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How did colleges help the University of Oxford survive plagues and student dispersions?
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Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge, England.
The foundation of colleges was the most effective remedy for the University of Oxford to survive periodic challenges, such as student dispersions and plagues.1
In its early years, the university lacked its own buildings, with lectures held in hired halls or churches. Colleges were established as endowed boardinghouses for impoverished scholars, providing a stable, organized environment for students pursuing degrees. By creating these permanent, residential institutions, the university gained the cohesion and structure necessary to endure the instability of the Middle Ages. Early examples of these foundational institutions include University College (1249), Balliol College (c. 1263), and Merton College (1264).21