Oxford University Style Guide
Introduction o Objectives of the Style Guide o How the guide is arranged o What is/is not included in the Style Guide
Abbreviations, contractions and acronyms o Specific abbreviations (initials, measurements, names of universities, Latin)
Capitalisation
Numbers o Times o Dates o Spans of numbers/years
Punctuation o Apostrophe o Brackets o Bullet points o Colon and semicolon o Comma o Dashes and hyphens o Ellipsis o Full stop, exclamation mark and question mark o Quotation marks
Names and titles o Oxford-specific o Non-Oxford o People and their titles o Postnominals
Miscellaneous o Plural/singular o Contact details – addresses, phone numbers and URLs
Bold and italic
Word usage and spelling
Glossaries o Oxford terms o Acronyms and abbreviations o Obsolete terms
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Introduction
The Oxford University Style Guide aims to provide a guide to writing and formatting documents written by staff on behalf of the University (or one of its constituent departments etc). It is part of the University’s branding toolkit (www.ox.ac.uk/branding_toolkit/writing_and_style_guide), which enables the University’s formal documentation to be presented consistently across all communications.
Objectives of the Style Guide
We have three main objectives in writing this style guide:
• to provide an all-purpose guide to consistent presentation for the University in written communications • to review the guide termly, ensuring that it properly reflects modern usage and is fit for purpose, and to update it as required • as part of the review process, to invite proposals from members of the University who disagree with any existing guidance, and to act as an arbiter on those cases.
How the guide is arranged
The Style Guide is intended to be read online, where it can be cross-referenced.
Each term, we will update the Style Guide and highlight on the main webpage what has changed that term (or that nothing has changed – we are not anticipating changes every term).
We also provide a pdf version for download, which can be printed out if a hard copy is required; please check the term on the pdf’s footnote to be sure you have the latest version (the guide is updated at the end of each term so your copy should always be dated the previous term).
What is/is not included in the Style Guide
1) How to use the guide • You can search for a specific term (such as semicolon) – note that the search function is only currently available in the pdf). • You can browse through a section (such as Punctuation). • You can link to sections of the guide from your own webpages or bookmark sections to return to.
2) The guide does not tell you how to write – just how to be gramatically correct and how to ensure consistency across your own writing as well as that of others who are writing on behalf of the University.
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Abbreviations, contractions and acronyms
Don’t use full stops after any abbreviations
Abbreviations o these are formed by omitting letters from the end of a word Medical Sciences -> Med Sci Doctorate of Philosophy -> DPhil ante meridiem -> am post meridiem -> pm
Contractions o these are formed by omitting letters from the middle of a word Mister -> Mr Doctor -> Dr The Reverend -> The Revd Saint -> St
Street o whether you consider ‘St’ to be an abbreviation or a contraction, don’t use a full stop after it Saint Ebbe’s Street -> St Ebbe’s St
Acronyms o these are formed from the initial letters of words (whether the result is pronounceable as a word or as a series of letters) British Broadcasting Corporation -> BBC Master of Arts -> MA Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome -> AIDS Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences -> MPLS Planning and Resource Allocation Committee -> PRAC Pro-Vice-Chancellor -> PVC
o when using an acronym that may be unfamiliar, spell it out in full the first time it is mentioned, with the acronym following in brackets; thereafter, use the acronym alone The decision was made by the Planning and Resource Allocation Committee (PRAC). There are several meetings of PRAC every term.
Specific abbreviations
People’s initials o use a space to separate each initial (eg J R R Tolkien, C S Lewis)
Measurements o when discussing large numbers in text, it is fine to use k/m/bn as shorter ways of spelling out 1,000/1,000,000/1,000,000,000 (or writing out ‘one thousand’/‘one million’/‘one billion’), as long as you are consistent throughout the document
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Names of universities o awarding bodies in lists of qualifications can be abbreviated to shorter forms if it is clear what university you are referring to: Camb, Oxf, UCL etc. Use English names, not Latin ones, as not all universities have a Latin name (eg Oxf instead of Oxon)
Latin abbreviations o if you are using Latin abbreviations, make sure you know what they mean and when to use them (and do not use full stops after them) • eg [exempli gratia] – means ‘such as’; use with examples which are not exhaustive (and do not follow with a comma): Oxford offers many language courses, eg Russian, French, Spanish [those are some, but not all, of the language courses offered]. • ie [id est] – means ‘that is’; use with definitions or lists which are exhaustive (and do not follow with a comma): Catch a Blackbird Leys bus, ie numbers 1 or 5 [those are the only buses which go to Blackbird Leys]. • ibid [ibidem] – means ‘the same’; use when making a subsequent reference/citation to a publication or other source mentioned in the immediately preceding note (ie no references to anything else have appeared in between) For a fuller explanation of telepathy, see Brown [Speaking with the Mind, Chicago (1945) p 125]; also in Brown is further information on cats and telepathy [ibid, p 229].
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Capitalisation The general rule is not to use a capital letter unless it is absolutely required
Chancellor o always capitalise Chris Patten is the Chancellor of the University. college o capitalise only when used as part of the title of a college, not when referring to an institution without using its full name Exeter College was founded in 1314. The college is one of the oldest in Oxford. V Exeter was founded in 1314. The College is one of the oldest in Oxford. collegiate University o capitalise ‘University’ but not ‘collegiate’ We are seeking opinions from all members of the collegiate University. department o capitalise only when used as part of the title of a department, not when referring to a department without using its full name The Department of Computer Science was previously known as the Oxford University Computing Laboratory. Both undergraduates and postgraduates study in this department. The Department for Work and Pensions has to make significant cuts this year, as do many government departments. division o capitalise only when used as part of the title of a division, not when referring to a division without using its full name There are four academic divisions of the University: Humanities, Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences, Medical Sciences and Social Sciences. The Medical Sciences Division is based mainly in Headington. The division’s head is Alastair Buchan. faculty o capitalise only when used as part of the title of a faculty, not when referring to a faculty without using its full name The Faculty of English is based in Manor Road. The faculty’s phone number is 271055. fellow o capitalise only when used as part of an academic’s formal title, not when referring to fellows in general
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There are ten Fifty-Pound Fellows at All Souls. At its foundation, provision was made at All Souls for 40 fellows. V At its foundation, provision was made at All Souls for 40 Fellows. government o never capitalise, regardless of whether referring to a specific country’s government or the concept of a government The current British government is a coalition. names with prefixes o follow the preference of the individual, if known; if not, use lower case for the prefix and alphabetise by the prefix professor o capitalise only when used as part of an academic’s formal title, not when referring to professors in general It is common for Oxford professors to publish their works in learned journals. The Omega Solution is the latest contribution to research in the field by Professor Stephanie Archibold.
Reverend o capitalise both ‘Reverend’ and ‘The’ (as well as other parts of the title) My tutor is The Reverend Smith/The Very Reverend Smith. small caps o do not use small caps, even for BC and AD Egypt’s Old Kingdom period began c2700 BC. terms o capitalise the name but not the word ‘term’ The Michaelmas term begins in October. The coldest part of the year usually falls in Hilary term. Finals take place in Trinity term. titles o people – see section Names and titles o books/films/songs/games etc – capitalise the first word of the title, and all words within the title except articles (a/an/the), prepositions (to/on/for etc) and conjunctions (but/and/or etc). See section Bold and Italic for further details The Last Mohican Far from the Madding Crowd Gone with the Wind World of Warcraft Grand Theft Auto III ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’ V Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life o do not capitalise subtitles following a colon unless the original title is printed in that way
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Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb o headlines – only capitalise the first word (and any proper nouns) Rock rafts could be 'cradle of life' o journal articles and chapter titles – only capitalise the first word (and any proper nouns) ‘Multiplicity of data in trial reports and the reliability of meta-analyses: empirical study’ o lecture titles – only capitalise the first word, any proper nouns and the first word following a full stop/question mark/exclamation mark ‘Who speaks for climate? Making sense of media reporting on climate change’ o webpages – only capitalise the first word (and any proper nouns), but consider instead using the actual URL for disambiguation in print or hyperlinking the descriptive text. Never change the capitalisation within a URL as it will cease to work For the cost of placing an advert, see the Gazette website’s Classified advertising page For the cost of placing an advert, see www.ox.ac.uk/gazette/classifiedadvertising V For the cost of placing an advert, see www.ox.ac.uk/gazette/Classifiedadvertising tutor o capitalise only when used as part of an academic’s formal title, not when referring to tutors in general The Oxford tutorial system creates strong ties between students and their tutors. Dr Obadiah Braithwaite is the Tutor in Embroidery at Magdalen.
University o capitalise only when used as part of the title of a university and when referring to the University of Oxford (both when ‘University’ is used as a noun and when it is used as an adjective) Oxford University is a large employer. The University has ~10,000 staff members. Funding for universities has been cut recently. The University has four academic divisions. The largest University division is Medical Sciences. She attended the University of Liverpool to study English. It’s a well-respected university and course.
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Numbers
How to write numbers o spell out whole-number words for one to ten; use figures for numbers above ten There were two people in the queue ahead of me, and six behind me. I need to buy Christmas presents for 12 people this year. o use a combination of a figure and a word for very large round numbers (such as multiple millions/billions etc), or abbreviate it to ‘m’, ‘bn’ etc The population of the earth is now 7 billion people. The population of the earth is now 7bn people. The budget came in at just under £2m. o if there are a lot of figures in a paragraph or text, some above ten and some below, use figures throughout to allow easy comparison by readers There were 2 people in the queue ahead of me, and 22 behind me. The queues for other advisors had 10, 3 and 12 people. o Spell out words for ‘first’, ‘second’ and so on up to and including‘tenth’; use numbers and superscript ‘st’/ ‘nd’/ ‘rd’/ ‘th’ for larger ordinal numbers She was the first person from her school to get a place at Oxford. He got an upper second, to his relief. V She got a 3rd class degree. The 17th president of the United States was Andrew Johnson. o always use figures for percentages, measurements and currency. Use commas to punctuate large numbers He scored 10% of the available marks. The cost, at £5.99, was less than their overall budget of £50. The population of New York City is estimated to be 8,008,278.
Times o use either the 12- or 24-hour clock – not both in the same text. The 12-hour clock uses a full stop between the hour and minute; the 24-hour clock uses a colon The lecture starts at 11.30am and ends at 1pm. The lecture starts at 11:30 and ends at 13:00. V The lecture starts at 11.30am and ends at 13:00. o use ‘noon’ or ‘midnight’ instead of ‘12 noon’ or ‘12 midnight’ The closing date for applications is noon on 12 July. o do not use ‘am’ or ‘pm’ with 24-hour times V The lecture starts at 16:00pm. o if using the 12-hour clock, don’t use additional ‘.00’ for times on the hour, and close up space between the number and the ‘am’ or ‘pm’ The lecture starts at 9am. The lecture starts at 11.30am and ends at 1pm. V The lecture starts at 9.00am. V The lecture starts at 9 am.
Dates o always put the day before the month Easter this year is on 13 April. V Easter this year is on April 13. o don’t use ‘th’ etc with dates – just the number and month Easter this year is on 13 April. V 11th November is Armistice Day. o use days with dates only for emphasis or the avoidance of confusion/ambiguity
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The wedding is on 30 December. V The wedding is on Saturday 20 December. The Modern Superstitions conference is on Friday 13 April.
