Cumberland College is a residential college in Dunedin, New Zealand for the University of Otago. Cumberland College was established as a hall of residence in 1989. It is located in the former Dunedin Hospital Nurses' Home, built in 1916, across the road from Dunedin Hospital and the Queen Mary Maternity Hospital. Cumberland College is linked by underground tunnels to both Dunedin Hospital and Hayward College(formerly the maternity hospital). Over 7000 students have spent time living in Cumberland College since its establishment.
Cumberland College is made up of the main Cumberland College building that houses 328 students, as well as Cumberland Courts, flatting units situated 5 minute's walk away from the College that house 102 students. The main Cumberland College building was built as the Dunedin Hospital Nurses Home in 1916. The building has been extensively renovated since its purchase by the University of Otago in 1989.
Cumberland has a social program that includes floor events, inter-college competitions, regular sports events, ski trips, and the annual ball. Cumberland also provides tutorials in a number of university subjects for its residents, along with floor based Study Groups that have additional tutorial support. Cumberland is one of the few Residential Colleges to allocate bedrooms by course of study as part of its academic program.
The current Head of College at Cumberland College is Peter Walker . Peter has a long history with Cumberland College having once been a resident there. Since the completion of his studies at the University of Otago he has built a career in Residential Colleges, returning to Cumberland in 2008. Brian Satake joined Cumberland as Deputy Head of College midway through 2008, after being the Deputy Head of Hayward College for 5 years.