Ruskin College, originally known as Ruskin Hall, Oxford, is a higher education institution and part of the University of West London, in

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

, England. It is not a

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary sc ...

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

. Named after the essayist, art and social critic

John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English polymath a writer, lecturer, art historian, art critic, draughtsman and philanthropist of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as art, architecture, Critique of politic ...

, it specialises in providing educational opportunities for adults with few or no qualifications.University programmes https://www.ruskin.ac.uk/university-programmes/ Degrees taught at Ruskin were formerly awarded by the

Open University The Open University (OU) is a Public university, public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by List of universities in the United Kingdom by enrolment, number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate ...

. The college joined the University of West London in 2021.

History

Ruskin Hall, Oxford,"Ruskin Hall, Oxford: The People's University" in Joseph Edwards (ed.), ''The Reformer's Year Book: 1902.'' Glasgow: Joseph Edwards, 1902; p. 71. was established in 1899 to provide education for working-class men who could not access university. It was founded by Americans Charles A. Beard and Walter Vrooman, both of whom had studied at the University of Oxford. Vrooman's wife, Amne (), an heiress, financially supported the foundation of the college. The school was envisioned as a mechanism by which "working-class reformers" could "educate themselves efficiently at nominal cost." Tuition, lodging, and board was priced at 12s 6d (£0.625) per week, with a parallel correspondence course alternatively offered for 1 shilling (£0.05) per week plus a 1 shilling entrance fee. Courses were offered in

political economy Political or comparative economy is a branch of political science and economics studying economic systems (e.g. Marketplace, markets and national economies) and their governance by political systems (e.g. law, institutions, and government). Wi ...

, sociology, the history of the labour movement, principles of politics, English literature,

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

, and other related aspects of the social sciences. The school was administered by a General Council, which included elected representatives from the Parliamentary Committee of the

Trades Union Congress The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is a national trade union center, national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions that collectively represent most unionised workers in England and Wales. There are 48 affiliated unions with a total of ...

and the Central Board of the

Cooperative Union A cooperative federation or secondary cooperative is a cooperative in which all members are, in turn, cooperatives. Historically, cooperative federations have predominantly come in the form of cooperative wholesale societies and cooperative unions ...

. An auxiliary organisation of supporters of the school was launched in 1901, the Ruskin Hall Educational League, which arranged conferences and public lectures in conjunction with the activities of the school.

20th century

In October 1907 Arthur Smith of Balliol College paid a visit to Ruskin College on behalf of some of his university colleagues. He broached the idea of bringing Ruskin closer to the University, suggesting that this would involve the University providing funds for the College, and allowing Ruskin students to join the University.The majority of Ruskin students were suspicious that the proposal would lead to the erosion of the college's independence. Following a visit from

Lord Curzon George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston (11 January 1859 – 20 March 1925), known as Lord Curzon (), was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician, explorer and writer who served as Viceroy of India ...

, the proposal was repeated and Dennis Hird, a lecturer in

Sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

and

Logic Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the study of deductively valid inferences or logical truths. It examines how conclusions follow from premises based on the structure o ...

responded that as far as the students were concerned Ruskin College was irrevocably part of the

Labour movement The labour movement is the collective organisation of working people to further their shared political and economic interests. It consists of the trade union or labour union movement, as well as political parties of labour. It can be considere ...

. In 1908, a group of Ruskin students, dissatisfied with its education policy which they viewed as too pro-establishment and imbued with elements of "social control", formed the Plebs' League. The students' revolt was supported by the Principal, Dennis Hird, and following his dismissal the students took strike action, refusing to attend lectures. During the First World War, some of the two hundred Belgian refugees who came to Oxford were lodged in the college. In 1970 Ruskin College hosted the UK's first National Women's Liberation Conference. The conference ran from 27 February to 1 March with between 500 and 600 people attending. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' newspaper called the conference the "biggest landmarks in British women's history". The conference organisers included Ruskin students Arielle Aberson and Sally Alexander, and historian Sheila Rowbotham. The organisers were associated with the History Workshop seminars held at the college and the conference was initially intended to focus on women's history. Ruskin College was a

secular Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin , or or ), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. The origins of secularity can be traced to the Bible itself. The concept was fleshed out through Christian hi ...

sister-school to and a model for the Roman Catholic-linked Plater College until Plater's closing in 2005.