Spans of numbers and years o elide periods where it is not ambiguous to do so The ‘short twentieth century’ refers to the period 1914–91. V Inner-city flats cost £100–200,000. [Price could start at £100 or £100,000.] o to refer to an academic or financial year, you can use either the format ‘2011–12’ or ‘2011/12’ – but ensure you are consistent throughout the text The Proctors for 2013–14 will be elected in the 2011–12 academic year. Profits are up year on year: the company did better in 2011/12 than in 2011/12. o if using ‘from’ with a start date/time, always use ‘to’ to indicate the end date/time rather than an n-dash; alternatively, just use an n-dash and no ‘from’ Michaelmas term runs from October to December. Michaelmas term runs October–December. V Michaelmas term runs from October–December.
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Punctuation The general rule is to use as little punctuation as necessary while retaining the meaning of the sentence Apostrophe to indicate possession o use ’s after singular nouns, plural nouns which do not end in s and indefinite pronouns Frank’s book anybody’s guess The children’s play area is next to the men’s toilet. o use just ’ after plural nouns ending in s Strong tea is sometimes called builders’ tea. o if a name already ends in s or z and would be difficult to pronounce if ’s is added to the end, consider rearranging the sentence to avoid the difficulty Jesus’s methods were unpopular with the ruling classes/the methods of Jesus were… o in compound nouns and where multiple nouns are linked to make one concept, use the apostrophe at the end of the final part (and match it to that noun) the Archbishop of Canterbury’s hat my mother-in-law’s dog his step-brothers’ cars Lee and Herring’s Fist of Fun o do not use an apostrophe in ‘its’ with the meaning ‘belonging to it’ (this is analogous with his/hers/theirs) The cat has been out in the rain and its paws are muddy. V The cat has been out in the rain and it’s tail is wet. o some place names have an apostrophe and some don’t – this can’t be predicted and must be checked All Souls College Earls Court St Peter’s College Land’s End University of St Andrews o some street names have an apostrophe (usually linked to saints’ names from nearby churches); these are also idiosyncratic There is a famous pub on St Giles’. V St Giles’s splits into Woodstock and Banbury Roads. Christ Church is on St Aldate’s. St Michael’s Street is a through road for bicycles. o use apostrophes with noun phrases denoting periods of time (use an apostrophe if you can replace the apostrophe with ‘of’) He took a week’s holiday. You must give three months’ notice. o but do not use an apostrophe in adjectival phrases She was eight months pregnant when she went into labour.
Michaelmas term 2012 to indicate that letters have been omitted (contractions) o use an apostrophe in the position the omitted letters would have occupied, not where the space was between the original words I don’t like cheese [=do not] V I do’nt like cheese [≠do not] He wouldn’t do that. o do not use an apostrophe before contractions accepted as words in their own right He’s on the phone. He had swine flu. V There’s no vaccine for all types of ‘flu. o do not use an apostrophe to make a plural, even with a word/phrase that is not usually written in the plural or which appears clunky. All of the following examples take an s as normal in English to make their plurals V Three video’s for a tenner. V I trust all the MP’s. V Clothes were colourful in the 1970’s. V CD’s will soon be obsolete. V This is a list of do’s and don’t’s. o to clarify something which will look odd if an s is added, consider italicising it or placing it in single quotation marks subtract all the xs from the ys dot the ‘i’s and cross the ‘t’s
Brackets round brackets (parentheses, like these) o use in place of a pair of dashes or commas around a non-defining phrase The library (which was built in the seventeenth century) needs to be repaired. It was (as far as I could tell) the only example of its kind. o use to add extra information, such as a translation, dates, an explanation or a definition Magdalen College (founded in 1458) has a herd of deer. The tactic of Blitzkrieg (which means ‘lightning war’ in German) was used in the invasion of Poland in 1939. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). square brackets [like these] o use to enclose comments, corrections, references or translations made by a subsequent author or editor An article referring to the restrictions placed by some airlines on the appearance of female cabin crew stated that even footwear was proscribed [sic]. I have been responsible in the real sense, that I have had the blame for everything that has gone wrong. [Laughter and cheers.] This was quoted by Brown [1940, Chicago]. angle brackets
Michaelmas term 2012 other punctuation and brackets o include full stops/exclamation marks/question marks/quotation marks inside a bracket only if the complete sentence/quote is in brackets; otherwise, punctuate outside the bracket The last bus today is at 4.45 (which is earlier than usual). The last bus today is at 4.45. (That’s earlier than usual.)
Bullet points o don’t punctuate the end of bullet points which are a list of items 2012 concert performers: • Slade • The Smiths • Metallica • The Spice Girls o if the bullet points form a complete sentence with preceding text, add a full stop to the end of the last point We are holding a concert in 2012, at which the following acts will perform: • Slade • The Smiths • Metallica • The Spice Girls. o if the text inside the bullet point is a complete sentence in its own right, add a semicolon to the end of each point, ‘or’ or ‘and’ (depending on the sense of your sentence) to the end of the penultimate point, and a full stop to the end of the last one The following will be considered good reasons for missing the final meeting of the year: • there was a postal strike. This only applies if the postal strike took place before the date and the meeting and if you have not signed up for email alerts; • you are absent as a result of illness; • you are unable to attend because of a problems with public transport (proof of this will be required); • there is something more interesting happening elsewhere which you would rather attend; or • you have obtained a ticket to see the Spice Girls in concert.
Colon and semicolon o use a colon to introduce a subclause which follows logically from the text before it, is not a new concept and depends logically on the preceding main clause When I was young, I went on two holidays: to the Lake District and to Cornwall. A new drink was introduced to Britain: tea. o do not use a colon if the two parts of the sentence are not logically connected V I used to be thin: I must lose weight. I would like to be thin: I must lose weight. V We were in trouble this time: we’d never been in trouble before. We were in trouble this time: the lid had come right off.
Michaelmas term 2012 There are two parts to this sentence: the first part, which precedes the colon, and the second part, which doesn’t. o use a semicolon to link two related parts of a sentence, neither of which depends logically on the other and each of which could stand alone as a grammatically complete sentence The best job is the one you enjoy; the worst job is the one you hate. It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known. o use semicolons in place of commas in a complicated list or sentence if it will improve clarity, particularly if there are already commas inside list items We plan to review the quality of the research of the department, including its participation in interdepartmental, interdivisional and interdisciplinary activities; its research profile and strategy; and future challenges and opportunities. I visited the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; and the Pencil Museum, Keswick.
Comma o use a pair of commas to surround a non-defining clause (which adds descriptive information but which can be removed without losing the meaning of the sentence) – only ‘which’ or ‘who’ can be used in this type of clause The library, which was built in the seventeenth century, needs to be repaired. The man, who climbed the tower without a safety harness, died of old age. o do not use commas to surround a defining clause (which cannot be removed without losing the meaning of the sentence) – either ‘that’ or ‘which’ can be used in this type of clause The library which was built in the seventeenth century needs repairs [but the library which was built in the eighteenth century does not]. The man that climbed the tower without a safety harness died of old age [but the other man died in a different way]. He asked his friend Sam to be his second [not any of his other friends]. o use commas to surround a non-defining word or phrase (which adds information but could be omitted without changing the sense of the sentence), and use a single comma if the non-defining word/phrase is at the start of the sentence Shakespeare, the prolific playwright, might not have existed. A prolific playwright, Shakespeare might not have existed. He asked Sam, his friend, to be his second [not the Sam who is his barber]. The Prime Minister, David Cameron, is an alumnus of Brasenose. o do not use a comma where a defining clause is used at the start of a sentence The prolific playwright Shakespeare might not have existed. V The prolific playwright, Shakespeare might not have existed. His friend Sam was his second. V His friend, Sam was his second. o do not use a comma to join two main clauses, or those linked by adverbs or adverbial phrases such as ‘nevertheless’, ‘therefore’ etc. Either use a semicolon or add a coordinating conjunction (eg and, but, so) Shakespeare was popular, and his plays were all profitable. Shakespeare was popular; his plays were all profitable. V Shakespeare was popular, his plays were all profitable.
Michaelmas term 2012 o use a comma after an introductory adverb, adverbial phrase or subordinate clause; or use a pair of commas surrounding it if it is in the middle of a sentence However, it was too late for that. It was, however, too late for that. With his possessions in a bundle, Dick Whittington walked to London. Dick Whittington, with his possessions in a bundle, walked to London. o do not use a comma after a time-based adverbial phrase After playing tennis all day she was tired. Whenever she went to the cinema she ate popcorn. In 2010 the most popular game among children was hopscotch. o use a comma between multiple qualitative adjectives (those which can be used in the comparative/superlative or modified with ‘very’, ‘quite’ etc) He was a big, fat, sweaty man with soft, wet hands. o do not use a comma between multiple classifying adjectives: absolutes which either are or are not, such as unique, English, black etc (although note that stylistically these can be modified) It was an edible German mushroom. The eighteenth-century sandstone tower is lit up at night. o do not use a comma between classifying and qualitative adjectives It was a large German mushroom with hard black edges. It was a large, squishy German mushroom with hard, frilly black edges. o use a comma between items in a list I ate fish, bread, ice cream and spaghetti. I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. o note that there is no comma between the penultimate item and ‘and’/‘or’, unless required to prevent ambiguity – this is sometimes referred to as the ‘Oxford comma’ V He took French, Spanish, and Maths A-levels. I ate fish and chips, bread and jam, and ice cream. We studied George III, William and Mary, and Henry XIII. V She left her money to her parents, Mother Theresa and the pope.
Dashes and hyphens (—, –, -) m-dash (—) o do not use; use an n-dash instead n-dash (–) o use in a pair in place of round brackets or commas, surrounded by spaces It was – as far as I could tell – the only example of its kind. The library – which was built in the seventeenth century – needs to be repaired. o use singly to link two parts of a sentence, in place of a colon The bus was late today – we nearly missed the lecture. o use to link concepts or ranges of numbers, with no spaces either side German–Polish non-aggression pact The salary is £25,000–£30,000. Radio 1 is aimed at the 18–25 age bracket. o use between names of joint authors/creators/performers etc to distinguish from hyphenated names of a single person
Michaelmas term 2012 Lennon–McCartney compositions Superman–Batman crossover comics
Hyphen (-) when to use a hyphen o in an adjectival phrase before a noun the up-to-date list the value of a first-class degree is indisputable a hot-air balloon 'Rethinking provincialism in mid-nineteenth-century narrative fiction: Villette from our village’ o in an adjectival phrase including a verb participle the jumper was tight-fitting o with prefixes only if required to avoid confusion/mispronunciation, such as where prefixes themselves or letters are repeated predynastic Egypt gifts of pre-eminent objects and works of art to the nation The animals are re-released into the wild when recovered. A protein precursor can also be called a pro-protein. Procapitalists and anticapitalists clashed in the streets. The email address for the webmaster can be found on the website. o before a proper name, number or date anti-Thatcherism pre-2000 politics o in numbers which are spelt out twenty-seven is the most popular ‘random’ number The Thirty-Nine Steps o in compass points They’re heading south-east. nor’-nor’-east when not to use a hyphen o in noun phrases Labour Party conference V black-box recorder o to make a new compound noun – if it is a recognisable concept, make it one word; if it isn’t, use two words Websites are made up of webpages Send me an email when you’re ready to proceed. V Send me an e-mail. o in an adjectival phrase following a noun the list was up to date his marks just scraped into the first class V she wasn’t top-drawer o in an adjectival phrase before a noun where the first element is an adverb ending in -ly (but any other adverbs do take a hyphen)
Michaelmas term 2012 She had a finely tuned ear for off-key music. XML documents must be well-formed texts. V She was a highly-respected tutor. She was a well-respected tutor.
