Handbooks

A formal statement on the examinations and degrees described in this handbook can be found in the current edition of the University’s Examination Decrees and Regulations.

Students are responsible for their own academic progress and will often need to work independently and to develop strong time management skills. During term time, each programme requires a substantial amount of reading and writing, which may sometimes be hard to combine with other activities or duties. Do talk to your supervisor if you meet with such difficulties.

2.1 Teaching methods

Tutorials: At the start of the academic year, each student is assigned a supervisor or academic advisor for the year (the Oxford convention is to use the term ‘supervisor’ for graduate studies and ‘tutor’ for undergraduate studies, though in many respects their roles are the same, especially for taught-course degrees). Tutorials are student-oriented meetings with the main supervisor or sometimes with an option specialist acting in a similar role (though most options teaching is class-based). They are an important part of the School’s taught master’s courses. They differ from meetings of research students with their supervisors, which have no such formal designation but are usually simply called ‘supervision meetings’ or ‘supervision sessions’.

Tutorials are given to students either individually or in small groups; there are arguments in favour of both arrangements, and the tradition in the School is very much to leave the choice to tutors’ preferences. For each tutorial, the supervisor will assign a selection of readings and a topic or question in advance, and the student will write an essay or other piece of work of sufficient length to cover the assignment. In some cases supervisors ask for the piece of work to be submitted in advance, while in others supervisors prefer it to be brought to the tutorial and read out by the student. Again this is a matter of tutor preference. Tutorials are firmly connected with the student writing, presenting and discussing an essay on a regular basis, regardless of the number of students in the tutorial group: in this they differ from seminars, classes or lectures.

The number and frequency of tutorials will differ according to the degree you are doing, but as a rough guide expect a maximum of one a week in term, perhaps with occasional extra tutorials for certain options; for the more specialized degrees especially, however, this figure may well be less. Tutorial teaching normally ends halfway through Trinity Term, to leave time for examinations and revision for them. A notional maximum is therefore twenty tutorials over the year for core teaching, possibly rising slightly in the case of some but not all options, but also possibly fewer, depending on the degree. It can therefore be seen that teaching throughout the school is flexible, depending to some extent on tutor preference and the student’s degree; students should not automatically draw conclusions regarding the quality and quantity of the teaching they are being given from such variations.

The tutorial is a distinctive part of Oxford teaching, and you may be unfamiliar with it at first, though experience shows that most students adjust to it quickly. It is important to realise that tutorial essays in the strict sense (i.e. as opposed to designated coursework) do not contribute to degree results in any way but are essentially a teaching tool. Essays are therefore not normally graded, but they are nonetheless taken very seriously: supervisors will provide written feedback (usually on a printout of the essay) and/or verbal feedback for you to assess your progress, and the contents and standard of the essay will normally enter into the tutorial discussion at some point. Expect constructive criticism from your supervisor and don’t be alarmed by it while nonetheless taking it seriously. The tutorial is also an opportunity for you to discuss topics mentioned in lectures and classes, and your progress and future plans in general, as well as to settle routine administrative matters with your supervisor (signing forms etc.) or raise any concerns. Tutorials provide a principle, sometimes the principle means of providing feedback to taught-course students on the work in preparation for the examinations.

Lectures: While lectures may not always be linked directly to tutorials on a one-to-one basis, they provide additional support for them, as well as being a source of learning in their own right. Main venues for School lectures (normally just under an hour long) are the lecture rooms in the ISCA Annex (61 Banbury Road) and main building (64 Banbury Road), the Pitt Rivers Museum Research Centre, the Institute for Human Sciences, behind the main COMPAS building in 58 Banbury Road, and the Examination Schools. Other venues are used from time to time, and all the relevant details are to be found on each term’s lecture list, issued just before the start of each term. Lectures are fairly formal and do not ordinarily permit discussion. While lectures are not formally compulsory, in many cases they are unavoidable if the degree one is studying is to be followed properly. Many lectures are now being recorded (aurally only) for podcasts available through Canvas. In general lectures are open to all students, but check the lecture list to make sure there is no definite restriction to a cohort different from your own (as opposed to mere advice on who should attend).

Classes: Venue information as for lectures. Classes are the normal way of teaching options, but they are also used for some core teaching, in addition to tutorials. They normally last one and a half to two hours, but for options teaching especially they may sometimes be combined with lectures (e.g. in the first or last hour of a two-hour session). One or two students may be asked to give a short presentation of around fifteen minutes on a selection of readings assigned previously, followed by a class discussion, guided by the member(s) of staff organizing the class. All the students attending the class are expected to have done the assigned readings so that they can contribute to the discussion. Whether such presentations contribute to degree results depends on the degree, but often they are basically a teaching method. While there is no hard and fast distinction, classes often correspond to what are called seminars in other universities (see next paragraph). Research students and second-year MPhil students have their own classes where they present their theses to their peers. Attendance at classes simply for ‘auditing’ purposes are a bit more restricted than at lectures, so ask the seminar convenor if you can attend first.

Seminars: In Oxford, the term ‘seminar’ may be used interchangeably with ‘class’, but seminars may also be usually research-related and involve invited speakers, often senior in standing (including senior research students), and very frequently from outside the University. A number of more research-oriented seminars are put on both within the School and elsewhere in the University. While not directly oriented towards teaching or coursework, these are valuable in learning about current perspectives and recent research results, which students may use to supplement their reading and other learning, as well as to feed into their tutorial essays. In general, these seminars are open to all. The distinction between class and seminar is not always made in practice, and to an extent the two terms are used interchangeably for both teaching and research-related events.

Other: Some special teaching methods that follow a hard-science model may be used, especially in ICEA. General courses on research methods in anthropology for all students are provided in Michaelmas and Hilary terms. All students should attend at least some of these (on the advice of supervisors), though only some have to write up the results as a report to constitute an item of coursework for the degree (see relevant course handbooks).

2.2 Progression from taught course to research degree

A description of the mechanisms and criteria for progression appears in the Examination Conventions for each degree.

Taught-course students are initially registered for one of the MSc or MPhil degrees. It is relatively straightforward to transfer sideways between subject degrees (e.g. from Social Anthropology to VMMA or Medical Anthropology) after you arrive in Oxford, if approved, provided this is done promptly, and in any case within the first two weeks of Michaelmas Term (leave it any later, and your ability to follow the new course effectively is likely to be seriously affected). Permission to switch in this way is not automatically granted and depends on the agreement of the new course director and the Director of

Graduate Studies. (NB: the above applies to complete changes of subjects, not of degrees within a subject, e.g. from MSc to MPhil within Social Anthropology, Medical Anthropology, etc.; on this, see paragraphs below.)

After the written examinations in June, students in Social Anthropology, in VMMA, and in Medical Anthropology in effect have a choice between two possibilities, depending on their performance in the examinations and upon their personal situations and preferences: 1) complete the MSc degree, with submission of a thesis in September; or 2) complete the MPhil degree by continuing for a second year and beginning immediately to plan for the MPhil thesis. Students in Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology do not have this choice, since there is no MPhil degree in this subject; they therefore have to complete a thesis for the MSc degree as above.

Any change of programme requires completion of the change of programme GSO.28 form; see also https://www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/forms. Note that it is usually only possible to change programme once (exceptions can be made as detailed on the form).

While on course, or after completing the MSc with a sufficiently good result, the student may apply to be readmitted as a Probationer Research Student (PRS) as a first stage in proceeding towards the DPhil or MLitt. After completing the MPhil degree, on the other hand, the student may apply for readmission to DPhil or MLitt status directly (not students in Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology). In both cases, acceptance will depend upon achieving the threshold mark of 67 in the relevant examinations, proof that a viable research project exists and the agreement of both individual supervisors and the School as a whole acting in committee. NB: there is no automatic right to proceed from a taught-course to a research degree, however good the final result in the examinations, since all the above conditions have to be met. Application is via the usual form for admission to the University, the relevant deadlines for which should be observed (note that anthropology does not use the latest deadline in mid-March).

Although the MPhil is a terminal degree, the MPhil thesis is intended to act as the basis of the doctoral dissertation for students transferring via this route (i.e. as an alternative to the upgrade or transfer text prepared by probationer research students). According to the Examination Regulations, Ch. 12, § 2, # 1 (ii), ‘the subject of the thesis offered by the candidate in the examination for [the MPhil] degree shall be in the broad field of research proposed for the DPhil’, i.e. there should not be a radical change of topic between the MPhil and DPhil degrees. Otherwise the same basic criteria for progression apply as in the case of MSc-to-DPhil/MLitt transfers (see above).

No member of the academic staff can be compelled to take any student for supervision. Any supervisor accepting students for doctoral studies should be an established member of the School’s academic staff or a recognised anthropologist in another department who is expected to be in post sufficiently long into the future to be able to supervise the entire DPhil project. Supervision by anyone who does not fall into this category (e.g. a temporary appointee) may only be provided jointly with someone who does. The current University code of practice relating to academic supervision applies (see the School’s course handbook for research students).

All decisions regarding supervision, progression and transfers are ultimately taken by the School’s Teaching Committee, whether acting as such or through the Director of Graduate Studies. All agreed transfers from the completion of one of the taught master’s degrees to PRS or DPhil student status should be made as described in the sub-section below.

2.3 Procedures for progression

Any taught-course degree to a research degree, i.e. DPhil (PRS) or MLitt

Apply through the University’s standard admissions procedures (q.v.).

Students transferring to a doctorate via the MSc route become Probationer Research Students in the first instance (for roughly the first year as a doctoral student, pending transfer to full DPhil student status). Students transferring via the MPhil route have the latter status to begin with. All DPhil but not MLitt students must confirm their status as such subsequently through an interim text before the final viva.

Though it is theoretically possible to transfer from a taught-course degree to the MLitt instead of the DPhil, this is exceedingly rare, as the MLitt exists mainly as a lower-level degree that can be offered to DPhil students whose work ultimately proves not to be of DPhil standard. Doctoral students who fail to pass one of the interim tests (upgrade or transfer; confirmation of status) may be required to continue as MLitt students instead.