2012 relocation

A £17m redevelopment programme of the college's Old Headington site was completed in 2012, and the headquarters of the college moved there from the more central original site in Walton Street which was sold to

Exeter College, Oxford Exeter College (in full: The Rector and Scholars of Exeter College in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, and the fourth-oldest college of the university. The college was founde ...

. The redeveloped site has a new academic building incorporating an expanded library, named the Callaghan Library in honour of former Labour Prime Minister,

James Callaghan Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff ( ; 27 March 191226 March 2005) was a British statesman and Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the L ...

, who made a major education speech at Ruskin in 1976. The MacColl / Seeger archive has a dedicated room within the new library. All other buildings on the site have been refurbished, the grounds have been improved and the walled garden, with its listed ' crinkle crankle wall' has been brought back into use by local volunteers. A cafeteria is open to the public. Around this time, parts of the college's archives were controversially destroyed. The college asserted that it was legally required to dispose of the records because they contained

personally identifying information Personal data, also known as personal information or personally identifiable information (PII), is any information related to an identifiable person. The abbreviation PII is widely used in the United States, but the phrase it abbreviates has fou ...

2021 merger

In February 2021 the college agreed to merge with Activate Learning. In May 2021 the College Principal was suspended. In August 2021 it was announced that the college had been acquired by the University of West London.

Campus and buildings

The college is located in the

Headington Headington is an eastern suburb of Oxford, in the county of Oxfordshire, England. It is at the top of Headington Hill overlooking the city in the Thames valley below, and bordering Marston, Oxford, Marston to the north-west, Cowley, Oxfordshire ...

area of

Libraries

In 2012 the college opened the Callaghan Library, named after former

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

. Students are also able to access the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley, it is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second-largest library in ...

and others of the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

Organisation and administration

The college is a part of the University of West London Group, and operates as a charity limited by guarantee. It is administered by a board of trustees.

College officials

The college is led by a Principal, currently Peter John CBE (as of 2024). He is supported by a Vice-Principal, currently Anthony Woodman.

Student life

Student accommodation is provided through arrangement with local private providers.

Union and societies

The Ruskin College Students' Union provides student representation in the college. In January 2013, the RSU joined a Unite Against Fascism protest at the

Oxford Union The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, England, whose membership is drawn primarily from the University of Oxford. Founded in 1823, it is one of Britain's oldest unive ...

when the Union invited

Nick Griffin Nicholas John Griffin (born 1 March 1959) is a British far-right politician who was chairman of the British National Party (BNP) from 1999 to 2014, and a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for North West England from 2009 to 2014. Follow ...

, the leader of the

British National Party The British National Party (BNP) is a Far-right politics, far-right, British fascism, fascist list of political parties in the United Kingdom, political party in the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in Wigton, Cumbria, and is led by Adam ...

to speak. Notable former executive members of the RSU include

John Prescott John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott (31 May 1938 – 20 November 2024) was a British politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and as First Secretary of State from 2001 to 2007. A member of the ...

and Jack Ashley. Students are also eligible to join the

and other University of Oxford clubs and societies.

Notable people

Principals

* 1899–1909 Dennis Hird (1st Principal) * 1909–16 Gilbert Slater * 1916–25 Henry Sanderson Furniss, 1st Baron SandersonHarold Pollins, "Furniss, Henry Sanderson, Baron Sanderson (1868–1939)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004. * 1926–44 Alfred Barratt Brown * 1944–50 Herbert Lionel Elvin * 1950–79 Herbert Delauney "Billy" Hughes * 1979–89 John Hughes * 1989–97 Stephen Yeo * 1998–2003 James Durcan * 2004–13 Audrey Mullender * 2014–24 March 2016 Chris Wilkes * 2016–2021 Paul Di Felice * 2021– Peter John

Former academics/teachers

Clement Attlee Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee (3 January 18838 October 1967) was a British statesman who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955. At ...

