Events

The Square#

The College’s intranet, named The Square, is the place to find details of all events happening in College. It is very important for Members to register on The Square as soon as possible after arrival. In particular, check the ‘What’s On’ section daily for updates on activities. www.square.goodenough.ac.uk

Conference and Seminar Programme#

Over the years, Goodenough College has developed an internationally renowned series of conference addressing issues of global importance in a multi-disciplinary context. Conferences (and debates, seminars and symposia) are devised and organised by Members of Goodenough College in conjunction with the College Dean and attract the participation not only of College Members but also specialists from the worlds of business and finance, as well as the academic and diplomatic communities. In recent times, there has been a developing focus on TEDx.

If you have a particular area of interest you would wish to see explored in discussion or a range of significant contacts in a particular field, or if you simply wish to contribute to the planning of conference events, please contact the College Dean.

Participation at most events in the formal College Programme is completely free of charge to Members. In some cases, however, given the nature or scale of an event, charges do have to be made. In such cases, a Member in financial need should arrange to see the College Dean if s/he wishes to seek support to participate in an event which is not free to Members.

Port Talks#

Community life at Goodenough College is greatly enriched by the regular occurrence of informal talks. Informal evening lectures, known as ‘Port Talks’, provide the opportunity for College Members to listen, learn and enjoy discussion on a great variety of subjects ranging from Ancient Greek poetry to the contemporary architectural vernaculars of London.

Port Talks are essentially informal lectures, organised weekly and open to everyone. They are so called because those who attend them are offered a glass of port (or a non-alcoholic alternative). Port Talks are given by College Members, College Fellows and other academic contacts, and can be on the widest possible range of topics likely to interest to the College’s membership. Port Talks are co-ordinated by the Dean’s Office, in association with the Academic Committee. If you have an idea for a Port Talk, or would like to give one yourself, contact should be made with the Dean’s office. You are encouraged to do this as early as possible, to avoid clashes and to ensure room availability, since the College schedule can become very full.

How to organise a Port Talk#

The following guidelines lay out the processes to be followed by a College Member who wishes to organise a Port Talk.

Make contact with the Dean’s office well in advance of the proposed date (four weeks is the standard lead-in time). You should do this before you approach any proposed speaker. The Dean’s team will then discuss your idea with the College Dean, check room availability, and answer any initial concerns or queries you may have.
Once approved, you can invite the speaker and confirm the details with the Dean’s team. You must also post a notice of the talk on The Square. You can also produce a poster to be displayed around the College and in the College’s digital fora. The Dean’s team can advise on how to prepare any artwork.
On the night of the event, you (and/or anyone else with whom you are collaborating) are expected to introduce the speaker and to chair any ensuing discussion, as well as to thank the speaker at the conclusion of the event.
If you require drinks (port and soft drinks) and/or audio-visual equipment you must book this in advance through the Dean’s team.
Port Talks are normally held on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evenings. The room will be set up for you by the College staff before the talk and then cleared and cleaned the following morning.
Very occasionally, permission may be given for a Port Talk to be held on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening. In such instances, it will most likely be your responsibility to lay out the room (rows of chairs, top table, etc) and also your responsibility to put the room back to its default setting.
After any Port Talk, any audio-visual equipment borrowed and any remaining bottles of drink should be left at the relevant House reception.

If a speaker is coming from outside the College, it may be appropriate for there to be pre-Port Talk drinks and dinner at which the speaker can meet College Members. Pre-Port Talk drinks and dinner can have a maximum of ten participants, including the speaker, the Member organising the talk and a member of staff who will act as host. Drinks will be at 18.45 in Freddie’s and dinner at 19:00 at the round table in the Great Hall. All arrangements must be clarified well in advance with the Dean’s office.

No talk should last fewer than 20 minutes or more than 40 minutes. This allows plenty of time for questions and discussion following the talk and ensures the whole event will last just over one hour. Port Talk organisers are asked to advise speakers that although every effort is made to begin on time, slight delays can occur due to latecomers in the audience.