Ellipsis (…) o use an ellipsis to show that some text is missing, usually from a quotation – do not surround it with spaces …we shall fight on the beaches…we shall never surrender… It is a truth universally acknowledged… o there is no need to add square brackets around an ellipsis V […]we shall fight on the beaches[…] o use an ellipsis to indicate a pause for comic or other effect – follow the ellipsis with a space in this case, as it stands in place of a comma You don’t have to be mad to work here… but it helps! o use an ellipsis to indicate a trailing off in speech or thought We could do this…or maybe that…
Full stop, exclamation mark and question mark o use one – but only one – of these at the end of every sentence What time did you leave last night? We went home at 5 o’clock. Go home now! o do not use a full stop in titles, even if they make a sentence, but if a title ends with an exclamation mark or question mark, include it All’s Well that Ends Well is my favourite play. ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?’ was a hit for the Shirelles. ‘Help!’ was covered by Bananarama in 1989. o do not use a full stop if it will be followed, or preceded, by an ellipsis V Behind him stood a figure. …It was ghostly grey. o if required, use a question mark after an ellipsis as a separate item of punctuation Are you…? Did he say that…? o use a full stop, not a question mark, at the end of a reported question – only use a question mark for a direct question (whether in quotation marks or not) He asked if I wanted to go home that morning. ‘Do you want to go home this morning?’ he asked. V He asked if I wanted to go home? o use a full stop, not an exclamation mark, at the end of a reported imperative Wait for me! He asked me to wait for him.
Quotation marks o use single quotation marks for direct speech or a quote, and double quotation marks for direct speech or a quote within that
Michaelmas term 2012 ‘I have never been to Norway,’ he said, ‘but I have heard it described as “the Wales of the North”.’ o use no quotation marks if the quote is displayed (ie not in line with the rest of the text) as I noted then, Those of us who toil in the Groves of Academe know full well that our research helps inform our teaching… o use single quotation marks and roman (not italic) type for titles that are not whole publications: eg short poems, short stories, songs, chapters in books, articles in periodicals I, Robot contains nine short stories, of which ‘Little Lost Robot’ is my favourite. The number-one single in the hit parade this week is ‘Read All About It’ by Professor Green. o include punctuation which belongs to the quote inside the quotation marks, and a closing full stop/question mark/exclamation mark if the quote is a complete sentence o place any punctuation which does not belong to the quote outside the quotation marks (except closing punctuation as above) ‘Out,’ said Macbeth, ‘out, brief candle!’ ‘Out,’ said Lady Macbeth, ‘damn'd spot!’ 'You're engaged to Florence?' I yipped, looking at him with a wild surmise. ‘Tomorrow!’ she said, ‘Tomorrow! I love you, tomorrow!’ V ‘The kitchen,’ he said, ‘is the heart of the home’. ‘The kitchen’, he said, ‘is the heart of the home.’
Michaelmas term 2012 Names and titles
Oxford-specific o use capitals when referring to the specific person holding a specific position and to their work in this role, but not when referring to any holder of that role unless it is a statutory position (see Capitalisation and Word Usage sections for further information) Andrew Hamilton became Vice-Chancellor in 2009. There are several Pro-Vice-Chancellors without portfolio. The Registrar will always have to attend these meetings. He invited his Head of House, Dr Smith, to attend the event. Other heads of house were not invited. I wonder who the Senior Proctor will be next year... Candidates will be required to undertake practical work, as specified by the Head of the Department of Experimental Psychology. Recruiting new academic staff is vital to all departments; heads of department often personally oversee the procedure.
Non-Oxford o use capitals for titles prefixing names, but not for job descriptions. Note that some job descriptions are never used with names, such as ‘prime minister’ Although being president of the United States is stressful, President Obama was glad to be re-elected. The prime minister of Great Britain is the leader of the party which wins the most seats. The Right Honourable David Cameron MP is the current prime minister. The last pope, Pope John Paul II, was Polish. The current pope is German. V The Pope is German.
Referring to people in text o give people’s title, forename and surname when first mentioned. On subsequent mentions, use either surname only or title and surname (unless further information is required to prevent ambiguity), but be consistent with whichever usage you choose Dr John Smith was present at the ceremony, as was Professor Susan Jones. Dr Smith had to leave early. Dr John Smith and Professor Susan Jones presented their research paper to a large audience. The results will be published in book form, which Smith says will be available in the spring. V Dr John Smith and Professor Susan Jones debated the topic. Smith recently reviewed Professor Jones’s book.
Combining titles o for someone entitled to a styling such as Sir/Dame as well as an academic title, the academic title always precedes the Sir/Dame in the full first mention Professor Sir John Smith Professor Dame Susan Jones V Sir Professor John Smith
Michaelmas term 2012 o for Reverends, Right Reverends, Very Reverends etc, the religious title precedes the academic title The Revd Dr Giles Fraser resigned from St Paul's. The Revd Professor Andrew Linzey is a member of the Faculty of Theology V Dr Revd Giles Fraser spoke to the press about his decision to resign. o in a shortened subsequent mention, use either Sir/Dame/The Revd or the academic title, not both – consider which title is more appropriate for the context (frequently academic for University purposes). Note that non-academic titles should not be used with surnames only and that The Revd should not be used with surnames alone; revert to Dr/Mr/Miss as appropriate in this case Sir John Professor Jones Dr Fraser V The Revd Fraser V Revd Professor Linzey Professor Sir John Baggins will attend the lecture to be given by The Revd Dr Peter Precise in the Examination Schools on Thursday. Dr Precise and Sir John are both senior members of the Oxford University Tiddlywinks Club, and Dr Precise is the author of the bestselling Pedantry and Hypothetical Names. He is not to be confused with his colleague, The Revd Prénom Familyname. Miss Familyname will give her lecture next week. [Grateful thanks go to Serenhedd James for helpful advice and this example.]
o for honours etc usage depends upon individual’s status – check each case, rather than assuming Lord Patten Lady Jane Grey V Lord Chris
Postnominals o remember that you do not need to list all awards, degrees, memberships etc held by an individual – only those items relevant to your writing o the order for postnominals is • civil honours • military honours • QC • degrees, in the order . bachelor’s . master’s . doctor’s . postdoctoral • diplomas • certificates • membership of academic or professional bodies o do not include a BA for Oxford/Cambridge graduates if they also have the MA o give the name of the awarding university (using a shortened form if required and if easily recognisable (Oxf, Camb, UCL etc) if academic qualifications are relevant. A space is used to separate degrees from the same institution, and a comma is used to separate sets of degrees
Michaelmas term 2012 from different institutions; if the same level degree has been awarded by more than one institution, list them in alphabetical order of institution Professor Xavier Postlethwaite, QC, BEng PhD UCL, MA PhD Camb, MA DPhil Oxf, PhD Manc, FRS Sir Charles Overlord, VC, BA S’ton o see www.ox.ac.uk/gazette/calendar for further detail if required
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Miscellaneous
Plural or singular – departments/teams/etc o use singular verbs for describing faculties etc The faculty has voted to keep the building open. o to disambiguate, when talking about the individuals who make up a group, use ‘the members of’ The members of the faculty are mostly absent during vacations.
Contact details
URLs o omit http:// unless the URL does not begin with www and omit any trailing slash at the end of the URL /, unless the URL does not work without it – check before you omit
Email addresses o these are case sensitive in the part before the @: Gazette@admin is not the same as gazette@admin. In practice, the majority of ISPs ignore this distinction, but consider carefully whether to use upper case if required to avoid ambiguity (eg between lower-case l and number 1)
Phone numbers o use spacing between parts of numbers (international code, area code, phone number) to make it easier to read . include full area code (eg 01865) for national publications To contact us, ring Bill on 01865 778899 . include international code for international publications (eg +44 1865) To contact us, ring Bill on +44 1865 778899 . mobile numbers follow the same format as above To contact us, ring Bill on 07777 778899 To contact us, ring Bill on +44 7777 778899 . for local/internal publications, give extension numbers and include in brackets the number to dial from outside the University To contact us, ring Bill on (2)78899
Street addresses o give full address, including postcode, when writing to a primarily non-Oxford audience (postcodes allow people to find buildings more easily online) The event takes place at the Church of S John the Evangelist, 109A Iffley Road, Oxford, OX4 1EH o if writing for a local audience (eg advertising a concert), the name of a well-known building is enough on its own The event takes place at the Sheldonian Theatre at 8pm on 12 October.
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Bold and italic text
Bold text o use bold sparingly to emphasise the part of your text you wish to stand out. This could be someone’s name, a deadline date or another key piece of information o punctuation which follows bold text should not itself be bold o if you are transcribing a speech, you might want to use bold text (or italic text) to emphasise words in writing on which the speaker placed particular emphasis in speech The Man Booker Prize for 2012 was awarded to Hilary Mantel, the second time that she has won. Applications can either be made online or emailed to [email protected]. The deadline for submissions is noon on 2 April and any applications received after this date will not be considered.
Italic text o use italics to flag part of your text which is different from that surrounding it . titles of books, journals, plays, films, musical works etc should be given in italics if they are a complete published work; if you are referring to an individual short story, song, article etc within a larger publication, use single quotation marks I, Robot contains nine short stories, of which ‘Little Lost Robot’ is my favourite. The number-one single in the hit parade this week is ‘Candy’ by Robbie Williams, from the album Take The Crown. . if the title includes 'The' or ‘A’ as the start of the title, italicise that as well A Tale of Two Cities has perhaps the most famous opening sentence in all of literature. . use italics for foreign words and phrases embedded within your text, including species and genera names in Latin There are nine ex officio members of Council. A seven-sisters rose bush (Rosa multiflora) can be either white or pink. Dante tells us that above the entrance to the Inferno is inscribed Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'entrate. o plurals, past tenses or other grammatical changes to italicised titles or phrases should only be italicised up to the end of the title or phrase – do not italicise the s, ed etc – and punctuation should only be italicised if it is part of the title, quote etc. Note that it is not always easy to tell whether a full stop/comma etc is in italic The remaining Gazettes of Michaelmas term are published on 22 and 29 November and 6 December. V Changes to regulations need to be Gazetted at least eight weeks before they are due to take effect.
