Magdalen College Welfare Support
Student life is great fun but can be hard and challenging. Magdalen offers several different kinds of help to anyone experiencing personal difficulties, but whoever you choose to talk to will treat what you have to say professionally, and do their best to help. The College takes the welfare and wellbeing of its students very seriously, and wishes to ensure that all those studying here are well supported and cared for.
A team of tutors, staff and students work together to provide welfare support, and you may contact any of the individuals below with any concerns that you may have. You may be struggling with a specific, well-defined problem, or you may not have any idea what the problem is, but just have a sense that something isn’t right – we are here to support you and the earlier you speak to someone the more support we can offer. Do get in touch.
Posters are on display around the College to remind you of the welfare contacts available to you. Please find also a number of useful welfare leaflets in digital form.
For emergencies, always contact the Porters (01865 276000) who provide 24-hour security oversight of the whole college and who will be able to put you in touch with someone to deal with confidential welfare support issues at any time.
College Welfare and Student Wellbeing Team
Student Support Administrators – Katie Taylor-O’Connor (Mon-Weds) and Holly Finn (Weds-Fri)
Office Hours:
- 8.00am-12.30pm & 2pm-4pm, Monday-Tuesday
- 8.00am-12.30pm & 1.30pm-5pm, Wednesday – Thursday
- 8.40am-12.30pm & 2.30pm-5pm, Friday
The Student Support Administrator is available each weekday in the office on the ground floor of the Grammar Hall and supports the Deans and the Welfare team with their work. If you are unsure who to approach, the SSA should be your first port of call. They can help you with any confidential matter. You can also speak to the SSA about:
- General welfare concerns
- Student Support Fund applications
- Hardship applications, through the Junior Members Fund, which can provide rapid emergency help
- Making appointments with the Deans
- Organising room bookings during term-time
- Degree ceremonies
- Bodleian card queries
- Personal tutors for first year undergraduates
Tutor for Welfare – Rob Gilbert (welfare@magd.ox.ac.uk)
Rob coordinates the Welfare provision within the College and is resident in College. He is also a Tutor in Biochemistry.
Decanal Team
The Deans of Arts – Joe Sampson and Rob Gilbert (deans@magd.ox.ac.uk)
The Deans are responsible for both welfare and discipline. They hold regular Dean’s hour surgeries in Weeks 1-8. The Student Support Administrator can also schedule an appointment for students.
You can discuss with them any confidential matter that is troubling you – so do not hesitate to get in touch at any time. For example, they can authorise financial help in cases of unexpected need. They also assess undergraduate applications for Student Support Funding.
You can also meet the Deans to discuss:
- General welfare concerns
- Financial concerns
- Permission for room bookings / social gatherings
The Sub-Deans – Calum Haggett, Aneyn O’Grady and Claudia Paul (deans@magd.ox.ac.uk)
Calum, Aneyn and Claudia are postgraduate students who are resident in college and are especially important in providing welfare support out of normal working hours, along with the porters. They are friendly faces around the college so do get to know them. They are always happy to have a chat.
Other sources of College welfare support:
College Counsellor – Sophie López-Welsch (counsellor@magd.ox.ac.uk)
Sophie is a professionally qualified counsellor and is part of the University Counselling Service. She will be available on Fridays. Contact Sophie to discuss:
- One-to-One Counselling
- The services and workshops that the University Counselling Service provide
Tutors for Equality and Diversity – Laura Fortunato (laura.fortunato@magd.ox.ac.uk) and Andrew Bowyer (andrew.bowyer@magd.ox.ac.uk)
Laura and Andrew are the Tutors for Equality and Diversity and any student is very welcome to meet with them.
Dean of Divinity (Chaplain) – Andrew Bowyer (andrew.bowyer@magd.ox.ac.uk)
Andrew is available as appropriate to all students irrespective of their beliefs. He can be called on for advice or help without appointment in his room in Cloisters IV:2.
College Mentor for Students – Netta Jennison (netta.jennison@magd.ox.ac.uk)
Netta works part time Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. If you would like to discuss anything to do with your wellbeing, anxiety, study skills, budgeting and any other concerns email Netta for an appointment or visit her in St Swithun’s Quad, staircase VII room 2. Tel: 01865 286689.
Medical Support
College Doctor – Sarah Ledingham
The College Doctors are based at 27 Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 2NR. If you need to make an appointment, please contact 01865 311500.
College Nurse- Mrs Victoria Manellari.
Please email Victoria on v.manellari@nhs.net to arrange a consultation.
JCR and MCR Support Services
Several students each year are trained in Peer Support and the JCR and MCR have their own welfare teams. The team of tutors and staff with welfare responsibility work closely and meet regularly with their colleagues from the JCR and MCR. For more details see the JCR and MCR web pages.
Further information:
The Information and Regulations Handbook which is issued to all members of college at the beginning of the academic year contains further details and can also be found on the internal pages of this website.
Any harassment issues are dealt with by the College’s two Harassment Officers:
Dr Jennifer Castle (New Buildings II:4; telephone 276067)
Prof. Robert Douglas-Fairhurst (St Swithuns VII:5; 276058)
On academic matters students usually consult their own Tutors, another Tutor who teaches their subject, or the Senior Tutor.
The College’s Confidentiality Policy can be found here.
