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Connaught Hall is a fully catered hall of residence owned by the University of London and situated on Tavistock Square, Bloomsbury, London, UK. It is an intercollegiate hall, and as such provides accommodation for full-time students at constituent colleges and institutions of the University of London, including King's College London, University College London, Queen Mary, the London School of Economics and the School of Oriental and African Studies and others.
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History
Connaught Hall was established in 1919 by HRH Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn — the third son of Queen Victoria — at 18 Torrington Square, London as a men-only private hall of residence; the Hall was intended as a memorial to the Duchess of Connaught who died in 1917. The Duke gave the Hall to the University of London in 1928. It was not until 1961 that Connaught Hall moved out of Torrington Square to its present location in Tavistock Square: a converted Georgian terrace with a Grade II listed façade. Connaught Hall accommodated only men until 2001, when it was changed to a mixed sex hall as part of a major review of the intercollegiate halls of residence.
Student population
For over 90 years, Connaught Hall accommodated only male students; female students were admitted for the first time in September 2001 as part of a wider review of the intercollegiate halls. Now one of eight University of London intercollegiate halls of residence, Connaught Hall accommodates 214 full-time students of the various colleges and institutes of the University; there is an even mix of men and women, and a diverse range of cultural and social backgrounds. The number of students from each college who are accommodated at Connaught Hall is determined from time to time by the Intercollegiate Accommodation Committee of the University of London, in negotiation with the accommodation offices of the individual colleges. The majority of residents are first-year undergraduates ("freshers"), and most will only ever spend one year in a hall of residence: around 20% are allowed to return for a second year at the Warden’s discretion; these will usually be either students with special circumstances or those who have made an outstanding contribution to the Hall community. Approximately 10% of residents are postgraduates, and about a third are overseas students.
Accommodation and facilities
Most accommodation is in single study-bedrooms (204 single rooms), but there are five twin rooms for students who prefer to share; every room has a washbasin, but toilet and shower facilities are all shared (20-25 students sharing one bathroom, each with three showers & three toilet stalls). Every room has individual telephone, internet, and television connections. There is a library, computer room, fitness room, two television/common rooms, music room with a piano, restaurant, coin-operated laundrette, secure bike store, courtyard garden, and a bar operated by the elected Residents' Club Committee. There are numerous vending machines for soft drinks and snacks, and a small pantry/kitchen on each floor, equipped with a refrigerator and microwave. The reception desk is open 24 hours a day; photocopying and fax services are available from reception for a fee.
Residents are provided with a bedding pack (pillows, pillowcases, duvet, duvet cover, and sheets) at the start of the academic year. It is residents' own responsibility to launder their bed linen. The students' rooms are cleaned by the maids once a week, and rubbish bins emptied daily. Communal areas are cleaned every day.
Connaught Hall is a fully catered hall of residence. Breakfast is served Monday-Friday, brunch on Saturdays and Sundays; dinner is served at 5.45pm daily.
Staff
The staff of the intercollegiate halls of residence are divided into wardenial staff and bursarial (or management) staff. The bursarial staff work full time during office hours; whereas the wardenial staff are part-time members of staff who are either studying or working in academic or academic-related roles elsewhere in the University of London.
Management (bursarial) staff
- Bursar
- Deputy Bursar
- Three Assistant Bursars
The Bursar has overall management responsibility for the Hall’s buildings, furnishings, and finances; he and his staff are responsible for the provision of catering, maintenance, telephone, Internet, housekeeping, and reception services. They also look after the Hall’s commercial activities, including conferences, bed & breakfast, and group bookings.
The Deputy Bursar deals mostly with finance matters (including room allocation, invoices, and Hall fees) and the day-to-day administration of the telephone and Internet facilities. Each of the Assistant Bursars is allocated one of the following areas of work: (a) maintenance and housekeping, (b) accommodation matters, and (c) conferences. The Bursar has responsibility for health and safety in the Hall.
Wardenial staff
- Warden
- Vice-Warden (the Warden's deputy)
- Four student Senior Members
The Warden, Vice-Warden, and Senior Members are part-time members of staff resident within the Hall, responsible for student welfare and pastoral care, discipline, re-admissions, Hall community and social life, and out-of-hours emergency cover.
The wardenial staff are all experienced academics, teachers, or postgraduate students within the University of London. They are available to offer support and guidance to students, and can help with problems both inside and outside the Hall, including academic difficulties, medical or emotional problems, social concerns, financial worries, and problems with the behaviour of other residents (e.g. noisy neighbours).
The Warden (as Clerk to the Club) and Vice-Warden (as Senior Treasurer) supervise the elected Residents’ Club Committee, which runs the Hall bar, fitness room, and common rooms, and organises various social and sporting events throughout the year. The Vice-Warden is also Chairman of the Facilities Committee, which considers catering, security, housekeeping, health promotion, and general safety issues in Hall.
The wardenial staff are all trained as fire marshals; most also have “first aid appointed person” training. They all participate in an on-call Duty Officer rota covering nights and weekends to deal with any emergencies while the Bursar's Office is closed.
Residents' Club Committee
The Residents’ Club Committee is made up of five elected Hall residents:
- President,
- Secretary,
- Treasurer,
- Sports Officer, and
- Entertainment Officer.
The appointed Bar Manager, Warden (Clerk to the Club), and Vice-Warden (Senior Treasurer) also sit on the Committee.
The Residents' Club Committee is elected in October every year. Residents who want to stand for election need the support of two other residents to secure a nomination; after a short campaigning period, there a hustings is held in the Restaurant, where all the candidates are given five minutes to address the residents. Voting is by secret ballot immediately after the speeches. The Warden (as Returning Officer) and Vice-Warden (Deputy Returning Officer) organise the elections and supervise the count, and then continue to oversee the Committee’s activities and financial management during the year.
The Committee runs the Hall bar and organises various social and sporting functions during the year, funded by the subscriptions which all residents pay; this income is also used to provide newspapers and magazines for residents' use. The elected members of the Committee can also help represent residents' concerns and suggestions to members of staff.
It has become traditional for the Residents' Club Committee to organise certain events every year:
- A welcome party in the bar at the beginning of the first term.
- A Hallowe'en party on 31 October (or sometimes a Guy Fawkes' party on 5 November).
- Decorating the Christmas tree, with mulled wine and mince pies for everyone who helps.
- A Christmas party, usually on the same night as the eagerly anticipated special Christmas Dinner in the Restaurant (usually with wine, crackers, live music, and carol singing).
- A Valentine's party.
- A "boat party": hiring a boat on the Thames for the main party of the Connaught Hall year.
- A summer "farewell" party.
- A group photograph of all the residents
Each Committee also finds its own special events or regular activities to organise; recent examples include football competitions, salsa classes, yoga, and pool & table tennis tournaments.
External links
- Info page on University of London website
- Connaught Hall residents' website
- Photos of Connaught Hall at Flickr: inside and out
