South College, Durham

Constituent college of Durham University

South College

Durham University

College buildings in September 2020

Arms of South College
Arms: Purpure between an Owl Close Guardant and a Cross Formy Quadrate both Argent a pile inverted conjoined with an orle of the second charged with a Torch enflamed of the first.

Coordinates| 54°45′43″N 1°34′59″W﻿ / ﻿54.762°N 1.583°W﻿ / 54.762; -1.583
Motto| Latin: Libertas, Aequalitas, Civitas Totius Mundi
Motto in English| Freedom, Equality and Global Citizenship
Established| 2020
Named after| South Road, Durham
Colors|  [1]
Principal| Tim Luckhurst
Membership| 1,279[1]
Website| http://www.dur.ac.uk/south.college/
Map

Location in Durham, England

South College is a constituent college of Durham University, which accepted its first students in Autumn of 2020.[2]

It is located in Mount Oswald on Elvet Hill, to the south of Durham City, adjoining Van Mildert College and John Snow College.[3]

## History

[edit]

The Pitcairn Building

The site was originally part of the grounds of Mount Oswald, a country house built in 1800. In 1928, the house and grounds were converted to a golf club, which closed in 2014, and was acquired for residential development.[4]

In August 2017, Durham University announced that it had acquired part of the site in order to build two colleges, with construction to be carried out by a consortium led by Interserve.[3] Construction began in September 2018, by which point it had been decided that these colleges would be one new college, South College, and a new home for John Snow College (formerly located on the university's Queen's Campus in Stockton-on-Tees).[5][6]

South College (left) and John Snow College (right) in September 2020

In November 2018, Interserve pulled out of the scheme, before going into administration in March 2019.[7]

The college was designed to have an eventual size of 1,200, with 492 living in the college.[8] As of the 2023/24 cohort, there are 1,279 members in South College.[9] All accommodation is self-catered, in a mixture of single en-suite rooms and 'town houses' with shared bathroom facilities.[10]

In March 2018, it was announced that naming of the college would be delayed in the hope that a financial donation might be attracted.[11] The temporary name "South College" was assigned pending selection of a final name, and was used in advertisements for the new college's first principal. In June 2019, Durham Students' Union assembly voted to lobby for the college to be named after the late politician and Durham graduate Mo Mowlam.[12] On 1 April 2020, Durham's student newspaper Palatinate published an April Fools' Day joke that South College was to be named Vine College after broadcaster and Durham alumnus Jeremy Vine. Vine himself was in on the joke and even released a video of him reacting to the 'announcement'.[13]

On 5 July 2019 it was announced that University of Kent academic and former BBC editor Tim Luckhurst had been appointed as the first principal of the college.[14]

In June 2020 a coat of arms for the college was announced, with the motto Latin: Libertas, Aequalitas, Civitas Totius Mundi, which translates in English to "Freedom, Equality and Global Citizenship".[15]

The first students arrived at the college in September 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.[16]

### 2021 Rod Liddle controversy

[edit]

On 3 December 2021, Rod Liddle, a controversial columnist, was invited to a Christmas formal dinner at South College. The students were not informed that Liddle would be a guest speaker. In his speech, later referred to as a "tirade", Liddle made controversial statements about student sex workers, trans rights, the idea of institutional racism, and colonisation. Several students decided to walk out before or during Liddle's speech. South College's principal Tim Luckhurst called these students "pathetic" and that they "shouldn't be at university", and his wife Dorothy called one student an "arse".[17] Luckhurst received criticism both for the decision to invite Liddle to speak at the Christmas dinner, and for his behaviour towards students during and after the speech.[18][19] Durham University announced an investigation into the events at the formal which concluded in January 2022.[20]

## Buildings and Facilities

[edit]

The college accommodation blocks are named for articles linked to the Southern hemisphere, or ideals in the college motto.[21] They are:

* Shipley (block B1) - named for former New Zealand prime minister Jennifer Shipley.
* Gillard (block B2) - named for former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard.
* Concordia (block B3) - named for the ancient Roman goddess of agreement Concordia.
* Scorpius (block B4) - named after the constellation Scorpius.
* Sirius (block B4) - named after the star Sirius.
* Centaurus (block B4) - named after the constellation Centaurus.
* Earhart (block B5) - named after aviator Amelia Earhart.
* Lorde (block B5) - named after the American writer and civil rights activist Audre Lorde.

