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Van Mildert College, Durham

Coordinates: 54°45′47″N 1°34′52″W / 54.7631°N 1.5810°W / 54.7631; -1.5810
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Van Mildert College
University of Durham
Van Mildert Main College and Tyne Stairs viewed from Lake Mildert
Arms of Van Mildert College
Arms: Gules, two scythe blades in saltire, in chief the cross of St. Cuthbert argent.
LocationMill Hill Lane, Durham, DH1 3LH
Coordinates54°45′47″N 1°34′52″W / 54.7631°N 1.5810°W / 54.7631; -1.5810
AbbreviationVM
MottoLatin: Sic vos non vobis
Motto in EnglishThus do ye, Not for yourselves
Established1965
Named afterWilliam Van Mildert, Prince Bishop of Durham
Sister collegeHalifax College, York
PrincipalTom Mole
Vice principalKatie Dowson
Undergraduates1376 (2022/23)[1]
Postgraduates200 (2022/23)[2]
WebsiteVan Mildert College
JCRVM Junior Common Room
MCRVM Middle Common Room
SCRVM Senior Common Room
Boat clubVan Mildert College Boat Club
Map
Van Mildert College, Durham is located in Durham, England
Van Mildert College, Durham
Location in Durham, England

Van Mildert College (colloquially known as Van Mil or Mildert[3][4]) is one of the 17 constituent colleges of the University of Durham. The college was founded in 1965 following the Robbins Report and takes its name from William Van Mildert,[5] the last Prince-Bishop to rule the County Palatine of Durham and a leading figure in the University’s foundation. Originally an all-male college, Van Mildert admitted female undergraduates for the first time in 1972, making it the first Durham colleges to become mixed.[6]

The college occupies grounds of 8 acres (3 hectares) alongside South Road and Mill Hill Lane, about 1 mile (2 kilometres) south of the university town, and is centred on a small lake. Designed by Middleton, Fletcher & Partners, the college was built in a modernist and egalitarian architectural stye that aims to house the sudden influx of students in the early 1960’s.[7] The college is notable for its lake, named Lake Mildert, and its Ann Dobson Dining Hall is the largest student dining hall in Durham.[6]

The college is the third largest collegiate body in the university by total numbers of affiliated students, just behind University College,[8] and is reputed for its community feel and relative informality compared with other Durham colleges. Almost half of home students admitted are from grammar school[9] and it is one of the 7 colleges of Durham that does not require its students to don their gown, though the traditional Durham custom of formal dining are still performed and taken pride of.

Among Mildertian’s notable alumni are former Minister of State for Women The Baroness Morgan of Huyton, World Record triple jump Olympic champion Jonathan Edwards, the cosmologist and Templeton Prize winner John D. Barrow, English judge of the UK Supreme Court Lord Hughes of Ombersley, and Turkish Prince Naz Osmanoglu.

History

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The Prince-Bishop of Durham, William Van Mildert, 1765–1836, was instrumental in the founding of Durham University, after whom the college is named
Van Mildert College Members Group Photograph in 1965 at Parsons Field, the original home base of the college.

Van Mildert College was established in 1965 following recommendations of the Robbins Report looking into the future of higher education in the UK. In 1963, King's College in Newcastle declared itself independent from the University of Durham, meaning new colleges were required to meet the new university places that the Government wished to create. As a result, the university planned to establish three new colleges on Elvet Hill which went on to be named Collingwood College, Trevelyan College and Van Mildert College.[10]

Overview

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[edit]

Van Mildert is a maintained college, which are governed directly by, and are financially dependent on, the University. Van Mildert's principals and staffs are appointed by University Council and are overseen by the Deputy Warden, who is also a member of the University Executive Committee, and so does not enjoy independence unlike most of Oxbridge colleges and Durham's two other recognised colleges of St John's and St Chad's.

The college is headed by a Principal (previously titled Master until 1988),[11][12] a vice-principal and a board of governors. Some members sits as governor by virtue of holding another office:

  • The Principal (Chairman),
  • The Vice-Chancellor and Warden
  • The Vice-Principal and Senior Tutor,
  • The Bursar
  • The President of the Senior Common Room
  • The Chaplain
  • The President of the Junior Common Room

College tutors and the Junior Common Room and a representative of the University Council also elects members to sit on the governing body.

