Colleges of the University of Otago
Encyclopedia
The majority of first year students at the University of Otago
's Dunedin
campus stay in one of the fourteen residential college
s, alongside a smaller number of senior students and postgraduates. These colleges provide food, accommodation, social and welfare services, as well as some degree of additional academic support, particularly for the largest papers
.
The colleges, many of which were formerly known as Halls of Residence, have a long-standing presence within the Dunedin academic society; the earliest was founded in 1893, only 24 years after the university's establishment. Since then, they have become contributing factors to the university's character and, with a combined capacity of over 3000 students, they contribute substantially to the university's provision of accommodation for new members from outside the city. While most of the colleges are university owned, a few are owned independently and two are co-institutional, accommodating students of Otago Polytechnic
, as well as those of the university.
In addition, the University of Otago College of Education, founded in 1867 as the Dunedin College of Education, has acted as an education faculty for the university since a merger in 2007, though it differs in function and purpose from the residential colleges described below.
, noted for a strong academic lean, and University College
(Unicol), which is the largest college, housing approximately 550 residents during the academic year. The colleges can exhibit distinctive features: Aquinas College, being amongst the smallest and farthest from the university centre, has developed a "family-like and informal atmosphere". City College is influenced by a substantial proportion of its students coming from the University of Otago College of Education or the Otago Polytechnic
and Toroa College, formerly an International House
, was almost exclusively filled by international students during this period, developing an environment with social and support aspects tailored to those special needs.
The residential colleges select students based on their marks, extracurricular activities and high school testimonials, with some colleges having application to place ratios of over 3:1. Applicants may list several colleges in their application, in case they are not selected by their first preference.
While many of the colleges only accept residents for a single year, a few do have a sizable proportion of second year returners. At some colleges, for instance Selwyn College
and Knox College
, the majority of new entrants stay for two or more years. The Chris Burks Memorial Bursary is awarded to a second year student resident at Carrington College. All but one of the colleges consist of a majority undergraduate population, with the exception being the most recent college, Abbey College, the university's only fully postgraduate college.
Otago's colleges are not as significant in the life of the University as those of the universities of Oxford
and Cambridge
. Similarly to colleges at those universities, some Otago colleges have a Master
, fellow
s, a chapel and/or regular formal meals
but, unlike Oxford and Cambridge colleges, students' primary affiliation is to the university rather than to the college and it is normal for only a small percentage, if any, of an Otago student's teaching to take place in their college.
Five colleges are privately owned and are governed entirely independently from the University. These are Selwyn College
, Knox College
, St Margaret's College
, Salmond College
and City College.
Two of the independent colleges, City College and Salmond College
, are co-institutional, having a significant percentage of residents who study at Otago Polytechnic
.
, all colleges other than Toroa College have some inter-collegiate activities. Regular competitions include:
An intercollegiate rowing competition was held in May 2010 which Unicol are the current holders of.
An intercollegiate basketball competition was held over August/September and the respective champions were Arana (mixed), Cumberland (girls) & Aquinas College (boys).
The university maintains an online list.
, Knox College
, St Margaret's College
, Studholme College, Arana College
, Carrington College, Aquinas College
, University College
, Salmond College
, Cumberland College and Hayward College
.
From the founding of the first college, Selwyn College
, in 1893, to the most recent, Abbey College, in 2008, the architecture, motivations, expectations and models for residential colleges in Dunedin
have changed substantially. None of the earliest three colleges have been owned by the university, despite this being the case for the vast majority of later colleges, and a significant fraction were originally single-sex (including all but one of the affiliated colleges and several university-owned colleges) whereas all colleges are now co-educational. As such, the residential colleges represent a wide range of buildings, compositions and ethos.
Toroa College website
, Otago Polytechnic
and the Dunedin College of Education (now University of Otago College of Education) with significant involvement from Dunedin City Council. It is the only fully catered college based around apartment groups, having 207 rooms spread around 4, 5 and 6 bedroom groups.