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Word usage and spelling
Common errors in word usage
Confused How they differ Example of how to use Notes words correctly among v • Among is used for • She couldn’t decide between undifferentiated items among all the colleges. • Between is used with • She couldn’t decide individual, named items between Magdalen or St Hilda’s. mutual v • Mutual is used when • ‘I disagree with the This distinction has mostly reciprocal more than one person government’s policy disappeared. Many people has the same on carrots.’ use mutual to cover both feeling/opinion as ‘So do I. The feeling’s of these situations and this another towards a third mutual.’ is now accepted usage. party/object/ concept etc However, use of reciprocal • Reciprocal is used when • ‘I won’t steal your is recommended for two or more people feel, cheese.’ disambiguation purposes. think or act in the same ‘I won’t steal your way about or to one cheese either. We another have a reciprocal arrangement.’ less v • Less is used with nouns • ‘I can’t eat that fewer which are not countable much cheese: please objects: if you could use give me less.’ much to describe having a lot of the noun, use less • ‘I can’t eat that many • Fewer is used with sprouts: please give countable objects: if you me fewer.’ could use many to describe having a lot of the noun, use less effect v • Effect as a verb means to • A glass of brandy • effect his recovery: affect bring about, or to have may effect his improve his health to (verb) the result that recovery. the point of recovery
• Affect as a verb means to • A glass of brandy • affect his recovery: have an impact on or to may affect his have an impact on change something; it also recovery. whether or not he means to simulate recovers at all, or the something which is speed of his recovery untrue • He affected to have • affect to have drunk drunk only one glass only one glass:
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of brandy. pretend to have drunk less brandy than actually drunk effect v • Effect as a noun means • The storm had wide- affect the impact something reaching effects. (noun) causes • His affect was one of cheerful indifference. • Affect as a noun means somone’s outward appearance of their psychological state infer v • Infer is to read a • He told me that imply meaning into a these one-size-fits-all statement which has gloves fit most not been explicitly people’s hands. I stated: to read inferred that he between the lines thought my hands were too big, and • Imply is to suggest resented what he something without was implying. explicity stating it: to hint at something (usually something negative)
Spelling
Tricky words • alumna – female former member [of college etc] • alumnae – plural form for female-only former members [of college etc] • alumni – plural form for either male-only or mixed-gender former members [of college etc] • alumnus – male former member [of college etc] • benefited • biased • comprise (not comprise of) • dependant (noun)/dependent (adjective) • email (lower case and not hyphenated) • enquire/enquiry (preferred to inquire/inquiry) • focused • fundraising • instalment • internet (lower case) • licence (noun)/ license (verb) • manoeuvre • no-one (hyphenated) • paralleled
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• postdoctoral (no hyphen) • postgraduate (no hyphen, whether as noun or adjective) • postholder (no hyphen and lower case) • practice (noun)/practise (verb) • riveting • supersede • website/webpage (no hyphen and lower case)
General guidelines
• use suffix -ise NOT –ize Derren Brown hypnotised his subject live on TV. • retain -e where required for pronunciation: ageing, acknowledgement, judgement • proper names ending in -y do not change to -ies if pluralised One of the most popular stories in Bunty was ‘The Four Marys’. • foreign spellings o just use ‘e’ spellings, not ae or æ, where in common British usage encyclopedia medieval o technical words retain the double vowel archæology hæmatology orthopædics o use accents and different letters in foreign words (ø, ç, capitalisation for German nouns etc) only when: . a word is still considered foreign and has not [yet] been absorbed into English . they are required to differentiate from another word (in English or the source language) . they are required as part of the name of a person, place, book etc o don't use accents on capital letters o plurals: . use appropriate foreign (particularly ancient Greek and Latin) plural forms where still in common usage (also see alumnus under spelling section above) nucleus–nuclei stratum–strata genus–genera medium–media datum–data analysis–analyses basis–bases crisis–crises . note that more than one form is sometimes in use for different meanings of a word: formula–formulas but formulae in maths/chemistry index–indices for maths and indexes for books appendix–appendices for books and appendixes in anatomy
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• contractions: use of ‘hasn't’ rather than ‘has not’ etc is fine in the majority of cases, especially informally • with compound words formed by a noun and an adjective or two nouns connected by a preposition, pluralise the (more important) noun Attorney General/Attorneys General brother-in-law/brothers-in-law passer-by/passers-by
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Glossary of Oxford terms
Term Meaning
Academic dress Prescribed clothing to be worn on formal, official occasions, consisting of an appropriate gown/hood for the person’s qualification and sometimes sub fusc. See www.admin.ox.ac.uk/statutes/regulations/48-012.shtml for full details of what form of dress is appropriate on which occasions. Aegrotat Exam pass granted on medical grounds. Almanack Poster-sized calendar published by OUP each year, comprising an original piece of art on an Oxford theme and a January–December calendar listing University terms, accompanied by a current list of all senior administrative staff of the University and Heads of House. Alumni Collective term that refers to all former students of the University. Former students also become alumni of their individual college or hall and are often referred to as Old Members. Feminine forms: alumna (singular), alumnae (plural); masculine singular form: alumnus. Ashmolean University museum of art and archaeology, founded by Elias Ashmole in 1683; the oldest museum in the www.ashmolean.org UK. Assessor Senior officer of the University, elected annually by the colleges in a set cycle (published in the University Calendar) who is responsible particularly for student welfare and finance. The office was created in 1960. The Assessor works closely with the Proctors. Bate Collection Bate Collection of Musical Instruments, housed in the Faculty of Music buildings on St Aldate's. www.bate.ox.ac.uk Battels Charges made to a member of a college (student or fellow) for accommodation, meals etc. Bedel Ceremonial official attending the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor at events such as degree ceremonies and Encaenia, and at meetings of Congregation and Convocation. There are four Bedels: of Divinity, Law, Medicine and Arts. Blue Blue is the highest sporting achievement at Oxford and Cambridge, and is awarded only to members who have competed in the annual Varsity Match (see www.sport.ox.ac.uk/sports-federation/blues); cf Half-Blue. Blueprint News publication for staff of the collegiate University. It is published twice each term and carries a mix of www.ox.ac.uk/blueprint news and features plus information about people, awards, honours and other aspects of University and college life. Bodleian Libraries Collective name for the University's integrated library service, formerly known as Oxford University Library Services (OULS). Bodleian Library Also known as ‘the Bod’; named after Sir Thomas Bodley and is the University’s main research library and www.bodley.ox.ac.uk the second largest library in the UK after the British Library. Together with its dependent libraries, it holds more than 8 million volumes. The Bodleian dates from 1602 and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe.
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Botanic Garden Oldest botanic garden in Britain, with a national reference collection of 7,000 different types of plant which www.botanic-garden.ox.ac.uk makes it the most compact yet diverse collection of plants in the world. The garden was founded in 1621 by the Earl of Danby as the Physic Gardens, for the study of medicinal plants. Bulldog Nickname for the Proctors’ Officers. Bursar Chief financial officer of a college. The majority of colleges have two Bursars: an Estates or Finance Bursar, who has overall responsibility for the college's assets, income and expenditure; and a Domestic Bursar, who is responsible for domestic aspects of college life, including accommodation, security, catering and housekeeping and external lettings, and for managing non-academic staff. Calendar See University Calendar. Carfax Located at the conjunction of St Aldate's, Cornmarket Street, Queen Street and the High, Carfax is considered to be the centre of the city of Oxford. Chancellor Elected by Convocation, the Chancellor is the ceremonial head of the University. The current Chancellor is www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/oxfor Lord Patten of Barnes. d_people/key Cherwell 1) River which flows through Oxford and which is a major tributary of the Thames. 2) Student newspaper, published on a weekly basis during term time (www.cherwell.org). Christ Church Picture Gallery Located inside Christ Church, the Picture Gallery houses an important collection of 300 Old Master www.chch.ox.ac.uk/gallery paintings, including work by Leonardo, Michelangelo and Rubens, and almost 2,000 drawings. Churchill Hospital located in Headington which houses many Medical Sciences departments. Class 1) Level of award of a degree (eg 2.1 or Upper Second). 2) Lesson attended by approximately 6 students (though possibly up to 15 to meet high demand) and of 60– 90 minutes duration; usually intercollegiate. Clerk of the Market Originally empowered to set the price of grain in Oxford. The title is now honorary, and is bestowed by the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor; there are always two Clerks of the Market. Collections 1) Written examinations organised at the start of term by a college. They are exercises used to monitor progress and help students develop exam techniques. Additional collections may be used by colleges in response to poor performance, with an attached penalty for failure ('penal collections'). 2) A report reading organised by a college. The student attends at intervals decided by the college, and reports are discussed in the presence of the Head of House and/or Senior Tutor. College One of 38 independent, self-governing institutions forming a core element of the University, to which they are related in a federal system. All students belong to either a college or a permanent private hall. Colleges select and admit undergraduate students, select graduate students after they are admitted by the University, provide accommodation, meals, common rooms, libraries and sports and social facilities, and are responsible for students' tutorial teaching and welfare. Collegiate University The University of Oxford, comprising the academic divisions and departments/faculties, ASUC and UAS, together with the colleges and permanent private halls. Coming up/going down Arriving at Oxford at the beginning of the term/leaving at the end; cf sending down.
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Commoner Student who does not have a scholarship or exhibition. The majority of students are commoners. Conference of Colleges Body representing each of the colleges and permanent private halls, which enables colleges to act collectively on issues that matter to them and acts as a voice for college interests within the University community. Conference Oxford Central conference marketing office for the University and colleges. It provides a one-stop enquiry point for www.conference-oxford.com availability for conferences and group bookings at the collegiate University. Confirmation of Status Formal assessment of a research student's progress towards the end of their research for a DPhil. It is normally undertaken after the sixth term of research and no later than the ninth term. Congregation Sovereign body of the University, consisting of more than 4,000 members, comprising: academic staff; heads and other members of governing bodies of colleges; and senior research, computing, library and administrative staff. As the legislative body of the University, changes to the University’s statutes and regulations are subject to the approval of Congregation. Council is bound by all resolutions passed by Congregation and all other acts and decisions taken by it. Major policy issues may be submitted to Congregation for its consideration by Council or members of Congregation. Congregation also elects members to Council and other University bodies and approves the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor. Continuing Education, Department Offers courses covering a wide range of subjects, many of them leading to University qualifications. of Provision is made for individuals, organisations and professional groups. Courses are offered on a part-time www.oudce.ox.ac.uk basis, online or in the form of short courses. Convocation Body comprising all former student members of the University who have been admitted to a degree (other than an honorary degree) of the University, members of Congregation and those who have retired and were members of Congregation on the date of their retirement. Its functions are to elect the Chancellor and the Professor of Poetry. Convocation House Built in the 17th century to house Convocation, Convocation House is still used for University ceremonies, such as for the election of the Chancellor. It is situated at the back of the Old Bodleian Library and opposite the Sheldonian Theatre. Council Principal executive and policy-making body of the University; responsible, under the statutes, for the www.admin.ox.ac.uk/council advancement of the University's objectives, for its administration, and for the management of its finances and property. It has five main standing committees: the Education Committee; the General Purposes Committee (GPC); the Personnel Committee; the Planning and Resource Allocation Committee (PRAC); and the Research Committee. Creweian Oration The Creweian Oration is named after Nathaniel, Lord Crewe, and is delivered at Encaenia by the Public Orator. In alternate years, the Professor of Poetry delivers the second part of the oration. The oration recounts the events of the past year and commemorates the University’s benefactors. Custodians Team of staff at Christ Church (www.chch.ox.ac.uk) who welcome visitors and are responsible for protecting the security of those who live and work in the college. A bowler hat is part of their uniform. Dean 1) Head of House at Christ Church. 2) Fellow responsible for supervising the conduct and discipline of the junior members of a college. To be
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‘deaned’ is to be sent to the Dean. Degree Days Various days throughout the year on which students may graduate. www.ox.ac.uk/students/graduation/cerem onies/dates Demonstrating Supervision of a practical class; the term derives from the now obsolete post titles of ‘University Demonstrator’ (now University Lecturer) and ‘Departmental Demonstrator’ (now Departmental Lecturer), and may be applied equally to those in charge of practical classes and to those who assist in practical class teaching in the laboratory. Department Part of one of the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences, Medical Sciences or Social Sciences Divisions which provides teaching and research in an academic discipline (such as Chemistry, Law, Paediatrics etc); cf Faculty. Director of Study Senior academic with responsibility for a particular course or area of academic endeavour. Divinity School Built in the 15th century to house the lectures of the Faculty of Theology, it is the oldest teaching and examination room of the University. It stretches from the main entrance hall of the Bodleian Library, underneath the library, to Convocation House. It is now mainly used for receptions. Division There are four academic divisions – Humanities (www.humanities.ox.ac.uk), Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences (www.mpls.ox.ac.uk), Medical Sciences (www.medsci.ox.ac.uk) and Social Sciences (www.socsci.ox.ac.uk). All faculties and departments belong to one of the divisions, with the exception of Continuing Education. Domestic Bursar College officer (often a fellow of the college) with overall responsibility for domestic aspects of college life, including accommodation, security, catering and housekeeping, external lettings and sometimes sports facilities, and managing administrative non-academic staff; cf Estates Bursar. Don Professor, lecturer or fellow. DPhil Doctorate of Philosophy. The PhD is known as the DPhil in Oxford. Duke Humfrey's Library Oldest reading room in the Bodleian Library. It is the principal reading room for those studying medieval and early modern manuscripts and papyri, pre-1641, special and rare book collections, and codicological, bibliographical and local history. EdC Education Committee. One of the five main committees of Council, it defines and keeps under review the educational philosophy, policy and standards of the collegiate University on access and admissions; curriculum design and course structure; teaching, learning and assessment; academic and pastoral support and guidance; and provision and use of learning resources. Formerly known as Educational Policy and Standards Committee. Eights Intercollegiate rowing races, held in Trinity term. Emeritus Title held by professors and readers of the University who have retired over the age of 60 from a professorship or readership, including a personal or titular professorship or readership (and those who have retired from a professorship or readership and on whom the title has been conferred by resolution of Council). Colleges have their own rules for awarding the title. Encaenia Annual ceremony at the end of each academic year at which honorary degrees are conferred and the
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Creweian Oration is given by the Public Orator. Estates Bursar College officer who has overall responsibility for the college's assets, income and expenditure; cf Domestic Bursar. Examination Regulations Published volume containing details of syllabuses and assessment for all award-bearing courses. Available www.admin.ox.ac.uk/examregs online in a regularly updated version, the print version (also known as the Grey Book) is published annually at the beginning of the academic year. Formerly called the Examination Decrees. Examination Schools One of the largest buildings of the University; situated on the High, the Exam Schools provides its main examination and lecturing facility. Exhibition Lesser student scholarship. Expulsion Permanent loss of membership of the University and college, for serious disciplinary offences. Faculty Part of the Humanities Division which provides teaching and research in an academic discipline (such as History, Theology etc); cf Department. Fellows In colleges, the senior members of college who, together with the Head of House, constitute the governing body of the college. Colleges may also have other categories of fellow, such as honorary or emeritus fellows, who are not members of the governing body. There are also research fellowships of various kinds in the University. Final Honour School Course of study and examination leading to an honours undergraduate degree. Often referred to as 'Schools'. Finals Final public examinations at the end of three or four years as an undergraduate student – the level of degree awarded is largely dependent on performance in these exams. Finalist Student taking, or about to take, their final public examinations for their undergraduate degree. First Highest class of degree. First public examination (PE) Exams taken during or at the end of the first year, which must be passed for a student to be allowed to continue their course; called either Prelims or Mods, depending on the course. Fresher First-year student. Formal Hall Traditional meal held in college. Depending on the college, formal attire and/or gowns may be worn, and guests from outside the college may be invited. Full Economic Costs (FEC) Method of calculating the cost of undertaking a research project which takes into account indirect overheads incurred by the University, such as building upkeep and administrative costs, as well as the direct cost of salaries, consumables etc. Full term Main undergraduate teaching period at Oxford. It lasts for eight weeks and runs from Sunday of first week to Saturday of eighth week. The dates of full term are prescribed by Council and are published in the Gazette in Hilary term and on the University website (www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/university_year/dates_of_term.html). Gathered field Method of grouping applications from potential students, setting a cut-off date whereby all applications received up to that date can be considered for admission as a group and ranked accordingly. Gaudy College event for alumni.
