The chancellor is the ceremonial head of Durham University, with the formal duties of conferring degrees at congregations and of being an ambassador for the university. They are nominated by the council and senate in joint session and appointed by convocation, determined by the majority of votes of members of congregation present and voting. [1] [2] [3] The incumbent is Fiona Hill, who was appointed by convocation in November 2022 and installed in June 2023. [4] [5]
Until 1909, the university was governed by the dean and chapter of Durham Cathedral, with the warden (held ex officio by the Dean of Durham from 1862) being both the formal and executive head of the university. Following the implementation of statutes made in 1909 under the University of Durham Act 1908, the warden became the chancellor and the sub-warden the vice-chancellor, meaning Durham was, like most other British universities, headed by a chancellor. [6] [7]
William McGuire Bryson is an American-British journalist and author. Bryson has written a number of nonfiction books on topics including travel, the English language, and science. Born in the United States, he has been a resident of Britain for most of his adult life, returning to the U.S. between 1995 and 2003, and holds dual American and British citizenship. He served as the chancellor of Durham University from 2005 to 2011.
Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury KG PC was an English nobleman and magnate based in northern England who became a key supporter of the House of York during the early years of the Wars of the Roses. He was the father of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, the "Kingmaker".
The title of Earl of Northumberland has been created several times in the Peerage of England and of Great Britain, succeeding the title Earl of Northumbria. Its most famous holders are the House of Percy, who were the most powerful noble family in Northern England for much of the Middle Ages. The heirs of the Percys, via a female line, were ultimately made Duke of Northumberland in 1766, and continue to hold the earldom as a subsidiary title.
St John's College is one of the recognised colleges of Durham University. The college was established in 1909 as a Church of England theological college and became a full constituent college of the university in 1919. The college consists of John's Hall for students studying on any university course and Cranmer Hall, an Anglican theological college in the open evangelical tradition. All part time and distance learning postgraduate students reading for theology are automatically assigned to St John's. Started as a men's college, it was the first Church of England theological college to train men and women together, where it subsequently became mixed.
Baron Ravensworth, of Ravensworth Castle in the County Palatine of Durham and of Eslington Park in the County of Northumberland, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.
A convocation is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose, mostly ecclesiastical or academic. The Britanica dictionary defines it as "a large formal meeting of people.
Henry George Percy, 7th Duke of Northumberland,, styled Lord Warkworth between 1865 and 1867 and Earl Percy between 1867 and 1899, was a British Conservative politician. He served as Treasurer of the Household under Benjamin Disraeli between 1874 and 1875 and was Chairman of the National Union of Conservative and Constitutional Associations from 1879 to 1883.
Eustace Sutherland Campbell Percy, 1st Baron Percy of Newcastle, styled Lord Eustace Percy between 1899 and 1953, was a British diplomat, Conservative politician, public servant, and aristocrat from the Percy family. He most notably served as President of the Board of Education under Stanley Baldwin between 1924 and 1929.
Henry Percy, 8th Earl of Northumberland, 2nd Baron Percy was an English nobleman and conspirator.
In the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts (BAs) are promoted to the rank of Master of Arts (MA), typically upon application after three or four years after graduation. No further examination or study is required for this promotion, which is a mark of seniority rather than an additional postgraduate qualification.
The Percy family is an ancient English noble family. They were among the oldest and most powerful noble families in Northern England for much of the Middle Ages. The noble family is known for its long rivalry with the House of Neville, another family powerful in northern England during the 15th century. The feud between the two families, known as the Percy-Neville feud led to the Wars of the Roses, at the time known as the Civil Wars, in England.
A congregation can refer to "an assembly of senior members of a university". It is used in this general sense in both of the ancient universities of England, although with significant differences. At Cambridge, and at many other universities in England and around the world, it particularly refers to such assemblies when held as graduation ceremonies, while at Oxford it is the governing body of the university.
Hugh Algernon Percy, 10th Duke of Northumberland, styled Lord Hugh Percy between 1918 and 1940, was a British landowner, soldier and peer. He was the son of Alan Percy, 8th Duke of Northumberland, and Lady Helen Gordon-Lennox. He succeeded to the dukedom of Northumberland in 1940 when his brother, the 9th Duke, was killed in action in World War II.
An academic senate, sometimes termed faculty senate, academic board or simply senate, is a governing body in some universities and colleges, typically with responsibility for academic matters and primarily drawing its membership from the academic staff of the institution.
Durham University Botanic Garden is the botanical garden of Durham University, located in Durham, England. The site is set in 25 acres (10 ha) of mature woodlands in the southern outskirts of the city. The garden was founded in 1925 and has been located on its present site since 1970; the visitor centre was opened in 1988 by the then Chancellor of Durham University, Dame Margot Fonteyn. The garden attracts over 80,000 visitors annually and has been featured in The Guardian's Country Diary and on Channel 4's Matt Baker: Travels with Mum & Dad.
A head of college or head of house is the head or senior member of a college within a collegiate university. The title used varies between colleges, including dean, master, president, principal, provost, rector and warden.
The Colleges of Durham University are residential colleges that are the primary source of accommodation and support services for undergraduates and postgraduates at Durham University, as well as providing a focus for social, cultural and sporting life for their members, and offering bursaries and scholarships to students. They also provide funding and/or accommodation for some of the research posts in the University. All students at the University are required to be members of one of the colleges.
The history of Durham University spans over 190 years since it was founded by Act of Parliament. King William IV granted royal assent to the Act on 4 July 1832, and granted the university a royal charter on 1 June 1837, incorporating it and confirming its constitution. The university awarded its first degrees on 8 June 1837. It describes itself as the third-oldest university in England and is listed by the European University Association as one of Europe's oldest hundred universities in continuous operation.
Durham University is a collegiate public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charter in 1837. It was the first recognised university to open in England for more than 600 years, after Oxford and Cambridge, and is thus the third-oldest university in England. As a collegiate university, its main functions are divided between the academic departments of the university and its 17 colleges. In general, the departments perform research and provide teaching to students, while the colleges are responsible for their domestic arrangements and welfare.