Коннахт-холл: Резиденция Университета Лондона для студентов

Intercollegiate hall of residence of the University of London

Connaught Hall is a fully catered hall of residence owned by the University of London and situated on Tavistock Square, Bloomsbury, London, UK. It is an intercollegiate hall, and as such provides accommodation for full time students at constituent colleges and institutions of the University of London, including King's College, University College London (UCL), Queen Mary, the London School of Economics (LSE) and the School of Oriental and African Studies and others.

Connaught Hall was established in 1919 by Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn — the third son of Queen Victoria — at 18 Torrington Square, London as a men only private hall of residence; the Hall was intended as a memorial to the Duchess of Connaught who died in 1917. The Duke gave the Hall to the University of London in 1928. It was not until 1961 that Connaught Hall moved out of Torrington Square to its present location in Tavistock Square: a converted Georgian terrace with a Grade II listed façade. Connaught Hall accommodated only men until 2001, when it was changed to a mixed sex hall as part of a major review of the intercollegiate halls of residence.

For over 90 years, Connaught Hall accommodated only male students; female students were admitted for the first time in September 2001 as part of a wider review of the intercollegiate halls. Now one of eight University of London intercollegiate halls of residence, Connaught Hall accommodates 214 full time students of the various colleges and institutes of the University; there is an even mix of men and women, and a diverse range of cultural and social backgrounds. The number of students from each college who are accommodated at Connaught Hall is determined from time to time by the Intercollegiate Accommodation Committee of the University of London, in negotiation with the accommodation offices of the individual colleges. The majority of residents are first year undergraduates ("freshers"), and most will only ever spend one year in a hall of residence: around 10% are allowed to return for a second year at the Warden's discretion; these will usually be either students with special circumstances or those who have made an outstanding contribution to the Hall community. Approximately 10% of residents are postgraduates, and about a third are overseas students.

Most accommodation is in single study bedrooms (204 single rooms), but there are five twin rooms for students who prefer to share; every room has a washbasin, but toilet and shower facilities are all shared (20–25 students sharing one bathroom, each with three showers & two or three toilet stalls). There are two television/common rooms, music room with a piano, restaurant, card operated laundrette, secure bike store, courtyard garden and a study room. There is one vending machine for soft drinks, and a small pantry/kitchen on each floor, equipped with a refrigerator and microwave. The reception desk is open 24 hours a day; photocopying and fax services are available from reception for a fee. Residents are provided with a bedding pack (pillows, pillowcases, duvet, duvet cover, and sheets) at the start of the academic year at a fee. It is residents' own responsibility to launder their bed linen. The students' rooms are cleaned by housekeepers once a fortnight. Communal areas are cleaned every day. Connaught Hall is a fully catered hall of residence. Breakfast is served Monday Friday, brunch on Saturdays and Sundays; dinner is served at 6pm daily.

Each of the intercollegiate halls of residence is managed by a Hall Manager. Every hall also has a Warden and a number of student Resident Advisors. The Hall Managers and their staff work full time during office hours; whereas the Wardens and Resident Advisors are part time staff and volunteers who are either studying or working in academic or academic related roles elsewhere in the University of London.

The 1990s saw a decline in the number of University employed staff in the Halls of residence, as contractors were engaged to provide most services such as cooking, cleaning, and maintenance. Since the early 2000s, the University of London has gradually centralised the management of the intercollegiate halls of residence. The number of Bursars has reduced from eight – one in every hall – to only two since 2010. In 2007, the contracts for all security, maintenance, catering, and housekeeping were taken away from individual hall Bursars to the management of a single contract manager based at Senate House (University of London). Until July 2009, Connaught Hall had a Warden, a Vice Warden (who was the Warden's deputy, served as the Senior Treasurer to the Residents' Club, and chaired the Facilities Committee), and four Senior Members. A costs and efficiency review of the student support structure in the intercollegiate halls lead to the abolition of the Vice Warden post and an increase in the number of Senior Members. This was also the review that lead to accommodation matters being centralised to the Intercollegiate Halls Accommodation Bureau. In May 2011, the University of London proposed to abolish all Warden and Vice Warden posts across the intercollegiate halls of residence, leaving the Bursars in charge of student welfare, discipline, and social life in addition to their existing maintenance and administrative duties. An outcry from students in the Halls caused the proposal to be suspended, pending a further consultation due to commence in December 2011. In the summer of 2012, the post of Bursar was abolished and another major restructuring of the management of the intercollegiate halls took place.