St Chad's College

St Chad's College is one of the recognised colleges of Durham University. Founded in 1904 as St Chad's Hall for the training of Church of England clergy, the college ceased theological training in 1971 and now accommodates students studying the full range of Durham University courses. Its members are termed "Chadsians" and it is the smallest Durham college by number of undergraduates, but has extensive college library facilities and among the highest level of academic performance. The college's main site is on the Bailey, occupying historic Georgian buildings at the east end of Durham Cathedral. It neighbours Hatfield College to its north, while St John's College and St Cuthbert's Society are to its south. The college is named after Saint Chad, a seventh-century Anglo-Saxon bishop known for spreading Christianity in the Mercian kingdom. Although Durham students study their degree centrally with the university, St Chad's runs its own collegiate studies and tutor system. College societies include the St Chad's College Boat Club (SCCBC), theatre company Green Door Productions, and the music society Chad's Music. Gowns are worn by students for formal dining, matriculation and some other college activities, and its members still say grace in Latin. St Chad's has a traditional rivalry with the university's other recognised college, St John's, with an annual "John's/Chad's Day" featuring sporting competition between the two colleges. The college became fully mixed in 1988, after eight decades of admitting men exclusively.