As a constituent college of Durham University, Van Mildert College is recognised as a "listed bodies"[13] in the Education (Listed Bodies) (England) Order 2013 made under the Education Reform Act 1988. The legal status of Van Mildert College is thus similar to those colleges in Oxford and Cambridge and the dissolution of the college will only take effect if approved by the Privy Council.

Buildings and grounds

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The college and its main entrance are located at the eastern end of Mill Hill Lane, neighbouring South College and John Snow College to its west, Elvet Hill Road to its east and South Road to its south. The front of the college runs between St Aidan’s College, Teikyo University and the Oriental Museum, whilst the back entrance along Lake Mildert partly neighbours Collingwood College. Van Mildert building blocks are architecturally modernist, many of which are named after local rivers, which are Tyne, Tees, Derwent, Wear, and Deerness (postgraduates only). Two accommodation blocks are not named in this convention with Tunstall block named after a town in Sunderland and Middleton stairs named after the architect that conceptualised the college.[14] Unlike the Bailey colleges where accommodation blocks are spread around the city, all of Van Mildert’s accommodation are situated within the college grounds, and the college is in the process of refurbishing each of the buildings in turn. In total the College can provide around 525 single rooms for its student members.

In 2024, Van Mildert College was also criticised for not being able to accommodate returning students into college accommodation for the academic year whilst having at least 70 unoccupied beds (16% unoccupied) within the college grounds.[15]

The post of college principal in Van Mildert College also comes with residential benefits, and that they are entitled to use and live in the Principal's House (formerly Master's House) which are located by South Road neighbouring Southend House. The college also houses its own tennis court and owns Tees Lawn, often used by members of the college for recreational purposes.

Ann Dobson Dining Hall

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Ann Dobson Dining Hall, Van Mildert College, in preparation for a Christmas Formal

The college's Dining Hall, the Ann Dobson Dining Hall (colloquially the "Annie D"), is the largest student dining hall in Durham,[6] although some claimed that it is the largest in the UK and even in the whole of Europe, which is not true as Churchill College in Cambridge can cater for up to 430 guests in a formal dining arrangement. It measures 30.8m by 13.2m and can seat approximately 350 members at formal hall.[16] The dining hall is used for a variety of functions over the academic year and plays a central role in the lives of livers-in (a Durham term for students who lives in college) as it is where college meals and formals are held.

Today, the hall still acts as a venue for drama productions and as a sports hall for college members.[17]

Portrait of William Van Mildert by Thomas Lawrence (1829) hangs in the college dining hall

A copy of a portrait of William Van Mildert, whom the college is named after, hangs at one end of the dining hall, along with portraits of the former Principals and Masters of the College.

Libraries

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The College Main library, known as the Bradshaw Room, is located in Main College and overlooks Lake Mildert. It is equipped with over 12,000 books & journals and, along with St John's College Archives, is the only other College library in Durham to be listed in The National Archives.[18] The Bradshaw Room also houses a Library2careers, study-skills section, and course-related DVDs.

Mildert's Inn

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Van Mildert bar

The Van Mildert College Bar (also known as Mildert's Inn which few known)[19] is a recently refurbished bar which are extensively used by both members of the college and students from other colleges. It is also generally used for holding JCR meetings during term time and in recent years has won the 'University Bar' category of the Best Bar None[20] and awards from Durham City for the 2008–09 and 2010–11 academic years. Most recently, Van Mildert's Bar has also won the 'Gold' category for the Best Bar None Awards for the year 2016–17.