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Gazette Official journal of the University, published weekly in term time, in which information on the University’s www.ox.ac.uk/gazette formal business, including changes to statutes and regulations and meetings of Congregation, must be published. It also includes other information of interest to University staff, including general notices, special lecture information, notices of vacancies and classified advertisements. GCR Graduate Common Room; see MCR. Governing body Body defined in the statutes of each college that has responsibility for its governance. Most governing bodies meet three times a term to conduct college business. Graduate Someone who already holds a university degree. Strictly speaking, someone taking a course of study after graduation is a postgraduate, but in Oxford the two terms are used interchangeably. Greats Four-year course comprising Honour Moderations in Classics (taken in the fifth term) and the Final Honour School of Literae Humaniores. GSO Graduate Studies Office, part of the central University. Half-Blue Along with a Blue, the highest sporting achievement at Oxford awarded to members of certain sports clubs who have represented Oxford in a Varsity match. The awarding of Half-Blues is regulated by the men's and women's Blues Committees (see www.sport.ox.ac.uk/sports-federation/blues); cf Blue. Harcourt Arboretum Situated six miles south of Oxford in the village of Nuneham Courtenay, the 130-acre arboretum contains a fine collection of mature trees and shrubs, and is an integral part of the plant collection of the Botanic Garden. Head of House Head of a college or permanent private hall, known variously as the Dean (Christ Church), the Master (Balliol, Campion Hall, Pembroke, St Benet’s, St Catherine’s, St Cross, St Peter’s and University College), the President (Corpus Christi, Kellogg, Magdalen, St John’s, Trinity and Wolfson); the Principal (Brasenose, Green Templeton, Harris Manchester, Hertford, Jesus, Lady Margaret Hall, Linacre, Mansfield, Regent’s Park, St Anne’s, St Edmund Hall, St Hilda’s, St Hugh’s, St Stephen’s House, Somerville and Wycliffe Hall), the Provost (Oriel, Queen’s and Worcester), the Rector (Exeter and Lincoln), the Regent (Blackfriars Hall) and the Warden (All Souls, Keble, Merton, New College, Nuffield, St Antony’s and Wadham). High Table The table in a college dining hall, often on a dais, at which the Head of House and Fellows dine. Guests may sometimes be invited to High Table. Highers Scottish (generally one-year) qualifications which roughly equate to A-Levels. Hilary term The second of the academic year’s three terms, running from January to mid-March; cf Michaelmas term, Trinity term. Hilary term begins on and includes 7 January, and ends on and includes 25 March or the Saturday before Palm Sunday (whichever is the earlier). The House Informal name for Christ Church, after its Latin name Aedes Christi, the House of Christ. iProcurement Purchasing system used by much of the University: part of Oracle Financials. See Marketplace. www.admin.ox.ac.uk/finance/oxonly/purc h_payment/purchasing Isis 1) Name for the River Thames where it runs through Oxford. 2) Student magazine, published once a term (formerly a newspaper similar to the Cherwell).
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Isis Innovation Technology transfer company, wholly owned by the University, which manages its intellectual property portfolio and provides Oxford researchers with commercial advice, funds patent and legal costs, and negotiates technology licences, material sales agreements and spin-out company agreements. JCR (Junior Common Room) In addition to being the formal undergraduate student organisation of a college, the Junior Common Room is the hub of undergraduate social activity; also a physical location in a college for student recreation; cf MCR and SCR. Jenner Institute Located in the Old Road Campus Research Building, the institute develops vaccines against major global diseases. A major theme is translational research involving the rapid early-stage development and assessment of new vaccines in clinical trials. Joint appointment University lecturership held in association with a college fellowship, thereby providing simultaneously for teaching needs within both a college and a department or faculty. Joint Consultative Committee Committee of students in a faculty who represent their peers and act as a channel of communication (JCC) between the students and the faculty staff (known in Engineering as an ‘Undergraduate Liaison Committee’). JR (John Radcliffe) Hospital located in Headington which houses many departments of the Medical Sciences Division. JRF (Junior Research Fellow) College academic post for those who are starting out on a research or academic career. It is usually a three-year fixed-term appointment at postdoctoral level or equivalent. Junior Member Student member of the University, either undergraduate or postgraduate. Language Centre Located on Woodstock Road, the Language Centre is open to all staff and students of the collegiate University. It supports those who need foreign languages for study and research, for academic exchange and for personal and professional development, through library resources, facilities for private study and a mixture of paid and free courses. Lecturer Lecturers are those who have the responsibility to present lectures, which all University students in that discipline may attend. In Oxford, not all lecturers are fellows of colleges. Literae humaniores Classics. See Greats. LMH Lady Margaret Hall. www.lmh.ox.ac.uk Long vac Long vacation – period between the end of Trinity and the beginning of Michaelmas terms. Marketplace Web-based purchasing system for staff who do not have access to Oracle Financials. It acts as a portal for purchasing goods and services at negotiated prices from selected University-approved suppliers via iProcurement. Master Head of House at Balliol, Campion Hall, Pembroke, St Benet’s, St Catherine’s, St Cross, St Peter’s and University College. Matriculation Ceremony at which students are formally admitted to membership of the University. Michaelmas term First of the academic year's three terms. Michaelmas term begins on and includes 1 October and ends on and includes 17 December; cf Hilary term and Trinity term. MCR (Middle Common Room) Self-governing body and social centre for graduate students in a college. Fourth-year students are also
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granted MCR membership. The MCR is also a room located in the college. Also known as the GCR; cf JCR, SCR. Mods (Moderations) Honour Mods are first-year (or, in the case of Classics, second-year) University exams. They are the First public examination for the degree of BA. Results are classified as Firsts, Seconds etc. Not all students take Mods; some take Prelims, depending on the subject. Moral Tutor Someone in a college to whom a student can turn to with concerns about their studies or general welfare; title and scope of role may vary widely. Museum of the History of Science Located on Broad Street, the museum is housed in the Old Ashmolean Building. The exhibits of the museum include important collections of early astronomical and mathematical instruments, clocks, microscopes, photographic apparatus and medical instruments. Museum of Natural History Located on Parks Road, the museum houses the University's scientific collections of zoological, entomological, palaeontological and mineral specimens. Norrington Table League table of colleges published annually, showing comparative performance of students in Finals. www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/facts _and_figures/undergraduate_degr_3.html #anorrington_scores_and_number_of_stu dents_20062011_sorted_alphabetically Noughth week Week before the beginning of full term. Old Road Campus Collection of buildings housing various Medical Sciences Departments, next to the Churchill Hospital. OLIS Oxford’s online library catalogue. OPENdoor Current human resource management system for University staff. It is due to be replaced following the www.admin.ox.ac.uk/opendoor Human Resources Information Systems review. Oracle Financials University-wide financial system. www.admin.ox.ac.uk/finance/financials Oracle Student System Database holding information relating to the administration of prospective and current students. Oxford University Hospitals NHS One of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country, comprising the Churchill and John Radcliffe Hospitals Trust and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford, and Horton General Hospital in Banbury. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. OUDCE See Continuing Education. OUDS Oxford University Dramatic Society – student club which puts on plays etc. OUP Oxford University Press. OUSU Oxford University Student Union – affiliated to the National Union of Students and publishes the Oxford www.ousu.org Student newspaper. Oxford University Society Alumni association for the University of Oxford. www.alumni.ox.ac.uk Oxbridge Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Oxford Limited Wholly owned subsidiary of the University, which manages its brand licensing programme as well as
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running the University of Oxford Shop (www.oushop.com) on the High. Oxford Magazine Independent magazine edited by members of the University and published by the Delegates of the Oxford University Press. Published four times each term and distributed to members of Congregation with the Gazette. Oxford Student Student newspaper, published on a weekly basis during term time. Owned by OUSU. Oxford Thinking Fundraising campaign, launched in May 2008, to sustain and enhance Oxford’s international reputation and www.campaign.ox.ac.uk provide financial security that will guarantee the future of the collegiate University. It is the largest fundraising campaign ever undertaken by a European university. Oxford Today Alumni magazine of the University, which is published once a term in late February, June and October. www.oxfordtoday.ox.ac.uk Distributed to members of Congregation and approximately 170,000 alumni worldwide. Oxford University Archives Body which selects and preserves the administrative records of the University and its departments, and make them and the information they contain available for administrative and research purposes. The Archives are based in the Bodleian Library, but are a separate department of the University. Oxford University Press Department of the University, housed in Walton Street; the world’s largest university press. Papers Constituent parts of an examination. Parks Seventy acres of parkland on the banks of the river Cherwell, which are open to members of the University and the public. The Parks provide a large collection of trees and plants, as well as offering a number of sporting facilities. Permanent private hall Religious hall licensed by the University to matriculate students for degrees. There are six permanent private halls: Blackfriars Hall, Campion Hall, Regent's Park College, St Benet's Hall, St Stephen's House and Wycliffe Hall. PGCE Postgraduate Certificate in Education. PGR Graduate student undertaking a course of postgraduate study via research, or such a course. PGT Graduate student undertaking a course of postgraduate study via teaching, or such a course. Personnel Committee One of the five main University committees that report directly to Council, responsible for the development and review of comprehensive policies on the employment of all University staff, including policies on recruitment and selection, staff development and training, equality of opportunity and salaries and other conditions of service. Pigeon post Nickname for the University Messenger Service, the free internal mail system. To ‘pidge’ is to send a message via this service. Pitt Rivers Museum Established by General Pitt Rivers in 1884, the museum holds one of the world’s finest anthropological and archaeological collections. It is accessed via the Museum of Natural History. Planon Facilities Management Software to manage information about the University's estate. It is used by departmental administrators and building managers to make online helpdesk requests and to see information relating to the buildings for which they are responsible. Postdoctoral Referring to a member of the University, usually research staff, who has completed their DPhil.
