South College, Durham

South College is a college of Durham University, which accepted its first students in autumn 2020.[1]

South College
University of Durham
College buildings in September 2020
Coordinates54.762°N 1.583°W / 54.762; -1.583
MottoLatin: Libertas, Aequalitas, Civitas Totius Mundi
Motto in EnglishFreedom, equality and global citizenship
Established2020
Named afterSouth Road, Durham
PrincipalTim Luckhurst
Membership492 (planned to grow to 1200 by 2020)
Websitehttp://www.dur.ac.uk/south.college/
Map
Location in Durham, England

It is located in new buildings at Mount Oswald on Elvet Hill, to the south of Durham City, adjoining Van Mildert College and John Snow College.[2]

History

The site was originally part of the grounds of Mount Oswald, a country house built in 1800. In 1928, the house and grounds were converted to a golf club, which closed in 2014 and was acquired for residential development.[3]

In August 2017, Durham University announced that it had acquired part of the site in order to build two colleges, with construction to be carried out by a consortium led by Interserve.[2] Construction began in September 2018, by which point it had been decided that these colleges would be one new college, South College, and a new home for John Snow College (formerly located on the university's Queen's Campus in Stockton-on-Tees).[4][5] In November 2018, Interserve pulled out of the scheme, before going into administration in March 2019.[6]

The college is anticipated to have an eventual size of 1200, with 492 living in the college.[7] All accommodation is self-catered, in a mixture of single en-suite rooms and 'town houses' with shared bathroom facilities.[8]

In March 2018, it was announced that naming of the college would be delayed in the hope that a financial donation might be attracted.[9] The temporary name "South College" was assigned pending selection of a final name, and was used in advertisements for the new college's first principal. In June 2019, Durham Students' Union assembly voted to lobby for the college to be named after the late politician and Durham graduate Mo Mowlam.[10] On 1 April 2020, Durham's student newspaper Palatinate published an April Fools' Day joke that South College was to be named Vine College after broadcaster and Durham alumnus Jeremy Vine. Vine himself was in on the joke and even released a video of him reacting to the 'announcement'.[11] The actual name of the college is yet to be confirmed.

On 5 July 2019 it was announced that University of Kent academic and former BBC editor Tim Luckhurst had been appointed as the first principal of the college.[12]

In June 2020 a coat of arms for the college was announced, with the motto Latin: Libertas, Aequalitas, Civitas Totius Mundi, which the university translates as "Freedom, equality and global citizenship".[13]

The first students arrived at the college in September 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.[14]

The Pitcairn Building
South College (left) and John Snow College (right) in September 2020

Traditions

South College has a carved wooden owl named Oswald, which is moved around the college to attend various different events. He is present at the college matriculation of students, in which students pledge their allegiance to the owl. At college formals, which are intended to be held weekly when COVID-19 permits, a toast is made to the owl, in which students shout 'to Oswald' and repeat the college's motto.

Art Installations

List of principals

References
  1. "South College". Durham University. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  2. "Durham University to spend £105m on new colleges". BBC News. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  3. "New occupants at historic Mount Oswald Manor House through innovative 'property guardians' project". Banks Group. 27 May 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  4. "Construction begins on £80 million Mount Oswald project". Durham University. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  5. Clarke, Naomi (1 July 2019). "Decrease in number of returning students living in college". Palatinate. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  6. "Jittery investors tell Interserve to quit Durham uni scheme". Building. 15 November 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  7. "Explore the colleges". Durham University. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  8. "South College". Durham University. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  9. Gaspar, Clara (14 March 2018). "University Council votes to leave 17th college unnamed to attract financial donations". Palatinate. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  10. "Students to lobby to name Durham University's new college after Mo Mowlam". The Northern Echo. 26 June 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  11. "South College to be named after Jeremy Vine". Palatinate Online. 1 April 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  12. Durham University [@durham_uni] (5 July 2019). "We are delighted to announce the appointment of five new Heads of College who will join us in 2019/20" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  13. https://www.dur.ac.uk/experience/news/?id=41869&itemno=41869
  14. "South college welcomes its first new students". Palatinate. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
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