The Bar produces its own brand of ale called 'Treasure in the Swamp' and serves other alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and/or alcohol alternatives. The bar is infamous for its college drink – ‘The Little Lad’ and ‘Shrek Juice’.[21]

Lake Mildert and Tees Lawn

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The lake is perhaps the most distinctive physical features of the college and is an integral part of the college's identity and community, and a valuable environmental resources for a variety of plants and animals. In the not too distant past, it has been used as an ice rink by college members when the lake water froze in the winter, and rowing boats have traversed it at summer balls. There were also plans to convert the area nearest to Main College into an outdoor swimming pool, although this was not eventually realised.[22] The lake has now toxic water warning and is out of bounds at all times, with transgression of the rule taken very seriously by the College Officers.[23]

The college recorded at least 10 species of wildlife to be thriving within the college grounds, which includes the Grey Herons and the infamous species of Van Mildert ducks, the Mallards.[22] Now an enviable haven for wildlife, the college grounds host a new cohort of ducklings every year and its water lilies around the lake provides sanctuary for a plethora of animals. The lake is aerated by the two fountains, which provide a home for various fish and plants.[22]

Tees Lawn is a meadow situated between Tees, Wear and Derwent Stairs facing towards Lake Mildert. The lawn is used extensively by college members during the summer and it is used to host the annual college Michaelmas ball. A sculpture entitled The Mildert Feather was commissioned by Danish artist Erik Heide to mark the college 50th anniversary. The sculpture is mounted on a rotating base on the lawn, which is designed to move with the wind.[24]

Other facilities

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The College has other social facilities, including three music/recording suite, a gym, computer room, shop, tennis court and a full-size snooker table. Its music rooms also includes a drum kit, a keyboard, guitar amps, and a grand piano selected exclusively from Steinway & Sons by former JCR President, Henry Bashford.[25]

The Van Mildert's Junior Common Room is used for many of the social events that are organised by the JCR, such as bops, ents after Formals, band nights and amateur theatre productions. Having recently been refurbished, the JCR lounge offers table tennis and a plasma screen TVs with Sky TV, which are used to show major sporting fixtures during the academic term, as well as sofas and comfy seating. Members of the Middle Common Room have a dedicated postgraduate social space facility known as the MCR Bankside Room and is located on the ground floor of the Deerness block and includes facilities such as a TV, coffee machine, games console and study space.[26] Members of the Senior Common Room makes use of the Prowse Room, which are located behind the Ann Dobson Dining Hall, and opposite the Lakeside Room. The SCR Prowse Room has tea and coffee machine and a reading room.[27]

Student life

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Van Mildert College in snow

Van Mildert has one of the largest undergraduate and graduate intakes among Durham colleges, admitting 376 undergraduates and at least 150 graduate students in the 2023-2024 academic year.[28] All first year undergraduates board and lodge within the college, which means that they are obliged to live, dine and read for their degree within the college grounds, though this arrangement is not universal and may be waived for local students whom lived within the area. A typical fresher's room will have a single bed. Second year students usually lives-out in the city with many finalists returning to live-in College.[29] Arrangements for postgraduates varies, with the college reserving at least 61 rooms, mostly in Deerness Stairs for its graduate members.[30]

Three meals a day in the Ann Dobson Hall are included in the boarding fee, where it is common for each hall corridors to go together. Out of term time, students who stays are permitted to use the kitchen facilities or bought meal directly in the college or other colleges servery.[31]

Academic gown

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Van Mildert College previously obliged its students in wearing the college gown to formal hall, matriculation, college congregations and other academic or formal events, as it was evident in historical college matriculation photograph.[32] It is not entirely sure precisely when or why the college dropped this convention, but college records has suggested that this tradition ceased with the admittance of women undergraduates in 1972.[33]

Although the wearing of academic dress is no longer stipulated, formal dress (e.g. lounge suit and dress) is required in every formal events, such as matriculation and formal halls. In addition, students are required to wear black tie for men and ball gown for women at the end of term balls.

Common Rooms

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All members of college are members of a common room – for example, Undergraduates are members of the Junior Common Room (JCR). The JCR elects an Executive Committee which ensures it is run successfully, in conjunction with the College Officers. The governance procedure of the JCR is stated in the constitution, which can only be amended by resolution of the JCR members during general meetings. Undergraduates constitute the majority of the student population of the college, with approximately 1200 JCR members as of the 2021-2022 academic year.[1] Up until 2018 the Junior Common Room of Van Mildert College had a 236-page constitution, making it significantly longer than the Constitutions of most sovereign states.[34]

Postgraduate students are members of the Middle Common Room (MCR), which hosts its own events and benefits from a refurbished Common Room and separate accommodation in Deerness block. All rooms in this block are en-suite and have access to kitchen facilities due to the fact that postgraduate students are often resident in college outside of normal term times. Postgraduate members of the college are entitled to make use of all the JCR facilities available. Academic and professional services staff of the University, alumni and friends of the college from the local community form the Senior Common Room (SCR).

