Linacre College, Oxford Information

Linacre College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the UK whose members comprise approximately 50 fellows and 500 postgraduate students. The college is named after Thomas Linacre (1460–1524), founder of the Royal College of Physicians as well as a distinguished renaissance humanist—multidisciplinary interests that the college aims to reflect. It is located on St Cross Road at its junction with South Parks Road, next to the University Parks and opposite the Tinbergen Building.

Linacre is a diverse college in terms of both the international composition of its members (the majority of whom are from outside the UK and represent 133 different countries), as well as the disciplines studied. Linacre was the first graduate college in the UK for both sexes and all subjects. This egalitarian spirit is reflected by a lack of formal separation between fellows and students.

The college also has a strong environmental and ethical ethos. It was the first carbon neutral college as well as the first college in Oxford to achieve Fairtrade status.

Linacre College (called Linacre House for its first three years) was the UKs first graduate society for both sexes and all subjects. Founding Principal John Bamborough described it as "a deliberate experiment by the University to see whether the needs of graduate students could be met by a new type of society." It was founded on 1 August 1962, in premises on St Aldates formerly occupied by St Catherines Society (now St Catherines College) and currently home to the universitys Music Department. Initially there were 115 members of whom only 30 were British. The first senior members included Isaiah Berlin, Dorothy Hodgkin and John Hicks.

In 1977, Linacre moved to its present site at Cherwell Edge, a Queen Anne building designed in part by Basil Champneys, which was formerly a private home, a convent of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, and a residence for students of other colleges. In November 1964 Linacre became a self-governing society and then on 1 August 1986 Linacre became an independent college of Oxford University by Royal Charter. Since 2010 the principal has been Nick Brown.

In 1988 Linacre College was granted a coat of arms blazoned:

The college motto beneath the escutcheon is No End To Learning. College colours are grey, yellow and black (or silver, gold and sable) but only the latter two colours are used for rowing blades and most sports clothing.

Both scallop shells and the alpha and omega are common symbols in heraldry and can have religious significance. Scallop shells are traditionally a symbol of the Way of St. James (pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela) and alpha and omega often a Christian reference to God. A secular interpretation is as reference to the completeness of study (alpha being the first letter of the Greek alphabet and omega the last) and the process of scholarship akin to a pilgrimage/journey.

The college grace is said in Latin by the Principal (or a designated fellow) at formal dinners in Hall.Before commencement of the meal the words "Benedictus benedicat" (May the Blessed One give a blessing) are said, all standing. After the completion of the meal the words "Benedicto benedicatur" (May the Blessed One be blessed) are said, all standing.

Linacres main site is on the corner of South Parks Road and St Cross Road. In addition to the original building of 1886 (now known as the OC Tanner Building) there are three much newer accommodation blocks on the main site, all built of “Linacre College Special Blend Brick” with matching Queen Anne style architecture. The Bamborough, Abraham, and Griffiths buildings were completed in 1986, 1995, and 2008 respectively, raising the total number of student rooms on the main college site to 92.

The oldest part of the college, known as the OC Tanner Building, contains most of the central facilities, all staff offices and some student accommodation. The heart of the building is the large common room, which has a bar and other leisure facilities. The college library, formerly a chapel, includes shared computing facilities for college members. As well as the main library there is also Gilbert Ryles personal library, part of which he donated in 1968, and the remainder after his death in 1976.

The first major addition to the main college site was the Bamborough Building, which opened in 1985 and was officially named in 1986. It is located beside the OC Tanner Building to form a quad featuring an ornamental fountain. A plaque on the Bamborough Building commemorates it winning an Oxford Preservation Trust award in 1987.

The Edward and Asbjörg Abraham Building, completed in 1995, is primarily a residential building offering single bedrooms for students. It was designed and built as part of a movement within Linacre to raise environmental awareness and promote sustainable development. The building was named UK Green Building of the Year 1996 and won the BCE Environmental Leadership Award as well as the Oxfordshire special conservation award of 1995. A photovoltaic system was installed on the roofs of Abraham and Griffiths Buildings in 2011. The quad enclosed by the Tanner, Abraham and Griffiths buildings was named in 2012 after Jaki Leverson a former student, and contains a sculpture entitled The Dancing Phoenix by Hugo Powell.

The basement of the Abraham Building houses a music practice room and the college gym, which has four ergometers, a good range of weights, various other gym equipment and space for several classes.

The newest residence on the main site is the Griffiths Building, named after former student and Honorary Fellow Rodney Griffiths. Completed in 2008, the building has 28 en suite single rooms and 4 en suite double rooms with shared kitchens. It was a finalist for two awards of The Brick Development Association.

Between the OC Tanner and Abraham Buildings is Linacres large dining hall, added in 1977, which operates a canteen service most weekdays for lunch and evening meal.

The most recent major development at Linacre has been the completion of a garden extension on the main site of the college in 2010. This is a quiet spot with flowers and outdoor seating. Rom Harré is a former Vice-Principal and Emeritus Fellow.

Linacre also owns or leases a number of buildings off the main site, including properties on Banbury Road, Bradmore Road, Divinity Road, Iffley Road, Stanley Road and Walton Street, which provide a further 102 rooms (including rooms for couples). The college generally offers accommodation to all first-year students (freshers) and the percentage of graduate students housed within college accommodation exceeds the university average. Students typically move into private shared housing in and around Oxford after their first year.

Much of the colleges social and sporting life is coordinated through the Common Room, of which all students, fellows and staff are members. The Common Rooms elected executive committee oversees activities and works closely with college officials to represent its members interests.

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