College facilities within the Pitcairn building include a library and study space, Café-Bar (colloquially known as "The Nest") and common room.[22] Additionally, a gym, MUGA (Multi-Use Games Area) and music rooms are shared with John Snow college.

## Sports

[edit]

South College Boat Club is the college rowing club, a registered Boat Club through British Rowing[23] and a member organisation of Durham College Rowing.[24]

On 16 March 2022, South College received their first collegiate silverware, with South College LFC winning the 2021/22 Durham University Women’s Floodlit Cup as part of a joint team with Trevelyan College WAFC. The side beat Josephine Butler WFC 3-1 in the Final at Maiden Castle, with the match streamed on the Palatinate YouTube Channel.[25]

## Traditions

[edit]

South College has a carved wooden owl named Oswald, which is moved around the college to attend various events. He is present at the college matriculation of students, in which students pledge their allegiance to the college motto.[26] At college formals, a toast is made to the owl, in which students shout 'to Oswald' and repeat the college motto.

## Art installations

[edit]

* Conversation II by Nancy Frankel
* Ephesus by Vadmin Kharchenko

## List of Principals

[edit]

* 2019-present: Tim Luckhurst

## Notes

[edit]

1. Officially recognised as Pantone 7648C by the South College JCR.[27]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "South College - Durham University".
2. ^ "South College". Durham University. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
3. ^ a b "Durham University to spend £105m on new colleges". BBC News. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
4. ^ "New occupants at historic Mount Oswald Manor House through innovative 'property guardians' project". Banks Group. 27 May 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
5. ^ "Construction begins on £80 million Mount Oswald project". Durham University. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
6. ^ Clarke, Naomi (1 July 2019). "Decrease in number of returning students living in college". Palatinate. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
7. ^ "Jittery investors tell Interserve to quit Durham uni scheme". Building. 15 November 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
8. ^ "Explore the colleges". Durham University. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
9. ^ '1,279 total students' https://www.durham.ac.uk/colleges-and-student-experience/colleges/south-college/
10. ^ "South College". Durham University. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
11. ^ Gaspar, Clara (14 March 2018). "University Council votes to leave 17th college unnamed to attract financial donations". Palatinate. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
12. ^ "Students to lobby to name Durham University's new college after Mo Mowlam". The Northern Echo. 26 June 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
13. ^ "South College to be named after Jeremy Vine". Palatinate Online. 1 April 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
14. ^ Durham University [@durham_uni] (5 July 2019). "We are delighted to announce the appointment of five new Heads of College who will join us in 2019/20" (Tweet) - via Twitter.
15. ^ "Introducing South College - Durham University". www.dur.ac.uk. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
16. ^ "South college welcomes its first new students". Palatinate. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
17. ^ "If Rod Liddle has the right to lecture Durham students about sex work, where's my invitation to talk about cats?". 6 December 2021.
18. ^ "Durham University to investigate Rod Liddle speech walk-out". BBC. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
19. ^ Askham, Poppy; Kendix, Max (4 December 2021). "South Principal calls students "pathetic" for protest over "transphobic" guest". Palatinate. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
20. ^ Durham University. "Durham University statement on South College dinner". Durham University. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
21. ^ "A Basic Guide to Building Names at South College". Durham University.
22. ^ "Facilities". Durham University.
23. ^ "British Rowing Affiliated Clubs, Competitions and Tours". British Rowing. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
24. ^ "South College Boat Club". Durham College Rowing. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
25. ^ "Trevs retain Women's Football Floodlit Cup alongside South Owlesses". Palatinate. 18 June 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
26. ^ "Who's Who". Durham University. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
27. ^ "Merchandise". South College JCR. Retrieved 23 August 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

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