Oriel College

College facilities

Library and IT services

Oriel has an impressive library of over 100,000 volumes. The library is recently refurbished, open 24 hours and is exceptionally well funded for the purchase of new books. The Senior Library has a collection of ancient books and manuscripts and is open to students during term time.

There are two computer suites, open 24 hours a day, with two networked print/scan/copy facilities. All student rooms on the main college site and at James Mellon Hall have network connections.

Wi-fi access is available throughout the college.

Sport, music and college facilities

Oriel has a lively and active student body. Graduates are encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities and social events.

The college has a sports ground with facilities for all major sports, and Oriel students compete in most inter-collegiate sports. There is a gym and squash court at James Mellon Hall and a second gym on the main college site. The college has a well-equipped boathouse with an active boat club. Croquet is also available during term time.

There is very good mixed chapel choir and an active music society who arrange termly concerts. The calendar of events also features performances by music and choral scholars and visiting musicians.

The college has a number of drama societies and many students are members of the Oxford University Dramatic Society.

Facilities for disabled students

There is specially-designed accommodation on the main college site and at James Mellon Hall for disabled students. Some of the historic buildings on the main site may cause problems for students with mobility difficulties. If you need to make a special accommodation request due to a physical disability, please contact the college’s Disability Officer.

Welfare

Oriel has an extensive provision of health and welfare support delivered by a team of Deans and College Officers who are always happy to discuss welfare matters with students.

Medical support is also available through the National Health Service (NHS), and students are encouraged to register with the college doctor. They may also see the college nurse, who offers week-day appointments during term-time.

Further information about all the welfare support Oriel offers can be found on the college website.

MCR

The attractive Oriel Middle Common Room (MCR) was once declared to be housed in some of the ‘finest rooms in Oxford’. The MCR continues to be an excellent social centre for Oriel’s graduates, with social spaces overlooking the picturesque Oriel Square. It is open to its members 24 hours a day.

All members of Oriel’s MCR are entitled to free tea, coffee and biscuits, throughout the day in our main common room. The MCR bar is open three days a week, with regular drink specials and is great value. The MCR also contains kitchen facilities along with a comfortable seating area. There is also an MCR study room situated above the MCR, a large and light room providing quiet study space reserved solely for the use of MCR members all day, throughout the year.

Oriel’s graduate community is renowned for being welcoming, social and friendly. The MCR has members from all over the world and comprises both taught and research graduate students, mature undergraduates, fourth-year undergraduates and MCR associate members, including post-doctoral researchers. Graduate students are also automatically given membership of the Junior Common Room (JCR).

MCR members annually elect their own committee to run the MCR and represent members' interests on college committees. Every term the MCR Committee provides a full programme of events, including guest dinners, exchange dinners with other colleges, weekly post-formal hall dessert, film nights, cocktail nights, and weekly afternoon tea. There is also a punt scheme which runs throughout Trinity term and the summer months. In addition, the MCR is actively involved in leading the very popular ‘Oriel Talks’ lecture series: bi-termly evenings of short graduate lectures, which the entire college are invited to attend, with a networking dinner afterwards.