Faqs Leaflet 2007-8

What do the Bursar’s staff do? The Bursar has overall management responsibility for the Hall’s buildings, furnishings, and finances; he and his staff are responsible for the provision of catering, maintenance, telephone, internet, housekeeping, and reception services. They also look after the Hall’s commercial activities, including conferences, bed & breakfast, and group bookings. Our Bursar’s Office also administers College Hall on nearby Malet Street. The Deputy Bursar deals with financial and accommodation matters (including room allocation, invoices, and Hall fees); the Assistant Bursars deal mostly with maintenance, health & safety, housekeeping, bed & breakfast bookings, and conferences. Who are the Wardenial team? The Warden, Vice-Warden, and student Senior Members are part-time members of staff, resident in the Hall, responsible for: discipline, residents’ welfare and pastoral care; re-admissions; Hall community and social life; and out-of-hours emergency cover. The Wardenial staff are here to offer support and guidance if you need it; they can help with problems both inside and outside the Hall, including academic difficulties, medical or emotional problems, social concerns, financial worries, and problems with the behaviour of other residents (e.g. noisy neighbours). The Wardenial staff are all trained as fire marshals; most also have “first aid appointed person” training. They participate in an on-call Duty Officer rota covering nights and weekends to deal with any emergencies while the office is closed (e.g. fire, lost keys, intruders, medical emergencies, injuries, disciplinary problems, emergency maintenance, etc.). What is the Residents’ Club Committee? The Residents’ Club Committee is made up of five elected Hall residents: President, Secretary, Treasurer, Sports Officer, and Entertainment Officer, plus the Bar Manager, Warden (as Clerk to the Club), and Vice-Warden (as Senior Treasurer). Under the supervision of the Warden and Vice-Warden, the Committee runs the Hall bar and organises various social and sporting events, funded by the subscriptions which all residents pay; this income is also used to provide newspapers, magazines, games, and tv / dvd equipment. The elected members of the Committee are your representatives in the Hall, so do let them know about any ideas, suggestions, or concerns you might have about the social programme, clubs, or their use of your subscription fee.

Management staff Bursar:

Andrew Clare

Deputy Bursar:

Abraham Ghoneim

Assistant Bursars:

David Campbell



Saule Kauneckaite



Bernard Leahy

The Bursar’s team are full-time members of staff; they can all be contacted through the General Office during working hours. Office hours: Monday – Friday, 8.00 am – 6.00 pm.

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U n i ve r s i t y of L on d on

Connaught Hall Frequently asked questions

Wardenial team Warden:

Prof. John Brodholt



Professor of Mineral Physics University College London

Vice-Warden:

Dr. Adrian Clark



Specialty Registrar in Emergency Medicine London Postgraduate Medical Deanery

Senior Members:

Hawa Abubakar



M.B., B.S. candidate in Medicine King’s College London



Ashleigh Melvin



Ph.D. candidate in History Birkbeck College



Tessa Snelgar



B.Sc. candidate in Midwifery King’s College London



Laurence Wild



Ph.D. candidate in Cancer Genetics University College London

There is an on-call Wardenial team Duty Officer available at nights and weekends to help with any emergencies while the office is closed. You can contact the Duty Officer via reception.

www.connaught-hall.org.uk

To arrange a meeting with the Warden or Vice-Warden, leave a note at reception stating the times when you will be available over the following few days.

36-45 Tavistock Square, London wc1h 9ex Tel: 020 7756 8200 – Fax: 020 7383 4109 [email protected] – www.london.ac.uk/223

When can I move in? When do I have to move out?

When are meals served??

You should move into Hall the day before the start, and vacate the day after the end of your academic year as determined by your college. You do not have to move out during vacations.

