College

The term college (Latin collegium) is most often used today to denote an educational institution. The precise usage of the term varies among English-speaking countries. However, it can be the name of any group of colleagues; originally it meant a group of people living together under a common set of rules (con-, "together" + leg-, "law"). As a consequence members of colleges were originally styled "fellows" and still are in some places.

United Kingdom

British usage of the word "college" remains the loosest, encompassing a range of institutions:

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• certain public schools for children such as Eton and Winchester
• certain secondary schools, particularly "sixth form colleges", where students (ages 16-18) wrap up their secondary education
• the constituent parts of some universities (see below)
• other assorted educational institutions outside the traditional degree-granting structure (ranging from the old and distinguished, such as the Royal College of Organists, to the newest attempts at adult education). This includes university colleges — independent higher education institutions that have been granted degree-awarding powers but not university status.

Universities and colleges

Oxford and Cambridge

The two ancient universities of England (Oxford and Cambridge, often referred to collectively as "Oxbridge"), are really federations of autonomous colleges. While many of the Student Affairs functions are housed in the colleges, each college is more than a residence hall. Not only does it provide accommodation, meals, common rooms, libraries, sporting and social facilities for its students, it also admits them in the first place and, through tutorials or supervisions, does a share of the work of educating them. Each university as a whole, by contrast, offers lectures, provides central facilities such as libraries and laboratories, and examines for and awards degrees. Academic staff are commonly employed both by the university (typically as "lecturer" or "professor") and by a college (as "fellow" and/or "tutor"), though some have only a college or university post. Nearly all colleges cater to students studying a range of subjects.

Related Topics:
England - Oxford - Cambridge - Student Affairs - Residence hall - Accommodation - Meal - Common room - Libraries - Sport - Tutorial - Fellow

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Since the colleges are all fully independent legal entities owning their own buildings, employing their own staff, and managing their own endowments, colleges vary widely in wealth. It is entirely possible for some colleges to be in better financial health than the universities of which they are a part.

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Typically a student or fellow of an Oxbridge college is said to be "living in college" if their accommodation is inside the College buildings. Most colleges also accommodate students in houses or other buildings away from the College site.

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Other British universities

The University of Durham is also collegiate in nature, and its colleges enjoy the same legal status as 'listed bodies' as the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge. However, its colleges (for the most part) are not financially independent and do not have any teaching duties as part of the university, though they do provide meals, libraries, computers, and recreational facilities for their members. Three of the New Universities, Lancaster, York and Kent, have a similar system, although their colleges lack the legal status of those at Durham and Oxbridge. Officially, the University of London consists of a number of colleges. However, the federation has always been even looser there than at Oxford or Cambridge, to the extent that each of these "colleges" is essentially an independent university-level institution.

Related Topics:
University of Durham - New Universities - Lancaster - York - Kent - University of London

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In the University of Wales, colleges are the lower tier of institutional membership, below constituent institutions, following the reorganisation of the university in 1996. Prior to this, the member institutions were all called colleges. There are not currently any colleges in the University of Wales, but this is likely to change in the future.

Related Topics:
University of Wales - 1996

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