It might be a bit tricky at first but MCR stands for Middle Common Room, which refers to both the physical space and the student body of the graduate community at each Oxford college. In our case, we are the community of students at Hertford College, enrolled in DPhils, Masters degrees, Post-Docs etc. of which there are around 250 members . The MCR community is represented by an elected committee in College and University meetings. In term of our physical space, we are quite lucky. Located right at the heart of Oxford, with absolutely magical views, we are located in New Buildings Quad, staircase 7 (abbreviated to NB7). We have our freshly renovated Tea room and the Octagon Events room on the first floor and our Graduate Reading room on the second floor of the tower. We are well equipped with coffee/tea/hot drink-making facilities, and MCR bar which we open for events, sofas and tables, games, etc.

Different events will require different dress codes and, unless specified, there is no dress code. For example, games nights, film nights, welfare teas, etc. do not have a dress code. However, some social events do. As a general rule of thumb please follow the below dress codes: Boat Parties: Party/Smart, jacket and tie or equivalent for women Wine and Cheese/Cocktail Nights: Cocktail/Smart dress, unless it is a themed event, in which case the Social Sec will let you know. MCR Balls and MCR-only Dinners: Formal dress, suit or evening dress equivalent College Formal Dinners: dress code can range from Smart dress (jacket and tie or equivalent for women) to Formal dress (suit or evening dress equivalent). Hertford’s formal dinners are not informal, but also not overly formal so you will be good anywhere on that spectrum, but it’s better to check with friends if going to other colleges as it varies a bit. College Balls and Black-Tie Formal Dinners: Black-Tie (sometimes, White-Tie in case of the former). Please note that these events are not organised by the MCR.

Our Constitution and Standing Orders outline the process through which one can become an Associate Member of the MCR. The following may apply for Associate Membership: Any former Full Member; The spouse or partner of a Full Member; Any postdoctoral researcher; Any applicant who demonstrates a desire for a connection with the MCR, who would benefit from a connection with Hertford College, and who can demonstrate sponsorship from two or more members of the MCR; Any mature undergraduate Junior Member of the College. ​​Associate Members can make use of MCR spaces and attend MCR events upon approval of their nomination at a General Meeting and payment of a small fee.

It is the duty of all MCR members to wash-up their own dishes and cups after usage. If the Tea room is left in disarray we might have to close it, so please help keep it tidy. The dishwasher is only to be used for events (to help make everything run smoother) so please do not load it.

Shout for help! Or, alternatively, if something in the MCR Tea room has run out, please let the MCR Food and Housing Officer know by e-mail, and it will be replenished. Likewise, if you notice damage to, or a maintenance issue with something in the MCR, send a message to the MCR President. Please be patient as committee officers, just like you, have studies and research to attend to – we will try to make more coffee beans available and ask maintenance to fix any issues ASAP.

Exchange Dinners, organised by the MCR Social Secretary and Steward, are dinners with other Oxford Colleges, featuring both an “away” and “return” leg. During the “away” dinner, a group of us travels to another College, where we have pre-dinner drinks, formal dinner in their Hall, and either drinks afterwards in their bar or second desserts in the MCR. The “return” dinner, usually about a week later, consists of us inviting them back to Hertford, where we treat them to a similar evening. Tickets for both legs of the Exchange go out at the same time and are very limited (and so, sell out really quickly), so please make sure you only buy a ticket if you intend to attend both legs of the exchange (check your diary beforehand!)

More information on things that are organised by College can be found on the College’s Intranet and/or the College’s Handbook. If your question concerns the MCR and what it can do for you please email the MCR President (mcr-president@hertford.ox.ac.uk) who will try to help you or redirect you to someone who can!

The Porter’s Lodge, which is located at the main gate in OB quad, is staffed by a crew of friendly porters, and soon enough you will become well acquainted with their lovely faces! Especially since they are likely to be the first faces you see when you join us at Hertford and collect your room key. The porters have a range of responsibilities and are the place to go for any problems you might encounter in the College – they will know who to redirect you to, if needed, and are open 24/7. The Lodge is where you can collect and hand back your room keys, deal with lost property and deliver academic work to College lecturers and Fellows, deal with emergencies and report security issues. The Porters will also receive any post you receive in College and put it in your pidge and/or notify you of its arrival. Any emergencies or security issues should be reported immediately.

Whilst at Hertford, you will have a ‘pidge’, i.e., a space with your name in the post room by the ‘Plodge’, i.e. the Porter’s lodge. (Welcome to Oxford, where slang of this kind runs strife.) With this in mind, you may wish to ship any parcels and mail to Hertford, since our lovely porters will keep them safe and notify you of any parcels (nb. You will not get a notification for letters, only parcels). Hertford’s postal address is: Hertford College, Catte Street, OX1 3BW Oxford. For new international students: This address is used when registering for the NHS Doctors’ surgery 28@Northgate, which is associated with Hertford. You may be asked for your registration address when picking up prescriptions or using other NHS services, so it is useful to memorise it.

You can top up your card to pay for food in Hall and buy tickets to formal dinners on UPay . You will need to use your SSO login (i.e., Oxford username). Tickets to both dinners organised by College, which tend to occur three times a week, and MCR-only formal dinners can be purchased via UPay.

Gowns must be worn for formal hall only. You do not need to wear a gown to informal hall nor to MCR-only formals.

Weekly menus for informal hall as well as Hall times are uploaded on the College’s Intranet. Formal hall menus are usually not available in advance (it's usually a good surprise, though!)