University of Liverpool

University of Liverpool
Motto: Latin: Haec otia studia fovent
Motto in English: "These days of peace foster learning"
Established: 1881 (as University College Liverpool)[1]
Type: Public
Chancellor: Lord Owen
Vice-Chancellor: Sir Howard Newby
Visitor: The Lord President of the Council ex officio
Students: 20,655[2]
Undergraduates: 16,805[2]
Postgraduates: 3,860[2]
Location: Liverpool, England, UK
Campus: Urban
Affiliations: Russell Group, EUA, NWUA
Website: http://www.liv.ac.uk/

The University of Liverpool is a university in the city of Liverpool, England. It is a member of the Russell Group, and founded in 1881 it is also one of the six original "red brick" civic universities. The university has produced eight Nobel Prize winners and today has more than 230 first degree courses across 103 subjects, as well as an annual income of £219 million, including £75 million for research.[1]

Contents

History

"Red brick" Victoria Building

The University was established in 1881 as University College Liverpool, admitting its first students in 1882.[1] In 1884, it became part of the federal Victoria University. Following a Royal Charter and Act of Parliament in 1903, it became an independent university with the right to confer its own degrees called the University of Liverpool.

The University has produced eight Nobel Prize winners, from the fields of science, medicine and peace. The Nobel laureates include the physician Sir Ronald Ross, physicist Professor Charles Barkla, the physiologist Sir Charles Sherrington, physicist Sir James Chadwick, chemist Sir Robert Robinson, physiologist Professor Har Gobind Khorana, physiologist Professor Rodney Porter, and physicist Professor Joseph Rotblat. Sir Ronald Ross was also the first British Nobel laureate in 1902.

The term "red brick" was first coined by a Liverpool professor to describe the red brick built civic universities that were built in the UK, mostly in the latter part of the 19th century; these were characterised by Victorian buildings of red brick, such as Victoria Building, which was historically the administrative heart of the University.

Present

University of Liverpool

Liverpool has the sixth largest financial endowment of any UK university, valued at £110m, according to the Sutton Trust.[3] It is a member of the Russell Group of Universities and a founding member of the Northern Consortium. The University has over 23,000 registered students, with almost 18,000 full-time registered students. The University has a broad range of teaching and research in both arts and sciences, and has a large medical school, which is associated with the neighbouring Royal Liverpool University Hospital. In September 2008, Sir Howard Newby took up the post of Vice-Chancellor of the University, following the retirement of Sir James Drummond Bone.

The University has a Students' union to represent students' interests, known as the Liverpool Guild of Students.

It should be noted that whilst Liverpool has a total of three universities, the colloquial term Liverpool University commonly refers to the University of Liverpool rather than either of the other two, Liverpool Hope University or Liverpool John Moores University.

Campus and facilities

The University is mainly based around a single urban campus approximately five minutes walk from Liverpool City Centre, at the top of Brownlow Hill and Mount Pleasant, the main site is divided into six faculties: Arts, Engineering, Medicine, Social and Environmental Sciences, Sciences and Veterinary Science. The Veterinary Teaching Hospital (Leahurst) and Ness Botanical Gardens are based on the Wirral Peninsula. There was formerly a research station at Port Erin on the Isle of Man until it closed in 2006. The Johnston Laboratories, a pathology research facility of repute during much of the 20th century, is now the biochemistry department of the university.

Harold Cohen Library

Harold Cohen Library

The Harold Cohen Library is the main library for science, engineering and medical, dental and veterinary sciences. It also contains eight computer centres as well as the Wolfson training suite.

Sydney Jones Library

The Sydney Jones Library is the main library for arts and humanities in the University of Liverpool. The library is housed in two buildings, the Grove Wing and the Abercromby Wing (formerly Senate House). The Grove Wing contains the majority of the collection and the special collections. The Abercromby Wing contains the Law Library, the library offices, computer services and the main Issue Desk. The two buildings are linked by the Link Building which has the information support desks.

Sydney Jones Library

Liverpool Medical School

Liverpool Medical School was ranked as the ninth best medical school in the United Kingdom by The Times Good University Guide 2008.[4] One of the key features of the medical programme is Problem-based learning (PBL). This is an educational process that encourages students, working in small groups, to learn through curiosity and to seek out information for themselves. Students have the opportunity to link basic medical science with clinical practice early in the programme, thereby stimulating and maintaining their interest instead of overwhelming it with facts. Other features of the programme include introduction to clinical and communication skills training, a greater emphasis on learning medicine in the community and early patient contact. However, a recent study published on the pass rates of medical school graduates in MRCP postgraduate exams has shown Liverpool graduates to be the least likely to pass amongst all other UK medical schools, even after controlling for pre-admission variability of medical school entrants.[5] The Medical School offers a five-year undergraduate course, and a four-graduate entry course. Much of the clinical education takes part at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital NHS Trust. The Medical School also has one of the oldest student societies - Liverpool Medical Students' Society. LMSS in fact pre-dates the University in its conception from when simply a teaching hospital existed around which the University was built.[6] As of 2008 the medical school accepts some 268 home students per year and a further 24 from overseas making it one of the larger medical schools in the UK [7].