MSc to MPhil and vice versa

Use form GSO.28 (‘Change of programme of study’). MSc students may transfer to the MPhil at any time up to just after the announcement of the final results in September; they should not formally graduate in these cases, and any transcripts for this degree that have been issued to them will become invalid and must be returned as a condition of transferring.

First-year MPhil students may transfer to the MSc at any time in that year up to immediately after the June examinations, so that they can embark immediately on an MSc thesis.

NB: Overseas students should note that any change in degree may affect their immigration and visa status. Consult the visa information page or email the Student Immigration Office.

2.4 Fieldwork

1) Fieldwork by MSc or MPhil students. Fieldwork is not required for these degrees, which may be based solely on library sources, but it is permitted if the opportunities to do so are appropriate. In all such cases, the supervisor should be consulted and be satisfied that the field trip is likely to be beneficial to the student’s project and/or that the project cannot be completed satisfactorily without such a trip. Fieldwork should be restricted to the vacations, due to the structured nature of these courses, with teaching etc. mostly taking place in term time. Funding for such trips is solely the responsibility of the student concerned (in particular, note that trips will not be funded from the skills training budget maintained by the department). However, the School does run an annual competition (in early Hilary Term) which offers modest support for planned fieldwork travel (see the ‘Small Grants’ tab at https://www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/funding).

2) Fieldwork by PRS students. PRS students should not embark on major fieldwork or other research for their thesis until they have successfully upgraded to DPhil-student status. However, in consultation with their supervisor, they may embark on brief reconnaissance trips to their prospective fieldwork or other research sites for the purposes of determining the feasibility of projects and improving the content of the texts they present for upgrade. The supervisor should be satisfied that any such trip is likely to be beneficial to the student’s project. Such trips should only be undertaken in the vacations, unless there are very compelling reasons for a visit in term time; again, the supervisor should be consulted. Funding for such trips is solely the responsibility of the student concerned (in particular, note that trips will not be funded from the skills training budget maintained by the department and described in Section 4).

3) There is no formal requirement that fieldwork be carried out for the MLitt or DPhil degrees, although there is an expectation that the overwhelming majority of students will wish to do so, especially for the latter.

4) Any field trips or other travel related to any of our degrees requires a Travel Evaluation form, a Full Risk Assessment form and one or more CUREC forms (for ethical review) to be filled in. See details on the anthropology website (go to ‘About Us’, then ‘Safety, Fieldwork and Ethics’). Attention is drawn to ensuring that fieldwork can be conducted safely, especially in conflict areas. Students especially should be aware of the potential for sexual harassment in field situations.

5) Standard university insurance cover (as defined on the insurance website) is available free of charge to students. However, the School will not pay any insurance premiums specifically levied in connection with travel to areas with an increased level of risk and/or for longer than 12 months. Students should therefore be prepared to accept responsibility for such payments themselves, however inflated, and factor this in to their fieldwork planning at the outset.

2.5  Forms

From time to time you will need to fill in other forms for various purposes. A list of the most used forms is given in Appendix 2 to this Handbook (and at https://www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/forms). All of the forms are available from the main university page for graduate forms. Some forms are accessible through student self-service. Some additional forms for exceptional circumstances are linked-to from that page and are located here. In addition, note that taught course students must sign a form provided by their college (normally in Hilary term) to enter for the written examinations. Taught-course students should enter or confirm any options they wish to take on the electronic form in consultation with their supervisor. Doctoral and MLitt students have their own form to apply for the appointment of examiners and to be examined.

All these forms apart from the college’s registration form can be downloaded from the University website. Your supervisor should always be consulted before you fill out any of these forms and will normally have to sign them, as will a representative of your college. In non-routine cases, you should also seek the advice of the Director of Graduate Studies, whose signature is also normally needed (please send to the Graduate Courses Administrator who will obtain DGS approval). In general, approval of forms is unproblematic, provided the supervisor and DGS are convinced the changes involved are genuinely required, but in no case should this be assumed as a right.

Although there is a form for dispensation from residence requirements, by agreement with the Graduate Studies Office, doctoral or MLitt students do not have to fill it in because of the regularity with which such students in anthropology do fieldwork (NB: a concession that could be withdrawn at any time). Dispensation from residence in Oxford during term is not available to master’s students. Residence ‘in Oxford’ means ‘within 25 miles of Carfax’ (i.e. the main crossroads in the city centre).

2.6  Examinations, illness or other mitigating circumstances, suspension and withdrawal

Entering for the University examinations

Details of how to enter for the exam as well as other useful exam-related advice and information can be found here.

Sitting examinations

Information on (a) the standards of conduct expected in examinations and (b) what to do if you would like examiners to be aware of any factors that may have affected your performance before or during an examination (such as illness, accident or bereavement) are available on the Oxford Students website.

If a candidate for a taught-course examination feels that his or her preparation for it has been significantly affected by illness, stress, personal or family problems, etc., the college should be consulted with a view to taking advice and possibly securing special arrangements to take the examination, asking for an extension, or withdrawing from it temporarily with the permission of the Proctors (NB: examiners should not be approached directly for this purpose). Withdrawal from any part of an examination ordinarily means the student returning at the corresponding point the next year to complete it, there being no entitlement to tuition or supervision during the period of withdrawal. Permanent withdrawal from any course should be notified on form GSO29.

Students who have been assessed and diagnosed with a specific learning disability (e.g. dyslexia, dyspraxia, a disability etc.) often take examinations under special arrangements, e.g. using a word processor, taking the exam in a room on their own (often in college), being given extra time, etc.. This is arranged following referral via the university’s Disability Advisory Service (DAS).

Taught-course students should note that, in the absence of special permission for illness-related or other genuine reasons as described above, academic or other penalties may be imposed for late submission of any work for examination purposes or failure to observe word limits and other similar regulations, etc. in such work. Penalties apply to all assessed coursework that is submitted late without the prior agreement of the Proctors (application to whom must be made via your college. School staff cannot give extensions, and examiners should not be approached directly or otherwise). Details of penalties are given in the Examination Conventions for each degree.

There is more flexibility regarding the timing of MLitt and DPhil interim assessments (transfer or confirmation of status) and vivas, and these are normally arranged directly with the assessors or examiners. See the Handbook for Research Degrees.

Sometimes it is advisable for a student to suspend status for a period (limited to six terms, taken up to a maximum of three terms at a time). Suspension of status means that you will not pay fees, but you will also not be entitled to receive any teaching or supervision but will retain access to IT and library facilities while suspended. You will also need to check with your college what access you can retain. The immigration status of overseas students may also be affected, as may exemption from Council Tax.

Suspension will not be granted on the grounds that you wish to engage, for personal reasons, in some other activity and then return to postgraduate work at a later date. Possible grounds for suspension include unforeseen financial difficulty; physical or mental incapacity; bereavement or other unexpected domestic crises; acquisition of an ancillary qualification which cannot reasonably be deferred until the post-graduate work is complete; temporary work, such as an internship, which is relevant to your research and/or proposed career, the opportunity for which is unlikely to recur; and undue delay resulting from difficulties in making arrangements for overseas fieldwork or in carrying it out. You should always let your supervisor know when illness or other causes prevent work on your degree for a significant length of time. There is a specific University policy regarding maternity, paternity and adoption leave.

3.1 Examination Conventions and marking criteria

The Examination Conventions for each of the graduate taught degrees are an essential complement for this handbook, and the relevant document should be read in detail. 

Examination Conventions are the formal record of the specific assessment standards for the course or courses to which they apply. They set out how your examined work will be marked and how the resulting marks will be used to arrive at a final result and classification of your award. They include information on: submission requirements, marking scales, marking and classification criteria, scaling of marks, progression, re-sits, use of viva voce examinations, penalties for late submission, and penalties for over-length work.

Details of the marking criteria used by examiners in assessing coursework and examinations can be found as the Appendices of the Examination Conventions. These guidelines are definitive, however in the event that any alterations become necessary, details of these changes will be circulated to all students  well in advance of the examinations.

The marking criteria refer to the qualities of work required to achieve particular marks, which are in turn awarded the grades of Pass, High Pass, Pass with Merit and Pass with Distinction. Note that the listed criteria are distinct from the threshold marks required for passage from the first to second year of the MPhil (60) or from any master’s degree to PRS/DPhil (67).

In order to pass a degree the student must pass all its assessed components. If one or more components are failed, the student will be given the opportunity to re-take them once, though this may result in award of the degree being delayed until the Examination Board next meets, which may not be for up to three terms. Full details of the rules regarding re-sits appear in the Examination Conventions.

Full details of the processes of examination and Marking Criteria for the MSc and MPhil degrees are included in the following documents (word files are available on request). These detail the criteria used by examiners for assessing the different types of examined work for each of the degrees, as well as dates for submission of work, word lengths, penalties for late submission and exceeding word limits, and the mechanisms for progressing onto subsequent degrees.

• Examination Conventions for the MSc in Cognitive & Evolutionary Anthropology (CEA)
• Examination Conventions for the MSc and MPhil in Social Anthropology (SA)
• Examination Conventions for the MSc and MPhil in Medical Anthropology (MA) 
• Examination Conventions for the MSc and MPhil in Visual, Material & Museum Anthropology (VMMA) 

The Marking Criteria, which appear in the APPENDIX of each document, have been developed to offer guidance to students on the criteria examiners will be using in judging assessed work. They are also intended to guide examiners in identifying the appropriate mark for the work being assessed.

The Core Criteria, within each given form of assessment (dissertation, exam, essay etc.), are consistent across all of the degrees above, and are viewed as the fundamental traits that define work for each grade band.

The Ancillary Observations include additional traits that may be exhibited by work in a given grade band, in general and in relation to particular subjects (Social, Cognitive, Visual, Medical Anthropology), and are there to aid decision-making in the allocating of a mark within a grade band, and to provide further guidance to students regarding the types of traits that work of a given class may exhibit.

The positive Core Criteria are not replicated across grade bands, so are viewed as cumulative (i.e., for example, work that is in the 70-79 band will be expected to exhibit not only those positive traits listed for that grade band, but those of the lower bands too, except where mutually exclusive).

Candidates are reminded to also consult the relevant course handbooks and Exam Regulations (‘the grey book’) for further guidance on the presentation and submission of assessed coursework.

