In certain
universities
A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
(including some
colleges
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary education, tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding academic degree, degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further educatio ...
of
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
and the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...
), a servitor was an
undergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...
student who received free accommodation (and some free meals), and was exempted from paying fees for lectures. The term is still used at the University of Edinburgh, where it refers to the staff who are responsible for security, mail and reception (similar to
porters Porters may refer to:
* Porters, Virginia, an unincorporated community in Virginia, United States
* Porters, Wisconsin, an unincorporated community in Wisconsin, United States
* Porters Ski Area, a ski resort in New Zealand
* Porters (TV series), '' ...
at other universities) and are also on duty at formal occasions, when their functions include carrying the
mace and
ushering.
At Oxford, servitors were originally expected to act as servants to the
fellows of their college. By 1852, this requirement had largely fallen into disuse, and the term had been replaced (often by
clerk
A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts record keeping as well as general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include Records managem ...
or Bible-clerk) at most colleges. The last recorded use of the term in Oxford was in 1867 (at
Christ Church; the following year, the same people were called
exhibitioner
An exhibition is a type of historical financial scholarship or bursary awarded in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Purpose
An exhibition is historically a small financial award or grant, of lower status than a "scholarship", given to an individu ...
s).
[''servitor'' The Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. 1989. OED Online. Oxford University Press. 4 Apr. 200]
Date of access 15 Oct 2006.
See also
*
Sizar
At Trinity College Dublin and the University of Cambridge, a sizar is an Undergraduate education, undergraduate who receives some form of assistance such as meals, lower fees or lodging during his or her period of study, in some cases in retur ...
(
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
)
*
Batteler
Battel, or battels, sometimes spelled batells ( Magdalen), or batels ( Brasenose) is a term used originally in the University of Oxford and later also at the University of Durham to refer to food ordered by members of the college as distinct fr ...
(
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
)
References
History of education in the United Kingdom
Terminology of the University of Oxford
University of Edinburgh
{{UK-edu-stub