City College has a "village"-style layout, with internal gardens and courtyards surrounded by residential buildings. The Head of College is Joy Crawford.
City College website
It has a strong international representation with two-thirds of members from outside New Zealand. The Head of College is Gretchen Kivell.
Abbey College website
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
's Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
campus stay in one of the fourteen residential college
Residential college
A residential college is an organisational pattern for a division of a university that places academic activity in a community setting of students and faculty, usually at a residence and with shared meals, the college having a degree of autonomy and a federated relationship with the overall...
s, alongside a smaller number of senior students and postgraduates. These colleges provide food, accommodation, social and welfare services, as well as some degree of additional academic support, particularly for the largest papers
Course (education)
The very broad dictionary meaning of the word course is the act or action of moving in a path from point to point . There are multiple meanings for this word, some of which include: general line of orientation, a mode of action, part of a meal, a mode of action, and many more. This article focuses...
.
The colleges, many of which were formerly known as Halls of Residence, have a long-standing presence within the Dunedin academic society; the earliest was founded in 1893, only 24 years after the university's establishment. Since then, they have become contributing factors to the university's character and, with a combined capacity of over 3000 students, they contribute substantially to the university's provision of accommodation for new members from outside the city. While most of the colleges are university owned, a few are owned independently and two are co-institutional, accommodating students of Otago Polytechnic
Otago Polytechnic
The Otago Polytechnic is a public New Zealand tertiary education institute, centred in Dunedin with campuses throughout the region of Otago including Cromwell, Wanaka and Queenstown....
, as well as those of the university.
In addition, the University of Otago College of Education, founded in 1867 as the Dunedin College of Education, has acted as an education faculty for the university since a merger in 2007, though it differs in function and purpose from the residential colleges described below.
Nature of the Colleges
The most central halls, situated beside the university's oldest buildings, are St Margaret's CollegeSt Margaret's College, Otago
Saint Margaret's College, Otago is a residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. The current Master is the Rev Dr Peter Norris and the Deputy Master is Jan Burton....
, noted for a strong academic lean, and University College
University College, Otago
University College , founded in 1969, is the largest residential hall at the University of Otago. It houses approximately 550 residents during the academic year. Originally consisting of two towers, North Tower and South Tower, it has since been expanded with the apprehension of a set of flats on...
(Unicol), which is the largest college, housing approximately 550 residents during the academic year. The colleges can exhibit distinctive features: Aquinas College, being amongst the smallest and farthest from the university centre, has developed a "family-like and informal atmosphere". City College is influenced by a substantial proportion of its students coming from the University of Otago College of Education or the Otago Polytechnic
Otago Polytechnic
The Otago Polytechnic is a public New Zealand tertiary education institute, centred in Dunedin with campuses throughout the region of Otago including Cromwell, Wanaka and Queenstown....
and Toroa College, formerly an International House
International House
International House is the name of:in Australia*International House, University of Queensland, a residential college on the campus of the University of Queensland...
, was almost exclusively filled by international students during this period, developing an environment with social and support aspects tailored to those special needs.
The residential colleges select students based on their marks, extracurricular activities and high school testimonials, with some colleges having application to place ratios of over 3:1. Applicants may list several colleges in their application, in case they are not selected by their first preference.
While many of the colleges only accept residents for a single year, a few do have a sizable proportion of second year returners. At some colleges, for instance Selwyn College
Selwyn College, Otago
Selwyn College is a residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. It was founded by Bishop Samuel Tarratt Nevill as a theological college training clergy for the Anglican Church and as a hall of residence for students attending the university...
and Knox College
Knox College, Otago
Knox College is a privately run residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in New Zealand, providing accommodation for primarily first and second year students, with a smaller number of postgraduates. The college is set in an landscaped site in Opoho on the opposite side of the...
