St Cross College, Oxford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Cross College
Blazon: Argent a Cross Potent Purpure a Quarter counterchanged; and for the Crest upon a Helm with a Wreath Argent and Purpure an Armillary Sphere upon a Stand Or thereon a Dove with wings elevated and displayed Argent holding in the beak a Sprig of Mulberry fructed and leaved proper mantled Purpure doubled Argent
University	University of Oxford
Location	St Giles'
Coordinates	51°45′24″N 1°15′37″W / 51.756528°N 1.260311°W / 51.756528; -1.260311
Latin name	Collegium Sanctae Crucis Oxoniae
Motto	Ad quattuor cardines mundi
Established	1965
Named for	St Cross Road and St Cross Church
Sister college	Clare Hall, Cambridge
Master	Kate Mavor
Dean	Heather Hamill
Undergraduates	0
Postgraduates	545 (2018)
Boat club	Boat Club shared with Wolfson College Boat Club
Map
Location in Oxford city centre

St Cross College, also called StX, is a special college at the University of Oxford in England. It was started in 1965. St Cross is a college just for students who are studying for advanced degrees, called graduate students. It has old-style buildings in the center of St Giles' in Oxford. The college wants to give graduate students the same support and community as colleges for younger students, but with a more relaxed feel.

College History

St Cross College officially began on October 5, 1965. It welcomed its first five graduate students the next year. Like many newer Oxford colleges, St Cross has always accepted both male and female students.

The college was first located on St Cross Road, near St Cross Church. This is how it got its name. In 1976, the college started talking about moving to the St Giles site. This move happened in 1981. The college leased the new site from Pusey House for 999 years.

The old site on St Cross Road is still used. It now has two buildings for students to live in. These buildings opened in 1996.

The head of St Cross College is called the Master. In 2011, Sir Mark Jones became the Master. Unlike other colleges, the Master of St Cross is chosen by the University Council, not just by the college itself.

In 2016, Carole Souter became the Master. She retired in 2022. In 2023, Kate Mavor became the new Master of the college.

College Buildings

The college is located on St Giles' Street. It is close to the Ashmolean Museum and other university buildings. The college has two main courtyards, called quads. These are the Richard Blackwell Quadrangle and the new West Quad.

St Cross shares its main site with Pusey House. Pusey House has a chapel and a library within the college buildings. The original buildings around the Blackwell Quad were built between 1884 and 1926. When St Cross moved in, some changes were made. For example, old rooms were turned into the Saugman Common Room. The first courtyard is called the Richard Blackwell Quadrangle, often just called 'the front Quad'.

On the west side of the Blackwell Quad is the Four Colleges Arch. This arch is named after four colleges that gave money to St Cross: Merton, All Souls, Christ Church, and St John's. Behind this arch, there used to be a large garden. This space allowed the college to build a second courtyard, the West Quad.

The South Wing of the West Quad was built first. It has a dining hall, kitchen, and a bar. It also has a conference room and a games room. There are also guest rooms and student bedrooms.

The West Wing building was finished in 2017. This new part of the West Quad has 50 student bedrooms. It also has a lecture theatre and a library. There are also several rooms for small group meetings. Soon after it opened, some parts of the building needed to be replaced. It is expected to reopen in 2023.

Besides the main site, St Cross College still owns its first site on St Cross Road. This site is now used for student housing. It is called the St Cross Annexe. Other buildings used for student housing include Bradmore Road House and Stonemason House. The Master's house is in Wellington Square.

College Academics

In 2016, St Cross had over 550 graduate students. They studied many different subjects. The college is very international. More than 75% of the students come from outside the UK. The college motto, Ad quattuor cardines mundi, means 'to the four corners of the earth'. This shows how diverse the college is. The teachers, called fellows, also come from many different countries and study many different things.

The college offers several scholarships. These are mainly for students studying subjects like history, literature, and social sciences.

Student Life

Students join St Cross College in the same way as other Oxford colleges. A special thing about St Cross is that students and teachers share all the social areas. There are no separate dining tables or common rooms for teachers. Everyone mixes together.

The college has many social events for students and former students. There are college clubs and sports teams. Students often join teams with other colleges. The college also has weekly academic talks and yearly conferences.

Some students can live in college housing during their first year. Students can join many activities outside of their studies. There are sports teams for football, rowing, netball, and basketball. Students can also play other sports for other Oxford colleges.

The college's Boat Club is shared with Wolfson College. They compete in races within the university and in other events. The St Cross women's football team won a championship in 2015.

Other events at the college include formal dinners and parties. St Cross was the first Oxford college to officially celebrate Chinese New Year. There are also events for former students in Oxford and other countries.

The Common Room also has arts activities, like plays. The cafe/bar area is a large room with comfy sofas and a TV. It also has a free DVD library. In the summer, students enjoy playing croquet on the quad.

College Administration

St Cross is one of only three Oxford colleges that does not have a special royal document called a royal charter. It is officially a "society" of the university. This means that the university council officially appoints the Master, even though the college recommends them. For money matters, the college is seen as a department of the university. St Cross has one of the smallest amounts of money saved, about £8 million. However, the college still offers scholarships to students. These scholarships are paid for by donations from others and from former students.

College Traditions

Grace

Before and after meals, the college says a special prayer called a grace. Here it is in Latin and English:

(ante cibum) Adesto nobis, Domine Deus noster: et concede ut quos Sanctae Crucis laetari facis honore, ejus donis quoque salutaribus nutrias, per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum.

(before the meal) "Be present with us, O Lord our God: and grant that those whom thou makest to rejoice in the honour of the Holy Cross, thou mayest also nourish by wholesome gifts, through our Lord Jesus Christ."

(post cibum) Gratias agimus tibi, Domine, pro omnibus beneficiis tuis per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum.

(after the meal) "We give thanks to thee, O Lord, for all thy favours through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Egalitarianism

Dining hall with a drawing of Carole Souter, the college's master between 2016 and 2022

Unlike most colleges, St Cross does not separate its common rooms for different groups of people. All areas are open to everyone, including students and teachers. There is no special "High Table" for teachers in the dining hall. At formal meals, the Master and teachers sit with the students at the long tables.

People at St Cross College

Notable Alumni

• Aharon Appelfeld, a novelist from Israel
• Steve Baker, a British politician
• Ruth Barnes, an expert and museum curator
• Kurt M. Campbell, an American diplomat
• Tim Foster, an Olympic gold medalist in rowing
• M. G. Harris, a children's author
• Hermione Lee, a professor of English Literature
• Kelsey Leonard, the first Native American woman to get a degree from Oxford
• Sally Mapstone, the head of the University of St Andrews
• Sultan Muhammad V, a Sultan from Malaysia
• Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu, a former Prime Minister of Romania

Fellows

Honorary Fellows

• Muhammad V of Kelantan, former King of Malaysia

Masters

• William van Heyningen, 1966–1979
• Godfrey H. Stafford, 1979–1987
• Richard C. Repp, 1987–2003
• Andrew S. Goudie, 2003–2011
• Sir Mark Jones, 2011–2016
• Carole Souter, 2016–2022
• Rana Mitter (interim), 2022–2023
• Kate Mavor, 2023–present