Background
St Chad’s College has had fellows since the 1930s, when its first Principal, Stephen Moulsdale, oversaw the endowment of a number of staff fellowships. At this time, the College was responsible for some of the teaching and nearly all the training of its ordinands; providing a small academic teaching staff was therefore the College’s principal function. Even after St Chad’s ceased to be an Anglican clergy training college, some teaching by resident fellows of theology undergraduates continued into the 1980s.
In the early 2000’s, Dr Joe Cassidy (Principal 1997 – 2015) was keen to revive the College’s Fellowship as an active body. This was part of his commitment to ensuring that the College was not just a hall of residence, but a vibrant place of learning in its own right, a truly intellectual community. He set up the Collegiate Studies Programme as the informal extra-curricular programme that has existed in St Chad’s in some shape or form – and under a variety of names – ever since. Professor Fred Robinson came into the College’s orbit as a part of this programme. When he left the University’s Sociology Department and made his academic home in St Chad’s in around 2003, he was able to focus on his research and attracted as partners a range of scholars and practitioners working in the area of Public Policy, with a focus on regeneration and social justice projects in the North East. Today, this work has grown into a multi-disciplinary research unit, Policy and Practice, led by Professor Tony Chapman.
For a number of years, the College was also home to NEOC, the North East Ordination Course, which was the Church of England’s non-residential training institution in the North East. For about six years, St Chad’s also housed the North East Institute Centre for Education, directed by Professor Jeff Astley. It remains open to St Chad’s to found or host other such research or training centres in the future and the Fellowship exists to sustain such engagements and its leaders.
In addition to these institutions based at the College, Joe appointed a range of fellows – Professorial, Research, Foundation, Honorary and Visiting.
Taking all this into account, Fellowships at St Chad’s College create a mechanism for:
- establishing at the heart of the College a senior academic and social community which supports and stimulates its intellectual life, and on whose wisdom and experience it can draw.
- bringing into the College’s wider community distinguished individuals associated with the College and thereby adding range and richness to St Chad’s as an academic institution, that is engaged in learning across a range of disciplines, professional areas of expertise, and influence.
- acknowledging the status of Durham University academics already participating in the College’s wider community.
- honouring individuals who have given outstanding service to the College, including by way of their philanthropy.
- giving a temporary home to distinguished academics in Durham (or who are affiliated with it) for a short period of time; or early-stage career academics, which will benefit both them and the College.
Categories of Fellows
The Rector, College Chair, Principal and the other Governors constitute the membership of the College. The Fellowship of the College appointed by the Governors thus comprises the most senior associates of the Rector, College Chair, Principal and Governors at the core of St Chad’s College as an intellectual community.
On the basis of the Fellowship at St Chad’s as conceived in the past and more recently, the active categories of Fellows are as follow.
- Official Fellows
The Official Fellows are the current senior staff appointed or current high office-holders elected by the Governors. The list includes other academic or equivalent staff at director level.
- Foundation Fellows
Foundation Fellows are those who have made an outstanding personal contribution to the life and work of the College, including the former Principals, Rectors, and College Chairs who have served with distinction. All are elected to Fellowship by the Governors.
- Professorial and Research Fellows
Professorial and Research Fellows represent the core of the active research work of those closely linked with the College as an intellectual community. They are academic appointments at the discretion of the Principal, with the formal ratification of the College Chair and reported to the Governors.
- Honorary Fellows
Honorary Fellows are those alumni, or others connected with the College, who have made a highly distinguished contribution to the life and work of the College; or, through their service, professional expertise or scholarship, to life and learning in wider society. They are elected by the Governors.
- Visiting Fellows
Visiting Fellows are academic appointments for which the Principal is responsible, with the formal ratification of the Chair and reported to the Governors.
The Principal may invite those appointed to Fellowship to give an inaugural lecture or presentation to the College, and further such events, with a view to extending learning within the College as an intellectual community.
Criteria for Appointing Fellows
The Fellowship is the “dignified” part of the constitution of the College’s life as an intellectual community. It should reflect not only significant connection, involvement, service and distinction, but also a balance of disciplines, and, in so far as possible (given the demographic of our alumni), a diversity of backgrounds, race and gender. Thus all Fellows do more than “represent” the College, as their connection with St Chad’s is an ongoing sign of its achievements in its people and the fulfilment of its objects. The list of Fellows should list their academic or professional expertise, office or other distinction.
Upon the retirement of College Governors, in consultation with the committee of the Senior Common Room, the Principal may offer honorary SCR membership to those who have given distinguished service.
The Articles of Association and other College regulations should reflect or enact the above provisions.