, the majority of new entrants stay for two or more years. The Chris Burks Memorial Bursary is awarded to a second year student resident at Carrington College. All but one of the colleges consist of a majority undergraduate population, with the exception being the most recent college, Abbey College, the university's only fully postgraduate college.
Otago's colleges are not as significant in the life of the University as those of the universities of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. Similarly to colleges at those universities, some Otago colleges have a Master
Master (college)
A Master is the title of the head of some colleges and other educational institutions. This applies especially at some colleges and institutions at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge .- See also :* Master A Master (or in female form Mistress) is the title of the head of some...
, fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
s, a chapel and/or regular formal meals
Formal (university)
Formal Hall or Formal Meal is the meal held at some of the oldest , universities in the United Kingdom at which students dress in formal attire and often gowns to dine...
but, unlike Oxford and Cambridge colleges, students' primary affiliation is to the university rather than to the college and it is normal for only a small percentage, if any, of an Otago student's teaching to take place in their college.
College Ownership
While the majority of the residential colleges are owned by the university, they each have their own internal management structures and College Council.Five colleges are privately owned and are governed entirely independently from the University. These are Selwyn College
Selwyn College, Otago
Selwyn College is a residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. It was founded by Bishop Samuel Tarratt Nevill as a theological college training clergy for the Anglican Church and as a hall of residence for students attending the university...
, Knox College
Knox College, Otago
Knox College is a privately run residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in New Zealand, providing accommodation for primarily first and second year students, with a smaller number of postgraduates. The college is set in an landscaped site in Opoho on the opposite side of the...
, St Margaret's College
St Margaret's College, Otago
Saint Margaret's College, Otago is a residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. The current Master is the Rev Dr Peter Norris and the Deputy Master is Jan Burton....
, Salmond College
Salmond College, Otago
Salmond College is a residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. As an affiliated college, it is privately owned and is run independently from the university, being governed by The Council of Knox College and Salmond College, a body with links to the...
and City College.
Two of the independent colleges, City College and Salmond College
Salmond College, Otago
Salmond College is a residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. As an affiliated college, it is privately owned and is run independently from the university, being governed by The Council of Knox College and Salmond College, a body with links to the...
, are co-institutional, having a significant percentage of residents who study at Otago Polytechnic
Otago Polytechnic
The Otago Polytechnic is a public New Zealand tertiary education institute, centred in Dunedin with campuses throughout the region of Otago including Cromwell, Wanaka and Queenstown....
.
Intercollegiate Activities
A number of intercollegiate competitions are held, though often between pairs or subsets of the colleges. According to the university's prospectusProspectus (university)
A university or school prospectus is a document sent to potential students to attract them to apply for admissions. It usually contains information about the institution and the available courses, including advice on how to apply and the benefits of accepting a place. Many universities have...
, all colleges other than Toroa College have some inter-collegiate activities. Regular competitions include:
- Southgate Trophy and Iona Trophy between Studholme College, St Margaret's CollegeSt Margaret's College, OtagoSaint Margaret's College, Otago is a residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. The current Master is the Rev Dr Peter Norris and the Deputy Master is Jan Burton....
and Salmond CollegeSalmond College, OtagoSalmond College is a residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. As an affiliated college, it is privately owned and is run independently from the university, being governed by The Council of Knox College and Salmond College, a body with links to the... - Cameron Shield and Nevill Cup between Selwyn CollegeSelwyn College, OtagoSelwyn College is a residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. It was founded by Bishop Samuel Tarratt Nevill as a theological college training clergy for the Anglican Church and as a hall of residence for students attending the university...
and Knox CollegeKnox College, OtagoKnox College is a privately run residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in New Zealand, providing accommodation for primarily first and second year students, with a smaller number of postgraduates. The college is set in an landscaped site in Opoho on the opposite side of the... - AC/HC Shield between Hayward CollegeHayward College, OtagoHayward College is one of 13 residential colleges in Dunedin, New Zealand.Hayward College was developed from the former Queen Mary Maternity Hospital in 1992...
and Aquinas College - Stuart Shield between Carrington College and Arana CollegeArana CollegeArana College is a residential college of the University of Otago, founded in 1943 by the Rev. William Turner and the Stuart Residence Halls Council. The name "Arana" is a Māori transliteration of "Allen", chosen to honour Sir James Allen, a former Vice Chancellor and Chancellor of the University...
