Oxford Pre-Arrival Information - May 2023

This information was posted on April 27, 2023.

COVID-19 Policies

Middlebury no longer requires COVID-19 vaccination, testing, or masking. We encourage all students, faculty, and staff to follow guidance from the CDC, state health department, and their healthcare providers for best prevention and treatment of the virus. Please see Middlebury’s policy and recommendations as well as Middlebury’s summer health and vaccination guidance.

Pre-Arrival Must Do’s

Oxford Pre-Arrival Information Form (due June 1)

Please complete the Oxford Pre-arrival Information Form found on your student enrollment portal by June 1. This form will collect itinerary, food allergy, and emergency contact information.

Photo for Bodleian Library (due May 15)

You will need a library card for admission to the Bodleian Library, your major research resource for the summer. All students (except those who have held a Bodleian Library card in 2021 or 2022) must upload a passport-sized, clear resolution photo for their library cards by May 15 on the BLSE Student Photo Form in your student enrollment portal.

Medical Insurance

All students are required to have health insurance to cover emergent and non-emergent health care. You should consult with your medical insurance company prior to traveling to confirm whether the policy applies overseas and covers emergency expenses.

Middlebury has partnered with Geo-Blue (link updated 5/23/2023) to provide health insurance for students studying abroad; if you need coverage, this may be an option for you. The insurance is valid only outside your home country and is purchased in one-month intervals.

Most medical care facilities and medical care providers in the United Kingdom do not accept insurance subscription as a primary source of payment. You’ll likely be expected to pay for services and then seek reimbursement from your insurer.

Travel Registration

Middlebury requires that all students, faculty, staff, and affiliates register their travel plans. The online registration process only takes five minutes. Middlebury needs this information in order to respond effectively in emergency situations. Please complete the Travel Registration form using your Middlebury.edu email at: http://www.middlebury.edu/international/travel

Middlebury Email Access

During the summer session, we will use your Middlebury email address for all BLSE communications. Before you arrive, you will need to activate your middlebury.edu account so that you can access all messages (either directly or by forwarding from another email account). See the Bread Loaf Technology Guide or contact the Middlebury Helpdesk for assistance.

Important Dates & Events

The Bread Loaf Oxford program includes a rich co-curricular program, including lectures, readings, and an all-school theater trip. There will be several quasi-formal High Table dinners throughout the session, a definite don’t miss! We also encourage students to take the lead in organizing events: readings, Pub Quiz and musical nights: please reach out to the Bread Loaf Oxford office to arrange these.

A starting roster of events is listed below. Please check the campus newspaper, The Panciulum, and BreadWeb (see below) during the session for additions and updates.

Bread Loaf/Oxford Staff

The Bread Loaf Oxford office will be your go-to for academic and residential issues and liaison to the head tutor. Feel free to stop by: the staff is always happy to assist.

Porter’s Lodge, Lincoln College

Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

011.44.1865.279800 (from US)

The Porter’s Lodge manages all emergencies and supports residential life. Services include: handling mail & selling postage; giving directions & calling cabs; fielding incoming phone calls and relaying messages to you. 

Emergency Contacts

In case of health, residential, or other emergencies, call the Porter’s Lodge if possible. Otherwise, dial 999 and then contact the Porter. In case of fire, sound the alarm and then dial 999. For non-emergency issues, the Bread Loaf Oxford office is your first call. 

Passports and Documentation

It is important to obtain a valid passport at once (if you don’t already have one), as this process can take a month or more. You can obtain a passport application from your post office or town clerk, or by going to travel.state.gov. If you already have a passport, please note that for international travel, some countries now require that a traveler’s U.S. passport be valid at least six months beyond the date of the return trip.

You may also need to prove your student status to immigration officers; bring your enrollment letter for the Oxford program with you when you travel to Bread Loaf/Oxford. US citizens will not need visas if staying in the UK for less than six months.

Please review current information on  requirements for international travel at travel.state.gov as well as for entry into the UK.

Arrival and Departure

London’s Heathrow Airport is roughly an hour from Oxford by public transportation.  Plan to arrive at Lincoln College in Oxford on Monday, June 26.  Seminars begin meeting on Wednesday, June 28. Early arrivals cannot be accommodated. Tutorials will conclude by Friday, August 5.   The commencement ceremony will be held late afternoon, followed by a special graduation dinner. We expect to be able to open commencement events to faculty, staff, seniors, and up to four invited guests per senior. Other students may attend as space permits.

You are expected to vacate your Lincoln College room after breakfast on Sunday morning, August 6.

