TREVELYAN COLLEGE FRESHERS’ HANDBOOK 2021 1 CONTENTS 4 WELCOME TO TREVS Learn a bit about your home for the next few years 5 JCR DUES 26 SPORT Why should you pay a fee to join the Compete for the Drowning Horse college? 6 COLLEGE OFFICERS AND STAFF 34 ADDITIONAL SOCIETIES Meet the pillars of the college Something for everyone community 9 JCR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 36 SOCIAL EVENTS Get to know the students who are A little party never killed nobody responsible for making everything in college run 13 MEET THE FREPS 39 THE BAR Freshers’ Reps: for all your questions, The beating heart of college they have the answers 15 COMMITTEES 41 THE BUTTERY Make an impact! Dive straight in and Snack in style help make college-wide decisions 20 INTERATIONAL COMMUNITY 43 COLLEGE FACILITIES Our diversity shapes the inclusive Find out what’s hiding behind our nature of Trevs hexagonal walls 20 OUTREACH PROJECT 45 THE GARDEN GYM Connect with the local community New year, new me 21 MUSIC 46 ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY Discover the rich variety of ways to Save the turtles immerse yourself in our musical opportunities 47 THE JCR, MCR AND SCR What does it all mean? 2 50 DURHAM STUDENTS’ UNION Get to know the SU and how it can help you 51 FORMALS 64 LIBRARIES Understand the special tradition in You did come to study after all more detail 52 A GUIDE TO DURHAM 65 COMPUTER AND INFORMATION Small but mighty: discover everything SERVICE this great city has to offer Helping you solve your tech problems 58 JCR WELFARE 66 GUIDE TO REGISTRATION University is a whole new place - we’re Know what you’re doing ahead of there for you time 60 DURHAM STUDENT ASSOCIATIONS 67 USEFUL INFORMATION Find the association that represents All the key dates and times you 60 DURHAM DISABILITY SUPPORT 68 Porters Get the support you need A friendly face to help solve your trouble 61 NIGHTLINE 68 SECURITY, NOISE AND SAFETY Having a tough time? Let Nightline Stay safe help you talk things through 62 CONSENT MATTERS 70 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Do they want a cup of tea? Make sure For all those questions you thought you take the course before you arrive we’d forgotten about 62 MONEY MATTERS 71 WHAT NOT TO BRING Make sure your finances are in check It’s just not worth it 72 CHECKLISTS What did you forget to pack? 3 WELCOME TO TREVS Congratulations! Well done on getting into Durham and we hope you are counting down the days until it all begins! It is an absolute privilege to welcome you to Trevelyan College and to Durham University as a whole. I am Mudit, your Senior Freshers’ Representative (Frep) and my team will help run an immense Freshers’ Week alongside our fantastic team of Freps. This is a Freshers’ Handbook to breakdown all the questions and queries that you may have before coming to university but don’t hesitate to ask more questions when you arrive in September! We would strongly recommend reading it all before you arrive and bringing it with you! Please make sure you read the checklist at the end of this booklet to make sure you bring everything you need to maximise your experience! See you soon! A BRIEF HISTORY OF TREVELYAN COLLEGE Trevelyan College was founded in 1966. Originally an all‐female College in response to rising demands for residential places for women in Durham, men first graced its corridors in 1992 and now, in 2021, the College is completely mixed. It was quickly recognised that Trevs’ small size allowed everyone to get to know virtually everyone; as a result, we pride ourselves on being known as the friendliest College in Durham! There have been several extensions to the original building; the Sir James Knott Hall in 1976, followed by the addition of 50 en-suite rooms (K Block) in 1991, while a tennis court was added in 1999. Trevs now plays home to around 1,000 students, about 30% of whom live in. The College was named after Dr. George Macaulay Trevelyan, famous historian, and Chancellor of the University from 1950 to 1957. We still maintain strong links with the Trevelyan family and hope to strengthen these links further in the coming years by increasing our involvement with the Trevelyan family’s Wallington estate, a National Trust site set in extensive beautiful parkland close to Durham. Trevs’ unique hexagonal design has become a defining feature of the College. It certainly makes a change from home to have a room with more than four walls and it can be interesting trying to get from A to B, but we love it; it reflects yet another endearing characteristic of the College. The design by architect John Eastwick-Field won the building the Civic