University of Northampton
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| University of Northampton | |
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| Motto: | Transforming lives, inspiring change |
| Established: | 1975 (as Nene College) |
| Type: | Public |
| Vice-Chancellor: | Ann Tate |
| Chairman of Council: | John C Castle |
| Staff: | 485 Academic[1]
476 Support[1] 143 Manual[1] |
| Students: | 10,645[2] |
| Undergraduates: | 9,065[2] |
| Postgraduates: | 1,580[2] |
| Location: | Northampton, Northamptonshire, UK |
| Website: | http://www.northampton.ac.uk/ |
The University of Northampton is a university in Northampton, Northamptonshire, UK.
Formerly known as Nene College of Higher Education and then University College Northampton the University received full university status in 2005, though it had to convince the Privy Council that a Royal Decree signed by King Henry III in 1265 following the Battle of Lewes, which banned the establishment of a university in Northampton, should be ignored. In the same year it also received the power to validate its own research degrees, which formerly had been validated by the University of Leicester. In the graduation ceremonies in 2006 seven students received the first seven doctoral degrees to be validated by The University of Northampton, during the university's graduation ceremonies in the week July 10 to July 14. A number of people received honorary degrees during these ceremonies, including the Radio Four broadcaster and film columnist, Andrew Collins. Other recipients of honorary degrees included Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley, who was born in the area, and singer Joan Armatrading.
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[edit] History
The predecessor University was established by Royal Charter (after approval from King Henry III) in 1261. It was the third university established in England (and indeed what is now the United Kingdom) after the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. The new university quickly attracted many scholars and students from the older universities. After being advised by bishops and magnates that Northampton was a threat to Oxford, Henry III dissolved the University in 1265.
The University of Northampton today occupies two sites, Park Campus (in a suburb of Northampton called Kingsthorpe) and Avenue Campus, which is situated close to Northampton town centre and opposite one of the largest open parkland areas in Northampton. The site of the latter had at one time been the site of a college of technology.
In 1924, Northampton Technical College was opened at St George's Avenue, site of the current Avenue Campus. The building for the college was formerly opened by the Duke and Duchess of York in 1932. A School of Art opened later in 1937.
At the beginning of the 1970s, Northamptonshire was one of the few counties in England to lack a teacher training college. A teacher training college in Liverpool lost its home and was transferred to what is now the Park Campus of The University of Northampton. The education college was opened by the then Secretary of State for Education and Science, Margaret Thatcher, in 1972. In 1975, this teacher training college amalgamated with the college of technology to become Nene College, a College of Higher Education, taking its name from the River Nene in Northamptonshire. This later became known as Nene-University College Northampton. In 1993, the College incorporated St. Andrew's School of Occupational Therapy and was granted taught degree awarding powers. In 1994 it took in the Leathersellers College and in 1997 the Sir Gordon Roberts College of Nursing and Midwifery. It became University College Northampton in 1999 and the University of Northampton in 2005.
The rector of the university is currently Ann Tate. Her predecessor in this position was Martin Gaskell. On 10th February 2008 the university appointed Baroness Falkner of Margravine as its inaugural chancellor.
Prominent alumni include Stephen Morris, Andrew Collins, Anthony Dunn, Gavin Douglas, Max Griggs, Darren Millstone III, Stephen Richardson and Andrew Harris (see sporting success)
[edit] Current status
The University of Northampton currently has approximately ten thousand students spread across its two campuses. It is principally divided into the following six schools:
The business school also incorporates the Sunley Management Centre, a dedicated centre for management training and development that also provides a large amount of the university's conference facilities.
It offers a wide range of undergraduate degrees with over 250 courses as well as foundation degrees, diplomas and a variety of postgraduate opportunities up to Ph.D. level. It is one of only a handful of universities in the UK that is able to offer two-year fast-track degrees (currently for management and marketing only) though it also offers four-year extended degrees that include a year's placement in industry. The University is internationally renowned for Waste Management education and research. Other centres of excellence include leather technology (essentially a materials science) and lift engineering. Degree programmes in Environmental Science subjects offer overseas fieldwork opportunities for undergraduate to locations such as North America (the USA field course) and the Canary Islands.