Breakfast Monday – Friday

Can I move out early? You are liable for your Hall fees for the whole academic year. No credit will be given for early departure: if you move out before the end of the academic year, you must pay for your room until we find someone to replace you. What if I go home in the vacations? You may claim a meal rebate for meals not taken in Hall during the Christmas and Easter vacations. You must be away from the Hall for five or more consecutive days, and you must have handed in your key, swipe card, and id card before leaving. Meal rebates are only available during University vacations. No credit is given in respect of other services. How do I pay my Hall fees? Fees for the year are divided into three terms. You will receive an invoice near the start of each term, which must be paid within two weeks. Payment should be made in the General Office during working hours. You can pay by cash, cheque (payable to University of London) or by debit or credit card. What if I can’t pay my fees? Please talk to the Deputy Bursar in the General Office (email [email protected]) as soon as possible; we can usually help (e.g. by allowing you to pay in instalments), but only if you keep us informed. We will not be sympathetic if you ignore invoices and do not communicate with us. Can I move to a different room? It is usually not possible to change rooms. If you are very unhappy with your room, speak to the Deputy Bursar: we may be able to change some of the things you don’t like! How do I get a Hall id card? Why do I need one? You will be given an id card when we have your deposit, acceptance form, 3 passport photos & medical details form. Your Connaught Hall id card is your proof of residence; you need an id card to be able to claim your meals in the dining hall, request packed suppers, and to borrow games, sports equipment, and the dvd player from reception.

How do I get help with my telephone/internet connection? 7.45 am –

9.00 am

Brunch

Saturday & Sunday 11.00 am –

12.30 pm

Dinner

Monday – Friday

5.45 pm –

7.00 pm



Saturday & Sunday 5.45 pm –

6.45 pm

Slightly different arrangements may apply during vacations and on bank holidays. Signs will be put up with details. What if I have a late lecture / seminar and miss dinner? If you are unable to return to the Hall in time for dinner because of academic commitments (Monday – Friday only), you may request a packed supper instead of a meal in the dining hall. Packed suppers consist of a sandwich, a packet of crisps, a piece of fruit, some biscuits, and a carton of juice. You must leave your Hall id card at reception before 10 am on the day the packed supper is required. Your packed supper will be ready to collect from reception at 7 pm. Can I make a complaint or suggestion about the food? We encourage you to make comments and suggestions regarding the catering service; we hope to tailor the food to what residents like and want. The chef is available in the kitchen at meal times if you want to comment on a particular food served at that meal. You could also speak to a member of the Facilities Committee or email [email protected]. What if I lose my key or swipe card? You can get a replacement key any time: just ask at reception. If you lose your swipe card, you must request a new one in the General Office during working hours. There is a fee of £10 for replacement keys and swipe cards, of which £5 is refundable if you subsequently find the original. How do I report maintenance problems? Report maintenance emergencies (i.e. those which may pose a hazard) to the Bursar’s Office or Duty Officer immediately. Write all non-urgent maintenance problems in the log book at reception. The log book is checked regularly by the maintenance worker, and most reports will be acted upon within 24-48 hours. Light bulbs for desk lamps are available free at reception.

You need to be registered and have a “charged-up” pre-pay account to make outside calls from your room telephone. Report problems with your internet connection to the Service Centre on 020 7862 8092 (Monday 10 am – 12 pm, Wednesday 2 pm – 4 pm, Friday 10 am – 12 pm). The Deputy Bursar mostly deals with telephone and internet services, so please address any questions to him in the General Office during working hours. Can I have a refrigerator / toaster / microwave / cooker / heater in my room? Requests to have a refrigerator will be considered on an individual basis. Cooking equipment, including toasters, microwaves, electric hobs, gas stoves, deep fat fryers, and rice cookers are not allowed for fire safety reasons, and will be confiscated if found. Electric, oil, and gas heaters are also forbidden, as well as candles and incense burners. What can I do about noisy neighbours? There should be no noise audible from outside residents’ own rooms between 11 pm and 7 am. If your neighbour is making too much noise, please try to talk to them yourself first. If they do not listen to you, call reception and ask for the on-call Duty Officer. We can do much more about noise if we actually hear it for ourselves and speak directly to the person responsible at the time. Write to the Warden or Vice-Warden if you are finding your neighbour to be persistently noisy. Can I have a guest to stay overnight? There is no charge for overnight guests who are properly signed in. Unauthorised overnight guests, however, will be charged the full commercial guest rate (around £25/night) for the entire length of their stay. The signing-in procedure depends on how long your guest is to stay in Hall: To have a guest to stay for one night only, you can simply sign them in using the dedicated overnight guest sheet. To have a guest stay for two or three nights, you must complete an overnight guest form including your guest’s usual address. The Warden or Vice-Warden’s permission is required if you want to have a guest stay for more than three nights. You must complete an overnight guest form at least seven days in advance and leave it at reception for authorisation. We have a small number of camp beds available for hire by prior arrangement, complete with pillows and bed linen, for a small charge plus deposit. See your Residents’ Handbook for details.