- Acceptance of Gifts in Kind Policy
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1. This policy applies to all gifts in kind including, but not limited to, the following: art, artefacts such as sculptures, statues, statuettes, books, silver plate, as well as benches and plaques. It does not apply to items which fall under the Archives Collecting Policy. The College must also consider, where appropriate, the University’s Gifts and Hospitality Policy.
2. The College must consider carefully whether to accept an item, including each item offered as part of a collection. An initial acceptance is rendered void by misrepresentation, or failure to disclose any information the College would reasonably wish to know before acceptance, or if the College decides that the item does not match its description.
3. Acceptance of an item must be in line with the Acquisitions and Disposals Policy and must be agreed by the following College body or officer:
a. The Art & Likenesses Committee: all art and artefacts, including but not limited to sculptures, statues, statuettes, benches and plaques;
b. Gardens Committee: all of 3(a) above to the extent it concerns the College Gardens;
c. Keeper of the Plate: all silver plate, including medallions; and
d. Fellow Librarian, who may delegate decisions to the Librarian: all books and other items related to the Library; and the College, through any of the above bodies or officers or others, may seek information and guarantees about the provenance of all donations, and use that information or its failure to be provided in deciding whether to accept an item.
4. The four guiding principles apply for acceptance of an item by the body or officer in 2 above in as much that the College may wish to preserve items of:
a. significant historical and cultural value;
b. significant financial value where they can be used to support its charitable purposes; or
c. direct relevance to current and future members (such as books by or about the College’s members, books about the College or Oxford) and in all cases of, a kind which can be appropriately cared for and displayed by the College and its agent.
5. The acceptance of an item depends on its condition. Items should not normally require conservation at the point of acceptance, but if they do, the cost of that conservation should be understood before acceptance. If any conservation cost is expected, and not to be paid for by the donor, acceptance is only possible where the College can afford it, particularly in respect of the relevant budget and other items requiring conservation.
6. The College accepts items where it receives valid and unencumbered title. Unless specified otherwise by the College, that title must be evidenced in writing. Only in exceptional circumstances will an item be accepted on a loan basis, and any related costs must be agreed in advance between the owner and the College.
7. All items may be disposed of at the discretion of the College unless otherwise agreed with the donor at the point of donation. Items which are retained will not necessarily be displayed or accessible to the donor.8. It is the responsibility of the donor to arrange for the delivery of the item(s) to the College.
Reviewed: 30 October 2024 - Admissions and Access Policy
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The Admissions and Access Policy can be found here.
- Alumni Code of Conduct Policy
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Aim
The College acknowledges that its alumni are by default members of the College for life and it maintains a policy of active engagement through continued access to its premises, invitations to events and a range of communications designed to deepen that relationship over the long term. However, such benefits to its Old Members that the College may offer from time to time are to be regarded as a privilege and not conferred as a right. As part of that process of engagement the College may accept donations of money or other gifts, subject to the conditions laid down by the Charities Commission or other regulatory bodies.
Policy Summary
We follow the University of Oxford’s Alumni Code of Conduct. If an Old Member conducts him- or herself in a manner which could be harmful to the College, its members or its wider reputation, the College may decide to terminate its relationship with the Old Member either permanently or for a fixed period of time. The determination as to whether such conditions have been met will be made by the President, acting with the advice of the Development Director.
Senior members of the College and staff are under an obligation to advise the President if they become aware that a situation has arisen which might give rise to any consideration for action that could be taken under this policy.
If it is determined that relations with an Old Member should be severed (either temporarily or permanently) then the President will write to that individual setting out the grounds for that decision. In such cases any future gifts by the individual to the College during the severance of the relationship shall be refused. The College also reserves the right to return any previous gifts made by the individual.
If the President deems that the behaviour of the Old Member is such that it does not warrant a complete termination of relationship, a suspension (permanent or otherwise) from future College events or exclusion from College premises may be implemented instead.
Where an Old Member has incurred a debt to the College, and no satisfactory arrangement for the settlement has been made, the College may suspend him or her from attendance at College events. The College also reserves the right to take measures to recover monies owed by Old Members to the College, up to and including referral to a third-party collection agency and the use of the County Court where there is no reasonable reason for non-payment.
Code of Conduct
Corpus Christi College and its Development Office is committed to fostering an inclusive culture which promotes equality, values diversity and maintains a working, learning and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all members of the College community are respected.
The Development Office aims to provide an environment free from harassment, and all alumni and associates have a role to play in supporting this aim. Harassment will not be tolerated on any platform or service, either in person or online, that is provided by the College, at a College sponsored event, or by someone in their position as an official representative of the College. In addition, all visitors to College property must abide by the College’s Harassment Policy.
Where alcohol is served at events, attendees acknowledge that being under the influence of alcohol, drugs or otherwise intoxicated is not an excuse for lack of courtesy, rudeness, harassment or victimisation of staff, other attendees or guests. All attendees are advised to drink responsibly, and further, are responsible for their own health and behaviour whilst attending an alumni event.
The Development Office will provide a framework of support for alumni and associates, staff and other guests who feel they have been subject to harassment or have encountered a breach of this code of conduct during a College event, through any service provided by the Development Office, or by someone in their position as an official representative of the College, and complaints will be investigated promptly.
Alumni and associates must not represent themselves as official representatives of the College nor use the College name or platforms for personal gain or as a podium for the promotion of political, religious, or personal agendas. In addition, alumni and associates should represent themselves accurately and not falsify information, including job or degree status.