These Marking Criteria supersede all previous versions.

3.2 Past examination papers and examination reports

Past examination papers going back a number of years are available on the University website, under the code word OXAM: https://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/portal/site/:oxam

NB: subjects (‘Social Anthropology’, ‘Medical Anthropology’, etc.) may only be listed once (under MSc or MPhil) in cases where they have more than one degree: search accordingly. Examiner’s reports on examinations taken in previous years are also available on Weblearn.

3.3 Additional regulations regarding supervision of theses and coursework

1) Coursework supervision. Not permitted in the case of take-home essays. This provision also applies to all MSc theses within SAME, with the exception of consultation on the topic and title, and brief advice given at the planning stage; however, MSc drafts are not read by the supervisor. This does not apply to the longer theses, i.e. those for the MPhil, MLitt or DPhil degrees, drafts of which are read by the supervisor(s).

2) Feedback on coursework. Feedback is given on submitted MSc and MPhil theses after they have been examined and given a final mark. Feedback is a normal part of supervision in the case of MPhil, MLitt and DPhil theses. Feedback is not given for essays and other coursework or for theses for which the permitted maximum is less than 5,000 words. The Social Sciences Division has issued a protocol for formative (i.e. during teaching) and summative (i.e. relating to the final degree result) feedback. See below Appendix 1.

3.4 Academic good practice

Guidance on academic good practice and skills such as time management, note-taking, referencing, research and library skills, and IT literacy can be found at:

https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/guidance/skills?wssl=1

Students writing theses especially should be aware of issues surrounding sensitive and confidential information, such as any that falls under data protection legislation, was given to the student under conditions of confidentiality, or that might endanger the safety or reputation of an informant or other third party. A thesis containing such information may need to have access to it restricted once it has been deposited in a library (such restriction is normally limited to five years in the first instance). If in doubt, consult your supervisor or go to: 

http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/ora/oxford_etheses/copyright_and_other_legal_issues/sensitive-content.

Citation

For guidance on correct citation formatting please see Appendix 3.

The Bodleian library also subscribes to an online resource that gives guidance on citations and referencing: https://www.citethemrightonline.com/ Cite them right online shows how to reference a variety of different sources, including many less common ones, using different styles including Harvard, Vancouver & MLA amongst others. It can either be browsed by categories listed in the toolbars at the top of the Cite Them Right webpage or searched by keyword e.g. “EU Directive”. It then provide examples of the in text and full citations and a box with the reference format which then can be overtyped and copied and pasted into a document. It also has a Basics section that provides information and tutorials about why to reference, avoiding plagiarism, setting out citations and creating bibliographies.

Use of third party proof-readers

Students have authorial responsibility for the written work they produce. Proof-reading represents the final stage of producing a piece of academic writing. You are strongly encouraged to proofread your own work, as this is an essential skill in the academic writing process. For pieces of work with a word-limit of 10,000 words or greater it is considered acceptable for students to seek the help of a third party for proof-reading. If you make use of a third party proof-reader (i.e. if proof-reading is carried out by anyone other than you) this must conform with the University Policy on the Use of Third Party Proof-readers: http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/edc/policiesandguidance/policyonproofreaders/ otherwise it will compromise the authorship of the paper and could therefore be subject to academic penalty. It is your responsibility to provide any proof-reader with a copy of the policy statement to be found at the above address. Within the context of written work, to proof-read is to check for, identify and suggest corrections for errors in text (such as typographical, spelling, layout, formatting, punctuation and grammatical errors). A proof-reader should mark up your work with suggested changes which you may then choose to accept or reject. In no cases should a third party proof-reader make material changes to your writing (that is, check or amend ideas, arguments, structure or translation into English), since to do so is to compromise the authorship of the work.

3.5 Plagiarism

Generally speaking, plagiarism is copying or closely paraphrasing the work of others, even if published, as one’s own without acknowledgement or proper citation. For examination purposes especially, but also if committed as part of the learning process, this constitutes a serious offence punishable by academic or other penalties. For good referencing practice, see:

http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/edc/policiesandguidance/pgexaminers/annexef.

There is clear information and advice on how to avoid plagiarism in the Study Skills section of the University website.

3.6 Prizes

A central list of all prizes can be found here. In addition, the School’s Awards Committee administers the following awards, following examination of dissertations each year:

Prof. David Parkin Prize in the best use of Ethnographic Material. In the presence of suitable candidates, in honour of Prof. David Parkin, the School of Anthropology & Museum Ethnography annually awards prizes for the best use of detailed ethnographic materials to advance anthropological arguments in an MSc dissertation (£200), an MPhil thesis (£300), and a DPhil thesis (£500) submitted for examination within the School in the preceding academic year.

Dr Nicola Knight Prize in the best use of Quantitative Methods. In the presence of suitable candidates, in memory of Dr Nicola Knight, the School of Anthropology & Museum Ethnography annually awards prizes for the best (i.e. most appropriate and competent) use of quantitative methods in an MSc dissertation (£200), an MPhil thesis (£300), and a DPhil thesis (£500) submitted for examination within the School in the preceding academic year (in the event that no MPhil award is made two MSc awards may, at the discretion of the awards committee, be made).

Prof. Marcus Banks Dissertation Prize in Visual Anthropology. If there are judged to be suitable candidates, the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography will award up to three prizes each year for the best use of visual methods, in memory of Professor Marcus Banks: £200 for the best MSc dissertation and £300 for the best MPhil thesis in the School in the preceding academic year; and £500 for the best DPhil thesis in the preceding calendar year. The prizes will be awarded by the examiners in the given year. DPhil candidates will need to be nominated by their supervisors. 

All degree courses offer skills development opportunities, including personal and professional skills, many of which are transferable. Core tutorials and classes teach synthesis and analysis of readings, the structuring and presentation of coherent arguments in essays, essay and report writing, oral presentation and the use of aids in giving presentations, fielding questions from audiences after presentations, and oral discussion of ideas. Lectures and classes on techniques in anthropological research methodology include skills such as qualitative social data collection (including interview techniques, participant observation, note-taking and transcription, photo-elicitation and sound recording), the ethics and politics of fieldwork, and research proposal design and grant-writing. The VMMA degrees offer specialist skills training in artefact and display analysis, provenance research and the use of databases in artefact research. Volunteer opportunities at the Pitt Rivers Museum in education and other departments are frequently available, offering further training in collections management and research or public interpretation.

Students for the MSc in Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology receive skills training in the critical production and consumption of quantitative arguments, as well as competence in statistical analysis and research design in the human sciences. Such students also have practicals as part of their coursework for the paper on Quantitative Methods in the Human Sciences.

Under a concessionary scheme, the School is currently able to contribute to the costs of certain externally provided skills training for research students planning to do major fieldwork (i.e. PRS/DPhil and MLitt students, but not students on any of the MSc or MPhil courses). See the separate handbook for research students.

In addition, advice on various matters including time management, good academic practice, research and library skills, referencing can be found here. For specific IT training, the IT services offer a number of opportunities . For registered graduate students whose mother tongue is not English, there are also courses available in “English for Academic Studies” (EAS). These are not purely remedial courses, and students with a high level of English may also take them. The School is not involved in either the provision or financing of these courses. Consult the University’s Language Centre at 12 Woodstock Road. Further details can be found at: https://www.lang.ox.ac.uk/academic-english. Students should discuss with their supervisor, which opportunities might be most suitable for them. All language training should be discussed well in advance with the supervisor.

4.1 Additional Funding

In general, by the start of the academic year it is too late for any student just starting in the School to obtain substantial funding for that year, especially as financial guarantees must be given to colleges well before that date. For University funding, see especially the main University website.

The only substantial funds earmarked for students in anthropology at Oxford are those listed on the School website. A number of Oxford colleges also advertise certain awards for which prospective students may be eligible; their websites should be consulted. Outside the University, the Wenner-Gren Foundation in New York makes grants for research expenses to doctoral students in anthropology, but there are many outside sources of funding not restricted to specific disciplines. Doctoral students especially should ensure that any foundation they apply to for funding is prepared to permit long-term fieldwork, as this is not always the case.

4.2 Graduate Tutoring of Undergraduates

DPhil students who have completed their fieldwork and have completed the PLTO course (see below) are eligible to contribute to undergraduate tutorial teaching (typically for the BA degrees in Human Sciences and Archaeology & Anthropology). Post-fieldwork DPhil students who wish their names to be added to the list of potential tutors for these degrees should contact Sarah-Jane White, Undergraduate Administrator for Human Sciences and/or Rachel Maughan, Undergraduate Administrator for Archaeology & Anthropology with details of their areas of potential teaching contribution to the course(s). It is helpful to refer specifically to the tutorial topics/subject matter of the courses that you would be able to offer by reference to the course handbooks for those degrees (available on the appropriate websites). Appearance on the list is not a guarantee of tutorial work; the appointment of tutors for the courses is undertaken by the college Directors of Studies for those degrees, drawing upon the lists of available tutors. Anyone commissioned to teach tutorials will be required to take the relevant short university course (see below).

Post-fieldwork DPhil students are also eligible to contribute to some elements of the teaching of postgraduate taught courses (MSc and MPhil) in the School of Anthropology & Museum Ethnography, as follows:

1. Advanced DPhil students may occasionally teach parts of courses taken by postgraduate taught course students (MSc, MPhil), e.g. one-off lectures or classes in their special area, or assisting with methods classes, where it is deemed appropriate by the course convenor.

2. They may not normally be involved in marking summative assessments or convening courses.

Teaching opportunities are limited, in no way guaranteed, and are not lucrative enough to live off by themselves. Nonetheless providing such tuition is a way of acquiring some teaching experience, which can count as a transferable skill of use in one’s future career. Any such teaching work, whether paid or not, is subject to approval of right-to-work, which depends upon visa and residency status.

4.3 Courses on Teaching and Learning at Oxford for Tutors

Regardless of their prior experience graduate students are required to attend a “Preparation for Learning and Teaching at Oxford” (PLTO) course on tutorial teaching offered by the University of Oxford. Details are given at http://www.learning.ox.ac.uk/teaching/, but the department (SAME) and the Social Sciences Division each offer their own versions of a PLTO course tailored to their subject matter and teaching. The department PLTO course is usually run in Michaelmas Term and/or Hilary Term.