An intercollegiate rowing competition was held in May 2010 which Unicol are the current holders of.
An intercollegiate basketball competition was held over August/September and the respective champions were Arana (mixed), Cumberland (girls) & Aquinas College (boys).
List of Residential Colleges
| Name | Colours (if app.) | Opened | Capacity | UG/PG | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selwyn College Selwyn College, Otago Selwyn College is a residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. It was founded by Bishop Samuel Tarratt Nevill as a theological college training clergy for the Anglican Church and as a hall of residence for students attending the university... |
1893 | 170 | U+P | http://www.selwyn.ac.nz/ | |
| Knox College Knox College, Otago Knox College is a privately run residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in New Zealand, providing accommodation for primarily first and second year students, with a smaller number of postgraduates. The college is set in an landscaped site in Opoho on the opposite side of the... |
1909 | 203 | U+P | http://www.knoxcollege.ac.nz/ | |
| St Margaret's College St Margaret's College, Otago Saint Margaret's College, Otago is a residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. The current Master is the Rev Dr Peter Norris and the Deputy Master is Jan Burton.... |
1911 | 206 | U+P | http://www.smc.ac.nz/ | |
| Studholme College | 1915 | 173 | U | http://www.otago.ac.nz/studholme/ | |
| Arana College Arana College Arana College is a residential college of the University of Otago, founded in 1943 by the Rev. William Turner and the Stuart Residence Halls Council. The name "Arana" is a Māori transliteration of "Allen", chosen to honour Sir James Allen, a former Vice Chancellor and Chancellor of the University... |
1943 | 366 | U+P | http://www.arana.ac.nz/ | |
| Carrington College | 1945 | 224 | U+P | http://carringtonhall.otago.ac.nz/ | |
| Aquinas College Aquinas College, Dunedin Aquinas College is a residential college of the University of Otago, named after St. Thomas Aquinas, located in the suburb of Dalmore. Formerly a Roman Catholic institution in the care of the Dominican order from the 1950s, the college was bought by the University in 1988 and was run for a time... |
1952 | 165 | U | http://www.otago.ac.nz/aquinas/ | |
| University College University College, Otago University College , founded in 1969, is the largest residential hall at the University of Otago. It houses approximately 550 residents during the academic year. Originally consisting of two towers, North Tower and South Tower, it has since been expanded with the apprehension of a set of flats on... |
1969 | 518 | U | http://www.otago.ac.nz/unicol/ | |
| Salmond College | 1971 | 192 | U+P | http://www.salmondhall.ac.nz/ | |
| Cumberland College | 1989 | 436 | U | http://www.cumberland.ac.nz/ | |
| Hayward College Hayward College, Otago Hayward College is one of 13 residential colleges in Dunedin, New Zealand.Hayward College was developed from the former Queen Mary Maternity Hospital in 1992... |
1992 | 162 | U | http://www.otago.ac.nz/hayward/ | |
| Toroa College | 1996 | 131 | U+P | http://www.otago.ac.nz/toroa/ | |
| City College | 2000 | 211 | U+P | http://www.citycollege.co.nz/ | |
| Abbey College | 2008 | 85 | P | http://www.otago.ac.nz/abbeycollege/ |
The university maintains an online list.
Descriptions of the Colleges
A number of colleges have their own articles: Selwyn CollegeSelwyn College, Otago
Selwyn College is a residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. It was founded by Bishop Samuel Tarratt Nevill as a theological college training clergy for the Anglican Church and as a hall of residence for students attending the university...
