Reflecting this historic link to the Sovereign, The Queen is our official Visitor. Our history can be seen in our buildings and grounds. Our sports grounds at Bartlemas carry on a connection that dates back to 1329. On the Island Site you can see part of 14th century Tackley’s Inn, the oldest of the University’s mediaeval halls still standing. Most of First Quad dates from the mid-1600s, and our beautiful Senior Library is the work of James Wyatt, the most successful architect of late 18th century Oxford. Our Third Quad used to be a separate college (St Mary’s Hall) until 1902 when it became part of Oriel. Though much has changed since the 1300s, we pride ourselves on remaining true to our core purpose of being a welcoming academic community, excelling in teaching, learning and research, where all are respected and lifelong friendships are made. We wish you all the best in your time here and are looking forward to supporting you in any way we can. This handbook is designed to be part of that support. It is a guide for all our students setting out how the College