The university also offers more advanced courses detailed at the link above:

- “Developing learning and teaching” (DLT), which is more detailed.

- “Post-Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning” (PGCert)

In addition Blackwell’s bookshop sells a useful short booklet introducing tutorials.

The University Policy and Guidance on Tutorial Teaching is to be found at: https://academic.admin.ox.ac.uk/files/pguglearningandteachingpdf.

4.4 Career information and advice

The academic and college environment at Oxford University is rich with opportunities for you to develop many transferable skills that are eagerly sought by employers. Undertaking an intellectually demanding academic course (often incorporating professional body requirements) will equip you for the demands of many jobs. Your course will enable you to research, summarise, present and defend an argument with some of the best scholars in their subject. Under the direction of an experienced researcher, you will extend your skills and experiences through practical or project work, placements or fieldwork, writing extended essays or dissertations. In college and university sports teams, clubs and societies you will have the chance to take the lead and play an active part within and outside the University.

Surveys of our employers report that they find Oxford students better or much better than the average UK student at key employability skills such as Problem Solving, Leadership, and Communication. Hundreds of recruiters visit the University each year, demonstrating their demand for Oxford undergraduate and postgraduate students, fewer than 5% of whom are unemployed and seeking work six months after leaving.

Comprehensive careers advice and guidance is available from the Oxford University Careers Service, conveniently located across the road from SAME at 56 Banbury Road. This resource is available not just while you are here: its careers support is for life. The Careers Service offers tailored individual advice, job fairs and workshops to inform your job search and application process, whether your next steps are within academia or beyond. You will also have access to thousands of UK-based and international internships, work experience and job vacancies available on the Careers Service website.

Student feedback is provided first of all through the Graduate Joint Consultative Committee (usually just called the JCC), which brings together members of both the academic and non-academic staff with student representatives to discuss matters of mutual concern at a meeting held every term. The student representatives are selected entirely and freely by the student body, this being a matter in which no member of staff is allowed to play any part. The committee meetings are normally chaired by a student, and the minutes may be taken by either the chairperson or a member of the non-academic staff. The academic staff should not occupy any positions on this committee, though they attend its meetings to discuss issues of concern with students. The minutes of JCC meetings are circulated to both students and staff, and student representatives (reps) sit on a number of departmental and divisional committees.

A system of feedback forms is also in use for students to provide their comments on lectures, classes and, where appropriate, tutorials, as well as the School’s overall administrative and technical provision for its students. Some course directors use their own forms, but a standard form can also be downloaded from the anthropology website. One form may be filled in at or just after the end of any course of lectures or classes you have attended as listed on the relevant lecture list (NB: not for tutorials). Note that some courses extend over more than one term (e.g. some options). Forms that have been downloaded by students themselves should be handed in to the general office in 51 Banbury Road. Alternatively individual lecturers may prefer to hand them out themselves and either collect them at the end of the last lecture in the series, or ask students to hand them in to the general office.

In order to preserve your anonymity forms should not be signed or marked with any name. Completed forms will be reviewed by the lecturer concerned in the first instance and are also subject to review by the DGS and/or relevant departmental committees to monitor the quality of departmental teaching and provision. However, changes pursuant to feedback exercises cannot be guaranteed. There is no obligation on students to fill in forms, though they are strongly encouraged to do so where appropriate.

5.1 Graduate Supervision Report Forms (Graduate Supervision Reporting system or GSR)

Each term, supervisors have to issue a report on the performance of each of their students. This is done online, and the students, their colleges, the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) and some departmental administrative staff have access to them. Before they come to supervisors, however, students are given an opportunity to report on their own progress as they see it and flag up any concerns they may have. Their reports are reviewed by the supervisor, DGS and college authorities.

Students are prompted directly by e-mail from Student Administration towards the end of each term to make their own reports, after which they have roughly two weeks to do so.

Except for ESRC-funded students, student participation in this exercise is voluntary, but is strongly encouraged. Reports are not confidential, in the sense that they may be viewed by students’ supervisors, colleges, the DGS and some departmental administrative staff. Nonetheless all students are encouraged to make use of the facility to improve the chances of problems being detected in good time to do something about them.

This facility is not intended for making complaints, for which other arrangements exist (see Section 6.12).

The Social Sciences Division of the University has issued the following advice about graduate supervision reporting:

At the end of each term, your supervisor(s) will submit a report on your academic progress. To facilitate this reporting, the University operates an online Graduate Supervision Reporting system (GSR). Within this system, you have the opportunity to contribute to your termly supervision reports by reviewing and commenting on your own progress.

You are strongly encouraged to take the opportunity to review and comment on your academic progress, any skills training you have undertaken or may need to the future, and on your engagement with the academic community (e.g. seminar/conference attendance or any teaching you have undertaken).

Your supervisor(s) will review and comment on your academic progress and performance during the current term and assess skills and training needs to be addressed during the next term. Your supervisor should discuss the report with you, as it will form the basis for feedback on your progress, for identifying areas where further work is required, for reviewing your progress against an agreed timetable, and for agreeing plans for the term ahead.

When reporting on academic progress, students on taught courses should review progress during the current term, and measure this progress against the timetable and requirements for their programme of study. Students on doctoral programmes should reflect on the progress made with their research project during the current term, including written work (e.g. drafts of chapters) and you should assess this against the plan of research that has been agreed with your supervisor(s).

All students should briefly describe which subject-specific research skills and more general personal/professional skills they have acquired or developed during the current term. You should include attendance at relevant classes that form part of your programme of study and also include courses, seminars or workshops offered or arranged by your department or the Division. Students should also reflect on the skills required to undertake the work they intend to carry out. You should mention any skills you do not already have or you may wish to strengthen through undertaking training.

If you have any complaints about the supervision you are receiving, you should raise this with your Director of Graduate Studies. You should not use the supervision reporting system as a mechanism for complaints.

Students are asked to report in weeks 6 and 7 of term. Once you have completed your sections of the online form, it will be released to your supervisor(s) for completion and will also be visible to your Director of Graduate Studies and to your College Advisor. When the supervisor’s sections are completed, you will be able to view the report, as will the relevant Director of Graduate Studies and your college advisor. Directors of Graduate Studies are responsible for ensuring that appropriate supervision takes place, and this is one of the mechanisms they use to obtain information about supervision. College advisors are a source of support and advice to students, and it is therefore important that they are informed of your progress, including concerns (expressed by you and/or your supervisor).

6.1 Colleges

You will have chosen or been chosen by a college, as no one can take a degree in the University without college membership. Most departmental and University academic staff are also members of colleges. At the graduate level especially, colleges typically provide accommodation, ancillary learning facilities like libraries and computers, and some entertainment facilities (sports and other interest-based societies, for example), as well as forming academic communities of staff and students from a variety of disciplines. A lot of undergraduate teaching is also done by and in colleges, including the Archaeology and Anthropology and the Human Sciences degrees (the latter also covering social anthropology), but for graduate anthropology, as for other graduate subjects, the bulk of the teaching and supervision is done not in colleges, but by the relevant department in its own buildings.

6.2 Fees

Fees information is available on the main University website. In general a maximum of four years of fees is payable, depending on how long a student is studying at Oxford; beyond this, lower ‘continuation charges’ may apply. For exact information concerning your own fee status and liabilities, prospective or actual, consult your college, the body responsible for collecting fees across the University, not your supervisor or other departmental official.

A University officer called the Fees Clerk is responsible for determining the fee status of individual students, especially in unusual, unclear or disputed cases. There is also a Fees Panel, which hears appeals on fee-related matters, hardship cases etc. Here too your college should be able to give advice and possibly extend help directly. Some colleges have their own hardship funds, but the School does not.

6.3 Student-Staff Interaction

During term-time the School of Anthropology holds a coffee morning, every Wednesday 11-11.30am at 64 Banbury Road. This is a great opportunity to meet members of staff, postdoctoral researchers, other graduate students and visiting scholars.

Every Friday in term (normally only up to fourth week of Trinity Term) the Departmental Seminar hosts a variety of visiting speakers from university departments across the country and overseas. After the seminar it is customary to take the speaker to a nearby pub for a drink. You are very much encouraged to join the speaker and others on these occasions. The individual degrees also run seminar series of their own with similar arrangements; details are to be found in the individual course handbooks.

The Oxford University Anthropological Society

The Oxford University Anthropological Society was founded in 1909, and works to promote an interest in anthropology and to support students and researchers in anthropology at Oxford University. Unlike most student societies, it is run by and for both students and staff of the School. Membership is not automatic, and you have to opt to join.

The Society organizes a range of events throughout the academic year including seminars with invited speakers, social events and parties, and the School itself holds a post-exams Garden Party in June.

Details of all its activities are normally displayed in the department, on the anthropology website, via email direct to all graduate anthropology students, etc.

Journal of the Anthropology Society of Oxford

Oxford also has its own anthropology journal, the Journal of the Anthropology Society of Oxford (JASO), strictly an independent organization, though accommodated in the School and drawing on its staff and students both administratively and for contributions. JASO was re-launched as a freely downloadable online journal in 2009. It accepts articles of interest to anthropologists from academics and graduate students from anywhere in the world. Its current editors are Dr Robert Parkin and Prof. David Zeitlyn. Depending on the level of contributions, it appears from two to four times a year.

Apart from the numerous opportunities for informal staff-student contact, there is also the staff-student graduate Joint Consultative Committee (JCC). See Section 5.

6.4 Welfare

Your college will normally be your first port of call for any health and welfare issues. Your college advisor, college secretary, registrar or Senior Tutor are usually the best people to approach. At your college induction you will receive information on how to register with a doctor and other health and welfare related issues. However, should the need arise to discuss welfare issues in the department, you should feel free to raise these with your supervisor or if that is not appropriate, with the Course Director or with the Director of Graduate Studies.

The School seeks to maintain a culture of mutual respect and takes issues of harassment very seriously. Harassment Advisors are Mark Gunther and Michelle Chew. They are available for confidential advice and can point you in the direction of further support if necessary.

