St Aidan's College, Durham

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources:  –  ·  ·  · scholar · JSTOR (May 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

St Aidan's College
University of Durham
Location	Windmill Hill, Durham DH1 3LJ
Coordinates	54°45′51″N 1°35′02″W / 54.764167°N 1.583889°W / 54.764167; -1.583889Coordinates: 54°45′51″N 1°35′02″W / 54.764167°N 1.583889°W / 54.764167; -1.583889
Motto	Latin: Super fundamentis certis
Motto in English	Upon sure foundations
Established	1947
Named for	St Aidan of Lindisfarne
Principal	Susan Frenk
Undergraduates	806
Postgraduates	200
Website	St Aidan's College
JCR	St Aidan's JCR
SCR	St Aidan's SCR
Boat club	St Aidan's Boat Club
Map
Location in Durham, England

St Aidan's College is a college of the University of Durham in England. Founded in 1947 as the St Aidan's Society, but able to trace its roots back to the end of the 19th century, the college is named for St Aidan of Lindisfarne.

History[]

Front view of the central building

The college has its origins in the small group of women, known as home students, who were first allowed to study at Durham in 1895.^[1] At that time, and indeed until the Second World War, it was considered unsuitable for female students to live in lodgings: they either had to be members of a college or to live at home. The numbers were never very large; for example, in 1936 there were only five. However, a substantial increase in the number of female students after 1945 meant that the former group of home students was reorganised, emerging as the St Aidan's Society in 1947.^{[citation needed]}

The St Aidan's Society had its offices at 24 North Bailey (now the bar and club of the Durham Union Society). Some of the students lived in Shincliffe Hall and others in lodgings. A common room was soon found in 50 North Bailey and chapel services held at the church of St Mary-le-Bow. The first principal was Ethleen Scott,^[2] having been "Censor" of the female home students since 1937.^{[citation needed]}

In 1961 St Aidan's was reconstituted as a full "council college", meaning that its governing council is a sub-committee of the university council, the university's governing body. It moved to its present buildings on Elvet Hill in September 1964, becoming one of the first of the university's "Hill" colleges.^[3] The college buildings are in a modernist style, having been designed by architect Sir Basil Spence and arranged in a semi-circular arrangement surrounding a central lawn.^[4] The original design was intended to represent the hand of God holding a jewel, with the curved corridors as the fingers, the straight corridors as his thumb, and a small chapel as the jewel. However, financial constraints prevented the chapel from ever being built and later extensions to the straight section did not follow the original idea.^{[citation needed]}

In 1963, Scott was succeeded as principal by Dame Enid Russell-Smith,^[5] who handed over to Irene Hindmarsh in 1970.^[6] It was during her tenure as principal that it was agreed that St Aidan's should become a mixed college. The first male students were admitted in 1981.^[4]

John Ashworth took over in 1998, before becoming dean of colleges in 2007, at which point Susan Frenk became acting principal. In 2008 work on improvements to the extensions were started. The aim was to turn previous fresher rooms into ensuite accommodation for finalists and postgraduates. The newly refurbished extensions, named the Elizabeth Pease House, were opened to students in 2009.^[7]

Organisation[]

St Aidan's College entrance

The college membership divides itself between the (SCR) and the junior common room (JCR). The SCR is a self-regulating body of senior members of the university, college officers, tutors and postgraduate students. The JCR consists of the undergraduate members of the college and elects its own officers, including a sabbatical president and a bar steward, who liaise on its behalf with the college and university.^[8]

Principals[]

The current principal is Susan Frenk, a lecturer in Spanish and Latin-American culture.

• Ethleen Scott (1947?–1970)
• Dame Enid Russell-Smith (1963–1970)
• Irene Hindmarsh (1970–1988)
• Robert Williams (1991–1997)^[9]
• John Ashworth (1998–2007)
• Susan Frenk (2007–present)

Societies[]

Boat club[]

In 1954 St Aidan's College Boat Club (SACBC) was founded. Today the club shares a boathouse with University College Boat Club. The club competes with other colleges, as well as competing in the Durham Regatta.^[10]

Association football[]

St Aidan's College participates in the intercollegiate football league. There are five men's and one women's team representing St Aidan's College, with both A teams featuring in the premiership as of 2016.^[11]

Notable alumni[]

• Jon Ashworth MP – Member of Parliament for Leicester South (2011–present) and Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (2017–present)^[12]
• Josh Beaumont – Sale Sharks and England national rugby union team professional rugby player^[13]
• Graham Brady MP – Conservative Member of Parliament for Altrincham and Sale West (1997–present)^[14]
• Beverley Goodger – Winner of the first Society of Biology's School Biology Teacher of the Year for 2013.^[15][16]
• Monica Grady – Professor of Planetary and Space Science at the Open University^[17]
• Judith Hann – freelance broadcaster and writer, former Tomorrow's World presenter^[18][19]
• Ruth Alcroft – Labour City Councillor and parliamentary candidate for Carlisle
• Shona McIsaac MP – Labour Member of Parliament for Cleethorpes (1997–2010)^[20]
• Nick Mohammed – comedian and actor^[21][22]
• Stéphanie Nicolle – Adjunct Professor of Immovable Property, Institute of Law, Jersey (2009–2012); HM Solicitor General for Jersey (1994–2008)^[23]
• Dame Caroline Swift – leading counsel to the Inquiry in the Shipman Inquiry and Justice of the High Court (Queens Bench Division)^[24]

References[]

Sources[]

• Rodmell, Graham. St Aidans: from Home Students to Society to College. University of Durham, 1997. ISBN 0-9530465-0-8

External links[]

• St Aidan's on Durham University website
• St Aidan's College JCR website
• St Aidan's College SCR postgraduate student and staff organisation