Arts

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The college has a number of groups involved in music, art, and the performing arts, collectively known as 'Van MildARTS'. The college hosts an annual arts week and annual musical, with recent productions being Cabaret, Our Country's Good, Guys and Dolls, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Rent and Mama Mia![35] The college has a Big Band, Dance Society and Jam Society. This Society organises Jam by the Lake, the only open-air musical festival in County Durham and frequent winner of Purple Radio's 'Best Music Event' award.[36]

Sports

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The college has a sporting profile with a number of teams across a range of both traditional and non-traditional sports, including eight male football teams; two male rugby teams; a Women's Rugby team, Van Maidan's (joint with St Aidan's College); Cheerleading (with the College team having won the Inter-Collegiate Competition for five consecutive years); Ultimate Frisbee; Darts (most notably the Women's Darts "D Team"); and many more. Awards for graduating sports players are given at the Annual Sports Formal. This event celebrates the work and success of the sports teams, but more so the JCR Members who captain the teams and make up their Executive Committees.

Boat Club

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Van Mildert Boat Club is the college rowing club. It was founded in 1965 by Simon Scott, an Engineering undergraduate at Durham University and one of the founding members of Van Mildert College.[37][38] The boathouse of the club is on the River Wear, opposite Dunelm House and below Kingsgate Bridge.

The club competes against other college clubs in intercollegiate competitions organised by Durham College Rowing. It also takes part in regional events and national events (such as Head of the River Race, Women's Eights Head of the River Race and BUCS Regatta).

The college boat house burnt down after an arsonist attacked it on 21 December 2021.[39]

Formals

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Formals take place regularly during the academic term, with the college holding between three and five per term. Students are not required to wear academic dress to formal dinners; instead, formal dress is worn except when it is a Ball and dinner jackets are worn. At the end of the dining hall a High Table composed of members of the SCR and their guests are present at every formal. The principal's entrance and exit, announced to attendees by the ringing of the election bell by the JCR President, signifies the official opening and closing of the formal meal. Food at a formal meal usually consists of three courses and is often followed by evening entertainment.[citation needed]

The Kazu

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A Kazu being performed by Kazu

The Kazu is a traditional ceremony performed by the winning candidate after elections to the JCR Executive Committee, following the announcement of results by the JCR Chair. In more recent years, it has only been the elected President that performs a Kazu. A Kazu is a celebratory action which requires the winning candidate of every election to kick a full can of Coca-Cola down the stairs in the foyer, throw it over their head three times and then opening the can over their head. The JCR Standing Orders and website note that it "may be done wearing clothes" and that "Wikipedia knows more about Kazus than anyone in College".[40]

The tradition was started by a Japanese exchange student called Kazuhisa who regularly performed the Kazu in the JCR foyer. The first official Kazu was performed by James Mackenzie in March 1997, upon being elected JCR President.[41]

Associated institutions

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Following the tradition of Oxbridge Colleges being twinned with each other, as of 2012 Van Mildert College has been twinned with Halifax College, University of York.[42]

People associated with Van Mildert

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Principal

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Professor Tom Mole is the current Principal of the College. [43]

The following list is of the past Masters & Principals of the College:

Fellows

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The college has two fellowships for visiting scholars; the Arthur Prowse Fellowship, named after the College's first Master, and the Arnold Bradshaw Fellowship. The fellowships are typically awarded for one academic term in conjunction with the Institute of Advanced Study with the fellow residing in the College and becoming a member of the SCR. Recent fellows have included Adi Ophir and Mikhail Epstein.