The benefits and services provided to alumni and associates by the Development Office are provided on a discretionary basis. When making use of these services, alumni and associates agree to abide by this Code of Conduct as well as any other stated terms and conditions, and any relevant laws and regulations.
The Development Office reserves the right to remove Development Office benefits and services, including those provided to alumni groups, if it deems that the relevant terms of this code have been breached. Details of incidents may be shared with the wider collegiate University as appropriate and in accordance with the alumni privacy notice.
If an alumnus/a or associate who is convicted of a criminal offence, the Development Office reserves the right to restrict their access to the services provided by the Development Office either until such time as their conviction is spent, or permanently.
Complaints may be directed to the Development Director of Corpus Christi College, Merton Street, Oxford, OX1 4JF or emailed to development@ccc.ox.ac.uk.
Definitions
In this document, unless the context otherwise requires, the following words and expressions shall have the following meanings:
‘College’ refers to Corpus Christi College, Oxford. ‘Alumni’ and ‘Associates’ refer to specific relationships with the University. See https://www.alumni.ox.ac.uk/eligibility for a full definition. A person subjects another to harassment where they engage in unwanted and unwarranted conduct which has the purpose or effect of:
Offensive comments or body language, including insults, jokes or gestures and malicious rumours, open hostility, verbal or physical threats; these include all forms of harassment and abuse on the grounds of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, cultural differences, abilities or religion (or lack of). Bullying is a form of harassment and may be characterised as offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, or misuse of power through means intended to undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient. inappropriate body language sexually explicit remarks or innuendo unwanted sexual advances and touching Insulting, abusive, embarrassing or degrading behaviour or comments Unwanted physical contact, ranging from an invasion of space to an assault, including all forms of sexual harassment, including: Examples of behaviour which may amount to harassment include but are not limited to:
- Through a prevailing culture which tolerates harassment or bullying, for example the telling of homophobic or racist jokes
- Through individual behaviour face to face, either verbally or physically, or electronically directly to the person concerned, or to a third party
- The recipient does not need to have explicitly stated that the behaviour was unwanted.
Harassment may involve repeated forms of unwanted and unwarranted behaviour, but a one-off incident can also amount to harassment. The intentions of the alleged harasser are not always determinative of whether harassment has taken place. The perception of the complainant and the extent to which that perception is in all the circumstances reasonable will also be relevant. Harassment can take a variety of forms: Violating another person’s dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for another person.
Reviewed: 30 October 2024
- Alumni, Donors and Supporters Privacy Notice
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The Alumni, Donors and Supporters Privacy Notice can be found here.
- Archives Collecting Policy
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Aim
To provide a clear statement on the College Archives legal position and its collection.
Policy
Statutory Position and External Recognition
The Archives:
1. Fulfils the requirements of the college’s statutes for the keeping of “deeds and muniments, and all Registers, Minute Books, Accounts, Books, papers and other documents relating to the property or the affairs of the College” (statute 8.C.4 (2020)).
2. Is recognised by the Master of the Rolls as a repository for manorial and tithe documents under the Law of Property Act 1922 and the Tithe Act 1936.
3. Is recognised by the National Archives as a suitable repository under its A Standard for Record Repositories.
4. Are retained with due consideration to the UK GDPR 2021.
Scope of Collecting
The Archives will collect:
1. Records produced by the college’s departments in the course of their administration of the college, its members, its societies and the college’s estates and other assets.
2. Records relating to the college, its buildings, societies, estates, members and activities, which may not have been produced by the college itself or which may not now be in the college’s custody.
3. Papers of members of the college, both junior and senior, where these contribute to an appreciation of the college and its history or where these reflect significant work carried out by those members, providing that those papers should not more fittingly be in another repository.
4. Records relating to collections that the college already holds.
The Archives will seek to avoid a conflict of interest with any other archive. In the event of such a conflict arising, the National Archives will be referred to as the final arbiter.
Conditions
The Archives will give consideration to:
1. Records regardless of date.
2. Records in manuscript, printed or digital format.
3. Photographs, pictures, tapes and films.
4. Three-dimensional artefacts only if they relate to associated records.
5. Papers from former members or records relating to the college as donations in preference to deposits, with clear and valid title of ownership. Purchases will only be made of records of outstanding importance to the college.
6. Records will be selected in accordance with recognised records management procedures for the appraisal, review, retention or destruction of records, with due consideration given to:
· legal and financial compliance
· governance
· business continuity
· institutional memory and identity
· the limitations of space the college is able to dedicate to the housing of the archives.
Reviewed: March 2025
- Complaints and Appeals
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See the College Rules and Junior Member Handbook.
The complaints procedure was reviewed and revised in line with the Office for the Independent Adjudicator’s guidance in November 2024
- Conference of Colleges Appeals Tribunal (CCAT)
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Details of the CCAT regulations can be found on their weblearn site.
- Conflict of Interest Policy
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1. Aim
Trustees, Heads of Department and any other Senior Staff and all members of Corpus Christi College Committees (henceforth, “College decision-makers”) have a legal obligation to act in the best interests of Corpus Christi College, in accordance with the College’s governing documents, and to avoid situations where there may be a real or perceived conflict of interest. In addition, the President or Vice-President, acting on the request of the Governing Body or otherwise, may require that any other person exercising decision-making functions for the College comply with this policy. The purpose of this policy is to protect the integrity of the College’s decision-making processes as well as the integrity and reputation of the College’s decision-makers. It does so by defining, removing, identifying and managing any real or perceived conflicts of interest.
