27 Sep 07

A review of the Permanent Private Halls (PPHs) of the University of Oxford began in October 2006 and is published today in the University Gazette, through which it is available online.

The review's remit was to examine the Halls' financial position and strategy; organizational and governance structures;and their mechanisms for promoting the excellence of their academic activities (including admissions, teaching and research, appointments, and pastoral care).

The review also seeks to add to University members' knowledge about the Halls.

The review offers 34 recommendations in total. The review's recommendations will now be considered by the Educational Policy and Standards Committee, a committee of Council, the University's principal policy-making body.

Permanent Private Halls make an important contribution to University life and to the teaching and research on Theology at Oxford. Theology teaching and research is, however, far from confined to the Halls. Oxford's thriving Faculty of Theology has over 100 researchers studying and teaching topics as diverse as science and religion, biblical studies, ethics, philosophy, psychology and sociology of religion, modern theology, church history, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, and Christian spirituality. There are around 350 Theology undergraduate students, spread across 14 colleges and 7 Permanent Private Halls, and about 180 Theology graduate students.