The University also offers a range of Welfare Services, details of which are on their website, including counselling.

6.5 Disability

The School assesses and accepts disabled students on the same basis as non-disabled students. The University has an extensive range of support facilities for disabled students (including dyslexia, dyspraxia, etc.). Special arrangements may be made for disabled students for examinations as well as teaching. Information can be obtained through your college or the University’s Disability Office. The School’s Director of Graduate Studies has a specific departmental responsibility for ensuring that disabled students receive whatever specialised provision they require. They may be contacted at any time in case of problems.

Induction loops have been placed in some lecture rooms used by the School. The Institute of Human Sciences at 58a Banbury Road has full disabled access, including to the upper floor via a wheelchair lift. There is also disabled access to the ground floors of 43 and 64 Banbury Road.

Disability Advisory Service (DAS) website. See also links and information at https://www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/prospective-students/supporting-students-with-disabilities

The School statement on supporting students with disabilities can be found here.

6.6 Students with caring responsibilities

The School is mindful of the fact that students may have wider caring responsibilities and that such responsibilities may affect study. Students are encouraged to discuss their specific needs with their supervisors. Where possible, the School is committed to trying to make arrangements that help students to make good progress with their studies. For example, common room in 43 Banbury Road includes a baby nursing chair and screen, and there is a baby-changing facility in the accessible toilet on the ground floor of 43 Banbury Road. A small box of books and toys is available in the common room at 43 to entertain young children for a short period of time, for example while a parent uses the printer. If you are a student parent and have any additional needs you would like to discuss please feel encouraged to talk to either your supervisor, your college advisor or our Academic Administrator, Vicky Dean. See also Appendix 7: School of Anthropology & Museum Ethnography Family Support Policy.

For further details on University provision in relation to student parents please see information on University support.

6.7 Terms

The academic year is divided into three terms of eight weeks each (‘Full Term’): Michaelmas Term (October to December), Hilary Term (January to March) and Trinity Term (April to June). Exact dates vary from year to year and dates for the current and future years are available at https://www.ox.ac.uk/about/facts-and-figures/dates-of-term. The eight-week ‘Full Terms’ are lecturing terms, but supervision sessions, examinations and the odd tutorial (e.g. postponed because of sickness) may also take place in the further weeks of ‘Term’ either side of these, or occasionally in vacations. Sat exams are held during or immediately after Trinity term. In numbering weeks, 0^th week is the week before Full Term, 9^th week that following it, etc. The Christmas and Easter vacations extend over about six weeks, the so-called ‘long vacation’ or summer vacation over about fourteen weeks.

6.8 University authorities outside the department

There are a number of these, but note particularly:

1. The Proctors, the University’s chief disciplinary officers, with powers to interpret and enforce the University’s regulations, to hear certain classes of appeals and complaints, and to govern the conduct of examinations. There are two Proctors, ‘senior’ and ‘junior’, who change every year in the Easter vacation. Their responsibilities are divided, but their powers are equal. Any applications by taught-course students to extend deadlines, suspend their studies for a significant period or otherwise vary the terms of their degree should be made to the Proctors through their (the student’s) college, not to the School (which nonetheless may be asked to support such applications). Different arrangements apply to research students in these cases, detailed in the Handbook for Research Degrees.

2. The Education Committee, which is concerned with educational policy within the University, but is also the relevant body for petitions to have the regulations set aside for particular students in particular cases. Again, the college should be involved in the making of any such petition, but the School may also have a role in initiating or supporting it.

3. The Graduate Studies Officers, who administer the degree system. They come below 1) and 2) in the University hierarchy, meaning that in general their powers are administrative rather than judicial and restricted by the regulations as they exist.

6.9 Policies and regulations

The University has a wide range of policies and regulations that apply to students. These are easily accessible through the A-Z of University regulations, codes of conduct and policies available on the Oxford Students website: www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/regulations/a-z.

6.10 Problems and difficulties

We very much hope that your time at the School is trouble-free; however, problems do sometimes arise. Most problems arise out of misunderstandings and failures of communication; the sooner you talk to someone about them, the sooner they can be resolved.

Academic problems: Ideally, the first person you should turn to is your supervisor. Don’t be afraid to let him or her know if you are finding your work difficult to manage, or that you do not really understand what is expected of you. If for some reason you do not want to approach your supervisor, or have done so but felt that you did not get a satisfactory answer, you are always welcome to discuss academic or administrative problems with the Director of Graduate Studies for the School or the Head of School. Another possible source of advice is your college adviser or college senior tutor, who should be separate from your tutor or academic supervisor. Occasionally a change of supervisor is indicated as the only effective solution to a problem. Although this depends on the availability of an alternative supervisor, in such cases the student should not fear being placed at a disadvantage in any way for the future: it is accepted that supervisor-student relationships are not always satisfactory and may sometimes become unworkable.

Personal problems: Again, you may wish to talk first of all to your supervisor, especially if the problem is affecting your work, or else to the Director of Graduate Studies or the Head of School (as above). Your college should have given you details of the various college officers who have responsibility for pastoral care. Finally, the University runs a free and completely confidential Counselling Service.

6.11 Complaints and appeals

The University, the Social Sciences Division and the School of Anthropology & Museum Ethnography all hope that provision made for students at all stages of their course of study will make the need for complaints (about that provision) or appeals (against the outcomes of any form of assessment) infrequent.

Nothing in the University’s complaints procedure precludes an informal discussion with the person immediately responsible for the issue that you wish to complain about (and who may not be one of the individuals identified below). This is often the simplest way to achieve a satisfactory resolution.

Many sources of advice are available within colleges, within the department and from bodies like Student Advice Service provided by OUSU or the Counselling Service, which have extensive experience in advising students. You may wish to take advice from one of these sources before pursuing your complaint.

General areas of concern about provision affecting students as a whole should be raised through Joint Consultative Committee or via student representation on the department’s committees.

6.12 Complaints

If your concern or complaint relates to teaching or other provision made by the department, then you should raise it with the Course Director of your course or with the Director of Graduate Studies (dgs@anthro.ox.ac.uk) as appropriate. Within the department the officer concerned will attempt to resolve your complaint informally.

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome, then you may take your concern further by making a formal complaint to the University Proctors. The procedures adopted by the Proctors for the consideration of complaints and appeals are described on the Proctors’ webpage (https://www.proctors.ox.ac.uk/).

If your concern or complaint relates to provision made by your college, you should raise it either with your tutor or with one of the college officers, Senior Tutor, Tutor for Graduates (as appropriate). Your college will also be able to explain how to take your complaint further if you are dissatisfied with the outcome of its consideration.

6.13 Academic appeals

An academic appeal is defined as a formal questioning of a decision on an academic matter made by the responsible academic body.

For taught graduate courses, a concern which might lead to an appeal should be raised with your college authorities and the individual responsible for overseeing your work. It must not be raised directly with examiners or assessors. If it is not possible to clear up your concern in this way, you may put your concern in writing and submit it to the Proctors via the Senior Tutor of your college.

As noted above, the procedures adopted by the Proctors in relation to complaints and appeals are described on the Proctors’ webpage (www.proctors.ox.ac.uk).

Please remember in connection with all the academic appeals that:

• The Proctors are not empowered to challenge the academic judgement of examiners or academic bodies.
• The Proctors can consider whether the procedures for reaching an academic decision were properly followed; i.e. whether there was a significant procedural administrative error; whether there is evidence of bias or inadequate assessment; whether the examiners failed to take into account special factors affecting a candidate’s performance.
• On no account should you contact your examiners or assessors directly.

6.14 Working While Studying

The School, like the University as a whole, takes the view that full-time courses require full-time study and that studying at Oxford does not allow sufficient time to earn one’s living from paid employment simultaneously. However, the teaching mentioned in Section 2.8 is a partial exception, and other considerations may also be important, especially for doctoral students in the later stages of writing up, by which time one’s funding may well have dried up. The School’s Teaching Committee has therefore drawn up guidelines for students wishing to take paid employment during term time, appended below. Note that it is not possible to study for any postgraduate taught degree (MSc, MPhil) within the School on a part-time basis in order to facilitate working while studying.

Guidelines on students taking paid employment during term time

The School is concerned that all students recognize that registration for master’s or doctoral degrees entails full-time commitment, at least to match the period of full fee payments. After that period is ended, it is recognized that in practice students may need to seek at least part-time employment while finishing the writing up of their theses. However, it is expected that work will also continue on the thesis unless this has become impossible, when they should apply for suspension of status or withdraw.

In practice, it is accepted that employment may have to be sought for financial reasons outside term times, but in all cases it is hoped that this employment where possible will be related to the student’s academic interests or career development. It is also understood that a few hours’ casual paid work at weekends during term time may be essential for some students.

However, the School wishes to make it clear that students taking a master’s course, or during the PRS period, are expected to commit themselves on a full-time basis to their academic work during term time weekdays. Students who have completed their field research for the DPhil and are writing up may, with the permission of their supervisors, undertake a limited number of hours’ paid employment per week if this is connected with their academic interests or career development (for example, undergraduate tutorial teaching, assistance with relevant research projects, etc.) In no case should this exceed four hours per week during the full fee-paying period, and beyond that, this should not exceed six hours per week. The latter figure is the norm for post-doctoral junior research fellows in the colleges.

Please note that overseas students who are on student visas may be given advice that they can work for up to twenty hours per week. This is a Home Office provision relating to eligibility for student visas (some follow part-time courses, for example) and is nothing to do with academic obligations to a University. [Text approved by School’s Graduate Teaching Committee, 14.3.05.]

6.15 Census points and student monitoring

The University has introduced a system of so-called ‘census points’ to increase its monitoring of students and ensure that they are working on their degrees in accordance with the UK’s immigration regulations for non-EEA students. There are now ten monthly census points covering the academic year from October to July. Supervisors are asked to report contacts with all their students in accordance with each census point, such contacts preferably being in person, or if not by e-mail (especially for research students). The only exception is initial (re-)registration at the start of each academic year for the first census point. As the immigration authorities also require a mixture of ‘attendance events’ to be recorded, attendance at seminars, lectures and tutorials is in effect now made compulsory.