Once you have booked your flights, please complete the Itinerary Arrival Form in your student enrollment portal.

Travel to Lincoln College

Oxford Map

Lincoln College Virtual Tour

Lincoln College is located on Turl Street, between Broad and High Streets. 

It’s a 10-minute walk from the bus and train terminals at Gloucester Green (Gloucester Street): take a left to George Street. In about a block George Street will turn into Broad Street. Walk one block on Broad and turn right on Turl Street. Ship Street and Market Street are on the right; the entrance to Lincoln College is on the left.

From London Heathrow International Airport (the closest airport to Oxford):Heathrow is linked to Oxford by the Airline bus service, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Airline buses leave from Heathrow every 30 minutes (approximately). You can pick up the bus at the Heathrow Central Bus Station or at Terminal 5 (there is free inter-terminal rail service from Terminal 4 to both). The trip takes roughly 80-90 minutes.

From other airports:  Gatwick Airport is linked to Oxford by the Airline bus service, which runs hourly service and takes approximately 120 minutes. Stansted Airport is linked to Oxford by the National Express 757 bus service, which runs approximately every two hours.

Airport bus service: For airport travel, you should purchase a period return ticket, which is good for 3 months and will get you back to the airport at the session’s end (it’s also the best deal). A “return” (round-trip) ticket expires in 24 hours. You’ll need to pay the driver in cash upon boarding. Luggage allowance is two suitcases per person in the hold and a small piece of hand luggage inside the coach.

The bus will make several stops in Oxford: you want Gloucester Green, the last stop.

From Victoria Station: The Oxford Tube leaves London’s Victoria Station every 20-30 minutes, making stops at Marble Arch and Baker Street before heading to Oxford’s Gloucester Green. Travel time is approximately 100 minutes during off-peak times.

Train: National Rail trains from London leave Paddington every half hour, taking approximately one hour. For inquiries, call 08457.484950.

Taxi and Car Services: Standard taxis run between the airport and Oxford (tip is 10%).  You can also hire car services (with drivers) with fixed airport rates; rates are similar to taxi fares and can be high. Airport Direct – 0208.6482899 CCB Airport Cars – 01865.876699 or 01865.765566 Oxfordshire Chauffeurs – 01865.238204.  

Residential Life: Policies & Provisions

Summer Mailing Address and Mailing Info

(Your name)

Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English

Lincoln College

Oxford OX1 3DR

United Kingdom

If you plan to ship anything ahead by UPS or regular mail before the session begins, allow a minimum of three weeks for delivery (FedEx is faster but very expensive). Mark “HOLD FOR ARRIVAL: June 26, 2023” on all packages. Neither Bread Loaf nor Lincoln College can assume any responsibility for items lost either in transit or after arrival at Lincoln College.

During the session, mail arrives once a day and is distributed in the Dining Hall at lunch.

Campus Housing

All rooms have en suite bathrooms and are furnished with a bed, desk, desk light, and bureau; sheets and towels (no washcloths) are provided. The housekeeping staff (scouts) service rooms daily and change sheets and towels weekly. You can borrow fans, lamps, and a few other household items from the Bread Loaf Oxford office.

A few important policies:

• No overnight guests.
• Smoking is not permitted in any campus buildings, including dormitories. If you smoke outdoors, make sure that you are not near open windows, and please extinguish and dispose of all smoking materials in the proper receptacles.
• Portable speakers (that amplify sound) are not allowed in College rooms.

Campus Dining

Students living on campus are on the board plan and eat in Lincoln College’s Dining Hall. Students living off-campus (not on the board plan) may enjoy High Table meals at no charge;

they may pay to take individual meals in the Dining Hall, as long as they notify – and submit payment (in pounds only) to – the Bread Loaf Oxford office in advance.   

Meal Times  

A few protocols:

• Meal hours (above) are strictly observed: please come on time.
• Students on the board plan will need to sign-out (via the Bread Loaf Oxford office) for any meals you plan to miss. (This helps Lincoln avoid food waste.)
• Please make sure you list any food allergies or special dietary requirements in your pre-arrival form.

Deep Hall

Deep Hall (the on-site pub at Lincoln College) is accessible from the Grove Quad and is open before lunch and dinner every day except Sunday. Students may bring drinks from Deep Hall to meals. The pub also sells wine by the bottle to carry out.

Deep Hall Hours

Laundry Facilities

There are two laundry rooms in Lincoln: one in Stairway XV and one in Stairway VIII. Students can obtain debit cards for the machines from the Bread Loaf Oxford office. Irons and an ironing board are available on-site.  

