St Paul'S College

St Paul’s College is a residential academic community within Sydney University incl from 2019 women & men graduate students & academics at Graduate House

St Paul’s College is a community of about 200 students. Its buildings, dating partly from 1857, are ranged around two large courtyards and it has its own playing field and tennis and basketball courts. In its governance it is wholly independent of the University and of the Anglican Church, but connected to both.

Formal academic support is managed through a tutorial system which offers 40-50 classes a week, and the informal effort is even more pervasive. Peer support and collaborative leadership, online and face-to-face, is at the heart of all work done at the College, and much, including the tutorials, is in principle managed by the students themselves.

St Paul’s College is best understood by the kind of individuals it has produced. Besides writers, actors, artists and churchmen, the College has turned out top sportsmen and adventurers, scientists and judges, together with two Prime Ministers. It is most remarkable for its energetic visionaries. As one example, in the area of child welfare men from the College have led pioneering efforts in paediatric surgery, in various aspects of childhood disease and in youth mental health, and for the better health of children in the bush. One (Cotter Harvey) managed the campaign to persuade Australians of the dangers of smoking. Several have been among Australia’s leading historians and two were instrumental in having Australian literature taught in schools and universities. The emphasis now is on international citizenship. One recent student is the founder of the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Enterprise. Another has established 180 Degrees Consulting, already an international concern though which top calibre students provide pro bono organisational advice to philanthropic bodies. During 2001-14 half of the male Rhodes Scholars from Sydney University and half of the Presidents of the University Union have been from St Paul’s College.

The College has lately undertaken an internal program of Positive Education, which similarly depends on student leadership and is a pioneering effort in world terms.