Universities are subject to audit, meaning that the census information collected may from time to time have to be released to the immigration authorities. However, audits are primarily designed to ensure that the University is properly monitoring students rather than to action specific cases. In any case, only if a student cannot be recorded as attending a course for ten census points in a row is the University obliged to inform the immigration authorities. Clearly periods of sickness will be taken into account in recording census points: the main thing is that the student can be accounted for in some sense at each census point.

The University has decided to apply this policy to all students, not just non-EEA ones, in the interests of equity. Its main aim is to satisfy immigration reporting requirements for non-EEA students to ensure that student visas are not being abused for other purposes. These requirements also apply to non-EEA students who are conducting fieldwork or writing up outside the UK while they are in possession of such a visa, as the latter gives them leave to enter the UK at any time.

In practice, to prevent action being taken under this heading, all students should make sure they contact their supervisors at least once a month, and at least by e-mail if face-to-face contact is impossible, to give an account of their recent and current activities and to assure their supervisors that they are continuing to work on their projects. If such work is not possible for any reason, they should inform their supervisors promptly so the situation can be properly discussed. It is accepted that some students in the field will be in remote areas without the possibility of such communication, at least for certain periods, and account will be taken of such circumstances. The key point to remember is to keep your supervisor informed of what you are doing and where you are doing it on a regular basis. This is obviously almost automatic for taught-course students who are following a structured course with regular meetings with their supervisors, though the monitoring requirement applies with equal force to research students.

6.16 Visas and immigration

The UK immigration and visa system is complex and requires professional advice. The main source of such advice within the University is the Student Immigration Office, though the School’s administrative staff may be able to give some advice by virtue of their administering the system for the School. However, do not expect your supervisor or other academic staff to be able to give you advice on these complex matters.

Please check locally for any changes imposed by the COVID-19 restrictions.

7.1 Opening Times

The main building at 51 Banbury Road is open from 9.00am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. These timings are subject to variation at short notice, as staff are not always available. In August most key School facilities are open on a skeleton basis only, if at all. Students are granted access to School buildings at other times by arrangement (e.g. to use desk space allocated to students).

7.2 Libraries

The University’s library and museum collections constitute a research resource of world importance. The two main libraries for anthropology are the SSL Library (Manor Road) and the Balfour Library (Pitt Rivers Museum). Many other libraries in the University also include anthropology stock, such as the Bodleian Library (the main University library), the Social Sciences library, the Indian Institute (II), the Institute of Human Sciences (IHS) Library, the Radcliffe Science Library (RSL, part of the Bodleian), the Wellcome Institute, and individual college, departmental and faculty libraries. All the libraries in Oxford are linked through an electronic library and information system (OLIS), which includes an on-line catalogue and provides access to both remote and locally mounted datasets. Many libraries are ‘read only’ (i.e. do not permit borrowing, so materials have to be read in the library itself), including the Bodleian, IHS, II and RSL.

Where borrowing is permitted, care should be taken to follow the regulations and procedures laid down for doing so. Anyone who is found to have violated the regulations by removing books without properly recording the fact is liable to have library access withdrawn, either for a certain period or indefinitely. It is normally not permitted to borrow periodicals or other serials, nor pamphlets or unpublished materials. Any outstanding library fines normally have to be paid before one can take one’s degree.

The Social Sciences Library (SSL) is located in the Manor Road Building on Manor Road and is open Monday – Friday 9am - 10pm, Saturday 10am - 6pm, Sunday 12noon - 6pm. Note that out of term opening hours are different and you should check their website to find out about these.

The Radcliffe Science Library (RSL) is located on Parks Road, adjacent to the Natural History Museum. It contains a good collection of relevant materials and a lot of very pleasant study space. Monday – Friday 8:30am - 10pm, Saturday 10am - 4pm, Sunday 11am - 5pm.

The Balfour Library is located in the Pitt Rivers Museum on Robinson Close and contains collections relating particularly to visual and material anthropology as well as museum ethnography. The Balfour library also houses the department’s video collection. Films are available to view at the library and may not be borrowed.

We also subscribe to an online database of ethnographic films and documentaries relating to anthropology which can be accessed at the following web address:

http://search.alexanderstreet.com/anth

7.3 Museums

The Pitt Rivers Museum (PRM), located at the back of the University Museum of Natural History, is one of the two leading ethnographic museums in the UK and houses a marvellous collection of ethnographic artefacts as well as being of historical importance to the development of anthropology. All students will certainly want to make repeat visits to it over the course of their degree, and it provides an outstanding resource for VMMA students in particular. In addition to nearly half a million ethnographic objects, it also has an extensive photo archive of some 125,000 items from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and many other special holdings in the areas of material culture theory, museum history and praxis, and material culture in ethnographic contexts. The Pitt Rivers Museum Research Centre for study and other activities can be accessed either from the Museum itself or from South Parks Road.

Other major museums in Oxford of possible interest to anthropologists include the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, the Museum of the History of Science, the University Museum of Natural History and the Bate Collection of Musical Instruments.

7.4 Common Room

The School common room for students on the ground floor of 43 Banbury Road, with coffee and tea-making facilities in the kitchen nearby, is available during institute opening hours during term and by arrangement during some vacations.

7.5 Internal Mail

You will find staff mailboxes (pigeonholes) in the ground-floor lobby of 51 Banbury Road. Students are encouraged to have mail sent to them at their college and not to give correspondents the School address. University staff do not normally forward mail to students, so if you go away (e.g. on fieldwork), make sure significant individuals or organisations in the University have your contact details.

7.6 Noticeboards

The main SAME building at 51 Banbury Road has a number of notice boards in the main lobby and along the central corridor on the first floor. There are also notice boards in 43, 58, 61 and 64 Banbury Road. These advertise seminar series and occasional lectures both within and outside the School, future conferences, grants and awards, job opportunities etc. Official information is usually displayed in the lobby of 51 Banbury Road.

7.7 Computers and IT

The IT Officers for the School are responsible for the School’s computing facilities, including those available to students, which are accommodated in 43 Banbury Road). Most colleges also provide computing facilities. Graduate students also have access to the University Computing Service (including the Humanities Computing Unit, which can provide advice on specialist fonts).

All students have an allowance of free printing within the school, using the student printer located in the basement of 43 Banbury Road; not more than 1000 pages may be printed in a calendar month. Students with a desk in 64 Banbury Road may print to the printer in the common room in that building. For environmental reasons all members of the school are encouraged to avoid any unnecessary printing.

7.8 Desk space

Students may use the desk space in the Tylor Library for individual study. The Radcliffe Science Library and the Social Sciences Library also have plentiful areas for study; college libraries may also be a good place to work. There is limited desk space for students in 43 Banbury Road. Desks in the computer room are used on a ‘first-come first-served’ basis each day and should be cleared overnight. Desk space in the DPhil student room is allocated by the students themselves and is generally restricted to those who are writing up post-fieldwork; access is via swipe card. Lockers are available for temporary storage of books etc. A deposit will be levied for locker keys. There is also a common room and a kitchen in no. 43, with 24-hour access to all parts dedicated to students. Students of the DPhil in Migration Studies may be able to use desk space in the COMPAS building (58 Banbury Road) and should contact the director of the DPhil in Migration Studies should this be required.

7.9 First Aid/Safety

The School has a Statement of Safety that details its plans for dealing with fire, accident, incident, etc. Please familiarize yourself with the emergency procedures and evacuation points for the areas in which you will be working.

In case of sudden illness, accident or near miss during working hours, contact a First Aider or the Departmental Safety Office.  A First Aid Box is available in all kitchens.

All plug-in electrical equipment used in the School must have passed an electrical safety test. This is a legal requirement. This INCLUDES privately-owned items.

All accidents and near misses must be reported in the Accident Book, held in the General Office.

7.10 Fire alarm testing

We test the fire alarms in all our buildings weekly. If the alarm sounds for a short period there is no need to evacuate the building. If the alarm becomes continuous you should make your way safely and promptly to the nearest exit and wait in the designated area (usually at the front of each building).

7.11 Risk management

Life in the School is generally considered to be low risk office-working. The risk increases for those who work alone from time to time. If you intend to work out-of-hours regularly please contact Neil Clarke to discuss risk assessment and mitigation.

Our more risk-significant activities involve fieldwork. Therefore see our Travel webpages (https://www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/safety-fieldwork-and-ethics) for advice and information.

7.12 Personal belongings in the department and university

You are advised that personal property is not covered by university or departmental insurance policies. You are asked to ensure that any personal property brought to work is well secured and preferably covered by an extension to your home contents insurance policy.

Feedback on both formative and summative assessment is an important element of all programmes at Oxford and may be provided informally and/or formally. Feedback on formative assessment e.g. course essays or assignments, should provide guidance to those for whom extended pieces of writing are unfamiliar forms of assessment, will indicate areas of strength and weakness in relation to an assessment task, and will provide an indication of the expectations and standards towards which students should be working. Feedback on summative assessment e.g. theses and dissertations, should provide a critical review of the work and provide suggestions for improvements and future development of the topic of research to enable students to develop their work for doctoral study if appropriate.

Students can expect to receive feedback on their progress and on their formatively assessed work as a regular part of tutorials and supervision meetings, including marking up essays or draft chapters of theses. All students will also receive formal written feedback on any dissertation or thesis of 5000 words or over, submitted in the final term of the course, normally by e-mail after the completion of the marking.

Most GSO (Graduate Studies Office) Forms can be downloaded from:

https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/guidance/graduate/progression or

https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/guidance/graduate/progression/exceptional.

The following forms are available via student self-service:

• Deferral of Transfer of Status
• Appointment of Examiners
• Dispensation from consultation of the thesis
• Change of mode of study
• Change of thesis title
• Dispensation from residence
• Deferral of Confirmation of Status
• Extension of time
• Withdrawal

NB: the ‘student number’ on these forms is not the University card number, but a special number usually of four to six figures, which may start with any number. If in doubt, ask the Graduate Courses Administrator or leave blank.

