Welfare and Support
The smaller college setting means that the support you receive and the sense of community you enjoy are second to none. Support is always on hand to encourage your personal development and enable you to reach your potential in every area.
Each college has a comprehensive support system that includes a Senior Tutor, personal mentors, and welfare officers, designed to enable you to make the most of your time as a student and to support you through difficult times. Whether you need help settling in, guidance on achieving your potential, a reference for a job, or just a friendly listening ear, there is always someone for you to talk to.
As well as the comprehensive support system within your college, there are a number of University support services that you can use according to your specific need.
Permanent support…
Each college has a full time Senior Tutor who is there to oversee your welfare. Your Senior Tutor can provide you with impartial advice and guidance on all issues related to your personal well-being and your academic progress. They will also be able to refer you to any specialist support services, such as the Service for Students with Disabilities and the Counselling Service.
Each college also has a Head of House, usually called the Principal or Master, who is also a senior academic with one of the University's academic departments. As Head of the college, they have overall responsibility for all aspects of the college management, as well as leading the college community.
The level of personal support provided in college is one of the reasons we have one of the highest completion rates in the UK.
Personal support...
As an undergraduate, you are allocated a personal mentor in first year to oversee your personal development, helping you take advantage of development opportunities both in and outside the University. They also provide a great link to the local community. Every so often, your mentor will organise social events for you and their other students - you never know, they might even pay for dinner!
Most colleges also have a chaplain to provide an additional layer of pastoral support, whether related to issues of faith or not.
The collegiate system at Durham ensures that you always have someone keeping an eye on your progress, making sure that you’re performing to your maximum.
Matthew Walters, St Chad's
Peer support...
Every college has its own student welfare officers, elected by the student body. Their role is to provide advice on basic welfare issues, refer you to the right sources of support, and raise awareness of welfare issues. Some colleges even allocate you your own student 'parents' - second year students from the same course as you who can share their experience of life in college and in your academic department.
Support for students with disabilities
Across the colleges there are a range of specially adapted rooms and facilities for students with disabilities. If you are considering stating a preference for a particular college and you require specially adapted accommodation, it is advisable to contact the college(s) you are interested in first to discuss your specific needs. Alternatively, the Service for Students with Disabilities will be happy to provide information on which of our colleges may be best suited to your needs.
Our facilities...
Top 6 for University Facilities in the What Uni Student Choice Awards 2011.
A safe place to live, work and study