Fashion design is also a particularly strong subject at the university, with its annual summer fashion show attracting international attention and students regularly receiving national awards for their designs. It currently has ten designated centres of research excellence which include the SITA Centre for Sustainable Wastes Management, the China and Transitional Economics Research Centre, the Centre for Research on Leather and Materials Science, the Centre for the Study of Anomalous Psychological Processes and the Centre for the Historical Experience of War. It also carries out internationally renowned research into lift engineering and technology, something which reflects the town's now historic role in lift manufacturing. As a result of this research activity, the University is currently investigating the possibility of purchasing the former Express Lift Tower in the town to use as a base for future research and study.[3]
[edit] Admissions
Most undergraduates apply to the university via the UCAS system for degree applications in the UK. The average UCAS points range required for entry onto undergraduate degree programmes is 180 - 240.[4] There are occasionally interviews for undergraduate pupils for courses in the School of Education. However, interviews are made through the UCAS application that is required. Applicants for the university's diploma, foundation degree or postgraduate courses apply directly to the university itself. Interviews are not normally conducted for these courses, with the exception of Ph.D. courses, which usually have an interview stage.
Like most universities, competition for places varies from course to course.
[edit] Student Union
The student union has various venues across the two campuses. Its main building is at Park Campus and houses a nightclub venue that is also used as a student diner during the day as well as small shop and bar downstairs. There is also the Pavilion Bar (or "Pav Bar") on Park Campus, located close to the halls of residence. Despite only being a medium sized bar, the Pav is very popular with students due to its no smoking policy, however this has changed slightly following the smoking ban that came into force in England on July 1st 2007.
The fields outside the Pav Bar play host to the summer Pav Fest, a one day event held shortly after the exam period at the end of the summer term. Whilst this used to be a free-to-enter event that consisted of a few beer tents and large sound systems, it has grown over recent years to something more akin with other one day festivals, including more professional artists and now charging for entry.
Avenue Campus has the St George's bar, so called because of Avenue Campus's location on St George's Avenue. This plays host to a rather eclectic mix of DJ's and like the Park Campus union, reverts to a student diner during the day.
Both campuses also have a restaurant that is run by the University itself and the building which houses the restaurant on Park Campus has won awards for its architecture, as has the Senate building. Other campus facilities include an independent book shop, (run on association with the University of Leicester), a convenience shop, gym facility and medical centre. Most of these facilities are based at Park Campus, but a free bus service runs between the two campuses.
The union voted to disaffiliate itself from the National Union of Students (NUS) in 2001 but re-affiliated itself with the NUS in October 2007.
[edit] Halls of Residence
The university has various types of halls across both of its campuses and have just over 1,600 rooms in total. Most first years live in halls, though very few second or third years do so. A lot of these students live in the Abington area of Northampton. The halls are named after local historic figures and room sizes, facilities and price vary between them. The main halls are:
Simon Senlis (named after Simon de Senlis), Spencer Perceval and William Carey.
The most modern but expensive halls to live in. Based at Park Campus, each hall has 300 single en-suite bedrooms. Each flat usually contains six rooms and a communal kitchen. The flats are generally single sex, although there a small number of mixed sex flats. A small number of twin en-suite rooms are available in these halls. The rooms have network access providing links to the University's computer network.
Slightly cheaper residence at Park Campus, this modern hall offering standard single and standard twin accommodation. Flats comprise 5-8 residents. Kitchen and bathroom facilities are shared. During the summer of 2007, there are plans to undertake some refurbishment in this hall.
John Clare and Charles Bradlaugh Hall
Based at Park Campus, these are traditional halls located at the heart of Park Campus close to the library and social activities. They have 92 bedrooms (standard single) divided into flats of 5-10 rooms. Each flat has a shared kitchen and bathroom. One hall is designated female only. John Clare also comprises seven small houses. One former ground floor flat in Charles Bradlaugh Hall serves as a Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Centre.
An en-suite Hall at Avenue Campus. Each flat usually has six single en-suite bedrooms and a communal kitchen. The flats are generally single sex. A small number of twin en-suite rooms and self contained twin en-suite rooms are available. The rooms have network access providing links to the University's computer network.