Notable alumni

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Van Mildert alumni are active through organisations and events, such as the Van Mildert Association, which cater for the more than 7,500 living alumni.[44]

Coat of arms

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Coat of arms of Van Mildert College, Durham
Notes
The Coat of Arms of Van Mildert College was granted on 3 February 1966 by the Garter King of Arms, preserved in the College archives.[55]

The scythes and the red field are taken from Prince-Bishop William Van Mildert's episcopal arms; the Cross of St Cuthbert is a common emblem of Durham City and the University. The college generally uses only the escutcheon (i.e. shield) of its arms for most unofficial purposes.

Crest
"On a wreath of the colours, In front of a castle of three towers sable, a silver pennannular brooch proper, the ends charged with gilded crosses of St. Cuthbert.
Escutcheon
"Gules, two scythe blades in saltire, in chief the cross of St. Cuthbert argent."
Motto
Sic vos non vobis

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Undergraduate College Comparison Table". Durham University. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Van Mildert College Middle Common Room". Durham University. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Home Page". www.mildert.co.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  4. ^ "What does Mildert mean?". Durham University - Student Blogs. 25 July 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  5. ^ "Van Mildert College : Building the College - Durham University". www.dur.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  6. ^ a b c "Durham University Records: Colleges: Van Mildert College". Durham University Library Archives & Special Collections Catalogue. 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  7. ^ "Back to School in the Mid-20th Century: Modernist Student Accommodation". www.historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Compare Our Colleges". www.durham.ac.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Admission of students from non-selective schools by college". www.whatdotheyknow.com. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  10. ^ Martin, Susan (2006). Trevs: A Celebration of 40 years of Trevelyan College Durham. Roundtuit Publishing.
  11. ^ Calendar. Vol. 1. Durham University. 1985. p. 196.
  12. ^ "Calendar". Durham University. 1989. p. 204.
  13. ^ Recognised UK Degrees
  14. ^ "Van Mildert College : Building the College - Durham University". www.dur.ac.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  15. ^ "Van Mildert College closes Derwent accommodation block". www.palatinate.org.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Van Mildert College : Meeting Rooms". Durham University. 18 January 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  17. ^ "Inter-Varsity Folk Dance Festival Durham 2010". Archived from the original on 27 August 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  18. ^ "Durham University: Van Mildert College". The National Archives. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  19. ^ "Van Mildert 2021 Freshers Handbook" (PDF). Van Mildert College Junior Common Room. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  20. ^ "Best Bar None". Durham University. 27 October 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
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  22. ^ a b c "van mildert collage. (1)". The Conscientious Traveller. 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
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  30. ^ "Postgraduate College Comparison Table". Durham University. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  31. ^ Cite error: The named reference acommodation was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  32. ^ "Van Mildert College Group Photograph 1970 - UND/F10/FA1970". Durham University Library Archives & Special Collections Catalogue. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  33. ^ "Van Mildert College Group Photograph 1974 - UND/F10/FA1974". Durham University Library Archives & Special Collections Catalogue. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  34. ^ "JCR Standing Orders" (PDF). Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  35. ^ "Lascivious 'Lysistrata'". Durham21.co.uk. 23 June 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  36. ^ [1] Archived 12 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  37. ^ "CUWBC Blondie 2011 Squad List". Cuwbc.org. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  38. ^ "VMA Obituaries". Durham University. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  39. ^ Mohamed, Waseem (5 January 2022). "Van Mildert boathouse fire was deliberate". Palatinate. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  40. ^ "FAQ". Mildert.co.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  41. ^ Cowen, Rob (17 November 2019). "The Kazu: A Brief History". Van Mildert College Alumni Newsletter. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  42. ^ [2] Archived 16 August 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  43. ^ a b "New Master of Van Mildert College Announced". Van Mildert College, Durham University. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  44. ^ "The Durham Difference" (PDF). Durham University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
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  52. ^ "The Mildertian - 2014". Van Mildert College. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  53. ^ "Van Mildert College : Obituaries". Durham University. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  54. ^ "Bishop of Newcastle". Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  55. ^ "Van Mildert College (Durham University)". www.heraldry-wiki.com. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  • Bradshaw, A. (1990) Van Mildert College: The First 25 Years, A Sketch.