University of Winchester

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University of Winchester
Established: 1840 (as Winchester Diocesan Training School)
Type: Public
Chancellor: Mary Fagan JP
Vice-Chancellor: Professor Joy Carter
Students: 5,300[1]
Undergraduates: 4,250[1]
Postgraduates: 1,045[1]
Location: Winchester, Hampshire, England
Campus: Semi-urban
Website: http://www.winchester.ac.uk/
The main building of the University of Winchester
The main building of the University of Winchester
For the school in Winchester of a similar name, see Winchester College.

The University of Winchester is a university in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was given university status by the Privy Council in June 2005, having previously been known as University College Winchester and earlier as King Alfred's College, Winchester.

Contents

[edit] History

Formed in 1840 as a College for training teachers, King Alfred's moved to its main campus in West Hill, Winchester in 1862.

King Alfred's College trained thousands of teachers, at first men only, but women as well from 1960. With the sudden change in Government policy in the early 1970s, the College first looked for partners to merge with and also sought to diversify its provision. Its educational partner, the University of Southampton, was lukewarm about offering other forms of degrees, so the College sought approval for its own BEd and then BA degrees from the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA). Interdisciplinary degrees in History and English with Drama, Archaeology and American Studies were first offered. Further programmes in Drama, Design & Technology and Environmental and Social Issues followed in the 1980s, but it was only when, belatedly, the College embraced expansion in the early 1990s that CNAA approved a modular course that allowed a large number of new fields of study to grow at undergraduate level within a common regulatory framework. At the same time masters programmes were approved alongside the MEd programme. With the CNAA's demise in 1992, the College became accredited by the University of Southampton resuming a partnership broken off 18 years earlier.

When in 1995 the UK government published criteria by which Colleges could become Universities, King Alfred's under its Principal, Professor John Dickinson, set itself the target of becoming a university, by acquiring Taught and later Research Degree Awarding Powers. Professor Paul Light, Principal from 2000, led the institution through the successful application for Taught Degree Awarding Powers in 2003 and a change of name to University College Winchester in 2004. His leadership culminated in the award of university title in 2005, achieving the target set 10 years earlier and entitling him to be the first Vice Chancellor of the University of Winchester. Currently the University is applying for Research Degree Awarding Powers.

[edit] Faculties and departments

  • Faculty of Arts
    • Media and Film School
    • Performing Arts
    • Theology and Religious Studies
    • English and Creative Writing
  • Faculty of Education
    • Education Studies
    • Postgraduate Initial Training
    • Undergraduate Primary Education
    • Post Experience, Training and Professional Development
  • Faculty of Social Sciences
    • Archaeology
    • Winchester Business School
    • Health and Social Care
    • History
    • Psychology
    • Sports Studies

[edit] Campus life

[edit] Campuses

The main King Alfred campus is located close to the city centre of Winchester. Some of the buildings on the main campus are named after former staff. The Kenneth Kettle Building and The Fred Wheeler Building are two examples of this. The university also operates a small campus, Chute House, in the larger town of Basingstoke, several miles to the north.

[edit] Student union

Main article: Winchester Student Union

Winchester Student Union is an organisation run for and by the student population of The University of Winchester. It runs many student societies, a bar and shop and helps support and represent students. The student union venue is based in the new university centre and has a cinema screen, a bar and a venue space large enough for 1200 people.

[edit] Halls of residence

University accommodation is available on campus and in the new West Downs Student Village nearby.

The halls of residence are:

  • West Downs Student Village
  • Alwyn Hall
  • St Elizabeth Hall
  • Beech Glade

[edit] Current and future plans

The University Centre opened in 2007
The University Centre opened in 2007

Major redevelopment will take place in the next few years to modernise the main campus. Work has recently finished on the "University Centre" on site of the former refectory, at a cost of £9 million. The building includes a new Student Union as well as catering facilities, main reception, a bookshop, a mini-mart convenience store and a Learning Café. It was designed by architects Design Engine. Early feedback from students indicates a high level of satisfaction with the facilities, especially the Learning Café which facilitates collaborative study.

The redevelopment of the University’s sports grounds at Bar End in Winchester is also underway after Sport England formally pledged £908,514 to complete the funding required for the project’s completion, in partnership with Winchester City Council. The new facilities at Bar End will include an Olympic standard 400m eight-lane athletics track with supporting field events, an all-weather hockey and general sports pitch, floodlighting and an extended pavilion.

[edit] Student Media

Students at the University have recently launched a student news website, Alfie[2].


[edit] Chancellorship

Mary Fagan JP the current Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire was appointed Chancellor of the university in October 2005.

Professor Paul Light, appointed in 2000 as Principal of King Alfred's College, became the first Vice Chancellor in 2005, and was succeeded in April 2006 by Professor Joy Carter.

[edit] Notable academic staff

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] Honorary alumni

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ 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 2008-04-12.
  2. ^ Alfie: Student news from the University of Winchester

[edit] External links