Spotlight on Welfare: Gillian Hamnett

Gillian Hamnett is Oxford’s University’s Director of Student Welfare and Support. She took up her appointment in April 2017 and, at the same time, Brasenose was delighted to elect Gillian to a College Fellowship. She has quickly embraced membership of our community, including participation in Brasenose’s ‘Town & Gown’ annual fundraising 10k run for Muscular Dystrophy.

As Director of Student Welfare, Gillian oversees the University’s Counselling Service and Disability Advisory Service. These twin pillars of welfare offer central advice and support to undergraduates and graduates in ways that complement college provision across Oxford. The Director also plays a lead role in overseeing policy development and delivery in all those aspects of student health and well-being lying within the University’s remit. Gillian is extremely well placed to appreciate the student perspective since she is herself a doctoral candidate, researching the history of insanity in the Classical world. Gillian also brings a wealth of administrative experience to her position as Director, having previously been Senior Tutor of Wolfson College and Academic Registrar at Oriel.

As a mixed college with close to the median number of undergraduates (c.365) and graduates (c.220), Brasenose’s diverse student body is representative of Oxford as a whole. Well-being and disability provision is delivered by a welfare network that includes student peer supporters and is linked in to the central services.

Gillian Hamnett commented: “I am delighted to join Brasenose and very proud to be part of a College with such excellent welfare support for its students. The reputation Brasenose has for being friendly and welcoming is very well-deserved, and I look forward to contributing more to the community.”

Senior Tutor, Simon Smith added: “Enabling students to fulfil their potential by providing a supportive environment in which individuals can develop and flourish lies at the heart of our mission to further education and learning. Gillian’s association with Brasenose is excellent news and we wish her well in her new role.”

Read more about welfare at Brasenose using these three links