Welfare

The College is committed to promoting the welfare of each student while at St Cross College, and making sure your time here is both rewarding and enjoyable.

The Welfare Team comprises: The Academic Registrar (who also acts as the Welfare Officer), Junior Deans, Peer Supporters, College Counsellor, male and female student Welfare Representatives, LGBTQ+ Representative, Disabilities Representative, and the Bursar.

More details can be found below about each of these positions. If ever in doubt, please contact the Academic Registrar and Welfare Officer, Sharon Durno.

Academic Registrar: Sharon Durno (academic.registrar@stx.ox.ac.uk) 

The Academic Registrar acts as the disability coordinator and can help with the administration for any course adjustments needed as well as exam arrangements and applications from students to indicate special personal circumstances during their course including suspension of status.

Any matters relating to College Advisors can also be discussed in confidence with the Academic Registrar.

Please see the St Cross Welfare Document and University Support Services or full details of the support available to you. If you are unsure who to contact with your welfare concern, please consult and save for reference the welfare flowchart.  

St Cross College has teamed up with Health Assured to deliver a Student Assistance Programme (SAP). This SAP service provides a network of dedicated emotional support and practical guidance to students 24/7, 365 days a year. 

SAP Helpline: A free, 24-hour confidential helpline for any problem, big or small. Advisors will be able to help you talk through any number of matters, including stress and anxiety, debt, education pressures, addiction, relationships, or legal worries.
Call: 0800 028 3766
Helpline FAQs 

Online health portal: www.healthassuredeap.com
Includes:  

• BrightTV (mental health videos and advice) 
• My Healthy Advantage app 
• Four-week programmes 
• Health checks 
• Budgeting and financial wellbeing 
• Medical factsheets 
• Fitness and nutritional advice 

(see full leaflet for more details, and secure login details are available here (SSO needed))  

Junior Deans: 

Along with the entire welfare team, the Dean and Junior Deans offer advice, help, and guidance to students at every stage of their studies. The Junior Deans are fellow students. If you would like to get in touch with the Junior Deans, please contact:

Saba Ishrat (based at the Main Site)

Benjamin Gladstone (based at the Annexe)

+ 44 (0)7585 600441 (23:00 - 07:00)

junior.dean@stx.ox.ac.uk

College Counsellor

Kai Yang is the dedicated College Counsellor. Kai is a member of the University Counselling Service team and can offer dedicated appointments for St Cross students on Wednesdays (1-5pm) during term time, available either in-person or online. To make an appointment, please contact Kai at counsellor@stx.ox.ac.uk. 

More information about the University Counselling Service is available at www.ox.ac.uk/students/welfare/counselling. The below videos are a useful introduction to the University's Counselling Service.

Students can also access global support through Togetherall. This free online support service is open to all Oxford students, giving access to a global welfare community moderated by mental healh professionals. It provides a safe space for students to self-manage their mental health and wellbeing. Join via the link and register under "I'm from a university or college" with your Oxford email address. the University will not be informed you have signed up or have any knowledge of students' activities unless there is a serious safety concern.

Medical/Mental Health

Emergencies: If you have a serious medical or mental health issue requiring immediate attention you should call an ambulance or the police on 999 from any phone.

If you have registered with the Dr Leaver and Partners (as recommended by the College) you can reach them on 01865 311234 (Opening hours: 8.30am – 6pm, Mon-Fri).

If you have non-emergent medical or mental health issue outside of the GP’s opening hours you can call 111 (NHS non-emergent helpline). They will ask questions to access your needs and if necessary book you an out-of-hours GP appointment. 

If the matter does not require medical assistance or the police, call the Junior Deans on + 44 (0)7585 600441, or the Lodge on 01865 278 490.

College during office hours

If any student would like to discuss a matter which is troubling them they are welcome to contact the Bursar at bursar@stx.ox.ac.uk or (2)78497.

