Academic Matters

For up-to-date online college information please see the relevant student section of the College website: Study, learning and research | Reuben College (ox.ac.uk).

7.1 College Advisors
7.2 Examinations
7.3 Grants for Academic Related Activities
7.4 Academic Enrichment Events at Reuben
7.5 Libraries & Study Space
7.6 University Terms & Residency Requirements
7.7 Graduation

7.1 College Advisors

Each graduate student is assigned a college adviser.  This is often a senior academic member of the College such as an Official (Governing Body) Fellow, but in many cases a wide range of staff act as Advisers, such as other Fellows or research members of the Common Room. Your College Adviser can: 

  • provide pastoral support, for example on health, personal or coping issues, and direct you to appropriate persons for assistance; 

  • monitor your progress by discussing your University supervision reports and by being available for consultation, either in person or by email; 

  • discuss any problems or difficulties you may be experiencing in your Department or Faculty, and/or with your supervisor; 

  • consult the Senior Tutor if there are concerns about your academic progress and if you appear to be experiencing difficulties with your work; 

  • offer guidance on sources of support available within the College and University. 

In addition, your College Adviser may be able to offer you advice on academic-related matters such as: applications for research funding, conferences and seminar attendance, publication and career plans. Your College Adviser is not expected to perform the role of your Department or Faculty Supervisor(s), and is not responsible for directing your academic work or for giving detailed academic guidance. Therefore, your college adviser will not necessarily be from your department or subject area. 

You will first meet your College Adviser during your first term (ideally within the first three weeks), and you are encouraged to contact your College Adviser as and when you need advice or help. Whilst we try our best to ensure you have the same College adviser for the duration of your studies, from time to time your College Adviser may be changed during periods of sabbatical or other academic leave. Should there be personal or reasons for you to wish to seek a change of Adviser, please contact the Senior Tutor. 

Please let the Senior Tutor know by the third week of term if you have not yet had contact with your Adviser. 

7.2 Examinations

University examinations information is available here: University guidelines.

Applications for special consideration or alternative arrangements in exams due to e.g. ill health, dyslexia and any other communication with the University concerning the conduct of exams and assessment should be made through the College Office (academic.office@reuben.ox.ac.uk) at the earliest opportunity, and by no later than the end of your first term. 

Students are responsible for entering their names and the correct course options for all University Examinations through Student Self-Service at the times given in University guidance. It is important that you do so by your course deadline, although within a certain period following the deadline you may be able to pay a fee for late entries or change of option.  It is also important that you check through Student Self Service that you have entered for the correct options.   

7.3 Grants for Academic Related Activities

See ‘College funds’ above. 

7.4 Academic Enrichment Events at Reuben

Fortnightly Monday: ‘Reuben Explores’ 
Reuben students are invited to informal skills and development talks every other Monday evening in term. These are small events in Reuben’s Common Room at Linacre College, featuring snacks and speakers. ‘Reuben Explores’ allows for expansion of thought outside the discipline, and into practical matters, including workshops on welfare, cultural conversations, on Public Engagement with Research, on Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and so forth. Students are warmly invited to contribute suggestions for the workshops they want to see, and these are thus planned on a term-by-term basis.  

Thursday night seminars 
The academic heart of the College lies in its Thursday night seminar series. These tie together inter-theme discussion and a coming together of students and academics in communal dining, colloquially known, given their location until 2023 in Oxford’s Museum of Natural History, as ‘Dining with the Dinosaurs’.  Given the centrality of these talks in Reuben’s academic programme, and the College’s mission to engage its students in interdisciplinary real-world thinking, for the 2022-23 academic year each student will access this exclusive weekly event completely free of charge.  

7.5 Libraries & Study Space

All students will be given a University card, which is also a library card and a College entrance card/charge card, on arrival. You can find information on Oxford’s comprehensive library services here.  

The Bodleian Libraries provide access to an extensive collection of databases, electronic reference works, e-Journals and e-Books. These and other electronic resources can be accessed from the Bodleian Libraries Finding resources web page. If you are working outside the University network, you can still access most online resources using your Oxford Single Sign-On (SSO) or via the Oxford VPN. More information on this is available here. 

Covid restrictions permitting, 2022-23 Reuben students will share with Linacre College approximately 40 study desks on the main Linacre College site. Linacre College Library is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, when the College is open and operating as normal. It provides quiet study space, a group study room, access to high-specification computers and printers, and a multi-disciplinary book collection. The Library also provides a free inter-library loan/document supply service for books and articles not held in the University Libraries. Find out more about Linacre College Library on the Library web pages and visit the Library Facebook page for the latest news. 

Book Purchases 
The college will consider requests for new book purchases, in consultation with the Linacre librarians.  Please contact Linacre Librarian (library@linacre.ox.ac.uk) if you would like the library to purchase a new book. Alternatively, you may make a request directly to senior.tutor@reuben.ox.ac.uk.  Linacre Library will email the Senior Tutor when any request is received. This purchase will be considered for accessing from the Linacre library (academic texts) or for the Reuben Common room (non-academic texts). 

Academic texts for solely personal use can be claimed against each student’s academic related funds, subject to the cap on those funds: Grants for Academic Related Activities | Reuben College (ox.ac.uk) 

7.6 University Terms & Residency Requirements

Although the framework of graduate work is much less geared to academic terms, the annual pattern of life - and the basis for charging fees - is still dictated by the three-term year (4 for graduates in Medical Sciences!).  

For most diplomas and degrees, except those few specifically designated as distance or part-time courses, students must spend a period in residence – which means graduate students live in term time within 25 miles of Oxford. In exceptional circumstances, permission to reside outside the limits must be sought from the University through the Senior Tutor. Students on part-time or distance-learning courses are exempt from the residence requirement. The minimum period of residence for most diplomas or the degrees of MSc or MSt is three terms. The minimum period of residence for the degrees of MPhil (BPhil in Philosophy), MLitt or DPhil is normally six terms. 

7.7 Graduation

University of Oxford degrees are normally conferred at degree ceremonies held in the Sheldonian Theatre. You may graduate in person or in absence, either straight after you've finished your degree, or many years later. If you choose to graduate in person, you will be presented by your college, hall or society. 

Taught course students will receive an email invitation from the University at the start of their final year with information about booking a degree ceremony online. Research students will be able to book a date once they have been granted leave to supplicate. 

Having booked a ceremony, the Academic Office will be in direct contact via email (to your non-Oxford email address if you have left College and provided this) to inform you of the procedures and requirements for the day. 

All ceremonies currently have a two guest limit and your place at a particular degree ceremony will only be confirmed once you have cleared any unpaid fee bills. All enquiries regarding graduation should be made to alumni@reuben.ox.ac.uk.