Hatfield MCR » A Warm Welcome

Middle Common Room Committee

The MCR Committee is here to help and ensure that you make the most of your time at Hatfield. The President, Treasurer and Chair are elected before the summer, but you will have the opportunity to join the committee by running for one of the other Exec positions of Secretary, Events Officer, Academic Officer or Welfare Officer, or to join in a Non-Exec role as part of the assistant events team early on in the Michaelmas Term. Being part of the committee is both an important and rewarding part of College life, and we would encourage as many of you as possible to consider standing for a position!

Lots of Hatfield Love!

MCR Committee 2023-24

Hatfield College Master

Welcome to Hatfield College!

I am delighted that you are joining (or considering joining) Hatfield College. I hope your time here as a member of our postgraduate community will be fruitful and enjoyable.

Members of our postgraduate community usually join our Middle Common Room. Run by elected postgraduate student representatives, the MCR organises many events and provides support for its members, as well as representing the interests of Hatfield postgraduates within the College and beyond. Full-time students become Full Members of the MCR. A significant recent development has been to welcome part-time postgraduate members (most of whom are part-time distance learners) as Affiliated Members.

Whether you are a resident or non-resident member of the Hatfield MCR, a Full Member or an Affiliated Member, you will find a lively community which both does its own thing, as well as joining in more widely with general College events and activities, sports teams, other clubs and societies, and so on. There are good links with the Junior Common Room (undergraduates) and Senior Common Room (College officers, mentors, other staff from the university and members from the external community) and I hope you will meet many of these people. Hatfield is a very active and lively College and I encourage you to join in, meet people from many different backgrounds, with different experiences and interests, and make the most of your time here.

Inevitably, there is a lot to learn about a new place, but you can be assured of a very warm welcome. As well as the MCR officers, our College staff are kind and ever helpful. I look forward to meeting you very soon, and I know you will enjoy Hatfield.

Prof. Ann MacLarnon
Master, Hatfield College

Hatfield Vice-Master and Assistant Master

We would like to extend to you a very warm welcome to Hatfield. We are all looking forward to meeting you when you arrive in Durham to begin an exciting new venture in your life. Our aim is to help you to be the best you can be.

Our focus at Hatfield is to provide a safe, supportive, motivating and enjoyable collegiate environment that enables all of its members to grow intellectually and socially. We are #AllOneHatfield and we are very proud of the diversity of our College community. Our College is recognised as a friendly and welcoming place which applauds leadership, creativity, innovation, teamwork and excellence. The College has a lively programme of sport, music, theatre, volunteering and art – along with a range of opportunities designed to support your personal development, intellectual curiosity and future employability. During your time at Hatfield, we trust that you will have a truly unique experience that will lay the basis for a life-long, mutually rewarding relationship with your College, Durham University and the people and communities of North East England.

The main part of our roles as Vice-Master and Assistant Master is to help you to make the most of your time in Durham. We want you to develop as a person whilst you seek to attain the best degree you are capable of. We also work to offer support to those who face pastoral or personal issues during their time at Hatfield. Our doors are always open so please do pop in and say hello!

James Armitage, Vice Master

Heather Bell, Assistant Master

MCR President

To all the New Hatfielders,
First of all – a very warm welcome to Durham and the Hatfield College community. I write with every hope that all of you have had an enriching summer as you prepare for the upcoming academic year.
My name is Keerthi S Vasishta, a 3rd Year PhD student in English Literature. I will be the President of the Middle Common Room Executive Committee for 2023-24.

#AllOneHatfield, the motto of the college is geared towards making all members, whoever they may be, absolutely welcome and part of our community. Hatfield has students from all the continents, from all disciplines and backgrounds. So, don’t worry about if you’ll fit in! We want you to feel comfortable, safe and welcome. We also take feedback very seriously. If there is any issues or problems you encounter at the MCR or College, let us know! WE WILL LISTEN and try our best to resolve any issues. We are also open to suggestions and ideas on how to help you feel at home faster.

If you have any enquires or simply wish to know more about the MCR and larger Postgraduate community at Hatfield, you can write to us via email [email protected] and follow us on social media. Links and handles are listed below. You can also write to me directly: [email protected].

Keerthi Sudhakar Vasishta
Hatfield College MCR President 2023-24
(email: [email protected])