2. Definition of a Conflict of Interest
2.1 Conflicts of interests arise where an individual’s personal interests or loyalties, or those of persons connected to them, conflict with or might appear to conflict with those of the College. For these purposes, "connected" means immediate family, close relatives, business partners and businesses in which the relevant individual (either alone or together with persons connected to him/her) has a significant interest in the form of control, share ownership or voting rights. Such conflicts might inhibit free discussion and result in decisions that are not fully in the interests of the College. Such conflicts also risk the impression that the College has acted improperly.
2.2 Examples of situations which could give rise to conflicts of interests include:
- Paid or unpaid employment or self-employment (including partnerships);
- Company directorships, consultancies, advisory posts, other positions of responsibility (whether remunerated or not);
- Public or voluntary sector appointments where the interests of the external appointee are not the same as those of the College;
- Substantial shareholding/s and beneficial interests (whether in terms of value or % of issued capital) held by you and / or members of your family in a company (a) in which the College has funds invested or (b) which may have dealings with the College. ‘Substantial’ would include a controlling interest;
- Membership of any special interest group;
- The receipt of a gift or of gifts.
2.3 If the relevant individual might gain personally from a proposed arrangement involving the College, that arrangement must not proceed unless it is permitted under the College's Statutes or the law or has been authorised by the Charity Commission.
2.4 A conflict may also arise where the relevant individual does not gain personally from an arrangement. Conflicts of loyalty (for example, to a body that deals with the College and to which the individual also owes duties) are treated in the same way as conflicts of interest for the purposes of this policy. Situations where there is or may be no actual conflict, but the perception of conflict gives rise to a risk of reputational damage to the College, should also be carefully considered.
2.5 Certain situations which might otherwise be considered to give rise to a conflict are authorised under the College’s Statutes.
3. Removing Conflicts of Interests
Wherever possible, College decision-makers must remove real or perceived conflicts of interest by withdrawing from interests outside those of the College.
4. Identifying Conflicts of Interest and the Declaration of Interests Register
4.1 Where a College decision-maker cannot remove a conflict of interest, the decision-maker must at the earliest opportunity declare to the College the conflict of interest.
4.2 To assist in declaring or otherwise identifying conflicts of interest, the Secretary to the Governing Body will maintain a Declaration of Interests Register containing all interests declared by College decision-makers. The purpose of the Register is to encourage College decision-makers to ensure the College has an accurate record of their interests such that any potential conflicts of interest can be identified. Each College Decision-maker must provide a return, even a return indicating no potentially conflicting interests exist:
1) within one month of appointment; and
2) at the start of each academic year in the College.
4.3 A declaration should be made at any meeting where the conflict of interest is relevant, as well as any context where decision-making takes place outside of a meeting. Where the decision-making takes place in a context without formal recording of such a declaration, the declaration should be to the College decision-maker’s line manager and, in case of doubt, to the Governing Body.
4.4 For the purposes of declaration, and of identification, College decision-makers should adopt a wide interpretation of conflicts of interest. Formal or informal advice on potential conflicts of interest is available through the Secretary to the Governing Body, and, where appropriate, should feature professional legal advice.
4.5 Provided that they constitute a quorum, the non-conflicted participants in the meeting will then:
1) assess the nature of the conflict;
2) assess the risk or threat to decision-making;
3) decide whether the conflict is non-trivial (i.e. that it is material or has the potential to be, or be perceived to be, detrimental to the conduct or decisions taken by the meeting); and
4) decide what steps to take to avoid or manage the conflict.
4.6 Notwithstanding any other mode of declaration or reporting, all conflicts of interest declared by the conflicted decision-maker or identified by another party at a College meeting must be reported in the minutes of that meeting, including:
- the nature and extent of the conflict;
- the name of the conflicted individual; and
- the actions taken in consequence of the conflict being declared or identified.
5. Managing Conflicts of Interest
5.1 Where a conflict of interest is declared or otherwise identified, and that conflict not been removed, the College decision-maker must withdraw from any subsequent discussion (unless invited to remain for the purpose of providing information) or decision-making process of matters relevant to the conflict. In particular, a conflicted College decision-maker must not vote on or be present during any vote on any matter about which s/he is conflicted.
5.2 College contracts should not be managed by individuals who are subject to a conflict in relation to them. Where an individual would usually be involved in the management of a College contract or similar arrangement in relation to which s/he has a conflict, the relevant line manager, or, failing all else, the Governing Body of the College, must consider whether any replacement in personnel or practice is required.
5.3 The Governing Body may proceed notwithstanding a conflict of interests only where doing so is authorised under the College’s Statutes.
5.4 This policy must be reviewed every three years.
Reviewed: November 2022
- Cookies Policy
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Aim
Our website uses cookies as part of the normal functioning of the website. For more information on the cookies used, please visit our cookie policy page.
- Donations to External Bodies Policy
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The College is a charity wholly focused on the provision of education and research. Our Statutes define the College’s objects as: “for the benefit of the public to advance education learning research and religion, in particular by providing a College in the University of Oxford”.
Whilst the College takes its obligations towards local and wider society seriously it is not a grant or donation giving entity and its primary goal is its core charitable objectives as described in the College’s Statutes.
When an external organisation solicits a donation from the College, the donation will be refused unless:
· There is a direct benefit or impact on the College’s core charitable purposes of research and higher education;
· The organisation is directly connected to the College, for example its Benefices;
· The organisation is offering a service which is deemed to be of material benefit to Corpus members or staff and which the College would otherwise directly incur an expense were it to provide the service directly (an example would be the Nightline service).
