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University of Bath
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| University of Bath | |
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| Motto: | Generatim discite cultus "Learn each field of study according to its kind". |
| Established | 1966 |
| Type: | Public |
| Chancellor: | Lord Tugendhat |
| Vice-Chancellor: | Professor Glynis Breakwell |
| Students: | 11965 [1] |
| Undergraduates: | 8985 [2] |
| Postgraduates: | 2980 [3] |
| Location | Bath, Somerset, England, UK |
| Affiliations: | 1994 Group |
| Website: | http://www.bath.ac.uk/ |
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The University of Bath is a campus university located in Bath, England. It received its Royal Charter in 1966, making it one of the newest "traditional" universities in the United Kingdom. Bath is currently ranked the UK's 9th best university overall in the Guardian university league table, published in May 2007,[4] 11th in the Times Good University Guide, published in August 2007,[5] and 9th in The Sunday Times University Guide, published in September 2007 [6].
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Despite being granted university status only forty years ago, the University of Bath can trace its roots to a technical school established in Bristol 100 years earlier, the Bristol Trade School of 1856. In 1885, the school became part of the Society of Merchant Venturers, and was renamed the Merchant Venturers' Technical College. Meanwhile, in the neighbouring city of Bath, a pharmaceutical school, the Bath School of Pharmacy was founded in 1907. This became part of the Technical College in 1929.
In 1949, the college came under the control of the Bristol Education Authority and was renamed the Bristol College of Technology; which was subsequently changed again in 1960 to the Bristol College of Science and Technology when it became one of ten technical colleges under the umbrella of the Ministry of Education. The college was mainly housed in the former Muller's Orphanage at Ashley Down, Bristol, which now houses part of the City of Bristol College.
In 1963, the government completed an inquiry into the state of higher education in the United Kingdom. This was known as the Robbins Committee report. It was this report that paved the way for the college (along with a number of other institutions) to assume university status.
Although the grounds of Kingsweston House were briefly considered, the City of Bristol, was unable to offer the growing college a suitable site. Following discussions between the College Principal and the Director of Education in Bath, an agreement was reached to provide the college with a new home in Claverton Down, Bath; on a greenfield site overlooking the city of Bath.
Construction of a purpose-built campus in Bath began in earnest in 1964, with the first building, now known as 1 South completed in 1965, and the Royal Charter was granted in 1966. Over the subsequent decade, new buildings were added as the campus took shape. A campus in Oakfield, Swindon, was opened in 2000.
In November 1966, the first degree ceremony was held at the Assembly Rooms in Bath.
Recent discoveries from city records reveal that there were plans in the 19th Century to build a college of the University of Oxford on the very same site, which would have resulted in a university of a very different character. Such plans, however, did not come to fruition.
The university's main campus is located on Claverton Down, two kilometres from Bath. The campus is compact; it is possible to walk from one end to the other in fifteen minutes.
Architectural plans of the university show that the design involved the separation of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, with road traffic on the ground floors and pedestrians on a raised central thoroughfare, known as the Parade. Buildings would line the parade and student residences built on tower blocks rising from the central thoroughfare.
Such plans were mostly adhered to. At the centre of the campus is the Library and Learning Centre, a 24/7 facility offering computing services, information and research assistance as well as books and journals. A number of outlets including restaurants, bars and fast-food outlets; plus two banks, a union shop, a book shop, hairdresser, insurance company, a small supermarket and an oriental supermarket; as well as academic blocks, housed around the parade. Buildings are named based on their location relative to the Library: 1 East, 2 East and so forth based on their distance from the Library and the same applies to the south and west.
Buildings, like many so-called plate glass universities, were constructed in a functional, modernistic style using concrete; although such designs were later derided for lacking the charm of the Victorian red-brick universities or the ancient and medieval universities. In Bath, there is a particular contrast between the concrete campus and the Georgian style architecture of the World Heritage City of Bath.
