From the Head of Community Relations

We want this section of the website to communicate some of the benefits that the collegiate University brings to its neighbours and the wider public.

Public and community engagement is not new for the University and the colleges: they have been involved in such activity in some shape or form for centuries.  

Engagement is not simply about producing webpages like this either. As the Vice-Chancellor says in his foreword, it’s also about listening.

That is why the University has been consulting its neighbours in the city and region over the past 12 months:

• We have talked to people through student-conducted street interviews, focus groups and one-to-one interviews. 
• Our e-survey received 2,373 responses. 
• We sought our neighbours’ views on our current public and community engagement activities and how the so-called ‘town-gown’ relationship could be improved. 

The responses to the consultation have provided us with a number of ideas on how we can further develop the University’s relationship with the community over the next few years. 

So this report and website is the beginning, and not the end, of a process. We hope to further develop these webpages over the next few years.

If you have any questions about the University's public and community engagement activity, please do not hesistate to contact me at community@admin.ox.ac.uk 

We look forward to discussing these ideas with our neighbours in the city and county.

Richard Jarman
Head of Government & Community Relations