Alumni Benefits
Alumni Common Room
The Alumni House at 20 St Giles is a beautiful Grade II listed building. It was renovated in 2007 as a centre for our alumni and includes an Alumni Common Room and Alumni Guest Rooms.
St John's is the first college in Oxford to have an Alumni Common Room (ACR). This is your space in College, where you can relax, meet friends, access the internet and find out more about events and other alumni benefits. Facilities include:
- coffee, tea and biscuits
- comfortable chairs and a writing desk
- the Alumni Library of books by (and donated by) fellow alumni
Opening hours
Monday to Friday: 9.30am-12pm and 1.30-5pm
Please note that the Alumni Common Room is closed at weekends, on Bank Holidays and between Christmas and New Year.
If you are travelling from afar and wish to use the ACR at the weekend, please email the Alumni Office at least 24hrs in advance, with the date and time you wish to visit and we will arrange access for you.
The Alumni Code of Conduct can be found here.
Our booking system allows our alumni to check availability, book and pay for rooms online. All that you need to access our rooms is the promotional code, which will be included in our monthly e-newsletters.
The system has the most up to date availability for the rooms.
Formal Hall
Alumni are welcome to attend Formal Hall on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays during term time (with the exception of Hall closures). Formal Hall has finished for this academic year.
The cost is £39 per person, including VAT, and includes a three course meal and wine. Alumni are welcome to bring up to three guests, but places are limited and all guests must be over the age of 18.
Places at Formal Hall are booked in advance by filling in the booking request form, we will email you a link for making payment.
3 working days notice must be given for a booking. This means bookings for the weekend must be made by Wednesday.
We are unable to provide a refund for any bookings cancelled with less than 48 hours' notice.
Our VAT Policy can be found here.
Breakfast
Alumni are welcome to have breakfast in Hall if they have stayed in College the night before.
Lunch*
Alumni are unable to have lunch in Hall unless accompanied by a member of the Development and Alumni Relations team.
Dinner*
Alumni are unable to have Dinner in Hall unless accompanied by a member of the Development and Alumni Relations team, unless they are booking for Formal Hall during term time.
Kendrew*
Alumni are unable to have lunch in Kendrew Café unless accompanied by a member of the Development and Alumni Relations team.
*Any requests of this type should to me made via email and be made a week in advance.
Alumni may visit College free of charge with up to three guests, at any time during daylight hours, noting that the Chapel is closed on Wednesdays.
Alumni cards and visiting College
In visiting College, we ask that alumni bring their My Oxford/Alumni Card with them, replacement cards can be obtained via the Central Alumni Office through their website.
Upon arrival, alumni of the College are asked to introduce themselves at the Porters' Lodge, so they are aware of the visit. If alumni do not have their My Oxford/Alumni Card with them, their name will be checked against the College records.
Visiting the College as a group
If alumni of the College would like to visit with a larger group, they are asked to email the Development and Alumni Relations Office who will facilitate this where possible.
Visiting the Library
As an alumnus of the College, visiting the Library for a tour is possible, by prior appointment by contacting library@sjc.ox.ac.uk. However, we cannot accommodate alumni tours in Trinity Term, when students are preparing for exams. The Library is not available to alumni for study or reading at any time.
Visiting the Chapel
Alumni are welcome to attend Chapel services, noting that the Chapel is closed on Wednesdays. Please present your Alumni Card to the lodge porter on arrival. If you do not have your My Oxford/Alumni Card with you, the lodge porter will check your name against the College records.
College Closures
Very occasionally parts of College are closed off because of events or for safety reasons.
These dates include but are not limited to;
Sunday 26th July – Tuesday 28th July
Thursday 30th July – Saturday 1st August
Monday 3rd August – Thursday 6th August
Saturday 8th August
Monday 10th August – Thursday 13th August
Sunday 20th September - 30th September – gardens closed
Saturday 26th September
Please note the College is not open to the public while the Inspire Summer Programmes are taking place (mid-July to end of August). Alumni of the College are welcome to visit the College during these times upon checking in at the Porters’ Lodge.
You can manage your specific communications preferences at www.sjc.ox.ac.uk/alumni/update-your-details or by emailing alumni@sjc.ox.ac.uk The full privacy notice can be found online at www.sjc.ox.ac.uk/discover/about-college/legal/college-policies/gdpr-framework/
As an alumnus of Oxford, you can apply for a Free Reader Card for reference access to printed material. Reader Cards can be applied for here.
Additionally, alumni are welcome use their My Oxford Online account to enable access to journals and the library database. The following link gives guidance on registering for access and lists the resources you will have access to. https://www.alumni.ox.ac.uk/journals
Please note all Bodleian Reader card holders get reference-only access to printed material in the Bodleian Libraries and no borrowing privileges or remote access to subscription electronic resources.
You have access to most of Bodleian Libraries throughout the year and vacation-only access to the remaining libraries.
We often receive requests from alumni for copies of matriculation and graduation photos. The photographers Gillman & Soame have a service called ImageBank which allows you to search for and order old photos. The St John's archive can be found here. Please be aware that you need to log in with an email address and the token stjohnscollege2018 before you can browse.
A transcript is an official summary of your academic performance and progress to date. It will only include final marks confirmed by the appropriate Examination Board.
All students who commenced their studies on or after Michaelmas Term 2007 will automatically receive one copy of their final transcript from the Examination and Assessments section of the University upon completing their degree. This will be sent to the home address listed in your Student Self-Service account. For more information, see the University's Academic Transcripts pages.
Alumni who commenced their studies prior to Michaelmas Term 2007 may request a statement giving details of dates of attendance, degree course(s), examinations taken, marks achieved and degree class. For more information, please visit the College's Graduation, Degree Certificates and Transcripts pages.
All alumni of the University are entitled to an Oxford Alumni Card, which carries your unique identification number. It entitles you to:
- a wide range of benefits and discounts in hotels, restaurants, museums and shops in Oxford and elsewhere
- identify yourself as having a connection with the University to those on college premises
- sign up for University alumni events and services.
You can request your Oxford Alumni Card here.
So, you’re thinking about your career? Here’s how the College can help.
The University’s Career Service
The best place to start, especially if you're a current student or recent graduate, is the University’s Career Service. They have lots of helpful information that is well researched and can even offer appointments with specialist career advisers.
Some helpful links include:
- The Oxford Guide to Careers
- Research into different sectors
- Practical advice about looking and applying for jobs
- Information about Internships
Think you need more information?
Keep an eye out for our informal careers events where you can hear from members of the alumni community, who often speak about their journey from students to working in their field. Keep an eye out for these on our website, in newsletters and on social media.
Start networking using online tools available to you
LinkedIn is a great place to start looking around to see what other fellow members of St John’s are up to, and the Career’s Service has a helpful guide to networking. You can join our LinkedIn groups for all alumni and for women [coming soon].
Offering your own help
If you think that you could be in a position to offer helpful career advice to a fellow alumnus/a or student, let us know.