The student is primarily responsible for filling in these forms at the appropriate times and in the appropriate circumstances, as well as making sure that they are signed by the whole range of individuals or authorities indicated on them (usually oneself, as well as the current or any new supervisor, the college, and possibly others). Once the form is complete, it should be returned to the Graduate Courses Administrator who will seek DGS approval and then send to the Graduate Studies Office in Social Sciences Division for processing.

In writing theses and coursework, the following conventions and guidelines may be adopted as standard in anthropology today:

Editorial

1. The Oxford dictionary for writers and editors and Hart’s rules give appropriate guidance on spellings and other detailed aspects of the editing and preparation of manuscripts in UK English. American spellings and punctuation are acceptable, provided consistency is observed throughout (for American English, see the Chicago manual of style).
2. An abstract of up to 250 words is required for MPhil and MSc theses. A preface is not required, though one may be provided (outside the word count), for example, to record any acknowledgements.
3. Although there is no rule for master’s theses, double-sided printing using double-spacing is recommended. Doctoral theses should be double-spaced (main text), with notes and set-off quotes single-spaced. Theses should be paginated throughout.
4. Times New Roman or similar is a good choice for the main typeface. There is rarely any need to mix typefaces. The main text and bibliography should be 12 point in size, set-off quotes 11 point, footnotes or endnotes 10 point. Your word-processing program will probably automatically set footnotes or endnotes in a smaller type size than the main text.
5. Single quotation marks should be used for quotations, double quotation marks reserved for quotations within quotations. This applies whether the quoted material is from published sources or from field notes, and whether a single word or phrase, or one or more complete sentences. The convention that has grown up of using double quote marks for quoted words and single quote marks for glosses etc. is best avoided, especially as publishers still tend to prefer the former system.
6. Longer quotations of more than about five lines should be set off from the main text in 11 point type size and indented. They should not be preceded or followed by quote marks, though these should be used within the set-off quote if required (e.g. for a quote within the set-off quote). If a set-off quotation has a reference, it should be placed in brackets after the final full stop, and not have a full stop of its own.
7. Quotations should normally be in ordinary type, not italics, except for original emphasis or your own special emphasis. The origin of any emphases in quoted passages should be indicated (e.g. ‘emphasis in the original’, versus ‘my emphasis’).
8. The omission of words from a quotation should be indicated by three points (four at the end of a sentence). Matter you yourself have added to a quotation should be placed in square brackets.
9. Italics should be used for foreign words cited singly or in small groups, but not for longer quotations that consist of continuous text (which should be treated like ordinary quotations in English). Italics should also be used for book or journal titles cited in the text, but article titles should be in ordinary type within single quote marks.
10. Exceptions to 9) include names of rituals and organisations, and personal names: even if in a foreign language, these tend to be treated as proper nouns in English, i.e. put in ordinary type with an initial capital letter. In general, any foreign word which would, if in English, be considered a proper noun should treated as if it were English.
11. Footnotes are preferable to endnotes, the latter being subject to restrictions on their use under the Examination Regulations (q.v.). Footnotes should be kept to a minimum and should normally consist of supplementary text, not of references alone, though references belonging to the text of the footnote itself should, of course, be inserted.
12. Footnotes should be in 10-point type size (NB: your word-processing program may well automatically set a smaller type size than the main text).
13. Footnote or endnote numbers in the text should be in superscript: this is usually done automatically by word-processing programs. They should come after any nearby punctuation (full stops, commas, etc.).
14. All pages of the main text should be numbered using arabic numerals. Roman numbers may (but need not) be used for front matter (generally up to and including the contents page).
15. Section headings should be carefully and consistently distinguished from one another according to their position in what is basically a hierarchical schema (of sections, sub-sections etc.) by differential numbering and/or lettering, different type sizes or type styles (bold, underlining, italics etc.), though not normally different typefaces. The device ‘1., 1.1., 1.1.1.’, etc., is sometimes useful (see, e.g., JASO 1986, pp. 87 ff.). Although there is an increasing tendency among publishers not to number sections, sub-sections, etc. within a chapter, numbering does make cross-referencing easier.

Bibliographical

1. The ‘Harvard’ system of listing full references in the bibliography and placing only short references in the text, usually in parentheses [e.g. (Smith 2000: 10), where 2000 is the date of publication and 10 the page number], is now standard in anthropology. If no date is given, put ‘n.d.’
2. Short references should not have commas within them, and the page number is best preceded by a colon rather than a comma: thus ‘Smith 2000: 10’ is clearer than ‘Smith, 2000, 10’.
3. A number of short references may, however, be separated by commas if without page numbers (e.g. Smith 2000, Jones 2005, Brown 2007); if page numbers are given, then it is clearer to separate such references with semi-colons (e.g. Smith 2000: 10; Jones 2005: 20; Brown 2007: 50).
4. In the text, the abbreviation ‘et al.’ (note position of full stop!) is used for multi-author references with more than two authors, the first author’s name coming beforehand: e.g. ‘Smith, Jones and Brown 2000’ can be cited as ‘Smith et al. 2000’ (no commas needed, NB). Do not use in the bibliography at the end, but give all names, however many. Do not use for only two authors, but give both names in such cases: e.g. ‘Smith and Jones 2000’.
5. ‘Ibid.’ (= ibidem, ‘the same’) may be used in textual references to indicate a repeat reference (with or without a fresh page number), but should be used with care, as it may confuse the reader. For example, if a completely different reference is introduced in the intervening passage in a subsequent draft, the ‘ibid.’ will automatically be read as referring to it and not the previous reference. ‘Op. cit.’ (= ‘in the place cited’) is now virtually redundant in anthropology to indicate a repeated reference to a previously cited work. In general, publishers now prefer to avoid both abbreviations.
6. With page numbers, ‘ff.’ = ‘pages following’, ‘f.’ = ‘page following’. However, it is generally clearer to give the full page span in all cases. The equivalent ‘et seq.’ for ‘ff.’ is now virtually redundant in anthropology.
7. Page numbers should always be given for direct quotations from another work. Their omission in other cases is often justified (e.g. to cite a work in general terms), but it may also be taken to reflect laziness on the part of the author.
8. References alone should not normally be put in footnotes, unless there are many that have to be listed together. References should, however, be included in footnotes if they are integral to the text of the footnote.
9. The full form of all references should be listed at the end of the text in a bibliography in alphabetical order of author’s surname or equivalent identifier (e.g. issuing organization or title of work if no author is given). 
10. Normally in the bibliography the author’s surname is given first, in full, followed by initials or first names, then the publication date with a full stop. After that comes the title, and, in the case of an article, the title of the book (with editors’ names) or journal in which the article appears.
11. For articles in journals alone, give the volume number, issue or part number (if any) and page numbers for the article (insert all these at the end, after journal title). Page numbers are not normally required for articles in edited books.
12. Titles should be in italics in the case of self-standing published items (books, journal titles); but in ordinary type, with or without quotation marks (the latter increasingly being preferred), in the case of articles in journals or in edited volumes. Unpublished theses are best given in ordinary type without quotation marks.
13. Titles need no longer have initial capital letters for all words, only for the first word of a title (not of a sub-title if preceded by a colon) and wherever they would be required in normal text. The older convention of having initial capitals for all the important words of a title is still valid – indeed, it remains obligatory for journal titles – though it is becoming less popular for titles of books, book chapters and articles. Whichever method is used, it should be used consistently.
14. Archival references (as distinct from published ones) have their own conventions; see the standard guides mentioned above for detailed advice. You don’t normally need to list your own field notes as references, nor to put ‘personal communication’ to reference informants’ statements, though the latter should be used to cite unpublished information imparted informally by a colleague.
15. Web sources should consist of the full URL, author and title if known or appropriate, and date accessed (to take account of web updates). These are best placed in footnotes. If there are many, a separate bibliographical list may be provided.
16. The above is a reasonable and relatively economical method of dealing with presentational issues, but variations may be encountered that are equally valid. Whichever method you choose, be consistent over details and do not deviate markedly from accepted conventions without good reason (such reasons may need specific justification).

Please see the documents below for guidance on completing Transfer or Confirmation of Status: 

Transfer of Status guidance (staff and students)

Transfer of Status guidance (staff and students)

Confirmation of Status guidance (staff and students)

Confirmation of Status guidance (staff and students)

A list of the options available to taught-course students (except the MSc Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology) will be issued early in Michaelmas term. They are divided into the following categories:

The Social Anthropology of a Selected Region  

Topics in Visual, Material and Museum Anthropology 

Themes in Anthropology

The option papers are normally taught in Hilary term, with some options continuing into the first half of Trinity term; there is some variation in supervisors’ practices. However, options are usually taught in a class or seminar format, with possibly a lecture in addition; tutorials will be fewer, and may be dispensed with entirely. Students should expect to give presentations to a class on materials they have been given to read, in some cases on a weekly basis. Some options are taken with students in other departments and/or studying for other degrees (including undergraduates).

Who must do what:

MSc and first-year MPhil students in Social Anthropology: Two options.

MSc and first-year MPhil students in VMMA: One option.

MSc and  first-year students in MPhil in Medical Anthropology: One option.

Second-year MPhil students in VMMA and Social Anthropology: One option except that or those in which you were examined in your first year.

NB: options not available for:

Second-year MPhil students in Medical Anthropology, and MSc students in Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology.

The options available in the current academic year will be presented at the Options Fair on Monday of Week 4 of Michaelmas Term. Students are required to indicate their option choices by the deadline at noon on Friday of Week 5 of Michaelmas Term on the form provided. In some circumstances (e.g. in preparation for future research) students may be permitted to substitute an option course in another department with close links to SAME, such as ODID, OSGA, or SOGE, for a SAME option course, but this would depend on a number of factors, including supervisor support and compatible examination arrangements.

Examination dates

Please refer to your course handbook.

Results

• Those who gain an overall mark of 60 or more in the June exams may transfer directly if they wish to the second year of the MPhil (except CEA).
• Those continuing with the MSc write and submit their dissertations over the summer.
• MPhil first-year students who receive an average mark of between 50 and 59 in the June examinations can only continue by transferring to the MSc and writing an MSc dissertation over the summer. 
• Students gaining a final mark of 70 or more will be awarded a distinction.
• All students for the MSc degrees (except CEA) who achieve a final mark of 60 or more will be eligible, if they wish, to transfer to the second year of the MPhil. In this case they should not supplicate for the MSc degree: that is, they must not actually take the MSc degree at a graduation ceremony or in absentia.
• The minimum pass mark for all examinations is 50. For the re-sit policy, please refer to the Examination Conventions. 

