Saint Mary's College, University of Surrey
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St Mary's University College |
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| Established | 1850 |
| Type | University College |
| Staff | 384 |
| Students | 3161 |
| Undergraduates | 2426 |
| Postgraduates | 259 |
| Doctoral students | 15 |
| Location | {{{city}}}, United Kingdom |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Colours | Blue and white |
| Affiliations | University of Surrey |
| Website | www.smuc.ac.uk |
St. Mary's University College is a university college, situated in Strawberry Hill, Twickenham in South West London. From 2007, St. Mary's is a fully-fledged university and will be granting its own academic degrees rather than University of Surrey degrees to new students joining in September 2007. It is often referred to as Strawberry Hill, and sometimes, colloquially, as "Simms". Its alumni are known as "Simmarians".
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[edit] History
[edit] Pre College
Strawberry Hill was originally a small cottage in two or three acres of land by the River Thames. Horace Walpole, a son of the politician Robert Walpole, rented the cottage in 1717 and subsequently bought it. When it was his, he set about enlarging the house and adding to the land, which now amounts to about 35 acres. Walpole did not follow the eighteenth-century fashion of classical building, but sought his inspiration in medieval styles. Some few of his contemporaries imitated his design and so this house and the idea it embodied take their place in the history of architecture as Strawberry Hill Gothic.
[edit] Founding of the college
Founded in 1850, it is generally acknowledged to be the oldest Roman Catholic College in the UK.
St Mary's Training College was founded in 1850 on the initiative of Cardinal Wiseman. The Catholic Poor School Committee which was concerned with providing primary education to children of poor Catholic throughout the United Kingdom, purchased a former girls school at Brook Green House, Hammersmith, and adapted it for use as a college with accommodation for 40 men students. A legal trust created on 16 July 1851 in connection with this property and its use as a training college for Catholic schoolmasters was confirmed in perpetuity.
The college was established on similar lines to that of the Brothers of Christian Instruction (les Freres d'Instruction Chretienne) at Ploermel, Brittany, where English students were sent between 1848-1851. A French brother, Brother Melanie, was initially placed in charge of St. Mary's College, until the appointment of an English principal, Rev. John Melville Glennie in 1851.
The college opened with six men students who had begun their training at the novitiate of the Brothers of Christian Instruction, Ploermel, Brittany. It was expected that students would join the teaching religious order, however in 1854, in response to a shortage of suitably qualified candidates, the decision was taken to admit lay students to the college. In 1855, additional accommodation was provided for 50 lay students. By 1860 only lay students were attending the college.
With the appointment of the fourth principal Father William Byrne CM in 1899, the association of the College with the Congregation of the Mission (usually known as the Vincentians) commenced. This inaugurated a period of change and augmentation, seen in the increase in staff and student numbers, the introduction of the office of Dean, and the extension of the College premises made possible by funding from the Catholic Education Council. At the same time the College was concerned with adjusting to the requirements of the Education Acts of 1902-3 and their effect on the development of elementary education.
In 1898 Inter-College Sports were introduced between Borough Road, St Mark's, St. John's, Westminster and St. Mary's colleges. The college magazine, The Simmarian, began a new series in 1903-4. Originally in manuscript form, it become a printed paper in 1905.
[edit] 1900s
By 1924 there were 129 resident students at the College. Recognising the limitations of facilities at Hammersmith, the Principal the Very Rev Dr. J J Doyle, CM, along with Sir John Gilbert and Sir Francis Anderton negotiated the sale of the Hammersmith site to the neighbouring Messrs J Lyons and Co. in 1922 and in 1923 the purchase of the Walpole-Waldegrave property at Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, from Lord Michelham. The college has continued to provide stewardship to the original Strawberry Hill Gothic-Revival villa on the property, built in the eighteenth century by Horace Walpole. As of 2006, however, the Strawberry Hill Trust will finance a needed restoration of this historic building.
The College moved to its Strawberry Hill site in 1925, despite the extensive new buildings, designed by S. Pugin-Powell, being at that point incomplete, and it was not until June 1927 that they were officially opened. The new College site provided accommodation for 150 students, with 190 students altogether.
The majority of students were from England and Wales and entered according to Board of Education regulations. There were also a number of private students from 1925 onwards, including approximately 40 coming annually from Northern Ireland, as well as students from Malta, and brothers from England and Wales. Private students lived in accommodation separate from the College.
Prior to 1928 the Certificate of Education course and examinations were jointly controlled by the Board of Education and individual training colleges. With the introduction of a new scheme for London teacher training colleges, the Board of Education retained its inspectorship functions, but delegated its authority over the courses and examination to the University of London. Under this scheme, the four resident male teacher training college in London (St Mary's, Strawberry Hill; Borough Road, St. Mark's and St. John's; and Westminster) were formed into a group under the supervision of university College London (UCL).