[edit] Business links
Northampton University has managed to form several business links with local business and undertakes various other initiatives in this area. It has been particularly successful with an initiative backed by the UK Government’s Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (formerly known as the Department of Trade and Industry) called Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. Through this scheme, the University links up with a business and lends its expertise in research, academia or development to the business. The University has so far taken part in 25 of these partnerships, achieving high gradings from the DTI.
Most of the University’s business links operate via its dedicated Knowledge Exchange department, which aims to act as one stop-shop for such links. Through this, the University provides support through consultancy and assisting in research projects as well as providing support for other postgraduate projects. Avenue campus is host to the Portfolio Innovation Centre, a unit that houses small or start-up companies by providing office accommodation and administrative support. It currently hosts ten small companies, mainly in the design and arts fields, but also a couple of IT firms.
The University currently has ten approved research centres, ranging from The SITA Centre for Sustainable Wastes Management to The China and Transitional Economics Research Centre and The Centre for Practice-led Research in the Arts. It also provides numerous other business support schemes, such as Business4Women and programmes for new companies. These are often run through the University’s Sunley Management Centre. Other schemes run by the university include an art loan facility for offices or conferences. The University has also provided lab facilities for the Channel 4 programme “How Clean Is Your House”.
[edit] Profile and reputation
The University of Northampton is currently ranked 82nd of 133 UK universities in The Times Good University Guide 2008, having been ranked 103rd in 2007.[5] The University also ranked 79th in The Guardian 2009 league table.[6] In the 2001 RAE ratings the University achieved a 4 rating in History and English Language and Literature as well as a 3A in Asian Studies and Metallurgy and Materials.[7] It also managed 41st place in the 2007 Green League of university's environmental performance[8] as well as being ranked the 8th cheapest university in the UK to study for a degree.[9]
[edit] Future plans
£74m has been spent over the last ten years developing the campuses at Northampton and a further £80m will be spent over the next ten years developing these campuses further. This has already included the building of a "one-stop" student centre on Park campus, an innovation centre at Avenue campus for small and start-up businesses and a complete re-fit of the editing and sound studios at Avenue campus. Further plans include a large sports centre and extended development at Avenue campus.
It has recently taken ownership of the Grade II listed former Kingsley Park Middle School next door to Avenue Campus which will now undergo a £9m refurbishment before housing the School of Education, currently based at Park Campus. This building might also be used to house the proposed science and technology research centre, which already has backing from partners in the United States.
By 2010 it plans to increase its student numbers by 20% and double the income it receives from research activities.
[edit] Sporting success
Club Captains Andrew Paul Harris and Lewis Done lead The University of Northampton Men's Hockey 1st XI team who had a highly successful 2005/06 season, leading them to the Universities European Cup final (also know as the Calella Plate). The team lost but the performance was described by englandhockey.co.uk as (04/2006) a "heroic performance of the highest standard". The following year under the Captaincy of Luke Meaton they went onto win the European Final.
The University also has strong football and lacrosse teams, the latter of which is particularly popular amongst the students. The University's golf team also tasted success in 2007, reaching the national final held at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
[edit] External links
- The University of Northampton website
- Student union website
- The University of Northampton library
- The Sunley Management Centre
- Centre of Sustainable Waste Management
[edit] References
- ^ a b c University College Northampton Facts and Figures 2004-2005. Retrieved on 2007-01-04.
- ^ a b c Table 0a - All students by institution, mode of study, level of study, gender and domicile 2006/07 (Microsoft Excel spreadsheet). Higher Education Statistics Agency. Retrieved on 2008-04-11.
- ^ BBC News report. Retrieved on 2007-09-11.
- ^ push.co.uk university ratings. Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
- ^ University Rankings League Table: Good University Guide - Times Online. The Times. Retrieved on 2007-08-18.
- ^ University ranking. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2008-05-10.
- ^ RAE 2001 results. Retrieved on 2007-08-18.
- ^ People and Planet Green League. Retrieved on 2007-08-19.
- ^ Independent Online. Retrieved on 2007-10-27.
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