Fellow

A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is (at least in theory) part of an elite group of learned men who work together as peers in the pursuit of knowledge. However, there are no precise rules for how the title is used, and each academic institution grants the title as it sees fit.

Oxford and Cambridge

The Colleges of Oxford and Camridge use the term "fellow" in a more specific sense. The fellows of a College form the governing body of the College, although they elect a Council to handle day-to-day management. All fellows are entitled to certain priveliges within their College, such as free meals at High Table and the right to a rent-free room in College.

Related Topics:
Colleges - Oxford - Camridge - Governing body - High Table

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Broadly speaking, College fellows fall into five groups:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Research fellows, as discussed above, whose salaries are paid by the College from the income on its endowment. Some of the poorer Colleges do not pay their research fellows a salary, instead awarding fellowships to postdocs already employed by the University.
• College lecturers are paid to provide small-group teaching to the College's undergraduates. The position is typically part-time, and combined with a part-time research post elsewhere in the University.
• Some senior non-academic College staff such as bursars are made fellows as an benefit of their employment.
• University Teaching Officers (lecturers, readers, and professors) are entitled to College fellowships. For lecturers and readers, the process is competitive - generally the most able academics get fellowships at the richest and most prestigious Colleges. Professors are allocated to Colleges by a centralised process to ensure fairness. These fellows may or may not provide small-group teaching to undergraduates in the College, for which they would be paid by the hour.
• Most Colleges grant fellowships for life after a qualifying period. Retired academics may therefore remain as fellows.

Except for research fellows, College fellows have no duties as such and are not paid. They will typically have a salaried post either with their College or the University.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~