If the subject of the talk is likely to cause controversy, or to upset or offend some Members of the College community, then the content must be discussed thoroughly in advance with the Dean. All talks must respect the College’s policy on freedom of speech. A copy of this policy, available on The Square, should be sent by the organiser to the speaker in advance of the Port Talk.

College Music#

The College actively seeks the assistance of Members in organising and participating in the ‘College Concerts’ that happen each year, including ‘Music and Desserts’ during the Welcome Period, the ‘Winter Concert’ and the ‘Spring/Summer Concert’. A series of international ‘Cultural Nights’ also takes place during the academic year, often with a musical accompaniment. The Dean is always delighted to hear from Members who wish to assist with these events.

Meanwhile, short informal concerts, known as ‘Members’ Concerts’, offer Members a chance to showcase their musical abilities, professional or otherwise, and to delight their friends and College neighbours in the process. If you are a musician (whether studying music or simply playing for you own enjoyment) and you would like to explore organising a Members’ Concert for your friends and colleagues, please contact the Dean’s office - well in advance of the proposed date.

How to Organise a Concert or Recital#

Organising musical events at College follows the same protocols as for organising Port Talks (see above) with the notable differences that drinks are not provided at musical events and that concerts often happen at weekends. Plenty of preparation time and close contact with the Dean’s office are always essential. You should also aim to produce a printed programme for those who attend. This may be reproduced on the College’s photocopier. You are asked to circulate the draft programme content as soon as possible to the Dean’ team, who are always pleased to give helpful advice on programme form, concert length, guest list, etc.

College Clubs And Societies#

The College is proud to support a large number of clubs and societies. To keep up to date with Club activities throughout the year, please consult the data screens in LH, WGH and Freddie’s Bar and check the Club Pages on The Square.

A major event in the College year is the Clubs and Societies Fair which takes place at the end of September, where you can sign up to join clubs and societies that interest you - or publicise your own clubs and societies to other Members. New clubs are constantly being created: if you are interested in establishing a new club or would like to re-activate one of the clubs mentioned below, you are warmly encouraged to speak to the Dean’s office.

College Fellows#

The College benefits greatly from the support and engagement of the Goodenough College Fellows, distinguished individuals with expertise and authority in a wide range of academic fields, who regularly participate in or host events at and outside the College. The Fellows are formally elected by the College’s Board of Governors; they receive no financial reward for their role. They are normally senior academics or expert practitioners who embrace the ethos of the College and enjoy meeting and helping international postgraduates.

The role of College Fellows includes acting as role models, mentors and advisers to College Members in their area of expertise; bolstering the College’s programme of events by giving talks, chairing debates and hosting seminars; acting as ambassadors for the College in the wider community; assisting in identifying strong candidates for College membership; and adding to the intellectual standing of the College. Fellows are encouraged to dine in Hall occasionally with Members of the College who share their interests or wish to challenge their views. They usually attend their respective Faculty Dinners.

Royal Albert Hall#

The College has access to a box (which seats eight people) at the Royal Albert Hall for a number of performances per year. Details of concert tickets available are posted regularly on The Square. Members must apply for tickets (maximum two) on the relevant sign-up sheets. A ballot is held to determine who will get the tickets. Successful Members will be notified by their House Administrator. Members are charged for the tickets on their room bill (£10 per ticket, substantially less than the face value of the ticket). If you cannot use your ticket, you must let the House Administrator know immediately or you may still be charged. Only Members, their guests and staff may use the tickets. Friends/guests from outside the College may attend but must be accompanied by the College Member. Members must not give or sell their tickets to anyone else, including another Member. Members who fail to comply with this policy forfeit the opportunity of applying for tickets in future.

Unfortunately, the box at the Royal Albert Hall is not accessible so if you have a mobility impairment or are a wheelchair user do contact your House Administrator well in advance and they will see if they can secure you suitable seats elsewhere in the Albert Hall for the performance of your choice.

St Paul’s Cathedral#

If a Member wishes to visit St Paul’s Cathedral they should enquire with the Dean’s Office.

Academic, Cultural And Social Events#