The Bursary will bring any requests it considers covered by these two exemptions to the Finance & Budget Committee for approval.
The Bursary will keep a log of all requests for annual submission to Governing Body.
Reviewed: January 2023
- Equality Objectives
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The College's Equality Objectives are to:
1. Raise awareness of unconscious bias and ensure all tutors attend unconscious bias training
2. Update the College’s Equality Policy, publish and raise its profile both within and outside of the College
3. Pursue opportunities to proactively advance racial equality within the CollegeThese objectives will be reviewed at least every 4 years.
Reviewed: 14 June 2017
- Equality Policy
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The Equality Policy can be found here.
- Equality Report 2024-25
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The Equality Report 2024-25 can be found here.
- Failure to Meet Admissions Conditions Policy
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Aim
To ensure that all candidates who fail to meet the conditions of their offer are treated equally and fairly.
Policy
The College will make a decision on whether a candidate has satisfied their conditional offer upon the University’s receipt of the results (A-levels, Cambridge Pre-U) in August. For other qualifications, a decision may be taken at the time of publication or, in the case of failed conditions, may be postponed until August, in order to consider the implications of open offer schemes and missed offers across the department/faculty.
For candidates who meet the conditions of their offer a place will be guaranteed. For candidates who fail to meet their conditional offer the recommendation is for the candidate to be rejected. If there are strong mitigating circumstances, a decision to uphold the offer can only be made after a discussion between the relevant subject tutors, the Tutor for Admissions and Access, the Senior Tutor and, where necessary, the subject Admissions Coordinator. The discussion should consider the candidate’s application and the details of the mitigating circumstances. In line with publicly available university guidance, mitigating circumstances need to be submitted prior to the receipt of the candidate’s examination results and the College will not reconsider information that has already been considered by an Examination Board. A decision to uphold an offer must follow the terms of any open offer scheme operated by the subject.
If the College is notified after 31st August that the condition has been met following a remark, it is at the College’s discretion whether or not to accept a candidate as a result of a remark. If the College wishes to accept the candidate, a decision should be taken to either offer a place for that academic year (depending on time constraints) or to guarantee a deferred place for the following academic year.
If the College is notified before 31st August that the condition has been met following a remark the College is obliged to uphold the offer for that academic year. Candidates should therefore be encouraged to request a priority remark.
- It is recommended that wherever possible decisions are made prior to the day candidates receive their results. However, with more difficult decisions, a final decision may occasionally be postponed until this day in order for the College Office to request from the school a record of the candidate’s breakdown of marks.
For candidates who appeal against their results to their respective exam board(s) and as a consequence of a successful appeal are awarded results that would have satisfied their original conditional offer, the following will apply, as per advice from UCAS:
If the College is notified before 31st August that the condition has been met following a remark the College is obliged to uphold the offer for that academic year. Candidates should therefore be encouraged to request a priority remark.
If the College is notified after 31st August that the condition has been met following a remark, it is at the College’s discretion whether or not to accept a candidate as a result of a remark. If the College wishes to accept the candidate, a decision should be taken to either offer a place for that academic year (depending on time constraints) or to guarantee a deferred place for the following academic year.
Reviewed: 11 June 2025 - Freedom of Speech Code of Practice
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The Freedom of Speech Code of Practice can be read here.
- Fundraising - Vulnerable Persons Policy
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Aim
Philanthropy should be a positive experience for everyone. Making a gift to Corpus Christi College is an important way that our donors can show support for issues that they care deeply about. Our fundraising efforts seek to establish and develop relationships with individuals around the world – both existing donors and potential new supporters – to engage them in the world-leading research and education offered by the College.
Corpus Christi College recognises that some of the people we engage with through our fundraising activity may be in a vulnerable circumstance, or may need additional support to make a decision. This policy sets out guidance for anyone involved in fundraising for the College, whether academics, staff, or fundraising volunteers. For the purposes of this document, the term ‘fundraiser’ refers to anyone engaged in any form of fundraising activity for Corpus Christi College, whether in-house or a third party.
Policy
Sector Guidance
The Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising practice states that:
- Fundraisers MUST take all reasonable steps to treat a donor fairly, enabling them to make an informed decision about any donation. This MUST include taking into account the needs of any potential donor who may be in a vulnerable circumstance or require additional care and support to make an informed decision.
- Fundraisers MUST NOT exploit the credulity, trust, lack of knowledge, apparent need for care and support or vulnerable circumstance of any donor at any point in time.
- Fundraisers MUST NOT take a donation if you know, or have good reason to believe, that a person lacks capacity to make a decision to donate, or is in vulnerable circumstances which mean they may not be able to make an informed decision. Among other things, you should consider:
- any physical or mental-health condition the person may have;
- any disability the person may have;
- any learning difficulties the person may have;
- whether the person is facing times of stress or anxiety (for example, following the death of a loved one or redundancy);
- whether a donation is likely to affect the person’s ability to sufficiently care for themselves or leave them in financial hardship;
- how well the person can communicate and understand what they are being told;
- whether the person is under the influence of alcohol or drugs; and
- the person’s age.
Corpus Christi College’s approach is also informed by the Institute of Fundraising’s ‘Treating Donors Fairly’ Guidance: https://ciof.org.uk/events-and-training/resources/treating-donors-fairly-2021.