Buildings along the east-west axis are mostly along the parade, although later additions such as 7 West, 9 West and 8 East no longer follow this rule and are accessible on the ground level instead. Buildings on the south of the campus, 1 South to 4 South are accessible via roads and pedestrian walkways by the university lake and gardens.
The eastern part of the campus is dominated by the Sports Training Village, built originally in 1992 and enhanced in 2003 with a significant new extension.
The northern perimeter of the university is bounded by student residences including Westwood, Eastwood and Solsbury and Marlborough courts. The original plan for students to be housed in tower blocks above the parade did not materialise, except for Norwood House. The second tower block, Wessex House, now hosts a number of offices rather than residences.
The university also owns a number of buildings in the City of Bath, mostly student residences dotted around town, although Carpenter House is also home to a life-long learning centre and a business incubation facility, the Innovation Centre.
Today, major campus works continues, notably the completion of the new building 3 West North in 2005 and the reconstruction of a major building on campus, 4 West.
The university's Oakfield campus, based in Swindon, offers a range of full-, part-time and community courses. A conference centre and small business and innovation centres were opened in 2005.[7]
The university's major academic strengths have traditionally been the physical sciences, mathematics, engineering and technology. Today, the university is strong in management, humanities and the social sciences. Courses place a strong emphasis on vocational education; with many industry links, the university offers and recommends students to take a one-year industry placement in the penultimate year of the course.
According to the latest government assessments, Bath has 15 subjects rated 'excellent' (the highest on the scale). These are: Business & Management (AMBA accredited); Architecture & Civil Engineering; Economics;Computer Science; Electronic & Electrical Engineering; Mechanical Engineering (IMechE accredited); Mathematics, Statistics and Operational research; Education; Molecular Biosciences; Biosciences;Physics and Astronomy; Politics; Hospitality, Leisure, Recreation, Sport and Tourism; Social Policy and Administration. ([2]).
As one of the top universities in the United Kingdom, admissions generally require top grades at A-Level with some seven applications for each place,[8] and the number of applications rising by 16 per cent in 2007.[9]
The university has grown rapidly, particularly in the last few years. As of December 2006, 11,965 students were studying at the university; of whom 8,985 (75%) were undergraduates (full-time and part-time) and 2,980 (25%) were postgraduates.
Over 25% of students are international students (those with non-British domicile), reflecting the university's strong reputation, with the largest number coming from China (including Hong Kong), Germany and Greece. [10]
Most students in the first year live in one of the 3,000 single study bedrooms on campus. In subsequent years, students generally live in town in privately owned shared student houses; although a number may be offered excess rooms off-campus. Postgraduate students have the opportunity to choose between numerous postgraduate campus residences and off-campus residences.
Although the campus is located on top of a steep hill, buses operated by First Cityline between town and campus are frequent, running at a 20 minute interval during off-peak hours, and every 6 minutes during peak times. There is also an hourly circular service to the smaller suburbs of Bath.
The university is host to Team Bath F.C. as well as some of the UK's top Olympic athletes through TeamBath, the university's family of sports. It has one of the best sports facilities in a United Kingdom University [3]. Facilities are spread over three main sites: two on the Claverton Down campus, known as the Founder's Hall and Sports Training Village (which also hosts the English Institute of Sport for South West England) and also at the Sulis Club, a short distance from the Claverton Down campus.
Facilities at the university include a fitness suite, four squash courts, a 25-metre indoor swimming pool and a 50-metre indoor swimming pool, indoor (110m) and outdoor (400m) athletics track, multi-purpose sport halls (including basketball, netball and badminton courts), eight-court indoor tennis hall, a judo/karate/jitsu dojo, and various suites catering for sports science and sports medicine needs[4]. A number of outdoor synthetic and natural pitches and grounds cater for football, rugby union, field hockey and lacrosse; while the Sulis Club hosts the university's American football team, the Bath Killer Bees.
The university has an active Students' Union with over 100 different active clubs and societies including sports clubs, cultural, arts, interest and faith societies:
- Bath Rag collects money for local and national charities by running events to bring the town and student communities closer.
- The Arts Union offers students the opportunity to prepare and perform plays and other shows to audiences both on campus and in the town, with technical support provided by the Backstage Society.