This group was jointly responsible with UCL for drawing up the syllabuses of the courses taught at the colleges, while the final examinations were designed to qualify students for the Certificate of Education awarded by the University of London. To direct the scheme, the Training College Delagacy was established, composed of representatives of the University, the Teacher training colleges, religious denominations and local authorities. Meanwhile, two representatives of the University of London joined the governing board of St Mary's College, Strawberry Hill.
In 1930, in addition to the Certificate of Education course and examination, degree courses were provided at St Mary's College, Strawberry Hill, leading for successful candidates to a University of London degree. At the same time a one year colonial course was established at the College to train Priests and Brothers destined to join overseas missions. In 1935, responsibility for this course was transferred to the Jesuits.
[edit] Post WW2
The College became a Constituent College of the University of London Institute of Education, inaugurated on 19 December 1949, and the incorporation of the College into the Institute was formally approved by the Senate of the University in April 1950, the College's centenary year.
In response to the increasing demand for teachers, it was agreed in 1959 to expand the college to 500 places. By 1966, there were 1000 students 1966 also saw the admission of the first full time women students to the college. Other developments include the introduction in 1968 of an extra years study for the conversion of the Teachers Certificate to a Bachelor of Education degree, and in 1975, the first students pursuing the University of London Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Humanities and Bachelor of Science.
In 1979 the University of London severed its links with the College. The University of Surrey agreed to take over the validation of its courses. Representatives from St. Mary's College attend meetings of the University of Surrey Delegacy which was set up in 1980. In 1986 the first students of the college graduated with degrees from University of Surrey.
[edit] Present
With the retirement of the Fr. Desmond Beirne, as Principal in 1992, the College's links with the Vincentians came to an end, and Dr. Arthur Naylor was appointed the first lay principal.
From 2007, St Mary's is now a fully fledged university and will be granting its own degrees rather than University of Surrey degrees to new students joining in September 2007. The aim is to become a full univrsity in several years time.
The College is renowned for its performance in long-distance and track running. The Kenyan National Long-Distance Running Team have trained within the college: a testament to the history of foreign students attending the college. It recently had its running track resurfaced.
[edit] Student Union Building
The Student Union (SU) building burnt down several years ago but was rebuilt.
[edit] Courses
St Mary's currently offers 30 different course ranging from Human Biology to Film and Television but is more renowned for teaching PGCE courses and for sports and sport science degrees.
[edit] Halls of residence
- Cronin - Built in 1993, this purpose-built student accommodation on three floors comprising of en-suite single study bedrooms with use of the shared utility kitchens. There are a total of 69 bedrooms all of which are non-smoking.
- Cashin - The sister hall of Cronin and built to the same specification. This is a smaller hall comprising of en-suite single study bedrooms and use of shared utility kitchens. There are a total of 22 bedrooms and smoking is permitted in these halls.
- Old House - Situated in the main building adjacent to the administration area, the accommodation comprises of single study bedrooms on three floors with shared bathroom facilities and utility kitchens. It is non-smoking with a total number of 114 rooms.
- Lady Frances Court - De Marillac (New Halls)- Constructed in 2005 the De Marillac Hall is situated at the far end of the university's running track, adjacent to Graham, Wiseman and Doyle Halls. The three-storey building has 180 non-smoking bedrooms which are all single study bedrooms with en-suite facilities along with utility kitchen/common rooms. There is also a lift access for disabled students.
- Graham, Wiseman & Doyle - Purpose built student accommodation situated at the far end of the sports track. Each hall comprises single study bedrooms with shared bathroom facilities and utility kitchens on three floors. In addition, each of these halls has its own common room. The total number of rooms in Graham is 34, Doyle has 34 and Wiseman has 47, all of which are non-smoking.
- Clive Halls - Purpose-built student accommodation providing single study bedrooms on two floors. There is shared bathroom and utility kitchen facilities. The total bedrooms in Clive 'S' is 19 which are non-smoking and Clive 'T'has 21 bedrooms where smoking is permitted.
- Waldegrave Park Houses - These are Victorian houses situated on a residential road adjacent to the College that houses have been converted to provide the most affordable student accommodation. There are nine separate houses which vary in shape and size, offering accommodation of either single study bedrooms or shared study bedrooms. They all have shared bathroom facilities and utility kitchens. The total number of bedrooms range from 5 to 12 all of which are non-smoking.
- 16 Strawberry Hill Road - A Victorian house converted to provide single study bedrooms on three floors in a residential road approximatly 5 minutes walk from the College. It is much like the Waldegrave park houses with shared bathroom and utility kitchen facilities and a student common room and is non-smoking.
[edit] Trivia
- Mick Jagger's father, Joe Jagger, had his funeral at the university's chapel.
- Vernon Kay DJ'ed at the freshers week in 2005.
- Sara Cox DJ'ed at the Christmas Ball 2005.
- Pat Sharp and Colin Murray DJ'ed at the Summer Ball 2006.
