Student Welfare
A wide variety of options are available to Mansfield students seeking welfare support. Please see below for further advice on different aspects of welfare provision.
Respect for your privacy is at the heart of Mansfield’s welfare policy, and consultation with College post-holders on welfare matters will be treated in confidence wherever possible, following the University Guidance on Confidentiality in Student Health and Welfare and the Data Protection Act. If you are concerned that a welfare-related issue may affect your academic work, you are advised to notify your College tutor (undergraduates) or your College advisor (graduates). Undergraduates seeking advice and guidance may also contact the Senior Tutor, Visiting Students may contact the Senior Tutor or the Director of the Visiting Students Programme and graduates may contact the Tutor for Graduates.
The College has an Equal Opportunities Policy and Monitoring Group (EOPMG) which meets twice a year, and is chaired by the Tutor for Women. The group consists of the Principal, Bursar, Senior Tutor, Tutor for Graduates, Tutor for Welfare, Tutor for Women, Disability Officer, BME Officer, Academic Registrar, Junior Deans and representatives of the MCR and the JCR. The EOPMG has overall responsibility for coordination of Equal Opportunities policy development and the identification of priorities. The College's Equal Opportunities Policies can be found here.
Andrew Gosler is the college's Tutor for Welfare. This role is a first point of contact for any students who would like to talk over any welfare issues (broadly conceived) with a member of staff. Prof Gosler is available to discuss personal welfare matters – please feel free to get in touch with him if you wish to arrange a meeting.
Katherine Morris (telephone (2) 70985) can be approached by women students with concerns or issues they feel would best be communicated to a woman tutor. The Tutor for Women also organises social and academic events focussing on the achievements of Mansfield women.
"Women remain in a significant minority at Oxford among the undergraduate, graduate and fellowship communities. Most colleges therefore designate one female tutor the 'tutor for women' with special responsibility to think about and represent the needs or concerns of that minority. I am very happy to take on this role at Mansfield and extend a warm invitation to all women students who have concerns or issues they feel would be best communicated to a woman tutor to knock on my door. Also, if you feel that you personally or (a group of) female students more generally suffer from discrimination in any way in college then you should seek to address this first through me as tutor for women.
I think it is important that we celebrate the energy and success among our female members so - in conjunction with the elected representatives for women from the MCR and JCR bench - I also organise social, academic and alumni events with a focus on Mansfield women's achievement.
It is best to arrange to see me by appointment through email but you can find my office in college (Room 5, 8 Mansfield Road) in normal office hours and I will arrange to meet you at a more convenient time if you should call by when I am engaged in teaching or meetings."
Andrew Higgins is the College's Disability Lead and is available for advice on disability-related matters or disability-related welfare issues. If you have academic needs related to disability, please contact the College's Disability Coordinator (see below). The University also runs a comprehensive Disability Advisory Service (DAS). Students wishing to contact the Disability Advisory Service are advised in the first instance to contact Mansfield's link advisors, Helen Young (Disability Advisor) or Rachel Steadman (Disability Advisor (Mental Health)).
Alice Evans is the College's Disability Coordinator and is happy to speak to any students who wish to discuss their academic needs in relation to a disability or medical condition. The Disability Coordinator is also the first point of contact for students who wish to apply for alternative arrangements for examinations on the grounds of a disability or medical condition.
The College's Harassment Policy can be found here. If you are concerned that you or a fellow student are the victim of harassment or bullying please contact the Harassment Officers, Derek McCormack and Katherine Morris.
Ros Ballaster can be approached by any students experiencing issues or concerns.
John Ovenden is available to give support to all students, regardless of religious affiliation.
Mansfield commits:
'to give support and understanding to those individuals who wish to take, or have
taken steps, to present themselves as a gender different to the gender assigned at
birth';
'to create an inclusive trans-friendly culture, workplace and learning environment';
and
‘that no prospective or actual student or member of staff will be treated less favourably than any other… on the grounds of gender identity or reassignment’
Mansfield has adopted the University of Oxford Transgender Policy and follows the University of Oxford Transgender Guidance, available here.
The Point of Contact for transitioning students is the Senior Tutor, who is well-informed on Trans Policy and has supervised students’ transitions in the past.
The College Office has guidance on the administrative process involved when students change their name and gender.
Elizabeth Li is Junior Dean for the Main Site and Nils Rochowicz is the off-site Junior Dean. They are available to offer support and advice to students on general welfare matters.
The JCR and MCR Benches operate a peer support network and have a number of elected officers whose role involves student welfare.
JCR Bench:
President: Saba Shakil
Vice President (Welfare) & Chair of the Welfare Committee: Erin Minogue
Women's Officer: Emily Jones
Men's Officer: Jack Sagar
LQBTQ+ Officer: Jessica Duffy
Disabilities & Mental Health Officer: Olivia Turpin
International Students' Officer: Yasmin Nguyen
Visiting Student Rep: TBC
MCR Bench:
President: Johnny Wilkinson
Vice President: Oli Woolley
Treasurer: Franziska Brandmann
Secretary: Tom Babb
Please find here a link to the JCR list of Peer Supporters.
The medical practice with which the College is associated has both male and female doctors who are available during their normal surgery hours to any student registered with them and at any time in an emergency.
St Clements Surgery
39 Temple Street
Oxford
Tel: 01865 248550
Opening hours for the surgery, as well as details of how to make an appointment, can be found on the surgery website.
The University has a professionally-staffed, confidential Student Counselling Service for assistance with personal, emotional, social and academic problems. The Service is available free to all matriculated undergraduate and graduate members of the University.
Please see here for further details.
The Student Advice Service is an advice, information and advocacy service for Oxford University students.
More details can be found on the Oxford University Student Union website.
Nightline is a listening service run by students for students. The Nightline Centre is at 16 Wellington Square (Oxford 270270), and is open from 8.00pm - 8.00am every night during term and during the weeks immediately before and after each term. Further information can be found here.
The College has an Equal Opportunities Policy and Monitoring Group (EOPMG) which meets twice a year, and is chaired by the Tutor for Women. The group consists of the Principal, Bursar, Senior Tutor, Tutor for Graduates, Tutor for Welfare, Tutor for Women, Disability Officer, BME Officer, Academic Administrator, Junior Deans and representatives of the MCR and the JCR. The EOPMG has overall responsibility for coordination of Equal Opportunities policy development and the identification of priorities. The College's Equal Opportunities Policies can be found here.
The most useful place to check for the University's student-related policies is here.
The following are particularly germane to student welfare. Please click the topic below on which you would like more information.
Factors affecting performance in examinations (see below, Mitigating Circumstances in Examinations)
Harassment and Bullying (also see the College's Harassment Policy, here)
(Also the Oxford Student Mental Health Network Out of Hours guidance, downloadable here)
Mitigating Circumstances in Examinations
Reasonable adjustments in examinations
Sexual Violence: prevention and support
University Transgender Policy (also the College's Trans Policy, above)
University Transgender Guidance
Your academic work may be a significant factor in your welfare. Your subject tutors will in many cases be the first people you choose to talk if you are concerned about your academic work. However, the academic support coordinator Gail Leckie is available as an additional resource whatever your subject to talk through your concerns and to signpost you to study support resources within and beyond college.
Gail is available by appointment (Gail.leckie@mansfield.ox.ac.uk) or at a drop-in in office C4 at 10-11am on Thursdays during term.
Academic support includes study skills and supplementary tuition such as drop-ins, revision, maths skills alongside your core tutorials and classes. Provision varies from subject to subject and is tailored to the needs of that subject.