Corpus Christi College’s Approach
Fundraisers for Corpus Christi College should respond to the needs of each individual donor, which will depend on the nature of the interaction and engagement. In all circumstances, Corpus Christi College expects those fundraising on its behalf to be alert to people who may be in a vulnerable circumstance and to treat those individuals with respect and care.
If the fundraiser has reasonable grounds for believing that a potential supporter lacks the capacity to make a decision, then a solicitation should not be made, nor should a donation be accepted.
If, after receiving a donation, Corpus Christi College receives evidence that the supporter lacked capacity to make the decision to donate, then the donation must be returned. The College will follow the guidance from the Institute of Fundraising and the Charity Commission in these cases.
If a fundraiser believes that an individual may be in a vulnerable circumstance or unable to make an informed decision, the fundraiser should politely end the interaction in such a way as to not cause distress. When ending fundraising activity, if there is the opportunity to do so, the fundraiser should check the individual’s preferences as to whether they would like to be contacted again in the future.
If a donor is found to be lacking capacity to make a decision, Corpus Christi College will put into place measures to ensure that donations are not solicited from them in the future. This will likely involve recording communication preferences in their alumni relations and fundraising database. When recording information, all fundraisers must be aware of their responsibilities under the Data Protection Act. Under no circumstances should fundraisers record any judgement or assessment about what they perceive an individual’s physical or mental condition to be.
If an individual voluntarily provides a written or verbal ‘personal declaration’ about their condition or circumstances, then provided that they have consented for Corpus Christi College to hold this data, it can be recorded on the database.
Sometimes a third party (e.g. a family member) may contact the College on behalf of a donor to communicate a request. For any financial matter, the College must be satisfied that the third party making the request is entitled to act on behalf of the individual. This is usually demonstrated through a written authority on behalf of the donor, or a power of attorney for the third party to administer the donor’s affairs. It is the third party’s responsibility to provide evidence of this entitlement. For some requests (for example, around communication preferences), the third party may not have such written authority, but provided that Corpus Christi College is satisfied that the individual is acting in the best interest of the supporter we will respond to these requests.
Fundraisers for Corpus Christi College will not approach alumni who are 80 years and over, unless they have an ongoing and formalised relationship i.e., they have a relationship with an assigned relationship manager within the Development Office or equivalent with a member of the College.
Reviewed: 30 October 2024
- Gender Pay Gap Reporting
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The Gender Pay Gap Report April 2025 can be found here.
- Harassment and Bullying Policy
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Introduction
1. The College does not tolerate any form of harassment or victimisation and expects all members of the College community, its visitors and contractors, to treat each other with respect, courtesy and consideration.
2. The College is committed to fostering an inclusive culture which promotes equality, values diversity and maintains a working, learning and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all members of the College community are respected.
3. The aims of the College as reflected in this Policy are to:
a. Promote a positive environment in which people are treated fairly and with respect;
b. Make it clear that harassment is unacceptable and that all members of the College have a role to play in creating an environment free from harassment;
c. Provide a framework of support for staff and students who feel they have been subject to harassment; and
d. Provide a mechanism by which complaints can wherever possible be addressed in a timely way.
4. Senior Members within the College, such as the Dean, Dean of Welfare/Chaplain, Domestic Bursar, Tutor for Women, Tutor for Men, Tutor for Graduates, Harassment Advisor, Academic Registrar, and College Nurse, have formal responsibilities under this Policy and are expected to familiarise themselves with the Policy and Procedures on appointment. All senior members of the College have a duty to implement this Policy and to make every effort to ensure that harassment and victimisation do not occur in the areas for which they are responsible and that, if they do occur, any concerns are investigated promptly and effectively. Junior Members should note that reporting an incident of harassment to another Junior Member does not constitute reporting it to the College authorities.
5. All members of the College community have the right to expect professional behaviour from others, and a corresponding responsibility to behave professionally towards others. All members of the College community have a personal responsibility for complying with this Policy and Procedure and must comply with and demonstrate active commitment to this Policy by:
a. Treating others with dignity and respect;
b. Discouraging any form of harassment by making it clear that such behaviour is unacceptable; and
c. Supporting any member of the College who feels they have been subject to harassment, including referring them to an appropriate Senior Member to make a formal complaint if appropriate.
6. This Policy and Procedures are designed to deal with harassment which occurs primarily within the environment of one or more colleges. Incidents of harassment that occur outside the college environment and/or solely within the University environment will normally be dealt with under the appropriate University procedure. If there is doubt as to whether the college or University procedure applies, you are advised to seek advice from the relevant college officers described in this Procedure, the Director of Student Welfare and Support Services or the University’s Harassment Line.
7. This Policy and Procedures should be read alongside other Corpus Christi College policies and procedures, including the College Rules.
8. Any member of the College community who feels they have been subject to harassment can also contact the University Harassment Advisory Service, or their local Harassment Advisor, for support. The Service is also available to those against whom an allegation of harassment has been made. Other sources of help and advice can be found on the University website.
Definitions
9. A person subjects another to harassment where they engage in unwanted and unwarranted conduct which has the purpose or effect of:• violating another person’s dignity, or
• creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for another person. See Statute XI: University Discipline
The recipient does not need to have explicitly stated that the behaviour was unwanted.
10. Freedom of speech and academic freedom are protected by law though these rights must be exercised within the law. Vigorous academic debate will not amount to harassment when it is conducted respectfully and without violating the dignity of others or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.11. Bullying is a form of harassment and may be characterised as offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, or misuse of power through means intended to undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient.