, Knox College
Knox College, Otago
Knox College is a privately run residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in New Zealand, providing accommodation for primarily first and second year students, with a smaller number of postgraduates. The college is set in an landscaped site in Opoho on the opposite side of the...
, St Margaret's College
St Margaret's College, Otago
Saint Margaret's College, Otago is a residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. The current Master is the Rev Dr Peter Norris and the Deputy Master is Jan Burton....
, Studholme College, Arana College
Arana College
Arana College is a residential college of the University of Otago, founded in 1943 by the Rev. William Turner and the Stuart Residence Halls Council. The name "Arana" is a Māori transliteration of "Allen", chosen to honour Sir James Allen, a former Vice Chancellor and Chancellor of the University...
, Carrington College, Aquinas College
Aquinas College, Dunedin
Aquinas College is a residential college of the University of Otago, named after St. Thomas Aquinas, located in the suburb of Dalmore. Formerly a Roman Catholic institution in the care of the Dominican order from the 1950s, the college was bought by the University in 1988 and was run for a time...
, University College
University College, Otago
University College , founded in 1969, is the largest residential hall at the University of Otago. It houses approximately 550 residents during the academic year. Originally consisting of two towers, North Tower and South Tower, it has since been expanded with the apprehension of a set of flats on...
, Salmond College
Salmond College, Otago
Salmond College is a residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. As an affiliated college, it is privately owned and is run independently from the university, being governed by The Council of Knox College and Salmond College, a body with links to the...
, Cumberland College and Hayward College
Hayward College, Otago
Hayward College is one of 13 residential colleges in Dunedin, New Zealand.Hayward College was developed from the former Queen Mary Maternity Hospital in 1992...
.
From the founding of the first college, Selwyn College
Selwyn College, Otago
Selwyn College is a residential college affiliated to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. It was founded by Bishop Samuel Tarratt Nevill as a theological college training clergy for the Anglican Church and as a hall of residence for students attending the university...
, in 1893, to the most recent, Abbey College, in 2008, the architecture, motivations, expectations and models for residential colleges in Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
have changed substantially. None of the earliest three colleges have been owned by the university, despite this being the case for the vast majority of later colleges, and a significant fraction were originally single-sex (including all but one of the affiliated colleges and several university-owned colleges) whereas all colleges are now co-educational. As such, the residential colleges represent a wide range of buildings, compositions and ethos.
Toroa College
Toroa College was opened by the university in 1996 as Toroa International House to cater for growing numbers of international students. It was the first residential college to offer self-catering accommodation. Since then, it has become Toroa College and has opened access to domestic students. The college takes a proactive approach to environmental issues and has an environmental committee charged with encouraging sustainable living in the residential college context.Toroa College website
City College
City College was founded in 2000 to provide accommodation for students from the University of OtagoUniversity of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
, Otago Polytechnic
Otago Polytechnic
The Otago Polytechnic is a public New Zealand tertiary education institute, centred in Dunedin with campuses throughout the region of Otago including Cromwell, Wanaka and Queenstown....
and the Dunedin College of Education (now University of Otago College of Education) with significant involvement from Dunedin City Council. It is the only fully catered college based around apartment groups, having 207 rooms spread around 4, 5 and 6 bedroom groups.
City College has a "village"-style layout, with internal gardens and courtyards surrounded by residential buildings. The Head of College is Joy Crawford.
City College website
Abbey College
Abbey College was founded in 2008 to meet the needs of the university's growing graduate and postgraduate population. The college benefits from a range of facilities developed for the hotel/motel previously occupying the complex, such as a swimming pool and sauna.It has a strong international representation with two-thirds of members from outside New Zealand. The Head of College is Gretchen Kivell.
Abbey College website
See also
- List of residential colleges
- Collegiate universityCollegiate universityA collegiate university is a university in which governing authority and functions are divided between a central administration and a number of constituent colleges...
- though the University of OtagoUniversity of OtagoThe University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
is not fully collegiate, it necessarily shares some of the characteristics of such a university