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Postgraduate Student who has already completed (at least) one university degree and is studying for another, higher degree. Often referred to as a graduate or graduate student. PPE Final Honour School of Philosophy, Politics and Economics. PPP Final Honour School of Psychology, Philosophy and Physiology. PRAC (Planning and Resource One of the five main University committees reporting directly to Council, which advises Council on planning, Allocation Committee) budgets and forecasts, resource allocation and other financial arrangements, and monitors performance against plans and budgets. Prelims (Preliminary examinations) First-year examinations which are not classified into Firsts, Seconds etc, but awarded on a Pass/Fail/Distinction basis. See First PE; cf Mods. Pre-sessional Pre-sessional English Courses are summer courses to prepare international students and academic visitors for study at the University. President Head of House at Corpus Christi, Kellogg, Magdalen, St John’s, Trinity and Wolfson. Principal Head of House at Brasenose, Green Templeton, Harris Manchester, Hertford, Jesus, Lady Margaret Hall, Linacre, Mansfield, Regent’s Park, St Anne’s, St Edmund Hall, St Hilda’s, St Hugh’s, St Stephen’s House, Somerville and Wycliffe Hall. Proctors Two Proctors (Senior and Junior) are elected each year by colleges in rotation to serve for one year (cycle published in the University of Oxford Calendar). The statutes provide that they shall generally ensure that the statutes, regulations, customs and privileges of the University are observed. They serve on the University’s main committees and may receive papers and attend meetings of other committees. They have responsibilities under the statutes and regulations for aspects of student discipline, for ensuring the proper conduct of examinations and for dealing with complaints. They also carry out ceremonial duties, eg at degree ceremonies. Pro-Vice-Chancellor (PVC) There are five Pro-Vice-Chancellors with specific responsibility for Development and External Affairs; Education; Research, Academic Services and University Collections; Personnel and Equality; and Planning and Resources. There are a further eight Pro-Vice-Chancellors without portfolio. Provost Head of House at Oriel, Queen’s and Worcester. PRS (Probationer Research Students working towards a DPhil or an MLitt or MSc by research must apply in the first instance for Student) admission as a Probationer Research Student. Public Orator Elected by Congregation, the Public Orator’s duties include making a speech in Latin to introduce those who receive honorary degrees at Encaenia and at other degree ceremonies, and giving the Creweian Oration at Encaenia in alternate years. He may also be called on to compose letters of greeting to other universities and loyal addresses to the Monarch, and he is ex officio examiner for certain University prizes. The office can be traced back to 1564 when the University appointed an Orator to greet Queen Elizabeth I on her visit to Oxford. Radcliffe Camera Known as the Rad Cam and located in Radcliffe Square, the Radcliffe Camera is a reading room for the Bodleian Library and one of the most recognisable buildings in Oxford. Designed by James Gibbs, the domed building initially housed the Science Library before becoming part of the Bodleian Library in 1860.
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Radcliffe Observatory Quarter Major new development site for the University, occupying land between Woodstock Road and Walton (ROQ) Street. Recognised Student Student working in Oxford for up to a year (ie one, two or three terms) but not preparing for a higher degree – they are entitled to use library and other University facilities, but do not have a college association. Rector Head of House at Exeter and Lincoln. Regent Head of House at Blackfriars Hall. Registrar Senior administrator within the University and formally Secretary to the Council of the University, responsible to the Vice-Chancellor and to Council for the effective organisation of the University’s administration, and line manager for a large number of senior officers within the administration. Regius Professor Holder of a chair founded by the Crown, and to which the Crown still formally makes the appointment. The Regius Chairs are Civil Law, Divinity, Ecclesiastical History, Greek, Hebrew, Medicine, Modern History and Moral and Pastoral Theology. Research Excellence Framework Arrangement to assess the quality of research in UK higher education institutions and to inform the (REF) distribution of funds by the UK higher education funding bodies via a single unified framework for the funding and assessment of research across all subjects. Resolve Bespoke software package used by the University to cost and price externally funded research projects according to Full Economic Costs (FEC) methodology. Romanes Lecture Annual lecture given by a distinguished public figure who has been invited by the Vice-Chancellor. The address, which traditionally focuses on topics relating to science, art or literature, is given in the Sheldonian Theatre. The first Romanes lecture was given in 1892 by William Gladstone. Ruskin Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art: the fine art department of the University. Rustication Withdrawal of the right of access to the land, buildings and facilities of the University, including teaching, exams and all related academic services, for a fixed period of time or until specified conditions are met. It usually occurs as a result of a major disciplinary offence. Research Committee One of the five main University committees that report directly to Council, advising Council on policy and planning issues relating to research, overseeing the University's major institutional research collaborations, and developing the University's strategy on knowledge transfer. Salary exchange Salary Exchange for Pension Contributions. An arrangement for members of USS and OSPS, which affects the way in which pension contributions are made, bringing financial benefits for both individuals and the University. Salary sacrifice Scheme whereby members of staff can reduce their gross salary over a 12-month period in exchange for a non-cash benefit and thereby reduce the amount of income tax and national insurance contributions they are liable to pay. The University currently operates two salary sacrifice schemes: a Childcare Salary Sacrifice Scheme, and Salary Exchange for Pension Contributions. SBS (Saïd Business School ) Business school of the University, established in 1996. Scholarship 1) Financial award given to an applicant to enable them to pay their course fees (possibly also including
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living expenses). 2) Position given to a student, usually musical in nature, which may carry a small stipend (Organ Scholarship/Choral Scholarship etc). SCR (Senior Common Room) Organisation to which all fellows and college lecturers belong; also the name of the room in college which is used by SCR members as a coffee and reading room, as well as for special events hosted by SCR members; cf JCR and MCR. Schools 1) Examination Schools building on the High. 2) Prelims/Mods/Final Examinations in general: ‘to take Schools’. 3) Specific course of study: ‘Honour School of Philosophy’. SEH St Edmund Hall. Sending down Known as ‘termination of course’; where a student is expelled from the University for failing the First Public Examination twice, or from college for failing penal collections, or for a disciplinary offence. Sheldonian Theatre Main ceremonial hall used by the University for events such as Encaenia, Matriculation and degree ceremonies. Split Finals Arrangement whereby half a student’s Finals exams are taken at the end of the second or third year, and the remainder are taken at the end of the third or fourth year, with both counting towards the final degree attained. Springboard Personal and professional development programme for women. www.learning.ox.ac.uk/support/women/pr ogrammes Steward 1) Person in charge of certain domestic matters within a college, including accommodation and the booking of dinners and other events. 2) At Christ Church only: the equivalent of Domestic Bursar. Stint Number of weekly hours a college Tutor is required to teach for their college. Student 1) At Christ Church only: a fellow is known as a Student. 2) In all other contexts: a member of the University working towards an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. Sub fusc Formal attire worn by students and academic staff on formal occasions, including matriculation, examinations and graduation. Sub fusc consists of a dark suit, dark skirt or dark trousers; a plain, collared white shirt or blouse; a black or white bow tie, black full-length tie or black ribbon; black shoes and dark hosiery; a mortar board or soft cap; and an academic gown. The name derives from the Latin subfuscus, meaning dark brown; cf academic dress. Supplicate Ask for a degree to be conferred at an award ceremony. Suspension Temporary withdrawal from a course of study, including at the student's own request. A student is typically suspended from their course for reasons relating to ill health or exceptional personal circumstances. Suspension also refers to an interim measure taken in student disciplinary proceedings pending further investigation, which involves the withdrawal of the right of access to all of the land, buildings and facilities of
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the University, including teaching, exams and all related academic services, for a fixed period of time or until specified conditions are met; cf rustication. Teddy Hall Affectionate name for St Edmund Hall. Torpids Inter-collegiate rowing races held in Hilary term. Trinity term Summer term; cf Hilary term, Michaelmas term. Tutor Someone who teaches students on an individual basis or in pairs. They may be a Fellow, JRF, or a graduate. They act as both a teacher and an academic guide. Tutorial Undergraduates attend, on average, one hour-long tutorial every week, either on a one-to-one basis or with one or two other students. Students must undertake a considerable number of hours’ preparatory work for each tutorial, including background reading, essay-writing and problem-solving. Tutorial System The college teaching system whereby undergraduates are taught in very small groups by a tutor (usually a fellow of the college). Through tutorials, students develop powers of independent and critical thought, analytical and problem-solving abilities, and skills in both written and oral communication and argument. Union, The University debating society; not to be confused with Oxford University Student Union. Undergraduate Someone studying for their first degree. Univ. University College. University Calendar Published by Oxford University Press each academic year and put together by the Gazette team, the Calendar is a fully indexed compendium of information about divisions, departments, colleges and committees. It also includes lists of the recipients of honorary degrees for the past ten years and postgraduate degree results for the immediately preceding year. It is known informally as the Blue Book due to its dark blue cover. University Chest Finance Division of the University, which is responsible for central purchasing, internal audit, payroll, pensions and all other accounting services. The history of the chest dates back to 1240, when the Bishop of Lincoln directed that the revenue of the University should be paid into a chest to be kept in St Frideswide's Priory. Money was lent from the chest to needy students, who deposited as security some pledge of value, such as a garment or a book, which was then sold at the end of the year if the loan was not repaid. See www.admin.ox.ac.uk/finance/information/history/introduction. University Club Located on Mansfield Road, the University Club provides sporting and social facilities for University and college staff, graduate students, alumni, and staff of associated institutions (such as Oxford University Press). University Parks See Parks. Vac (vacation) Periods between terms; see also Long vac. Varsity Synonym for ‘University’, especially when concerned with sport. Varsity Match Sporting fixture between Oxford and Cambridge; cf Blue, Half-Blue. Vice-Chancellor (VC) Senior officer of the University. The role of the Vice-Chancellor is to provide strategic direction and leadership to the collegiate University, and to position and represent the University internationally, nationally and regionally. The Vice-Chancellor chairs Council and other major University bodies, and nominates
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deputies to chair others. He or she works closely with the colleges to ensure a coherent vision across all the constituent parts of the University, and with Council, Congregation, the academic divisions and the Conference of Colleges to ensure that the governance, management and administration of the collegiate University are efficient and effective. Viva (viva voce) Oral examination, especially that at the end of a DPhil course. Voltaire Foundation Located on Banbury Road, the Foundation publishes critical editions and other works in the field of 18th century studies, with particular emphasis on the French Enlightenment and its major figures. Warden Head of House at All Souls, Keble, Merton, New College, Nuffield, St Antony’s and Wadham. Wytham Woods 415-hectare expanse of woodland which lies three miles northwest of Oxford. Entrance is free for members of the University, but walking permits, which lasts three years, need to be applied for in advance.
