Academics

The New Bodleian Library.Oxford's collegiate structure and tutorial system distinguish it from other British universities (with the obvious exception of Cambridge). The University of Oxford is composed of 39 colleges and seven permanent private halls. Each college and permanent private hall is self-governed and relates to the University in a kind of a federal system. Colleges and halls are the first point of contact for all undergraduates; for graduates, both colleges and departments serve as useful points of contact. Most of the colleges and halls accept undergraduate as well as graduate students, though some are open to graduates only, and All Souls has only fellows.

Whereas colleges and halls are responsible for undergraduate tutorial teaching and for the welfare of all their students, the University determines the content of courses, organizes lectures and seminars, provides teaching resources such as libraries and labs, sets and marks exams and awards degrees. The University is divided into four divisions: the Humanities Division; the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences (MPLS) Division; the Medical Sciences Division; and the Social Sciences Division. Each of these is subdivided into various departments or faculties that focus on particular subject areas. These are especially important for graduates and for some undergraduates - for instance, science departments will organize the laboratory work for undergraduate science students, and language faculties will organize language and grammar classes for undergraduate language students. Though departments and faculties may play a less significant role in the teaching of some undergraduate degrees, most nonetheless have extremely helpful lending libraries.

The Bodleian library is the principal University research library. As a copyright deposit library, it holds all books published and distributed in the UK and Ireland, as well as numerous collections in a wide range of languages, making it a great place to get access to some of the more obscure books on your reading list. However, it is not a lending library. Fortunately, most departments and faculties have their own libraries with smaller and more specialized collections, from which books can be borrowed. Also, each college has its own individual library to serve the needs of its students and staff. The size and quality of these collections can vary enormously, but between the Bodleian and your department and college libraries you should be able to find whatever book you may need. You can find details of all the libraries in the University (including opening hours, contact information and links to individual web sites) online at the Oxford University Library Services. In addition, a record of all the books, journals and other titles held by all the libraries associated with the University can be searched online, using the Oxford Libraries Information System or OLIS.

Regardless of whether you are an undergraduate or graduate and whether you are studying for a taught or research degree, you should have a look at the Survival Guide, which is updated and published annually by OUSU. It contains a lot of useful information about your rights and expectations as a student, general procedures relating to exams and academic discipline, and not least of all, what to do if you are having academic problems. You can get a copy from your JCR or MCR Welfare Officer or email OUSU at advice@ousu.org for one.