In summary:

Rule one: In order to proceed to the second year of the MPhil (in SA, VMMA, MA), you need a minimum of 60.

Rule two: In order to proceed from MSc to PRS, you need a minimum of 67, otherwise you need to transfer to the second year of the MPhil (if available) and then proceed via the MPhil route, achieving a mark of 67 in the second year of the MPhil.

Rule three: In order to proceed from MSc to PRS or MPhil to DPhil, you will need a minimum of 67 (applies to second year of MPhil only). In exceptional cases where the potential supervisor(s) is (are) willing to make the case, a lower mark may be considered, but this must be agreed by the department as a whole acting in committee.

Notes: The pathway to and via the MPhil does not apply to Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, where there is no MPhil.

The School acknowledges that students may wish to record teaching sessions to support their learning. This practice may be used to supplement students’ lecture experiences and help them to concentrate on actively participating in classes. The School also recognizes that legal issues arise in relation to the recording of lectures, as students, staff and external parties have rights [1]regarding their work and participation. Copyright and data protection laws are applicable whenever personal data is being processed, including where recording is being made of identifiable living individuals. This policy aims to protect the intellectual and privacy rights of individuals by setting out the conditions under which recording may occur and by specifying the consequences of breaching this policy.

I. Definitions and other premises

1. This policy applies to all students and staff involved in teaching and learning.

2. The term “recording” refers to audio recording alone. Video recording and photographs are not permitted.

3. The term “lecturer” refers to any University employee involved in teaching and learning.

4. This policy does not cover small group teaching (tutorial, seminar, student-led presentation, or other meetings). This policy sets out the conditions for recording lectures only.

5. Copyright does not belong to the student making the recording.

6. By recording identifiable living individuals, individuals are processing their personal data, which needs their consent.

Recorded lectures build on the value of the lecture and should not be seen as a replacement for lecture attendance.

II. Permission to record

7. All students may record a lecture after the lecturer has granted them permission. There is no requirement for disabled students to seek permission additional to that already granted to them by virtue of their disability.

8. Permission to record a session is granted to a student on the understanding that no intellectual property right in the recording passes to the student.

9. Lecturers should normally give permission unless they have good reason not to: this includes, but is not limited to, the inclusion of sensitive material, the infringement of copyright, data protection or commercial intellectual property.

10. If the lecturer does not grant permission, then an alternative format may be provided when feasible and deemed to be an appropriate adjustment (e.g. transcript of the lecture).

11. When permission has been granted to record the lecture, the lecturer should tell all the students that permission has been granted.

12. The method of recording should be discrete and not intrusive.

13. The School regards staff recording their lectures and putting them on the web as good practice.

14. Permission to record may not be given, at the lecturer’s discretion, if the recording is available by podcast or other method on the web.

15. Students cannot record on behalf of others, except in the case of properly designated note-takers for disabled students.

III. Use of a recording

16. A recording is only for personal and private use.

17. Students are not allowed not publish the recording in any form (including but not limited to internet).

18. Students are not allowed to pass their recording to others (except for transcription, then the transcript can be passed to one person only).

19. Students are allowed to store their recording for the duration of their course but must destroy it following the final assessment of their course of study.

IV. Implementation, support and review

20. Students will be informed of the policy at induction and through course handbooks.

21. Disability Services will offer support and guidance to disabled students in the implementation of this policy.

The School is mindful of the fact that staff and students may have wider caring responsibilities and that such responsibilities may affect work and study. Staff and students are encouraged to discuss their specific needs with their supervisors, line managers and/or the Head of School. Where possible, the School is committed to trying to make arrangements that help staff work effectively and students to make good progress with their studies.

1. Health & safety of children visiting the School

In line with our Athena Swan action plan we are committed to providing an inclusive working environment supportive of working and studying parents and carers.

This School policy is designed to ensure that children visiting the School are safe and that we achieve a balance between the needs of those with caring responsibilities, the requirement to maintain productive working conditions, and the need to adhere to the relevant University policies. This policy covers visits by children to organised social events, but also to parents arranging to feed babies at work or bringing their children to work occasionally to meet colleagues or to facilitate the balance between study and family life. Arrangements are not expected to become long term in any instance and parents should ensure that the presence of children is not unnecessarily disruptive to other workers and those studying.

Children must be accompanied while on University premises and must not be permitted unsupervised access even to low risk areas. Parents cannot delegate this responsibility unless the children are in the temporary care of professional childcare providers. Supervised children are welcome to visit for short periods in general areas such as common rooms and offices but should not be allowed to enter kitchen areas or any restricted areas (such as plant rooms); be left in the outside areas, or in any communal areas, to play (including stairs and corridors); be allowed to run about or climb on furniture.

The Bodleian Libraries Rules of Conduct do not permit children under the age of 18 to enter.

University policy https://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/safety/policy-statements/upss113/ 

2. Support available

The School provides access to a quiet, private room where both staff and student parents can feed baby. Please discuss access requirements with Vicky Dean (students) or Neil Clarke (staff). This facility is provided on the understanding that it is not intended for use as a work space for parents. The School recognises that on occasion student parents may need to bring young children into 43 Banbury Road when requiring access to the printer, or similar quick task. To facilitate this, children are welcome to bring books or quiet games into the common room at 43. Children must be supervised and use of the toys at the parent’s risk.

Baby changing facilities are available in 43 Banbury Road.

We seek to ensure that all staff are aware of University provision for Family Leave, Flexible Working, Flexible Retirement, and Career Breaks; and in particular, staff with dependents may wish to consult the ‘My Family Care’’ website for information about a range of resources, including emergency back-up childcare. Guidance for staff may be found at: http://admin.ox.ac.uk/ps/staff/family/flexible/staffnotes.shtml

We seek to ensure that all staff are aware of University provision for Family Leave, Flexible Working, Flexible Retirement, and Career Breaks; and in particular, staff with dependents may wish to consult the ‘My Family Care’’ website for information about a range of resources, including emergency back-up childcare. Guidance for staff may be found at: http://admin.ox.ac.uk/ps/staff/family/flexible/staffnotes.shtml

Details of this policy may be found on the school website here: Working at Oxford Anthropology 

3. Risk factors

Though the activities of the School and the general office space are considered low risk, the School buildings, due to their age and design, are not particularly child-friendly with floor level changes and trip hazards. Parents should be vigilant; visits should be as occasional and as brief as possible. Children should be supervised closely when climbing stairs or moving between buildings. In certain cases an individual assessment of the risks maybe appropriate for example if the child has particular needs (such as mobility issues, learning difficulties, or health issues) which make them particularly vulnerable. It is the responsibility of the parent to notify their supervisor, line manager or the Head of School if special arrangements are required.

0^th week - This is the week preceding the first week of term. Events and deadlines may fall in 0^th week; if you have left Oxford for the vacation you should return during 0^th week

Candidate number - The number you will use during Examinations. It is issued by Examination Schools in Hilary Term and it is different from your eVision student number

COMPAS - Centre on Migration, Policy and Society

CUREC - The Central University Research Ethics Committee responsible for providing review and approval of ethics applications

eVision - The student self-service gateway

eVision number - The number on your University card. This is the number next to the photo, not the number above the barcode.

GSR - Graduate Supervision Reporting system – GSR is used by supervisors each term to review, monitor and comment on their students' academic progress and to assess skills and training needs. Students are given the opportunity to contribute by commenting on their own academic progress.

Hilary Term -  Second term; 8 weeks, starting in early January; Hilary Term is often abbreviated as HT.

SAME Garden Party -  The SAME social event of the year. It normally takes place in 8^th week of Trinity Term, after exams are completed.

JCC - Joint Consultative Committee: this is a forum made up of student representatives from each degree; students are invited to offer suggestions and raise concerns to their degree representatives who are expected to raise these at JCC meetings. JCC representatives are elected in Michaelmas Term. Details of elections will be circulated by e-mail. The JCC meets once per term, and committee meetings are attended by a selection of academic members of staff. Minutes from the JCC are discussed at Teaching Committee and ISCA Committee.

Michaelmas Term - First term of the academic year; 8 weeks, starting in early October. Michaelmas Term is often abbreviated as MT.

ODID -  Oxford Department of International Development

OUAS -  Oxford University Anthropological Society

https://www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/oxford-university-anthropological-society

OUSU - As a student at Oxford, you automatically become a member  the Oxford University Student Union (OUSU). For more information go to https:www.oxfordsu.org

Paper - This is what in many other Universities might be called a ‘course’. Traditionally ‘papers’ are examined towards the end of Trinity term by means of a three-hour exam. However, many papers are assessed by coursework submission in the form of an essay or take-home exam.

PRM - Pitt Rivers Museum

PRM LT -  Pitt Rivers Museum Lecture Theatre, accessed through Robinson Close

Proctors - There are two Proctors each year, and four Pro-Proctors. These are senior officers of the University, elected by their colleges to serve for one year with particular oversight of examinations, conduct and welfare.

RSL - Radcliffe Science Library, located on Parks Road

SSD - Social Science Division

SSL - Social Sciences Library; located in Manor Road Building on Manor Road.

Sub-fusc - This is the term for the clothing worn for special occasions such as Matriculation and for Examinations. It consists of the following:

• Dark suit with dark socks
• Dark skirt with black tights or stockings, or
• Dark trousers with dark socks plus
• Dark coat if required
• Black shoes
• Plain white collared shirt or blouse
• White bow tie or black ribbon
• Students serving in HM Forces are permitted to wear their uniform together with a gown.

In each case these are worn with cap (‘mortar board’) and the graduate students’ gown if you do not already hold an Oxford degree, or if you hold an Oxford degree already, the gown, hood and cap of the highest degree that you hold.

Trinity Term - Third term; 8 weeks, starting in April. Trinity Term is often abbreviated as TT.