Wardenial Team Leaflet 2007-8

Living at Connaught Hall

Management staff

Connaught Hall accommodates 214 full-time students of the various colleges and institutes of the University of London. There is an even mix of men and women, and a diverse range of cultural and social backgrounds. The majority of residents are first-year undergraduates. Most residents will only ever spend one year in a Hall of residence: around 20 per cent are offered a place for a second year.

Bursar:

Andrew Clare

Deputy Bursar:

Abraham Ghoneim

Assistant Bursars:

David Campbell



Saule Kauneckaite

Many of the residents at Connaught Hall are experiencing the stresses of university-level study and life away from home for the first time; for some, home is on the other side of the world. And whilst London is undoubtedly a vibrant and exciting place full of opportunities for students, it can sometimes be a lonely and impersonal city to live in. So Connaught Hall aims to provide a safe, comfortable home and a secure, supportive, friendly, and tolerant environment in which all its residents can study, relax, and socialise as they wish.



Bernard Leahy

Rôle of the Wardenial team

Warden:

Prof. John Brodholt



Professor of Mineral Physics University College London

The Warden and Vice-Warden are resident members of staff responsible for student welfare and pastoral care; discipline; re-admissions; Hall community and social life; and out-of-hours emergency cover. They are assisted by four Senior Members. The Warden and Vice-Warden are experienced University of London academics or teachers and undertake their wardenial duties as an additional (part-time) appointment to their academic rôles within the University. Senior Members are predominantly postgraduate students who are not employed by the University but undertake their duties on a voluntary basis in return for free accommodation in the Hall. All the members of the team are here to offer support and guidance 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 Warden (as Clerk to the Club) and Vice-Warden (as Senior Treasurer) supervise the elected Residents’ Club Committee, which runs the Hall bar, fitness room, and common rooms, and organises various social and sporting events throughout the year. The Vice-Warden is also Chairman of the Facilities Committee, which considers catering, security, housekeeping, health promotion, and general safety issues in Hall. The Wardenial team members are all trained as fire marshals; most also have first aid training. They participate in an on-call Duty Officer rota covering nights and weekends to deal with any emergencies while the office is closed.

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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Connaught Hall The Wardenial team Community • welfare • discipline

Wardenial team

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

Contacting us

Noise

All the Wardenial team are resident in Hall, so you will often see us around the building. The team member living on your floor is often a good first point of contact. You are welcome to approach us whenever you see us in Hall; if we are not immediately available, we will arrange a time to meet.

Every student at Connaught Hall should be able to study or rest without unreasonable disturbance from others. You are expected to make no noise audible from outside your room between 11 pm and 7 am. Excessively loud noise is not allowed at any time. Residents who do not adhere to these rules will face disciplinary action and possible expulsion.

The Warden and Vice-Warden are available to see residents most evenings and weekends. Please leave a note at reception if you would like an appointment; or if you don’t need to discuss things in person, you can simply write to us about the problem. You are also welcome to email the Vice-Warden at vicewarden. [email protected]. There is an on-call Duty Officer from the Wardenial team available whenever the Bursar’s Office is closed, to help with any emergencies that arise in Hall (e.g. fire, lost keys, intruders, medical emergencies, injuries, disciplinary problems, emergency maintenance needs, etc.). The person on duty can always be contacted via reception.

About seeking help... We encourage residents who are experiencing problems to seek help early. We know that some people are embarrassed about asking for help, but the Wardenial staff are used to listening to students’ worries and concerns. We won’t be embarrassed about whatever you want to discuss, so nor should you be. No problem is too minor: if you want to talk about it, we will listen. We will approach all your concerns sensitively and confidentially; and we will not judge or discriminate against anyone because of their age, race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or sexuality. So please don’t be afraid to talk to us if you feel you would like some extra help or support with anything that is bothering you.

Confidentiality The Warden, Vice-Warden, and Senior Members exercise a strict policy of collective confidentiality in relation to all pastoral conversations. This means that some complex cases may be discussed with other members of the Wardenial team for advice, but we will never disclose your concerns outside the team without your express consent unless it is absolutely and unavoidably necessary to prevent serious injury or illness.

If your neighbours are 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 help you a lot more if we actually hear the noise for ourselves and speak directly to the person responsible at the time. It is much more difficult if you wait until the next day to tell us about it! If you are finding your neighbour(s) to be persistently noisy, you should talk to the Senior Member on your corridor, or write a note to the Warden or Vice-Warden.

Drugs Drugs have the potential to be very injurious to your physical and mental health. Unauthorised possession and use of controlled drugs (including cannabis) is illegal and is a serious disciplinary offence within the University. You are welcome to discuss any drug-related problems with the Warden or Vice-Warden: for we consider drug use to be as much a pastoral issue as a disciplinary problem. Confidential and nonjudgmental assistance is also available from your doctor and the various national help lines & support groups; we very strongly recommend that you contact one of these agencies if you are experiencing problems with drugs.

Harassment, proselytising & discrimination The University of London prohibits discrimination on the grounds of age, race, sex, creed, disability, political belief, social class, or sexual orientation. Personal harassment of any kind is wholly unacceptable behaviour and can be grounds for disciplinary action, which may include expulsion or dismissal. Proselytizing is not allowed in the University of London. Members of any faith or sect are entitled to their own beliefs, but may not seek to influence or recruit others within the Hall. Any cases of discrimination, harassment, or proselytizing should be reported to the Warden or Vice-Warden.

Social programme The Wardenial team organises a number of “freshers” events to help residents meet one another and get to know the staff; but most of the social programme is developed by the elected Resident’s Club Committee. Get involved with the Committee to help shape the social and entertainment provision in Hall to your requirements.

External sources of advice nhs Direct (Tel. 08 45 46 47)................. www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk National Union of Students................ www.nusonline.co.uk Holborn Police Station......................... 020 7404 121 Samaritans............................................. 08457 90 90 90

Mental health Every year Connaught Hall has a small number of residents with phobias, eating disorder, self-harm, depression, schizophrenia, or other similar problems. The Warden and Vice-Warden have plenty of experience of discussing these issues, so residents should not feel embarrassed about them; we are always happy to provide non-judgmental, confidential support to residents with mental health problems. It is important to recognise, however, that we are not formally trained in the management of psychiatric illness; it is therefore essential that residents seek appropriate medical or psychological help.

London Nightline . .............................. 020 7631 0101 Lesbian & Gay Switchboard............... 020 7837 7324 Mind (mental health)........................... www.mind.org.uk National Drugs Helpline . .................. www.ndh.org.uk Alcohol Concern................................... www.alcoholconcern.org.uk Avert (hiv)............................................. www.avert.org fpa (sexual health)................................ www.fpa.org.uk National Debtline................................. www.nationaldebtline.co.uk ulu, your gp, college tutor, students’ union, or counselling service can also help with a wide range of problems.