Giving to Magdalen

At Magdalen our aim is to achieve excellence in teaching, learning, scholarship and research. We are fortunate to attract outstanding students, who come to Magdalen to benefit from the exceptional teaching provided by the tutorial system. With a wide range of extra-curricular activities and a wonderful learning environment, our students enjoy the full breadth of the Oxford experience and the opportunity to excel.

Tutorial teaching at the highest level is the priority. All our undergraduates are taught by Fellows with international research reputations in very small groups. This allows them to develop skills that are essential not only for academic study but are also transferable in their subsequent careers. However, maintaining the tutorial system is difficult financially. Some Fellows are funded jointly by the College and by the University, and the University is finding it increasingly difficult to fund such posts. Raising funds to support our Tutorial Fellowships is now a major priority.

Access and outreach to all prospective students is essential, so that we can offer places to those applicants who our tutors feel will excel at Oxford. Our needs-blind admissions process requires generous provision of bursaries and scholarships so that any student can take up a place at Magdalen, irrespective of their financial circumstances. This need will increase with the sharp rise in student fees.

Many members of Magdalen have already been exceptionally generous to the College and we are making good progress in securing tutorial fellowships and building the student support fund. Over 1200 members regularly contribute to the Annual Fund, supporting a wide range of projects including academic excellence, students in need, buildings and grounds, sports and societies and the Chapel and Choir. In doing so you are playing a major role in the College’s continued success, and I want to thank you for all you have done. However, it is vital that this support continues if the College is to meet the financial challenges we are facing whilst maintaining our standards of academic excellence.

Professor David Clary, FRS.
The President