Don (academia)
Adonis afellowortutorof acollegeoruniversity,especially traditionalcollegiate universitiessuch asOxfordandCambridgein England andTrinity College Dublinin Ireland. The usage is also found in Canada and in the United States.
Like the termdonused forRoman Catholic priests,the termdonderives from the Latindominus,meaning "lord", and is a historical remnant of Oxford and Cambridge having started as ecclesiastical institutions in theMiddle Ages.[1]
The termdonis also used forschoolmastersatWinchester College,where as well as the term generally meaning "teacher", there are also "Div Dons", form masters, and "House Dons", housemasters;[2]and atRadley College,another boys-onlyboarding schoolmodelled after Oxford colleges of the early 19th century.
At some universities inCanada,such as theUniversity of King's Collegeand theUniversity of New Brunswick,a don is the senior head of a university residence. At these institutions, a don is typically a faculty member, staff member, or postgraduate student, whose responsibilities in the residence are primarily administrative. The don supervises their residence and a team of undergraduateresident assistants,proctors, or other student employees.[3][4]
In other Canadian institutions, such asHuron Collegeand theUniversity of Toronto,a don is aresident assistant,typically an upper-year student paid a stipend to act as an advisor to and supervisor of the students in a university residence.[5][6]
In the United Kingdom
[edit]The wordDonis used forfellowsandtutorsof acollegeoruniversity,especially traditionalcollegiate universitiessuch asOxfordandCambridgeinEngland.[7]Teachers atRadley,a boys-only boarding-onlypublic schoolmodelled after Oxford colleges of the early 19th century, are known to boys as "dons".
Like thedonused for Roman Catholic priests, this usage derives from the Latindominus,meaning "lord", a historical remnant of Oxford and Cambridge having started as ecclesiastical institutions in theMiddle Ages.The earliest use of the word in this sense appears, according to theNew English Dictionary,in Souths Sermons (1660). An English corruption, "dan", was in early use as a title of respect, equivalent to master. The particularliteraryapplication topoetsis due toEdmund Spenser's use of "DanChaucer,well of English undefiled. "[8]
In Canada
[edit]At some universities inCanada,such as theUniversity of King's College[9]and theUniversity of New Brunswick,[10]a don is the senior head of a university residence. At these institutions, a don is typically a faculty member, staff member, or postgraduate student, whose responsibilities in the residence are primarily administrative. The don supervises their residence and a team of undergraduateresident assistants,proctors, or other student employees.
In other Canadian institutions, such asHuron College[11]and theUniversity of Toronto,[12]a don is aresident assistant,typically an upper-year student paid a stipend to act as an advisor to and supervisor of the students in a university residence.
In the United States
[edit]AtSarah Lawrence College,faculty advisors are referred to as "dons".[13]Dons meet regularly with students to plan a course of study.
The "Don" is also an official mascot of the athletic teams of theUniversity of San Francisco,[14]Spanish Fork High School,[15]Arroyo High School,andAmador Valley High School.[16]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Mary Beard:It's a Don's Life,London: Profile, 2009.ISBN1-84668-251-7
- ^Charles Stevens,Winchester Notions(London: The Athlone Press, 1998), p. 102
- ^"Residence & Dining | University of Kings College".University of Kings College.Retrieved2016-10-13.
- ^"Become a Don | UNB".www.unb.ca.Retrieved2016-10-13.
- ^"Apply to be a Don".www.huronuc.on.ca.Retrieved2016-10-13.
- ^"Donships and RAs | Student Life".www.studentlife.utoronto.ca.Retrieved2016-10-13.
- ^For background information and opinion, see a recently published selection of short articles by Cambridge donMary Beard:It's a Don's Life,London: Profile, 2009.ISBN1-84668-251-7
- ^One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). "Dominus".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 405.
- ^"Residence & Dining | University of Kings College".University of Kings College.Retrieved13 October2016.
- ^"Become a Don | UNB".www.unb.ca.Archived fromthe originalon 14 October 2016.Retrieved13 October2016.
- ^"Apply to be a Don".www.huronuc.on.ca.Retrieved13 October2016.
- ^"Donships and RAs | Student Life".www.studentlife.utoronto.ca.Retrieved13 October2016.
- ^"The Sarah Lawrence Education".www.sarahlawrence.edu.Retrieved2019-11-03.
- ^"USF Dons".USF Dons.Retrieved23 May2012.
- ^"Spanish Fork High School Dons".Nebo School District.Retrieved17 Sep2020.
- ^"Amador Valley High School Dons".Pleasanton Unified School District.Retrieved14 Mar2021.
