I am pleased to be welcoming you to Oasis College and to our new website. The website is a window in to the activities and opportunities offered through Oasis College. The College can offer you a range of courses from part-time introductory short courses and full time undergraduate courses through to a portfolio of postgraduate courses for more experienced practitioners. Whether you are starting out in work and ministry with children, young people, families and communities or seeking to extend your skills, knowledge and understanding through postgraduate study – Oasis College has something to offer you.
The College is committed to a vision of learning that is shaped by what can be described as ‘theo-praxis’. This means we are committed to the study of theory (and in particular theology) in-line with traditional academic institutions but with a special consideration for how practice informs our thinking; and how thinking informs our practice. To this end our philosophy of learning can be summarised in the phrase ‘to learn by doing.’ We believe that thinking is brought alive by doing and we are in good company in this philosophy, as the great philosopher Aristotle recorded the following:
'Anything that we have to learn to do we learn by the actual doing of it... We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate ones, brave by doing brave ones.'
The College is, therefore, committed to supporting your development intellectually and practically. We are, intentionally, a small College and this means we can provide a stimulating and supportive environment that enables your academic study and professional practice. You can read more about what it is like to be an Oasis College student by reading the case studies of students on our course pages. At Oasis College you will join a learning community of students and staff that work together at all levels of College life and, in addition to your chosen course, there are opportunities to engage in supplementary lectures, seminars, conferences and wider activities through the Oasis group of organisations such as Faithworks, Stop the Traffik, Oasis Global and Oasis Hubs.
I hope this website provides you with the inspiration to pursue a course of study with Oasis College that we believe, by working together, will enrich your contribution to the lives of children, young people, families and our communities. Should anything remain unanswered as you browse our site then please don’t hesitate to call us to discuss your particular needs – contact details can be found at the bottom of each page.
Paul Fenton, MA
Principal of Oasis College