12. The College seeks to protect any member of the College community from victimisation, which is a form of misconduct which may itself result in a disciplinary process. The College will regard as victimisation any instance where a person is subjected to detrimental treatment because they have, in good faith:
a) made an allegation of harassment, or
b) indicated an intention to make such an allegation, or
c) assisted or supported another person in bringing forward such an allegation, or
d) participated in an investigation of a complaint, or
e) participated in any disciplinary hearing arising from an investigation, or
f) taken any other steps in connection with this Policy and Procedure, or
g) is suspected of having done so.
Behaviours
13. Harassment may involve repeated forms of unwanted and unwarranted behaviour, but a one-off incident can also amount to harassment.
14. The intentions of the alleged harasser are not always determinative of whether harassment has taken place. The perception of the complainant and the extent to which that perception is in all the circumstances reasonable will also be relevant.
15. Being under the influence of alcohol, drugs or otherwise intoxicated is not an excuse for harassment.
16. Harassment can take a variety of forms:
a) Through individual behaviour
• face to face, either verbally or physically
• through other forms of communication, including but not limited to, written communications and communications via any form of electronic media or mobile communications device: such behaviour may also amount to a breach of the College’s regulations relating to the use of Information Technology Facilities (see the College Rules Section 4.5)
• directly to the person concerned, or to a third party
b) Through a prevailing workplace or study environment which creates a culture which tolerates harassment or bullying, for example the telling of homophobic or racist jokes.17. Examples of behaviour which may amount to harassment under this Policy include (but are not limited to) the following:
a) unwanted physical contact, ranging from an invasion of space to an assault, including all forms of sexual harassment, including:
• inappropriate body language
• sexually explicit remarks or innuendoes
• unwanted sexual advances and touchingb) offensive comments or body language, including insults, jokes or gestures and malicious rumours, open hostility, verbal or physical threats: these include all forms of harassment and abuse on the grounds of disability, race or sexual orientation
c) insulting, abusive, embarrassing or patronising behaviour or comments
d) humiliating, intimidating, and/or demeaning criticism
e) persistently shouting at, insulting, threatening, disparaging or intimidating an individual
f) constantly criticising an individual without providing constructive support to address any performance concerns
g) persistently overloading an individual with work that they cannot reasonably be expected to complete
h) posting offensive comments on electronic media, including using mobile communication devices
i) threatening to disclose, or disclosing, a person’s sexuality or disability to others without their permission
j) deliberately using the wrong name or pronoun in relation to a transgender person, or persistently referring to their gender identity history
k) isolation from normal work or study place, conversations, or social events
l) publishing, circulating or displaying pornographic, racist, homophobic, sexually suggestive or otherwise offensive pictures or other materials.18. Stalking may also be a form of harassment and may be characterised by any of the following repeated and unwanted behaviours:
a) Following a person;
b) Contacting, or attempting to contact, a person by any means;
c) Publishing any statement or other material –
• Relating or purporting to relate to a person, or
• Purporting to originate from a person;
d) Monitoring the use by a person of the internet, email or any other form of electronic communication;
e) Loitering in any place (whether public or private);
f) Interfering with any property in the possession of a person;
g) Watching or spying on a person including through the use of CCTV or electronic surveillance.
Application of the Policy
19. Harassment is a serious offence. Any member of the College community who feels they have been subject to harassment can make a complaint via the appropriate Procedure: see Annexe A for the Procedure in relation to complaints about staff; and Annexe B for the Procedure in relation to complaints about students.
20. When a criminal offence may have been committed, the relevant harassment Procedure may not be appropriate. These cases will include, but not be limited to, serious assault or threat of serious assault. Student members can seek advice from Harassment Advisors, the Dean, the Dean of Welfare, the University Director of Student Welfare and Support Services and/or approach the Police directly; and staff members can seek advice from Harassment Advisors or the Domestic Bursar and/or approach the Police directly. Further guidance on dealing with cases of sexual assault or sexual violence is available from the University at Guidance for staff on handling cases of sexual assault or sexual violence.
21. Incidents of harassment that occur outside of the college environment and within the University environment will normally be dealt with under the appropriate University procedure.
22. If a complainant is deemed to have known or to have reasonably been expected to know that a complaint was unfounded, the allegation of harassment may be judged to be vexatious or malicious, and disciplinary action may be taken against them. No action will be taken if a complaint which proves to be unfounded is judged to have been made in good faith.
23. All parties involved in a complaint (including any witnesses who may be interviewed as part of any investigation, or trade union representatives supporting any of the parties) should maintain the confidentiality of the process. Those involved in advising complainants should, where possible, seek the consent of the individual for the onward disclosure of relevant information to those with a clear need to know. Where such consent is not forthcoming, the person entrusted with the information should make it clear that, in exceptional circumstances, it may be necessary to disclose the information, taking account of the duty of care which may be owed to the individual and/or others.
24. This Policy and Procedure may be found on the College website or is available in hard copy from the College Office. Copies in alternative formats are available on request.
25. This Policy and Procedure will be subject to regular review by the Welfare Policy Committee.
Reviewed: 7 February 2024 - Health & Safety Policy
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The Health & Safety Policy can be found here.
Reviewed: November 2023 - Information Security Policy and Associated Policies
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The Information Security Policy is available here and the related policies are linked below.
