The historical documentation of the University Collection for years maintained the classification completed in the 1960s by the archivist Salvador Parga Pondal, which under the name of "Historical Series", in reality an extremely broad artificial section, was made up of:
- Archive books: cloisters, visits, enrolments, degrees...
- Bundles of documents from the most diverse series of the University itself from its origins and from the Fonseca and San Xerome Colleges.
- Parchments from the Property Series, with chronology prior to the founding of the University and preserved as proof of the institution's ownership of land, income and interests.
With the passage of time this classification was progressively modified and the documentation became part of its respective sections and natural series, within a classification chart that allowed the integration of the old and the new documentation transferred to the Archive. In any case, this historical organisation maintains its mark in the new classification, as the so-called Historical Series continues to be used as a signature for the oldest documentation in the university collection.
In the University Collection we can find the documentation accumulated by the University of Santiago de Compostela throughout its history. The chronology ranges from the 13th century to the 21st century.
Governance and administration
The governance and administration of the University is reflected in different documentary series that show the changes and transformations undergone by the institution over the centuries. Thus, closed series such as those of Royal or Common Visits, Registry of Deeds, Income or Legal Provisions coexist with other open series such as those of Cloisters, Governing Boards or Correspondence Registry. The different governing bodies and the administrative and technical services of the university make regular contributions of documentation.
Faculties
This section includes documentation from the historical faculties that have now disappeared (Theology, Law and Canonic Studies, Philosophy and Arts...) as well as from the current faculties (Medicine, Pharmacy, History...), but not from the more recently created faculties that have not yet transferred their collections.
Among the documentary series that we can find are:
- Minutes from the Faculty Board.
- Personal files.
- Correspondence.
- Accounts.
- Degree records.
- Grading records.
- Enrolment books.
University Schools
This heading contains the documentation from the then Primary School Teacher Training Schools in Santiago, A Coruña and Lugo, and from the University Schools of Business Studies in A Coruña and Lugo.
The documentation handed over by these centres integrates that of their predecessors, the Teacher Training Schools and Trade Schools, since their establishment in the 1950s. In accordance with the powers conferred on the chancellor by the Moyano Law, which integrates these teachings among the professional ones, we can find, among the University Chancellor’s documentation, or in the correspondence, information referring to all the schools in Galicia. The series of documentation from the centres are basically the same as those of the present-day faculties.
Special schools
This section includes documentation relating to the former professional schools created in the 19th century, which the Moyano Law differentiated from those offering higher studies.
- Schools of Arts and Crafts
- The Schools of Maritime Studies.
- The School of Veterinary Medicine
- The School of Notaries
- The School for the Deaf, Dumb and Blind.
Fonseca College
The University Residential College of Fonseca, also known as Santiago Alfeo College, was founded by Archbishop Alonso III de Fonseca in 1522 and finally abolished in 1840.
The documentation that has been preserved from this College is, above all, related to the students. Of particular note are the series of governance books and the records of the Provision of Scholarships and Blood Cleansing.
San Geronimo College
The Lower College of San Gerónimo, founded by Alonso III de Fonseca himself as a college for grammarians, was abolished in 1840.
Among the documents preserved are the records for the provision of scholarships and the information on students, governance and account books. As at Fonseca college, a recipe book has been preserved.
Personal files
A single alphabetical series is maintained for the personal records of the students of the different faculties from the 17th century to 1980, except for those of students for former studies of Theology, Law, Canonical Studies and Philosophy, which form their own series.
The student records after 1980 constitute a series for each degree.
This documentation is a source of academic and genealogical information on the students at the university from its early years.
The records of teaching and non-teaching staff are also kept in two single series, arranged in alphabetical order up to the mid-20th century.
Primary education
The development of primary education is very present in the documentation of the University Collection from its definitive implementation with the Moyano Law of 1857.
One of the provisions of the law was the assumption by the Chancellor of powers relating to education in the university district at all levels, including primary education. These powers generated different documentary series such as the files on the creation of schools, both public and private; the personal files of the primary school teachers themselves or the inspection visits to the schools.
Secondary education
The Pidal Plan of 1845 would mean the definitive establishment of public secondary education in Spain, the important competences of the University Chancellor in this field are reflected, among others, in the series of correspondence with the different centres or in the records of baccalaureate degrees.
In the 19th century, there is documentation relating to the Institutes of A Coruña, Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Monforte, Ourense and Pontevedra and, in the 20th century, and especially from the 1960s onwards, it incorporates that of other centres as they are created in the main population centres.
Governance
- Governance.
- Chancellor’s office
- General Secretary’s Office
- Vice-chancellor's offices.
- Governing Board.
- Teaching staff.
- The Social Council
Administration
- Management.
- Financial management.
- Contracting and equity.
- Human resources.
- Students.
- Research.
- General Register.
- Legal advice.
- Representative bodies.
- International relations.
- Evaluation of teaching activity.
Services
- Library.
- Archive.
- University and administrative information.
- University outreach.
- Press office.
- Technical services.
Teaching centres
- Faculties and technical schools.
- University schools.
- Special schools.
- Fonseca College and San Xerome College.
- Literary academies.
- Seminars.
- Personal files. General series of files.
Research institutes and centres
Primary education
Secondary education