Porter (college)

{{Short description|Occupation within certain UK universities}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}} {{Use British English|date=March 2017}} [[File:Magdalene Cambridge porters lodge.jpg|thumb|right|[[Porter's lodge]] in [[Magdalene College, Cambridge]], 2010]] [[File:Selwyn College, Cambridge Porters Lodge.jpg|thumb|The [[Porters' lodge]] at [[Selwyn College, Cambridge]]]] The [[University of Edinburgh]], the majority of [[college]]s at the universities of [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]], [[University of Durham|Durham]] and [[University of Oxford|Oxford]], as well as newer collegiate universities such as [[Lancaster University]], [[University of York]], and older universities like [[University of Bristol]] and [[University of Wales, Lampeter|St David's College]], have members of staff called '''porters'''. There is normally a Head Porter, Deputy Head Porter and a team of other porters.<ref>[http://www.dow.cam.ac.uk/dow_server/mfs/staff/plodge.html Porters' Lodge Staff] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100909180129/http://www.dow.cam.ac.uk/dow_server/mfs/staff/plodge.html |date=9 September 2010 }}, [[Downing College, Cambridge]].</ref> Their precise job roles vary from college to college. [[Oxbridge]] porters are highly sought after jobs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2011/nov/04/working-life-university-porter-cambridge |title = A working life: the university porter {{!}} Work & careers {{!}} The Guardian| website=[[TheGuardian.com]] | date=4 November 2011 }}</ref> Porters work in a section of the college called the [[porters' lodge]], at the main entrance.

Roles can involve:

* Controlling entry to the college * Sorting mail * Providing security to members * Reporting students to the [[Dean (education)|Dean]] * Maintenance and repairs to college property

Porters also exist at [[McGill University]] in Canada, where each one is generally responsible for a large building or group of smaller buildings. Generally, they provide a single point of contact for any issues relating to the facilities they are responsible for, including security, maintenance requests, [[access control]], etc.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mcgill.ca/facilities/buildings/services |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025115818/http://www.mcgill.ca/facilities/buildings/services |archive-date=25 October 2014 |title=Building Services {{!}} Facilities Operations and Development - McGill University}}</ref>

The character Skullion from [[Tom Sharpe]]'s satirical 1974 novel ''[[Porterhouse Blue]]'' was a fictional head porter reputed to be based on Albert Jaggard, the Head Porter of [[Corpus Christi College, Cambridge|Corpus Christi]] during the 1960s and 1970s.

At Edinburgh, the position has historically been hereditary.

== References == {{reflist}}

[[Category:Education and training occupations]] [[Category:University of Cambridge]] [[Category:University of Oxford]] [[Category:Durham University]] [[Category:Culture of the University of York]] [[Category:Oxbridge]]