Facilities for postgraduates

The Humanities Research Centre

The Berrick Saul Building contains study space exclusively for Arts and Humanities Postgraduates. The building is open from 8am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. This means that anyone can access the front entrances, foyer and the first floor during these times as it does not require card access. You are able to request access outside these times, please see below for information.

View our study area virtual tour

Work according to your preferred style

Desks in the Humanities Research Centre are spread across three zones and are available to both Masters and PhD students in the Arts and Humanities:

Silent zone: The Postgraduate Study Area, on the lower ground floor and mezzanine floor.
Quiet zone: The first-floor desks to the right of the entrance. It is okay to talk quietly.
Studious buzz zone: The first-floor desks to the left of the first floor entrance. Group work is encouraged.

Allocated desks / Hot desks

What is a hot desk?

A desk for temporary use by anyone who needs one. If you see a desk that has a label with someone’s name written on it, this means that the desk has been allocated to a PG student and only that student can use it. Hot desks do not have a label with someone’s name written on it, they only have labels with numbers on.

Applying for an allocated desk

Before applying, please consider whether you will be spending enough time in the HRC to warrant having an allocated desk, or whether you would prefer to use the hot desks more flexibly. It is unlikely that we will be able to allocate a desk to everyone who completes the form - we will try to do this as fairly as possible.

Apply for an allocated desk

Lockers

Lockers are available on the mezzanine floor of the PSA for both Masters and PhD students who use the building regularly. Please note that you will be asked to pay a £15 deposit if you are successful in obtaining a personal locker. The silent working zones on the lower ground floor and mezzanine are card access only.

Apply for a personal locker

Access

To gain access to the silent study area at any time, or the BSB out of hours, you need to request access. It takes 48 hours for your ID card to update once the form has been submitted. If you have already completed this form or know that you have access, please do not complete the form again.

If you have applied for an allocated desk or a personal locker, please do not complete the form to request access as this will happen automatically if your application is successful.

Request access to Berrick Saul Building

Security

Do not let anyone else into the area. If you use the bike racks or the lockable bike shed next to the rear entrance, you should lock your bike to the rack using a D lock.

Computers

There are four communal networked computers near the door on the lower ground floor, three near the door on the mezzanine, and three on the first floor in the studious buzz zone. Please clean the keyboard and mouse with the cleaning wipes provided before and after use and remember to log out once you have finished.

Printing, photocopying and scanning

There are two colour MFDs (multi-functional devices) in the building, which can be used for essential printing, photocopying and scanning. One is located on the lower ground floor of the PSA, and the other is on the first floor. Your University card will give you access to these machines. Instructions for using the MFDs and for setting up your laptop to use them as printers are on the York Print Plus web pages.

Eating and drinking

Water is allowed in a drinking bottle with a cap and hot drinks in a lidded thermal cup. This is to protect equipment and carpets. Consuming alcohol is not permitted in any part of the building except as part of an authorised event.

Social spaces

The Berrick Saul Building has a number of places where you can meet other postgraduates and staff. The foyer is a social space for postgraduates, with a kitchen, café tables and comfortable seating.

There are two kitchen areas in the building, with facilities for making drinks - one at the far end of the foyer, behind the vending machines, and one on the first floor. Users of the kitchens are responsible for keeping them clean.

There are café tables and chairs, and comfortable chairs in the foyer and adjacent to the first-floor entrance where you are welcome to sit to eat, read, relax. You may meet others in the foyer. If the weather is good, you are welcome to use the picnic tables and bench in the garden.

Respecting your peers

We are proud to be an international and inclusive university. We are dedicated to ensuring equality in participation, progression and success for all.

The Humanities Research Centre provides a working, learning and social environment that enables all Arts and Humanities staff and students to achieve their potential, and celebrates our mix of diverse cultures, knowledge and identities. Respecting your peers is imperative for the HRC community to thrive and so discrimination, victimisation and harassment of any kind will not be tolerated.

If you experience or witness any behaviour which endangers this environment, please report it to hrc-admin@york.ac.uk. Anyone found to have contravened these principles will face disciplinary action.