Acceptable Use Policy
Bring Your Own Device Policy
Data Protection Policy
Network Security Policy
Password Security Policy
Software Usage Policy - JRF Policy
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Aim
This note states the procedures to be followed to establish, fund, recruit, select and review Junior Research Fellow (JRF) posts.
Policy
The College aims to encourage the next generation of academics, nurturing their talents and supporting their research by appointing them to fixed term non-stipendiary or stipendiary Fellowships. Junior Research Fellowships are available to early career researchers who are close to completing their doctorate or have obtained it in the last two years at the time of appointment. JRFs are appointed for up to three years and are non-renewable. Non-stipendiary JRFs must hold an appointment within an Oxford Faculty/Department and their Fellowship is co-terminous with their University appointment.
JRFs can provide important support for the undergraduate and graduate teaching within the College and the College encourages such engagement as part of their career development. Stipendiary JRFs may have a requirement to be involved in undergraduate teaching, admissions and outreach and/or to act as a college graduate advisor.
The number of JRFs and RFs at any one time should not normally exceed 12. The number and subject spread of JRFs and RFs will be reviewed annually, and proposals for future appointments will be considered annually in Hilary Term by Academic Committee.
Administration of JRFs will be managed from the College Office.
Allowances
JRFs will be members of the SCR and are entitled to free lunch and dinner at the Common Table when the kitchens are open. JRFs will receive the Hospitality Authority and can claim Research Expenses and Book Expenses. Allowance and expenses levels are the same as those provided to Official Fellows of the College and will be reviewed annually by the Remuneration Committee. JRFs are eligible to apply for funding through the Small Grant Research Fund. Stipendiary JRFs are eligible to join the College’s Private Health Insurance scheme. Living accommodation will not be provided to JRFs except in exceptional circumstances. Office space will be provided for stipendiary JRFs. Office space cannot be guaranteed for non-stipendiary JRFs and will not be provided to those with Faculty or Departmental provision.
Process – appointment of a non-Stipendiary JRF[1]
Key stages in the process are:
Advertise in late Hilary Term Review of applications by relevant Fellows in early Trinity Term. Consideration and final selection of JRFs to be made by Academic Committee in 7th week of Trinity Term.
Criteria
Individually outstanding
Preference may be given to those who have been awarded independent funding (ie not part of a larger faculty grant)
Take into consideration the subject spread
Strength of Fellow recommendationProcess – appointment of a stipendiary JRF
Requests for new stipendiary JRFs should use the standard form. Key stages in the process are:
Proposal. A brief narrative statement of the need, outline of the supervisory arrangements, work location, support needs and details of the desired skill set. Submitted by the sponsor to the Academic Registrar.
Costing/budgetary provision. College Accountant estimates total cost.
Ratification. Academic Committee and Governing Body sanction further work and need.
Funding. Where funding is contingent on philanthropic support the Development Office or College Accountant will confirm funding is in place fully, or at the 40% of the required funding level ‘watermark’ with a high assurance of the remaining 60% being raised, before initiating recruitment.
Recruitment. Advertise role, recruit and appoint.
Review. An annual review of JRFs will take place at Academic Committee in Michaelmas Term
Reviewed: 14 June 2023
- Library Membership and Access Policy
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Aim
The primary aim of Corpus Library is to support the current members of the college in their learning, teaching and research. As the intellectual heart of the college, it also aims to preserve its historic collections, and to make them available to the wider scholarly community. Reader spaces are limited and its resources (including staffing) are finite, so naturally there have to be restrictions as to what facilities we can offer various individuals and groups outside our core membership.
Policy
The Main or modern Library at Corpus is usually accessible 24 hours a day on a reference basis. It is available to all current members of the College (i.e. junior members, senior members and staff). This includes those with formal connections to the College e.g. visiting fellows, JRFs, emeritus and honorary fellows, lecturers, staff, research associates, visiting and exchange students and associate students of the College. It currently includes academic groups such as affiliated Stanford students, and specified members of the Classics Centre. It does not include spouses of members, conference visitors, those otherwise resident in College accommodation, and/or attendees at academic or social events in College.
All members are expected to show respect and consideration for other readers, staff, and the stock, as well as for the fixtures and fittings of the building. All members are required to follow the Library Rules, as laid down in the Junior Member Handbook, and displayed in the Library itself. Failure to do so may result in the suspension of library access. The Library has to balance the various demands on resources, and be able to recall and recover books on loan. This is to ensure that the needs of the current students remain the primary focus of the library service. However, most membership categories have borrowing rights.
Individuals with an academic connection to the College can apply to the Librarian for permission to have temporary membership of the Library on a read-only basis (i.e. they may not borrow any material). These include former fellows and old members (i.e. alumni). Such requests are considered on a case by case basis. Those requesting membership must be of good character, and be in good standing with the College. Requests will be balanced against the need to ensure that stock and reader spaces remain available for existing library members.
Alumni or former fellows:
- Approval likely for temporarily local and wanting access for a few days (or longer in vacations)
- Referral to the Bodleian Libraries for those resident in Oxford and/or wanting on-going access In all cases:
- Requests for free access or on-going membership will be referred to the Fellow Librarian.
- Possession of SCR membership alone is not a sufficient criterion for membership of the Library.
Old members (or alumni are welcome to make brief visits to the Library with family and friends, either by telephoning from the Lodge or by arranging access in advance. Current members may also provide brief tours to colleagues, friends and family. Permission should be sought in advance from library staff. These guests must be accompanied, and may not remain to work without explicit permission from the Librarian. Members are responsible for any guests, and must ensure that they do not contravene the Library Rules.