Libraries

You have access to both the Lincoln College and Bodleian libraries. You will need to attend the Bodleian Registration session on Tuesday, July 27: bring your passport. You may also access to materials online from the Middlebury College’s Davis Family Library: see Middlebury’s off-campus resources for more information.

Ken Macrorie Writing Centers

Each Bread Loaf campus offers a writing center staffed by trained Bread Loaf students. Peer readers offer students rich opportunities to develop discipline-specific writing skills in the context of their summer work. We are currently looking for peer readers! A student would be eligible to be a peer reader at the Oxford campus if they have already completed the peer reader training at Vermont (or New Mexico) and have served as a peer reader for at least one summer. If interested, contact Gillian Zieger (gzieger@middlebury.edu) and let her know what year you were a peer reader.

Technology Services

There is one computer room, with a Mac, PC, and printer, for your use in Lincoln House, across the road from the College. You may also use the printer in the Bread Loaf Oxford office.  

All meeting, teaching, and dorm rooms have wireless access to the internet. All rooms have wired network access, and you are welcome to hook up laptops to the network if they have up-to-date anti-virus software. You will need a network cable and an adapter compatible with English current for laptop charging.

Mike White, Lincoln’s IT Manager, is more than willing to help with any IT problems. There is also a comprehensive Bread Loaf Technology Guide that explains Middlebury technology resources.

BreadWeb

We encourage you to sign on to BreadWeb, which is a contact point for the full BLSE community. BreadWeb provides digital spaces for you to connect with Bread Loaf Oxford peers, keep up-to-date on campus events, and reach colleagues at other campuses. Links and instructions for activating a BreadWeb account will be available at the end of May. Look for an email from Tom McKenna.

Medical Services

While there are no medical personnel or facilities available on campus, the following services are available nearby.

 

For consultation with a doctor contact 27 @ Northgate, Northgate Health Centre, 15 Market Street, Oxford OX 1 EF - Phone:  01865 311500

For out-of-hours medical help: call 111 (non-emergency UK helpline).



For emergency care: John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU - Phone:  01865 741166

Local Recreation

Oxford has many parks and walking paths. The City of Oxford posts Leisure and Culture opportunities. For other resources (such as restaurants, movies, stores, services, and activities), see Travel, Transportation, and Tourism, compiled by the Bread Loaf Oxford staff.

Safety

Oxford is a busy, modern city, with its own share of crime. Though the streets of Oxford are safe during the day, at night you should travel with a companion. You do need to lock your dorm rooms and any accessible windows: items have been stolen from Bread Loaf rooms, especially during the first days of the session. You may store small valuables and passports in the safe in the Bread Loaf Oxford office. The American Embassy in London warns against carrying passports in public.

Emergency Support

Please let the Bread Loaf Oxford office know if you plan to travel out of town during the session. We need to keep up with your whereabouts, for your safety and our peace of mind.  

Middlebury’s Travel Registration system  gives you access to Global Rescue (GR), which assists travelers facing medical and security emergencies abroad. GR is not an insurer. Rather, its representatives are available to consult and ensure that appropriate medical treatment or safety measures are being taken. They will arrange for the provision of health information services (medical advice, case monitoring, hospital and medical referrals, evaluation services) through their operations team and Johns Hopkins Medicine at no cost. You will need to pay, however, for any costs associated with treatment, transportation, or evacuation. For this assistance, contact Global Rescue at +1-617-459-4200 and identify yourself as a Middlebury student abroad.

Packing & Other Preparations

• Check with your cell phone provider to determine the options for international service.
• Create a record of your passport number & place of issue, the numbers & expiration dates of any credit cards and the model & serial numbers of any laptops that you intend to bring with you. To be kept apart from the items themselves.
• We suggest that you budget $1,200 for summer spending money. VISA and Mastercard are widely accepted in the UK. You will also need cash in British currency (personal checks won’t work) to cover airport transport and all payments to the Bread Loaf Oxford office, and other sundries. There are ATMS at the airport and near Lincoln College (use bank-affiliated ATMs only). The Bread Loaf office at Lincoln College can only accept cash in pounds. There is not sufficient time to open summer checking accounts at Oxford.
• Days can be warm (80 F degrees or more), although the average Oxford temperature in July is 60. Bring comfortable, casual clothes, and one or two quasi-formal outfits, are fine for opening night, high tables, and commencement. Rain gear and good walking shoes are musts.
• You should bring a full summer’s coverage of any medications you require.

Don’t Forget

• Passport
• Prescriptions
• Insurance Card(s)
• Headphones/earbuds
• Chargers and UK travel adapters
• Rain gear and good walking shoes