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Glossary of acronyms
Acronym Meaning and further information AAD Academic Administration Division. Part of UAS, the division supports www.admin.ox.ac.uk/ac-div/index.shtml Oxford's academic enterprise through work on academic strategy and planning, educational policy and provision, student administration and academic support services. ADEX Admissions Executive. A standing committee of the Admissions Committee, www.confcoll.ox.ac.uk/public/adcomcon.shtml which coordinates the efforts and initiatives of all sectors of the University concerned with undergraduate admissions. AHRC Arts and Humanities Research Council. One of the UK’s seven Research Councils. ARACU Accessible Resources Acquisition and Creation Unit. Part of the Bodleian www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/services/disability/aracu Libraries, the unit creates or acquires alternative formats for visually impaired students and staff who cannot access printed materials. ASUC Academic Services and University Collections. The ASUC Group comprises the Bodleian Libraries, the Language Centre, the University Archives and the University’s museums and Botanic Garden. BBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. One of the UK’s seven Research Councils. BESC Building and Estates Sub-committee. A subcommittee of the Planning and www.admin.ox.ac.uk/statutes/regulations/520-122d.shtml Resource Allocation Committee, which is responsible for the management and maintenance of University-owned or leased land and property occupied by University bodies. BIS Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. A government department, www.bis.gov.uk created in June 2009 by merging the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). CABDyN Complex Agent-based Dynamic Networks. The CABDyN Complexity http://sbs-xnet.sbs.ox.ac.uk/complexity/complexity_home Centre is an interdisciplinary research group, which brings together a group of researchers ranging from the physical, biological and computational sciences to the social, economic and political sciences. CBF Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility. Located at the Churchill Hospital, the www.cbf.ox.ac.uk facility produces biological investigational medicinal products for early- phase clinical trials.
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CCMP Centre for Cellular and Molecular Physiology. Located on the Old Road www.ccmp.ox.ac.uk Campus, the centre specialises in strengthening common approaches in the transfer of genetics and molecular biology to medical problems. CCVTM Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine. Located at the www.ccvtm.ox.ac.uk Churchill Hospital, the centre provides a dedicated facility for vaccine trials. It also houses the Centre for Tropical Medicine, which aids coordination of programmes based permanently overseas. CEMS Centre for Early Modern Studies. Based in the English Faculty, the centre www.cems.ox.ac.uk serves as a central forum for research and graduate study in early modern studies across the Humanities Division. CEU Cancer Epidemiology Unit. Located in the Richard Doll Building on the Old www.ceu.ox.ac.uk Road Campus, the unit specialises in large epidemiological studies on the relationship between common exposures (such as diet and HRT) to cancer and other conditions of public health importance. CICTC Colleges' ICT Committee. A committee of the Conference of Colleges, which reports to the Estates Bursars' Committee. COMPAS Centre on Migration, Policy and Society. Based within the School of www.compas.ox.ac.uk Anthropology and Museum Ethnography and funded by the ESRC, the centre conducts research in order to develop theory and knowledge, inform policy-making and public debate, and engage users of research within the field of migration. CPD Continuing Professional Development. Part of the Department for http://cpd.conted.ox.ac.uk Continuing Education, the division provides professional development for individuals and organisations in industry, commerce and the professions. CSG Capital Steering Group. The Group reviews business cases for capital www.admin.ox.ac.uk/pra/capitalste.shtml projects on behalf of PRAC. CTSU Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit. Located in the www.ctsu.ox.ac.uk Richard Doll Building on the Old Road Campus, the unit's work chiefly involves studies of the causes and treatment of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart attack and stroke. CUF Common University Fund. A CUF lectureship is a joint college and www.admin.ox.ac.uk/ps/staff/academic/types.shtml University post combining teaching and research duties. CUF lecturers receive a combined salary from the University and their college. As tutors who are CUFs carry greater college obligations than tutors who are University Lecturers, they receive a greater proportion of their salary from their college.
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CUREC Central University Research Ethics Committee. A committee of Council, www.admin.ox.ac.uk/curec which oversees ethical review of research involving human participants and personal data. DARS Development and Alumni Relations System. A database providing a common source of data relating to donors, alumni and friends of the collegiate University. DGS Director of Graduate Studies. Member of a department’s academic staff responsible for overseeing all aspects of graduate students’ applications and study; separate from their academic supervisor. DPAG Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics. Part of the Medical www.dpag.ox.ac.uk Sciences Division, it is the largest preclinical department in the division, undertaking a broad research programme, undergraduate teaching of medical and physiology students and graduate training. DTU Diabetes Trials Unit. Located in OCDEM at the Churchill Hospital, the unit www.dtu.ox.ac.uk facilitates large multi-centre clinical trials for diabetes research. EAS English for Academic Studies. English courses for non-native speakers of www.lang.ox.ac.uk/eas.html English. The courses, which are run by the Language Centre, cover academic writing and communication skills. ECI Environmental Change Institute. An interdisciplinary unit within the Social www.eci.ox.ac.uk Sciences Division that undertakes research, teaching and outreach on the environment. EdC Education Committee. One of the five main committees of Council, with www.admin.ox.ac.uk/epsc overall responsibility for the definition and ongoing review of the educational philosophy, policy and standards of the collegiate University in respect of teaching, learning and assessment. Formerly known as Educational Policy and Standards Committee. EDU Equality and Diversity Unit. Part of UAS, the unit is responsible for www.admin.ox.ac.uk/eop delivering the key objectives of the equality schemes for race, disability and gender and for working to promote equality across all the equality strands, which also include sexual orientation, religion and belief and age. It offers support and advice to disabled students and staff; provides a childcare service to staff and students; and runs the harassment advisors' network, and a recruitment monitoring operation. ELQ Equivalent or lower qualification. An ELQ student is a UK or EU student www.admin.ox.ac.uk/studentfunding/fees/fees_0910/elq.shtml reading for an equivalent or lower-level qualification to one they already hold. EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. One of the UK’s
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seven Research Councils. ERG European Research Group: European democracies. A series of research projects within the Department of Politics and International Relations looking at comparative analysis of the evolution of European democratic systems. ESRC Economic and Social Research Council. One of the UK’s seven Research Councils. ETHOX Centre Oxford Institute for Ethics and Communication in Health Care Practice. A www.ethox.org.uk multidisciplinary bioethics research centre located within the Department of Public Health. FEC Full economic costs. Methodology for calculating the total costs to an institution of undertaking a research project or activity in a sustainable manner. FHS Final Honour School. The final examination leading to an honours undergraduate degree. FMRIB Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain. www.fmrib.ox.ac.uk Based within the Department of Clinical Neurology and sited at the JR, the interdisciplinary centre specialises in human neuroimaging. FOI Freedom of Information. The Freedom of Information Act 2000 provides a www.admin.ox.ac.uk/foi right of access to information held by public authorities and sets out exemptions to that right of access. GAO Graduate Admissions Office. Part of the central University dealing with applications for postgraduate study. GPC General Purposes Committee. One of the five major committees of Council. Its remit includes advising Council on policy in respect of University-wide issues or activities which transcend the remit of the other main committees of Council or other specialist committees. It also has responsibility for strategic issues relating to risk management. HEFCE Higher Education Funding Council for England. Government body which allocates funding to higher education institutions. HESA Higher Education Statistics Agency. HFS Hierarchical file server. A centrally funded service, based in IT Services, www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/hfs which provides back-up and long-term archiving services for staff and postgraduates. HRIS Human Resources Information Systems programme. An ongoing www.admin.ox.ac.uk/ps/oxonly/hrisreview/about/index.sh programme to replace the OPENdoor HR system with a modern, integrated and fully supported HR system.
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IBME Institute of Biomedical Engineering. Located at the Old Road Campus, the www.ibme.ox.ac.uk institute provides research facilities and equipment for medical, biological and physical scientists and engineers. ICTF ICT Forum. A forum for IT support staff from across the collegiate www.ict.ox.ac.uk/oxford/groups/ict_forum University. All members of IT support staff are automatically members. The forum meets on a termly basis. IMSU Information Management Services Unit. Provides IT services and support to www.imsu.ox.ac.uk the Medical Sciences Division. ITLP IT Learning Programme. A unit within IT Services which provides IT training courses and other related services to help staff and students improve their IT skills. ITSS IT Support Staff Services. A unit within IT Services, which provides services and support to IT professionals in departments and colleges. JCC Joint Consultative Committee. A joint committee for discussion of matters of mutual interest between staff members and students representing their peers. They run at divisional, faculty and course level, as well as in colleges (where they are often known as 'Liaison Committees'). JCUSS Joint Committee for University Support Staff. A committee which meets on a termly basis to discuss matters relating to the terms and conditions of employment of University-graded support staff. It consists of equal numbers of members appointed by the University and by Unite and UNISON together. JISC Joint Information Systems Committee. A joint committee, funded by UK www.jisc.ac.uk higher education funding bodies, to provide leadership in the innovative use of information and communications technology to support education and research. JR John Radcliffe Hospital. JRAM Joint Resource Allocation Method. Method for allocating some elements of teaching- and research-related income across the collegiate University. KTP Knowledge Transfer Partnership. The University's Knowledge Transfer Partnership office initiates and supports partnerships between academics, companies and graduates seeking to make an impact in the business environment. It is part of the Begbroke Directorate, which is the administrative centre of Begbroke Science Park. LASR Languages for Study and Research. A programme of about 50 courses at different levels in ten languages intended primarily for staff and students who require foreign language skills for their study or research.
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LICR Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. Located in the Old Road Campus Research Building, the institute aims to develop strategies to suppress tumour growth and metastasis. MPLS Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division. One of the four academic divisions of the University. MRC Medical Research Council. One of the UK’s seven Research Councils. MSD Medical Sciences Division. One of the four academic divisions of the University. NDA Nuffield Division of Anaesthetics. Comprising closely associated University and NHS departments, the department provides the framework for teaching, research and anaesthetic services to the JR and Churchill Hospitals, the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre and the Horton Hospital in Banbury. NDM Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine. A large multidisciplinary department within the Medical Sciences Division that links biological science with medical application. It hosts one of the largest groupings of biomedical researchers in the university sector, and is also responsible for a significant part of the teaching of clinical medical students with the Oxford Medical School. NERC Natural Environment Research Council. One of the UK’s seven Research Councils. NHSPS National Health Service Pension Scheme. A national occupational pension scheme for NHS employees, which is backed by the Exchequer. University staff who participate in this scheme are those who are employed in a clinical role and who were active members of the NHSPS immediately before their employment by the University. NPEU National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit. A multidisciplinary research team, www.npeu.ox.ac.uk based at the Old Road Campus, who specialise in improving the care provided to women and their families during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. NSMS Networked Systems Management Service. A team of IT professionals, www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/nsms based in IT Services, who offer IT consultancy and a range of chargeable IT services for departments, colleges and associated institutions. OCCAM Oxford Centre for Collaborative Applied Mathematics. A research centre for www.maths.ox.ac.uk/groups/occam mathematical scientists, which seeks to solve real-world problems by harnessing high-level mathematical skills in modelling, analysis and computation.