The student welfare representatives are happy to chat about anything troubling you and can be contacted at female.welfare.rep@stx.ox.ac.uk and male.welfare.rep@stx.ox.ac.uk. The LGBTQ representative (stx.lgbtq.rep@stx.ox.ac.uk) can be contacted for any relevant support in dealing with instances of homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, etc. as well as for general issues and difficulties experienced by queer or similarly identified students in the College. The disabilities representative (disability.rep@stx.ox.ac.uk) is available to chat to students about disability-related issues. 

The Bursary Administrator can be asked general questions during office hours.

Financial Welfare

Bursar: Gemma Donaldson (bursar@stx.ox.ac.uk)
Bursary Administrator: Jocelyn Larsen (bursary.admin@stx.ox.ac.uk)

The Bursar, supported by the Bursary Administrator, oversees all financial matters and can help students with any queries or concerns regarding their financial status, including payments, loans, etc.

As part of preparation for their courses, it is expected that all students have budgeted for their financial needs and have arranged sources of funding accordingly. However, we recognise that circumstances can change and unexpected financial problems can occur. We encourage students to approach the College promptly if they see such problems emerging – it is generally easier to offer help at an earlier stage. In such circumstances, please contact the Bursary Administrator to arrange a meeting with the Bursar. 

The College is able to offer support through the KT Soo Bursary, Travel & Research Fund and general Hardship Funds.

University Hardship Support

• The University runs two key financial hardship schemes to support students. The Oxford Hardship Fund supports all students facing general financial hardship, and the COVID-19 Hardship Fund provides support to continuing students where the COVID-19 pandemic has been a significant factor. The College is able to provide assistance to any students who wish to apply for these funds - please contact the Bursary Administrator (bursary.admin@stx.ox.ac.uk).
• The Hilary Term deadline for the Oxford Hardship Fund is week 3 Friday 5th February, 17:00  and the COVID-19 Hardship Fund deadline is week 6 Friday 26th February 17:00. For information and deadlines for applying to these funds, please see the University website and contact the Bursary Administrator for details. 

Suspension

On rare occasions, a student may request to suspend their studies for a period of time. The University definition is: “Suspension of status within the University ‘stops the clock’ for all elements of your degree, including residence, fees and terms for which a particular status may be held.” The clear understanding is that the student hopes to return after suspension and will then be liable for fees, accommodation charges, etc for the equivalent extended period. Although the individual is suspending their student status, the University states that: “a student with suspended status will retain their University card and Single Sign On access to online resources, including email, and to University libraries, during periods of suspension.”

We expect that it will be normal for students to move away from Oxford (typically back home with family) during suspension. 

For full details, see the College policy for student suspension here.

General Welfare Information

The Student Advice Service, part of the Oxford University Student Union, is an independent advice, information and advocacy service exclusively available to Oxford University Students. The services they offer are free and confidential, further information is available here. 

Further guidance on how a change of status such as suspension may affect you is available on the University's website here.

Medical Information

The College doctors are Dr Laurence Leaver and Dr Mark O'Shea, based at Dr Leaver and Partners. The College Doctors have prepared an info sheet for freshers, with instructions on how to register at Jericho Health Centre and what to do if you are feeling unwell, as well as an explanation of the NHS for international students who may be unfamiliar with healthcare provision in the UK. They have produced an introductory video for freshers here.

If you have been a victim of sexual violence, or need guidance with advising someone, please see this flowchart.

Disability Advisory Service

The University's Disability Advisory Service works with students and staff to create an accessible and inclusive learning environment for students with disabilities. They provide information, advice, and facilitate support. You can find out more here.

The DAS have recently produced a video about Dyslexia at Oxford which you can view here.

Personal Safety

Oxford is generally a safe place to live and work but isolated incidents do occur. If you have been the victim of a crime, or witness one, report it immediately to the police by calling 999. If a non-emergency incident takes place on University of Oxford property or land (including any colleges) you should report it to the University’s Security Services via this form. 

Please also familiarise yourself with the University’s guidance on personal safety which contains advice on sensible precautions to bear in mind whilst out in Oxford, particularly when you are on your own.