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Purpose of the college
Since it was established in the mid-1960s, Lancaster University has had a college system which allows students to belong to and feel part of small communities, rather like the neighbourhoods found in towns and cities. There are 8 undergraduate colleges, and in 1990 The Graduate College was established to meet the particular needs of graduate students.
As defined in The Graduate College Constitution, the objects of the college are “to stimulate and support graduate studies at the University, to enhance the University’s national and international academic reputation, and to advance knowledge, wisdom and understanding”.
What the college offers
In practice the college helps graduate students in a number of important ways, including:
- A community to belong to; comprising all graduate students at the university, which is international, multi-cultural and an ideal opportunity to broaden your horizons, share experiences, and celebrate diversity
- Advice, support and help systems; through the college and the PostGraduate Students Association (PGSA)
- Induction and orientation on arrival at the University
- Facilities; these include a Graduate College Bar (The Herdwick), Common Room, Games Room, PC Lab, TV Room, off-campus students’ showers and lockers and bike stores.
- Housing; we provide around 950 study bedrooms, many with ensuite facilities, including a number of studio flats on campus. Each room has network connections to the University central computers, and access to email and the Internet (you must provide your own computer).
- Representation; graduate representatives (elected by the PGSA from amongst its members) sit on many University committees, provide valuable input into decision-making from a graduate perspective, and help to ensure that graduate interests and issues are taken seriously and acted upon.
Membership
- As with all Collegiate Universities, there is a membership fee to be paid by all new members. In Graduate College this is £10, payable at the start of the first (or only) year of Postgraduate study. Students who are starting a PhD and have previously studied for their Masters at Lancaster (and paid the fee) do not currently have to pay again.
- All post graduate students currently registered at Lancaster University (full time, part time, on or off campus, everyone) are members of the Graduate College
- All members have equal status and rights – whether you are full-time or part-time, working for a Masters, MPhil, PhD or other degree, whether you’re resident on campus or elsewhere.
- With the fee (Plus additional money provided by the University), the College provides social activity, welfare support and facilities such as the Common Room, TV Room, Games Room and Bar. We also use it to subsidise day trips, support student run events throughout the year and seek to engage with the local community and any projects which can help post graduate students’ future employability.
- You also have a right to ask for activities that you may wish to see put on, or improvements to the provision of services or indeed for the College to ask the University to improve its services to you – we cannot guarantee to provide everything as you wish, but we certainly look seriously at all requests.
- Membership of the college, and access to college resources and facilities, continues until you graduate or your registration with University ceases.
- If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Principal.
