Fundraising Priorities

In the currents of change and conflict that roil the modern world, a thorough understanding of our common human history, in all its many aspects and manifestations, is more important than ever. For centuries, Oxford has been at the forefront of this indispensible discipline; we must not falter now in our enduring mission. We must not let the vicissitudes of the present rob the future of the past.

Our need is great -- but so are the opportunities for visionary donors to make a lasting impact with their financial support, their good counsel and their active involvement. Every gift, regardless of size, is vital, and will be most gratefully received and appropriately acknowledged.

This appeal comes at a critical time. Please consider helping us in the following ways:

At the heart of an Oxford History education lies the weekly tutorial. The tutorial system is the key to Oxford's academic mission, but is it also expensive. At present, Oxford heavily subsidises the cost of teaching each undergraduate, due to a funding gap of £8,500 between the real cost of educating a student and what is received from fees and government sources. The need to ensure that Oxford remains accessible to students of the highest ability from all socio-economic backgrounds, through extensive outreach activities and the provision of bursaries, means that this will not change significantly with the introduction of higher undergraduate fees from 2012. 

We are committed to retaining the tutorial system, but this will only be possible with the philanthropic support of those who share our steadfast belief that nurturing the most agile and able young minds of successive generations is a critical investment in the future. To safeguard the tutorial, the University has established the Teaching Fund, an initiative to fully endow tutorial posts in History, as well as in other subject areas, for the long term, through donations and matched funding from Oxford University Press. Endowment has been secured to support a History Tutorial Fellowship at Worcester College through the Teaching Fund Scheme, and the Faculty is currently working with the following colleges in fundraising to support further posts through the scheme:

• Hertford College
• St Catherine's College
• St Peter's College

Other colleges are undertaking fundraising to support history posts outside the Teaching Fund scheme. For example:

• Trinity College

Other Ways You Can Help

• Sponsor a tutorial: A gift of £280 (or £25 a month) plus gift aid will sponsor a history tutorial.
• Preserve the tutorial system for the future: A gift of £7500 plus gift aid would endow a history tutorial in the long term.

We are the largest department of History in the country and with specialists on periods from AD 300 to the present day and geographic regions spanning the globe, our depth and breadth is unrivalled. At a time when other universities are reducing the range of historical periods and themes they cover, the unparalleled scope of Oxford's expertise becomes all the more pivotal to advancing understanding of the world, both past and present.

It is essential to invest in bringing outstanding historians to Oxford to lead our teaching and research in all areas, yet our ability to refill academic posts once they become vacant has been severely hampered by current funding constrains. Faculty posts which will become vacant in the next five years include Professorial Chairs as well as University Lectureships. We must look for external support to help us to fill these posts and preserve our exceptional range and quality of historical expertise.

How You Can Help

• Invest in cutting-edge research: a gift of £1000 plus gift aid from 32 donors will support an early-career research fellow for a year.
• Support world-leading historians: a gift of £2500 plus gift aid will fund a week of teaching and research by a professor.

Our core priorities are securing the tutorial system, supporting academic posts, and supporting students, but there are also a number of other exciting Faculty initiatives which are in need of need support. These include:

1. Research centres. We have eight research centres which facilitate intellectual exchange between leading historians and support cutting-edge research. These offer many support opportunities. For example, £2,000 would sponsor a one-day conference with speakers from abroad; £500 would facilitate a seminar programme for a term.
2. History off the shelf. We are developing History off the Shelf, an online discussion website where sixth formers studying who are hoping to study History at university can discuss the subject with Oxford students and academics. £5,000 would support for the running and development of the site for a year.
3. Faculty website. This appeal reaches you by way of our new website, which offers us exciting opportunities for communicating more effectively with the world outside Oxford. A sum of £5,000 per year would support the further onward development of the site.

A gift of any size to the Faculty would make a genuine contribution to sustaining excellence in History at Oxford, and we would be most grateful for your support. A giving form is provided on the following page for those who wish to join this effort right away. You may give to the Faculty of History, to the College of your choice, or to other areas of the University which support the study of History at Oxford. If you would like more information on giving, or would like to be part of one of Appeal Committees, please contact:

Luke Purser
Head of Development - Humanities University of Oxford Development Office University

Offices Wellington Square Oxford OX1 2JD
T +44 (0)1865 611543
E luke.purser(at)devoff.ox.ac.uk 

Jane Morris
Development Assistant - Humanities University of Oxford Development Office University Offices Wellington Square

Oxford OX1 2JD
T +44 (0)1865 611540
E jane.morris(at)devoff.ox.ac.uk