Trust Award for “making an outstanding contribution to the surrounding scene”. It is intended to reflect the form of the castle in the modern idiom. They say, “a man’s castle is his home”… and Trevs is certainly a place you can call home! 4 JCR DUES JCR stands for “Junior Common Room” and is the community of undergraduate students within Trevs. Though it is separate from the college, the JCR works closely with them to add to all elements of the student experience. The JCR will impact your time here at Trevs greatly and being a member will greatly enhance the opportunities available to you and therefore your university experience! In short, the JCR is what makes Trevs more than just student halls. The JCR provides services such as: • Organising formal dinners in which all of College • Providing welfare support to Trevs students. can come together to enjoy a great meal and often a night in the bar afterwards! • The Buttery (our very own fantastically stocked corner shop!) • Looking after all the College equipment such as the gym, game-consoles, and pool table. • Enabling the running of societies such as sports clubs and musical groups. • Running social events throughout the year. Like most things in life, running these services requires some funds. All College JCR’s therefore charge a ‘JCR due’. In Trevs, this due is £130, and is paid once at the beginning of your time here to cover your whole time at Trevelyan (regardless of whether you are on a 3- or 4-year course). Within this Freshers Pack, you will find details of how to opt into the JCR dues, which will significantly improve the amount you can get out of College. Crucially, if you do not pay JCR Dues, you will not be able to: • Apply to work in the Buttery. • Join Trevelyan College societies and sports clubs. • Attend JCR meetings which allow you to voice • Run for positions within the JCR (such as the your opinions on how the JCR operates and wider Treasurer or Publicity Officer). university issues. • Receive the JCR member discount on gym • Use the JCR sport equipment or rent out JCR membership (non-members pay £160 per year, camp beds. whilst members pay £30). • Apply for JCR funding to help cover costs of • Participate in JCR elections that decide your university life. elected officers. • Have priority access to JCR events such as • Attend JCR formal dinners. Summer Ball and Trevs Night If you opt into the JCR, then the bill for £130 will be charged. You will have received details of how to opt into the JCR Dues and other optional charges in the Freshers Pack. If you have any questions about JCR dues, please contact Emma (JCR Treasurer) at [email protected] or Alannah (JCR President) at [email protected]. We appreciate that £130, on top of all other necessary expenditures, at the start of your university experience may be a hefty financial burden. We are keen to ensure that financial pressures do not prevent incoming undergraduates from enjoying all the wonderful services on offer in the JCR. As such, should you anticipate that you will be unable to pay the full levy amount upon your arrival to Durham or have any related worries, please contact either Emma or Alannah. 5 COLLEGE OFFICERS PRINCIPAL: PROF. KUNLE ADEYEYE [email protected] In January 2020 I joined Durham as Principal of Trevelyan College and Professor of Physics. Prior to this, I was founding master of Ridge View Residential College, National University of Singapore. At Trevelyan, I have overall responsibility for the direction of the College and will work in close collaboration with the other College Officers to maximise your student experience. For the duration of your time at Trevelyan, I hope you will have the boldness and tenacity to venture out of your comfort zone, explore and achieve amazing things that will serve as a launch pad to your future success. I look forward to meeting you all soon. If you have any question, concern or suggestion, do not hesitate to contact my staff or me. VICE PRINCIPAL: MARTIN BRADER [email protected] The Vice-Principal supports the Principal with the management of the College and has responsibility for student enrichment. They also support the Principal with alumni engagement activities, marketing and communications, and student discipline. Please note I am holding this position temporarily and a permanent appointment will be made soon. ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL: DEBORAH MONK [email protected] The Assistant Principal is your first point of contact for any problems or issues you are struggling with. They can get you the help that you need with anything from financial issues, academic issue to medical issue.