Transcript: Vice-Chancellor's start of Trinity 2025 student message

Dear students. Welcome to the start of Trinity term. I do hope you managed to take some time out over the Easter vacation and feel ready for your final term of this academic year. It’s great to have you all back.

I’m speaking to you today from the Faculty of English Language and Literature. Another one of our fantastic faculties that has been ranked top in the QS World University rankings for the last nine years. As well as academic lectures, students are able to attend regular creative writing workshops, learning from high-profile writers and poets such as David Baddiel, Rachel Cusk, Alice Oswald, and the current Visiting Professor of Creative Media, Sir Stephen Fry. The Faculty will be one of those moving to the Schwarzman Centre, Oxford's brilliant new home for the Humanities, later this year, so I’m delighted to speak to you here during their last term on this very site. There are several public lectures happening this term here, so do check out their website and come along to listen and learn.

This term will feature a focus on climate, and how our academic community — across our departments and divisions — can come together to help solve the climate crisis. Researchers from the University are working with academic colleagues, governments, industry and local communities around the world to help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, remove harmful greenhouse gases from our atmosphere and reverse nature’s decline. They’re working to help society adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing climate, striving for a just and equitable transition to a post-carbon planet.

In the first week of June we will be co-hosting with the UN and the International Universities Climate Alliance a global summit on climate change and human rights. This will feature a range of academic, cultural and public engagement events across Oxford, and a 24-hour virtual plenary on 5 June, World Environment Day, following the sun from the University of the South Pacific to the University of São Paulo via the Sheldonian.

A huge well done to our boat race crews for a race well rowed and thank you to all of you who form part of our Dark Blues, representing our great University.

For those of you with exams this term, I wish you all the very best of luck. Do take care of yourself throughout this process and make use of the resources and support available. The dedicated exam wellbeing and preparation pages provide information about keeping well as you prepare for your assessments, and help is available if you’re facing difficulties. Don’t hesitate to contact the Disability Advisory Service if you have a disability and want to discuss your study support options.

You may already be looking forward to your very well-deserved celebrations at the end of term. Please plan these carefully and Celebrate SMART – stay with friends, be considerate of others, respect our community and environment, and avoid a £150 fine by not littering. Most importantly, stay safe, especially by steering clear of areas near water.

Whether you’re sitting exams or not, this final stretch of the academic year can bring about thoughts of reflection and change as you consider your plans for the long vacation or life beyond Oxford. Whether you’re just beginning to explore career options or have a clear path in mind, the Careers Service offers advice appointments, events and support this term and after graduation.

Do also make use of the abundant support available through your college and department academic and social communities as you navigate these changes and any challenges they bring. Please let me remind you that the University’s specialist Student Welfare Services remain available for the issues that may seem too much to manage alone or away from your usual networks.

Thank you to everyone who has taken part in surveys so far this year to tell us about your student experience – please let me remind you that the Student Barometer is open until 7^th Week for eligible students. As well as working through your invaluable feedback, we’re also continuing our work with Oxford Students’ Union to ensure your views are represented most effectively. 

I hope to see many of you at our final Sheldonian Series event of the academic year on the theme of Truth. It’s on Tuesday of 3^rd Week at 5:30pm, with a fascinating panel of speakers.

I know many of you will be taking time out to help represent us at events this term, like our July Open Days and outreach programmes. Thank you for inspiring future generations of Oxford students.

If this is your final term at Oxford, we look forward to welcoming you to our thriving alumni community. To stay connected with the latest alumni events and benefits, please make sure that you update your non-Oxford email address in Student Self Service. Our fantastic alumni team will also be hosting a leavers fair at Oxford Town Hall from 9-11 June; that’s Monday to Wednesday of 7^th Week and we hope you will drop in to meet them, pick up your alumni card and find out more about your continuing relationship with Oxford.

Well, that’s it for now. Please take care, look out for each other, and I look forward to seeing you around Oxford soon.