Student support services management/Religious services management, University of Glasgow

University of Glasgow

Student support services management

Religious services management

Regents

Faculty

Senate

Court

Chaplain

Common worship had been part of the life of the University from its foundation. Before the Reformation, its members were closely associated with the Cathedral, in which many of the masters held prebends, and with the Dominican Monastery which adjoined the College in the High Street. In 1572, after the dissolution of the Dominican House, the Blackfriars Church, which had been its church, became the property of the College and thereafter was used as the College Church. Regular prayers and services were held, both in the College and in Blackfriars Church, which students were obliged to attend. In addition, on Sundays and great feast days, students proceeded in troop to the Cathedral for mass and were counted in and out by the regents, who were responsible for their spiritual welfare. In 1635, Blackfriars Church was handed over to the Town Council to be maintained as one of the city churches, but the College continued to attend service in it and reserved the right to use it for ceremonies, as it had been used since 1451.

The medieval Blackfriars Church was destroyed by fire in 1670 but was replaced by a new church which was rebuilt by an arrangement between the Town Council and the University and which opened in 1692. The University continued to hold services there until 1764 when the new church was in danger of collapse and students handed in a petition for the institution of separate chapel services in College. From then on, the University let out the sittings in Blackfriars Church and normally held its Sunday services in the common hall of the University. It appointed a Chaplain and a committee to manage the chapel services. Frequently during the nineteenth century, the post of Chaplain was held by professors within the Faculty of Theology. Services continued to be held in the common hall until 1848 when the professors voted to discontinue the practice. The sittings in Blackfriars Church were sold and the money set aside to build a College Chapel. This did not materialise, however, and the money was eventually transferred to the University's general fund. Instead, the College attended the parish services in St. Paul's Church in John Street, in which about a hundred sittings were reserved for the University. Seats were retained in St. Paul's until the University moved to Gilmorehill in 1870. Sunday services were thereafter conducted in the Hunterian Museum and later in the Bute Hall on its completion in 1882. An inter-denominational chapel, designed by John James Burnet, was later built and dedicated on 4 October 1929. The Chapel was a memorial to those graduates and alumni who had fallen in the first world war. A University Chaplain was appointed in 1930 with responsibility for the spiritual oversight of the students and the arranging and conducting of a short daily service in the Chapel. Responsibility for matters relating to the Chapel and Chaplain fell to the Senate Chapel Committee.

In 1961 a Chaplaincy Centre was established at 89 Oakfield Avenue as a temporary meeting place and social centre. This was transferred to Andrew Melville House at 65-67 Oakfield Avenue in 1966. The Centre acted as a workbase for the Chaplain, provided space for a variety of groups to meet in regularly, as well as providing accommodation for about ten students associated with the work of the Chaplaincy. In 1966, a Chaplaincy Centre Committee, which was a joint committee of Senate and Court, was appointed to consult with the Chaplain on the purposes to be served by the Centre. In 1982, the Centre moved to No 11 The Square. The Chaplaincy represented Church of Scotland, Anglican, Catholic, Baptist, Free Church, Jewish and Methodist faiths. There was also a Roman Catholic chaplaincy in Turnbull Hall in Southpark Terrace.

In 1982, new arrangements were made for Chaplaincy work. Henceforth the Chaplain was to have a personal commitment in teaching, research or study and the relationship between the Faculty of Divinity and the Chaplaincy was to be close.

In 1996, the Senate Chapel Committee became a joint committee of Court and Senate and was renamed the Chapel and Chaplaincy Committee.

In 1991, the University's administration was organised in planning units. The Chaplaincy fell under the Staff and Student Support Division of the Central Administration Planning Unit. In 2004, following another reorganisation of the administration, the Chaplaincy became part of the Staff and Student Resources Division of Administrative, Information and Management Services.

Faculty meeting minutes 1640-1669, 1701-1859 ref: GB 0248 GUA 26621, 26626, 26631-26632, 26634-26635, 26647-26650, 26690-26703
 

University meeting minutes 1730-1770 ref: GB 0248 GUA 26639-26644
 

Senate minutes 1730 to date Ref: GB 0248 GUA SEN 1/1
 

Senate scroll minutes 1771-1839 Ref: GB 0248 GUA 74018
 

Senate meeting papers c 18th century-1998 Ref: GB 0248 GUA Senate papers
 

Court minutes 1860-1997 Ref: GB 0248 GUA C 1/1
 

Court papers 1861-1964 Ref: GB 0248 GUA C 1/4
 

Indexes to Senate minutes 1873-1919 Ref: GB 0248 GUA SEN 1/2
 

Clerk of Senate's letter books 1876-1911 ref: GB 0248 GUA 17069-17098
 

Records of Chapel 1912 to date Ref: GB 0248 GUA CH
 

File of presscuttings relating to chaplaincy 1972-1977 Ref: GB 0248 GUA IP 6/2/13
 

Title of function/activity taken from Elizabeth Parker's Function Activity Model (report compiled for JISC). Function and activity description compiled according to GASHE's Standard for Creating Function and Activity Descriptions.