Those who are not members of the college library (including residents in college accommodation and members of Oxford University) may apply in advance for an appointment to consult specific items from the modern collection; items will be collected in advance and readers will be supervised (items may not be borrowed). Requests for items available in the Bodleian Libraries will be referred elsewhere. Appointments are dependent on staff availability, and the condition of the item requested. Requests for on-going access will be referred to the Fellow Librarian. However, pressures on space and collections, as well as safety and security concerns (given the uninvigilated nature of the building), mean that such requests are unlikely to be approved.
The membership grid below provides a detailed breakdown of categories of college connection and membership eligibility, plus borrowing allowances (where applicable).
Anyone (including current library members) who wishes to consult the special collections (archives, manuscripts, and early printed books) must follow the procedures detailed on the Library web pages. Appointments depend on a variety of factors (including the condition of the object and staff availability); enquirers may be referred to surrogates (e.g. digital images, microfilms) where these exist.
Reviewed: 19/02/2025
- Missing Person Guidance
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Missing Person Guidance can be found here.
- Outreach Policy
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The Outreach Policy can be found here.
- Privacy Policy
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The Privacy Policy can be found here.
- Research Associates Policy
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Aim
This note states the procedures to be followed to select and review Research Associate (RA) positions.
Policy
The College aims to encourage the next generation of academics, nurturing their talents and supporting their research by appointing them to fixed term non-stipendiary Research Associate positions. Association is available to research assistants, post-doctoral researchers and departmental lecturers from within the University who do not have any college affiliation. Research Associates are appointed for one year and can be renewed for one further year. The scheme is not advertised externally; Fellows may propose candidates to Academic Committee via the Senior Tutor.
The number of Research Associates at any one time should not normally exceed 8. The number and subject spread of Research Associates will be reviewed by Academic Committee annually in Michaelmas Term at the same time as proposals for future appointments.
Research Associates will be bound by College Rules and Policies.
Administration of Research Associates will be managed from the College Office.
Benefits
RAs will be members of the SCR and entitled to one free lunch and one free dinner at the Common Table when the kitchens are open. Neither office space or living accommodation will be provided to RAs.
Process – appointment of Research Associates
Key stages in the process are:
Circulate Fellows during the Long Vacation seeking nominations. Review of nominations by Academic Committee in 0th week of Michaelmas Term.
Process – reappointment of Research Associates
Key stages in the process are:
Circulate Fellows during the Long Vacation to find out if they wish to recommend renewal of the Research Associates association. Review of the recommendations by Academic Committee in 0th week of Michaelmas Term.
Process – end of appointment
At the end of the appointment the Research Associate and the Fellow who nominated them are required to write a report on the benefits of the Research Associate’s association with the College.
Reviewed October 2022
- Research Fellow Policy
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Aim
This note states the procedures to be followed to recruit, select and review Research Fellow (RF) posts including the Medical Research Fellow.Policy
The College aims to encourage the next generation of academics, nurturing their talents and supporting their research by appointing them to fixed term non-stipendiary or stipendiary Fellowships. Research Fellowships are non-stipendiary and are available to early and mid-career researchers who hold an established position within the University or are the holder of significant funding, e.g. a Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellowship associated with the University. RFs are appointed for three years, and their Fellowship can be renewed for up to a further three years. The Fellowship is co-terminous with the Fellow’s University appointment or funding.
RFs can provide important support for the undergraduate and graduate teaching within the College and the College encourages such engagement as part of their career development.The number of JRFs and RFs at any one time should not normally exceed 10. The number and subject spread of JRFs and RFs will be reviewed annually, and proposals for future appointments will be considered annually in Michaelmas Term by Academic Committee.
Administration of RFs will be managed from the College Office.
Allowances
• RFs will be members of the SCR and are entitled to free lunch and dinner at the Common Table when the kitchens are open.
• RFs will receive the Hospitality Authority and can claim Research Expenses for their initial appointment; should their Fellowship be renewed they will only receive the Hospitality Authority.
• Allowance and expenses levels are the same as those provided to Official Fellows of the College and will be reviewed annually by the Remuneration Committee.
• RFs are eligible to apply for funding through the Small Grant Research Fund.
• Living accommodation will not be provided to RFs.
• Office space will not be provided to RFs.
Process – appointment of an RF
Key stages in the process are:
• Recruitment. Action to publicise role, recruit and appoint.
• Recommendation/Proposal. A Fellow of the College can propose to the Academic Committee and then to the Governing Body the election of a Research Fellow.Process – re-appointment of an RF
Key stages in the process are:
• Review. RF required to write a report on their research over the period of their Fellowship. A small group consisting of the President and two Fellows in relevant subjects will meet with the RF to discuss their report and research progress.
• Renewal. Subject to a satisfactory review the RF can be renewed for up to three further years, or, in exceptional circumstances could be recommended to the Academic Committee for election as an SRF
Reviewed: January 2024 - Safeguarding Policy
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A copy of the Safeguarding Policy can be found here.
Reviewed June 2023
- Serious Incident Reporting Policy
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The Serious Incident Reporting Policy can be found here.
- Student Transfer Policy
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The Student Transfer Policy can be found here.
- Undergraduate Interviews Policy
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The Undergraduate Interviews Policy can be found here.
- Visiting Student Policy
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The Visiting Student Policy can be found here.
- Welfare Policy
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The Welfare Policy can be found here.
Reviewed: 4 February 2024