- The Students' Union is well represented by various faith groups including Buddhist, Christian, Islamic, Jewish, and other groups.
- Bath University Guides and Scouts (BUGS) is the university's SSAGO unit. It provides outdoor activities for students, and also helps with Scouting and Guiding in the community.
The university is home to three student media outlets: a bi-weekly student newspaper, Bath Impact; a radio station, 1449AM URB; and a television station, Campus TV. Campus Television exists mainly to provide an information and entertainment network for the students of the university.
Alongside broadcast output, CTV also supply services to students themselves. Amongst other things, CTV can provide filming of plays, musicals, concerts and other events, as well as video conversion facilities and a video to still service.
- Claverton Down
- The university continues to upgrade its Claverton Down campus with major new teaching blocks opening every other year. A proposal to move the boundary of the greenbelt from where it crosses the campus to its edge, to facilitate further development, was agreed in October 2007 by the local council following a public inquiry.
- In July 2005, building 3 West North (officially opened on 27 October) was completed.
- The deconstruction of the asbestos-contaminated 4 West was completed in mid-2005, and the new 4 West building is currently being constructed.
- The ICIA Arts Complex is planning to expand by adding a new building adjacent to the current theatre. It is hoped to start work in 2008.
- Due to be completed by summer 2008 is the new R5 building, to be known as Woodland Court. This student accommodation is expected to house 355 students [5]. The design has been awarded an excellent rating for environmental performance by BREEAM.[11]
- Swindon
- Under the Gateway Project the university had planned to build a major new campus next to the Great Western Hospital and the Coate Water nature reserve. The project had met opposition from environmentalists and locals[12] but had met with Government approval.[13] The University withdrew from the project in March 2007 citing "prevailing planning and funding conditions".[14]
Notable past students include:
- Athena Andreadis: Greek pop singer
- Nigel Dick: Pop music video producer
- Don Foster: Member of Parliament (MP) of Bath for the Liberal Democrats
- Neil Fox: radio DJ and TV presenter known as "Dr Fox"
- Mansoor Hekmat: Iranian Communist Leader
- Neil Holloway: President of Microsoft Europe, Middle East and Africa
- Tony Illsley: Former President of Walker Snack Foods and former CEO of Telewest
- Eric Joyce: Labour MP for Falkirk
- Justin King: CEO of Sainsbury's
- Russell Senior: Formerly of the band Pulp
- Vedat Tavsanoglu: prominent electronic engineer
- Stewart Till: Chairman of United International Pictures and Millwall FC
- David Trick: Former Bath and England rugby union player
- Bob Wigley: Chairman Merrill Lynch, Europe, Middle East and Africa
- Edward Lowassa: Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania
- Yang Jiechi: Chinese Foreign Minister
- Matt Stevens: Rugby Player
- Steve Borthwick: Rugby Player
- Craig Pickering: Sprinter
- ^ as of 1st december 2006. 2007/08 uni of bath diary, facts and figures
- ^ see above
- ^ see above
- ^ James Meikle and Donald MacLeod, Oxford tops Guardian university league tables, The Guardian, 1 May 2007, accessed 25 August 2007
- ^ The University of Bath, The Times, 15 August 2007, accessed 25 August 2007
- ^ [1] "The Sunday Times" Accessed 30th September 2007
- ^ About the University and the Oakfield Campus. University of Bath. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
- ^ University of Bath, Push, accessed 25 August 2007
- ^ Profile: University of Bath, The Times, 15 August 2007, accessed 25 August 2007
- ^ Facts and figures, University of Bath, accessed 25 August 2007
- ^ Planners approve University of Bath's sustainable student residences.
- ^ Hayward, Alan. Swindon Civic Trust Town Centre University Proposal. Swindon Civic Trust. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
- ^ Osborne, Anthony. "Coate gets the vote", Swindon Advertiser, 2004-10-20. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
- ^ University of Bath (2007-03-01). University of Bath withdraws from Gateway project. Press release. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
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