, Labour Prime Minister (1945–1951) * Peter Donaldson, economist, author and broadcaster *

Tom Mboya Thomas Joseph Odhiambo Mboya (15August 19305July 1969) was a Kenyan trade unionist, educator, Pan-Africanist, author, independence activist, and statesman. He was one of the founding fathers of the Republic of Kenya.Kenya Human Rights Commiss ...

, Kenyan politician * Bill McCarthy, Lord McCarthy, Labour Party politician * Raphael Samuel, writer and historian * Henry Sanderson Furniss, Lord Sanderson (1907–1916) * David Selbourne (1966–86), writer

Notable alumni

* Jack Ashley (1922–2012), Baron Ashley of Stoke, Labour Member of Parliament * Sally Alexander English historian and feminist activist * Michael Berry Jr (2011–2013), actor * Judith Cummins, Labour MP for Bradford South * Ben Enwonwu, Nigerian artist * R. M. Fox, author and historian * Judy Fryd, Founder of Mencap * John Goss (1894–1953), baritone * Fred Harrison (born 1944), British author and economist * Jack Hilton (1900–1983), British novelist, essayist, and travel writer * Jónas Jónsson, Icelandic educator and politician * Sasha Johnson (born 1993) British Black Lives Matter activist and member of Taking the Initiative Party * Joseph Anthony Kelly (Born 1958) Newspaper editor and political theologian * Roy Hughes, Baron Islwyn (1925–2003), former Labour MP for Newport * Lucy Lameck (1934–1992), Tanzanian politician and Minister *

(1930–1969), Kenya civil rights hero, Minister of Economic Planning and Development * Sally J. Morgan, emeritus professor of art in New Zealand * Adams Oshiomhole, former Nigeria Labour Union President; Former Governor of Edo State, Current Chairman of the All Progressives Congress. * Walter Padley, trade union leader and Labour MP for Ogmore *

, Labour former deputy prime minister * Charles Savarin, President of Dominica * Phil Sawford, former Labour MP for Kettering *

Dennis Skinner Dennis Edward Skinner (born 11 February 1932) is a British former politician who served as Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolsover (UK Parliament constituency), Bolsover for 49 years, from 1970 to 2019. A m ...

, former Labour MP for Bolsover * Siaka Probyn Stevens, Prime Minister and President of Sierra Leone * James Walker (1883–1945), trade unionist and Labour politician * Thomas Edward Williams, 1st Baron Williams, Co-operative and Labour politician *

George Woodcock George Woodcock (May 8, 1912 – January 28, 1995) was a Canadian writer of political biography and history, an anarchist thinker, a philosopher, an essayist and literary critic. He was also a poet and published several volumes of travel wri ...

, general secretary, Trade Union Congress * William Woodruff, historian and writer * Robert Young, trade unionist, Labour Member of ParliamentAndrew Thorpe, "Young, Sir Robert (1872–1957)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004.

Ruskin Fellowship

The Ruskin Fellowship is an alumni association for ex-Ruskin College students and staff. Independent of but associated with the college, the Fellowship aims to support the work and ethos of the college in offering university-level education to disadvantaged adults in Britain. There is also a post graduate programme and an international section involving: International Labour and Trade Union Studies; Webb and Chevening Scholars. The Ruskin Fellowship was founded in the academic year 1911/1912 and held its first "Annual Meet" on 27 May 1912. This tradition continues with an Annual Reunion held in September of each year. The Reunion is held over a weekend and incorporates speakers on relevant topics, a social activity including a bar, music and a buffet and, on the Sunday morning of the Reunion weekend, the Fellowship's Annual General Meeting (AGM). The AGM elects an executive committee to run the Fellowship for the following 12 months. A history of the Fellowship was produced in 2012 to mark the centenary of the Fellowship's first "Annual Meet". A pamphlet on ''The History of the College and the Fellowship During World War One'' has been published as part of the commemoration of the War.

References

External links

Ruskin College website

Ruskin Fellowship

Historical background

New Ruskin Archives

Students Union
{{Authority control Universities and colleges established in 1899 Education in Oxford Buildings and structures in Oxford John Ruskin Open University Organisations associated with the University of Oxford 1899 establishments in England