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OCDEM Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism. Located at the www.ocdem.com Churchill Hospital, the centre combines clinical care, research and education in diabetes, endocrine and metabolic diseases. It aims to enhance understanding of these diseases and to accelerate the search for new treatments and cures. OCIAM Oxford Centre for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. A research centre www2.maths.ox.ac.uk/ociam within the Mathematical Institute, which pursues collaborative research with industry and basic research in applied mathematics. ODIT Office of the Director of IT. Provides coordination for information www.ict.ox.ac.uk/odit communication technology across the collegiate University and drives new initiatives. OED Oxford English Dictionary. Published by OUP, the OED is the premier www.oed.com dictionary of the English language. It is the accepted authority on the evolution of the English language over the last millennium. OeRC Oxford e-Research Centre. Part of MPLS, the centre works with research www.oerc.ox.ac.uk units across the University to enable the use and development of innovative computational and information technology in multidisciplinary collaborations. OHS Occupational Health Service. Provides advice on issues where work affects www.admin.ox.ac.uk/uohs health or health affects work. It also provides a counselling service for staff, a travel clinic and pre-employment health assessments. OIA Oxford Institute of Population Ageing. A multidisciplinary research institute www.ageing.ox.ac.uk within the Social Sciences Division. It is jointly positioned between the Department of Sociology and the Oxford Martin School. OII Oxford Internet Institute. A research and policy institute in the Social www.oii.ox.ac.uk Sciences Division, which undertakes multidisciplinary research into the societal implications of the internet. OLI Oxford Learning Institute. Part of AAD, the Institute runs professional and www.learning.ox.ac.uk vocational training courses for staff in areas ranging from teaching practice to time management, and it contributes to policy development. OPENdoor The University's current human resource management system. It is due to www.admin.ox.ac.uk/opendoor be replaced following the HR Information Systems review; cf HRIS. OPIC Oxford Particle Imaging Centre. Located on the Old Road Campus, the www.opic.ox.ac.uk facility allows scientists to study large macromolecular complexes, such as human and animal viruses, in their native cellular environment using a range of structural and biophysical techniques.
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OPPF Oxford Protein Production Facility. Located on the Old Road Campus, the www.oppf.ox.ac.uk facility aims to promote and facilitate high-throughput structural biology for the UK academic community. It is the first stage in a structural proteomics programme for the UK. ORA Oxford University Research Archive. A digital archive of research http://ora.ouls.ox.ac.uk publications and other scholarly outputs produced by members of the collegiate University. OSC Oxford Supercomputing Centre. A high-performance computing service www.oerc.ox.ac.uk/resources/osc available to all researchers at the University. The service includes access to a range of powerful clusters and shared memory machines, together with a large storage facility and training and application support. OSEM Oxford Spin-out Equity Management. A unit within the University which www.osem.ox.ac.uk reports to the Director of Finance, OSEM manages the University's shareholdings in its spin-out companies and seeks ways of maximising the value of its equity stakes. OSPS Oxford Staff Pension Scheme. The University's scheme for staff on scales www.admin.ox.ac.uk/finance/pensions/OSPS/index.shtml of pay other than academic and academic-related. The scheme is open to similar employees of colleges and other institutions that participate in the scheme. OSS Oracle Student System. A database holding information relating to the www.admin.ox.ac.uk/studentsystems/oxonly/glossary/ossglos.shtml administration of prospective and current students. A separate glossary of terms is available for users of OSS. OUEM Oxford University Endowment Management Limited. A subsidiary company www.ouem.co.uk of the University, which manages the investment of the University’s central endowment plus the endowments of those colleges which choose to participate in the fund. OUMC Oxford University Museums and Collections. A collective term for the www.museums.ox.ac.uk/index.php Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, the Museum of the History of Science, the University Museum of Natural History, the Pitt Rivers Museum, the University of Oxford Botanic Garden and the Bate Collection of Musical Instruments. OUMC has a joint Education Committee focusing on outreach activity for schools and families. OUP Oxford University Press. www.oup.com OXAM Oxford Exam Papers. Online Database of formal examination papers set by http://oxam.ox.ac.uk the University since 1999–2000.
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OxCERT Oxford University Computer Emergency Response Team. Part of IT www.ict.ox.ac.uk/oxford/compsecurity/oxcert Services, it ensures the security of the University's backbone network. OxCORT Oxford Colleges Online Reports for Tutorials system. A web application for www.oxcort.ox.ac.uk the collection and processing of tutorial reports for undergraduate teaching. OXLIP+ Oxford Libraries Information Platform. A gateway providing access to the www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/eresources libraries' collection of databases and electronic reference works. PAD Public Affairs Directorate. Part of the portfolio of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for www.ox.ac.uk/public_affairs/index.html Development and External Affairs, Public Affairs is responsible for media and public relations, University publications (including the Gazette and Blueprint), the top-level pages of the University website, internal communications advice and projects, government and parliamentary relations and the coordination of major University events. PI Principal Investigator. The lead academic on a research project, laboratory study or clinical trial. PRAC Planning and Resource Allocation Committee. One of the five main University committees that report directly to Council. It advises Council on planning, budgets and forecasts, resource allocation and other financial arrangements, and monitors performance against plans and budgets. PRAS Planning and Resource Allocation Section. Part of AAD, which provides strategic policy support to the Vice-Chancellor, PVCs and Senior Officers and for servicing a number of committees (including PRAC) and developing and maintaining the University's planning cycle. PVC Pro-Vice-Chancellor. There are five PVCs who have specific responsibility for Development and External Affairs; Education; Research, Academic Services and University Collections; Personnel and Equality; and Planning and Resources. There are a further eight PVCs without portfolio. QA Quality Assurance. Higher education institutions in the UK must operate within a quality assurance framework to ensure their education provision meets appropriate academic standards and quality. Responsibility for the University’s quality assurance framework rests with the Education Committee in tandem with the divisions and colleges. QAA Quality Assurance Agency. Body that assesses the quality of teaching in Higher Education and makes recommendations to funding bodies such as HEFCE. QE Quality Enhancement. An element of institutional quality management that is designed to secure steady, reliable and demonstrable improvements in the quality of learning opportunities.
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RAE Research Assessment Exercise. A series of exercises conducted nationally to assess the quality of UK research and to inform the selective distribution of public funds for research by the UK higher education funding bodies. ROQ Radcliffe Observatory Quarter. A major new development site for the University, occupying land between Woodstock Road and Walton Street. SERS Systems and e-Research Services. Part of the Bodleian Libraries, it www.sers.ox.ac.uk provides integrated support and systems for a range of IT-related services across the libraries. SGC Structural Genomics Consortium. Located in the Old Road Campus www.sgc.ox.ac.uk Research Building, the SGC aims to produce three-dimensional structures of proteins of medical relevence and place them in the public domain. SKOPE Centre for Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance. Located in www.skope.ox.ac.uk the Department of Education, the multidisciplinary research centre examines the links between the acquisition and use of skills and knowledge, product market strategies and performance. SIS Student Information Systems. Administrative department responsible for all matters concerning student records. SLC Student Loans Company. Administers student financial support to eligible www.slc.co.uk students in higher education in the United Kingdom. SOLO Search Oxford Libraries Online. Online search tool for Oxford libraries' http://solo.ouls.ox.ac.uk collections of books and electronic resources. SORP Statement of Recommended Accounting Practice. Accounting guidelines www.admin.ox.ac.uk/finance/accountingpolicy.shtml for all further and higher education institutions in the UK. SSO Single sign-on. A system which allows users to log into a University web- based service and then access any associated service without having to re- enter a username and password. STEM subjects Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. A group of higher education subjects, which have been identified by HEFCE as strategically important and vulnerable. STFC Science and Technology Facilities Council. One of the UK’s seven Research Councils. STRUBI Division of Structural Biology. Located on the Old Road Campus, the unit www.strubi.ox.ac.uk applies the techniques of structural biology to the study of biomedically important processes. TALL Technology-assisted Lifelong Learning. e-learning research and www.tall.ox.ac.uk development team based at the Department for Continuing Education.
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TRAC Transparent approach to costing. A methodology used by higher education institutions in the UK to cost teaching, research and other core activities. UAS University Administration and Services. Collective term for the central www.admin.ox.ac.uk/personneluas/map/index.shtml administrative departments of the University (previously known as Central Administration). UCU University and College Union. Recognised by the University as the appropriate trade union for purposes of consultation and representation in respect of staff employed in University academic and academic-related posts. UUK Universities UK. The UK’s major representative body for the higher education sector. USS Universities Superannuation Scheme. Pension scheme for staff on www.admin.ox.ac.uk/finance/pensions/USS/index.shtml academic and academic-related grades. USS is a national scheme open to all such employees of UK universities. VLE Virtual Learning Environment. Weblearn is the University's centrally hosted Virtual Learning Environment, and is supported by IT Services. VRE Virtual Research Environment. Provides a framework of digital resources to www.vre.ox.ac.uk help researchers manage the range of tasks involved in carrying out research. WebAuth A system which provides single sign-on for web-based services. Users https://webauth.ox.ac.uk have to enter their username and password only once per session to access any WebAuth-based service. WebLearn The University's centrally hosted Virtual Learning Environment, which is http://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/site supported by IT Services. WildCRU Wildlife Conservation Research Unit. Founded in 1986, WildCRU was the first university-based conservation research unit in Europe. It now has more than 50 researchers and is based at Tubney House, just outside Oxford. WIMM Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine. Fosters research in molecular www.imm.ox.ac.uk and cell biology with direct application to the study of important human diseases ranging from cancer to AIDS. WTCHG Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics. Located on the Old Road www.well.ox.ac.uk Campus, the centre explores all aspects of the genetic susceptibility to disease.
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Glossary of obsolete terms
Obsolete acronym or term and Replaced by current URL if applicable Academic Policy Support Former name for Education Policy Support. www.admin.ox.ac.uk/epsc Blue Book Informal name for the Statutes, Decrees and Regulations of the University of Oxford, www.admin.ox.ac.uk/statutes a publication which was discontinued in hard copy in 2000. The current Statutes and Regulations are now only available online. BSP Business Systems and Projects. One of the services which combined to become IT Services. Central Administration Former name for University Administration and Services. DPHPC Division of Public Health and Primary Health Care. Now divided into the Department of Public Health and the Department of Primary Care Health Sciences. Educational Policy and Standards Former name for Education Committee. Committee Examination Decrees Former name for Examination Regulations. Hebdomadal Council Until 2000 Hebdomadal Council was the University’s principal executive and policy- making body, charged with ultimate responsibility for the administration of the University and for the management of its finances and property. It comprised 25 members, 18 of whom were directly elected by Congregation with the remainder (including the two Proctors and the Assessor) being ex officio. It originally met weekly in term (hence the name) and at certain other times but latterly met at fortnightly intervals. It was succeeded by Council in the 2000 governance reforms. Herald Formerly the University's main central email system. Replaced by Nexus. ICTC Information and Communications Technology Committee. A subcommittee of Council, which was replaced by the ICT Sub-committee of the Planning and Resource Allocation Committee (PICT). ICTST ICT Support Team. One of the services which combined to become IT Services.
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ISIDORE Project to implement the Oracle student administration system for the collegiate University. Now known as the Oracle Student System (OSS).
OCAO Oxford Colleges Admissions Office. The former name of the Undergraduate Admissions Office. ORHT Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust. The former name for Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. OSIRIS Project to implement the University-wide financial system, Oracle Financials. OUCE Oxford University Centre for the Environment. The former name for the School of Geography and the Environment. OUCL Oxford University Computing Laboratory. The former name for Department of Computing Science. OUCS Oxford University Computing Services. One of the services which merged to become IT Services. OULS Oxford University Library Services. The former name for Bodleian Libraries. PICT Information and Communications Technology Sub-committee of the Planning and Resource Allocation Committee. Former subcommittee of PRAC replaced by the Information Technology Committee in 2012. RAE Research Assessment Exercise. A peer review exercise to assess the quality of research in UK higher education institutions; replaced by the Research Excellence Framework (REF). SIS Student Information Systems. Replaced by Student Data Management and Analysis.
Social Policy and Social Work, Department Former name for the Department of Social Policy and Intervention. of University Police Former name for the Proctors.
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