St Leonard’s College: celebrating 50 years of postgraduate excellence
St Leonard’s College is celebrating 50 years since its reconstitution as a college for postgraduate students through a series of events and activities. Dr Kostas Zafeiris, Executive Officer to St Leonard’s College, reflects on its origins and shares the anniversary plans.
St Leonard’s College has been at the heart of postgraduate life at the University of St Andrews since 1974, when it was revived as a college for postgraduate students. This year marks 50 years since its reconstitution, although the college’s history dates back as far as 1512.
The anniversary year will be marked by a series of events, culminating in the 50th Anniversary St Leonard’s College Lecture and Dinner during the winter graduation period in December 2024. Activities throughout the year will provide opportunities for the University and members of St Leonard’s College – staff, students and alumni – to reflect on its rich heritage and the transformative impact it has had on our postgraduate community at St Andrews.
Medieval origins
St Leonard's College was the second of the three endowed collegiate societies within the University. It was founded in 1512 by Archbishop Alexander Stewart and Prior John Hepburn. Fittingly, philanthropy and the support of students with no other means to study was at the centre of its foundation.
The Charter of James IV (the foundational document of St Leonard’s College) describes how ‘Poor Scholars of honest conversation and upright life’ would be chosen to be the first students. Indeed, its original name was the College of Poor Clerks of the Church of Saint Andrews, though it quickly became known as the College of St Leonard, after the ancient patron of the chapel that was its home.
Pedagogy and academic study were central to the newly founded college: “ … twenty Scholars, all instructed in the Grammar sufficiently to undertake the other liberal arts … and six Scholars well trained in the Arts … very earnest and continuous at study and lectures, to be ruled under the Master Principal; and these Scholars to be maintained diligently (and especially if they fall ill, to be tended with fatherly care and merciful kindness …”.
In the 1540s, St Leonard’s College acquired significant autonomy; it disassociated itself from the Priory in 1545, and in 1579 it was reconstituted (alongside the College of St Salvator) as a college of arts and philosophy. During the early 18th century, it was seen as strongly Jacobite. In 1702 a fire destroyed the hall and other buildings of the College, which were never rebuilt.
On 24 June 1747 – as student numbers and finances at the University of St Andrews declined – the two arts colleges were amalgamated into the United College of St Salvator and St Leonard. Despite the St Leonard’s College buildings being in better condition than those of St Salvator’s, it was the latter that was chosen to be the seat of the new United College.
In 1772 the buildings and gardens of St Leonard’s passed into private hands, with the exception of the St Leonard’s Chapel, which was explicitly excluded from the sale and still remains a part of the University estate today.
The site at the top of the Pends has remained a place of education ever since. Today, it is home to the independent St Leonards School – formerly St Leonards School for Girls – which has occupied the site since 1883.
A legacy reimagined
From 1747 onwards, St Leonard’s College existed in name alone until discussions began in the early 1970s to revive it as a centre for postgraduates. As early as 1972, The Alumnus Chronicle reported that “[a] service was held in the ancient Chapel of St. Leonard on 3 November [1971] to mark the revival of the College of St. Leonard where a multi-disciplined institute of Postgraduate Studies will be established. […] The University still seeks more Common Room facilities for its graduates as part of this College”.
In its June 1974 issue The Alumnus Chronicle reassured readers that the revival of the postgraduate college was on course and reported on the leadership and membership of the College, as well as the buildings– namely Deanscourt [sic], St Leonard’s Chapel and “other buildings in the vicinity”.
In October 1974 Professor Douglas Lloyd, the first Provost of St Leonard’s College in modern times, outlined the vision for its reconstitution in the Draft Constitution of St Leonard’s College. He explained how it would enrich the life of the University and cater exclusively for postgraduate students by:
- caring for their wellbeing
- promoting intellectual contact between postgraduates and staff of different disciplines, thereby stimulating interest in the research activities of the University generally
- promoting social contact between postgraduates, thereby creating a sense of belonging to a wider institution in addition to their departmental loyalties.
In November 1974 the University Senate approved the constitution of the revived college. It has been central to the University and its postgraduate community ever since. All postgraduates are automatically enrolled in St Leonard’s College and become part of this vibrant and unique community at St Andrews.
Championing postgraduate study
Since 1974, St Leonard’s College has supported postgraduate students, working closely with the University to ensure that they are at the forefront of everything from training programmes (such as MSkills and GRADskills) to bespoke training sessions, supported by CEED. The College, along with the Careers Centre, provides comprehensive professional and employability advice – including opportunities for placements and internships – wellbeing and mental health support and ongoing academic support.
In 2021, St Leonard’s College, and the postgraduate community, acquired a physical home: Old Burgh School on Abbey Walk is a dedicated, modern centre of learning for all postgraduate students. It provides study, teaching and meeting spaces as well as informal areas for socialising and connecting with colleagues.
Postgraduate student support
St Leonard’s has supported countless postgraduate students through scholarships programmes, which have been attracting and supported the very best students and researchers, regardless of financial circumstances. Amongst others, St Leonard’s College currently offer a range of scholarships for postgraduate taught one-year Masters students, supports doctoral students of exceptional ability in an area of research aligned with the University’s research strategy through our World Leading Scholarships, offers tailored opportunities for collaborative PhDs through our Global PhD programme by enabling doctoral students to undertake research at both St Andrews and partner institutions, and offers grants to support the learning of foreign languages or study-related travel.
We hope to be able to continue supporting excellent research and to expand further our provision and support for widening participation at postgraduate study in years to come.
We hope that the 50th anniversary will encourage our postgraduate alumni to reflect on your time in St Andrews, and to join us as we celebrate the successes of all our postgraduate students during.