School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology

The School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology (also known as the SACE) is an internationally recognised centre for research in Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology with 40 members of staff and over 100 postgraduates working on over 15 research projects around the world, and thus a premier research center within the University of Liverpool. The School has pioneered the study of the ancient world since 1881, developing unique facilities, such as a museum, libraries and laboratories.There are many separate and joint degree programmes offered by the School in Ancient History, Archaeology, Classics, Egyptology and Evolutionary Anthropology, consistently rank among the top ten in the UK. The Schools has also been internationally recognised in its expertise, ranging from ancient languages to human evolution, creating a lively culture based around interdisciplinary debate and active research.

School of Biosciences

Biosciences Building

The School of Biological Sciences was formed in August 1996 from the former departments of Biochemistry, Environmental & Evolutionary Biology, and Genetics & Microbiology.[8] The new Biosciences building cost £28.5M to build, that has multi-user laboratories for 320 researchers with cutting edge core facilities in Cell Imaging, Microarrays and Genomics, Functional Proteomics, Biological NMR, Computational & Bioinformatics Facilities, and Transgenic Plant Growth. [9] It houses 65 senior academics plus another 150 mostly research staff, including two fellows of the Royal Society and several fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Research in the School is focused into 3 Divisions (Cellular Regulation and Signalling; Integrative Biology; Population and Evolutionary Biology), each with professorial leadership and further divided into specialised or interdisciplinary research groups.

Liverpool Dental School

The Liverpool Dental School, based at the Liverpool Dental Hospital, is one of the top dental schools in the UK. The Liverpool Dental Programme is based on a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) system, where small groups of students are given a medical case, and through research are encouraged to learn about the causes and treatments for themselves. The Dental school now hosts the best Operation Techniques suite (Phantom Head) in the world, until a similar suite based on its design, but twice its size, is finished in the USA.

The Dental School offers a five-year undergraduate course, and recently the number of dental students at the University has increased due to the introduction of a new graduate entry fast track four-year course.

Faculty of Veterinary Science

Main article: University of Liverpool Faculty of Veterinary Science

The first veterinary school in the UK to be incorporated into a university, the Faculty's treatment and research facilities on the main campus and at Leahurst on the Wirral Peninsula, approximately 12 miles outside Liverpool, are amongst the most advanced and innovative in the country. There are three main teaching hospitals:

The Philip Leverhulme Equine Hospital is one of the busiest and most successful equine hospitals in the UK, with particular expertise in the areas of gastroenterology, oncology, orthopaedics and neurology. The University's Veterinary Development Campaign is currently in the midst of fund raising to support the installation of the first veterinary MRI Unit in the North of England and a new Radiotherapy Unit.

The Small Animal Teaching Hospital moved to its new home in April 2007: a brand new, state of the art £9.6 million facility at Leahurst. This is the most modern, well-equipped hospital for small animals in the UK. Facilities include MRI and CT scanning, the Johnson Foundation radiotherapy treatment unit, an operating theatre dedicated to key-hole surgery, and the Hill's Pet Mobility Centre.

The Farm Animal Hospital takes cases from throughout NW England and North Wales for detailed investigation and intensive care treatment.

In 2006 the faculty was voted no. 1 UK vet school in The Times Good University Guide 2006, awarded 24/24 by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education and in 2005 was cited as "the University with the most satisfied students" by the British Veterinary Association and the Association of Veterinary Students.

Faculty of Engineering

New Engineering Building

The Faculty of Engineering is one of the largest departments in the University, offering a wide variety of courses, including Civil, Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering, Avionics, Electrical and Electronic Engineering (except that this is a department separate from the engineering department) and variants of these, including foundation year courses.The University has recently started offering courses in Aerospace Engineering and Pilot studies.This course gives students the opportunity to acquire significant flying time(for Pilot's licence), while undertaking an Aerospace Engineering degree programme. Students obtaining AAB - AAA A level grades (in relevant A levels) are eligible for scholarships. Most of the faculty's subject areas rank within the Top 10 in the UK.[10] The faculty's Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing research submission obtained a maximum 5* grading in the most recent research assessment.[10] The Times "Good University" guide places the Mechanical Engineering course third nationally.[11] The department houses the UK Centre for Materials Education (UKCME) and boasts two flight simulators, one of a very few departments to have one in the UK.
£36m is being spent on refurbishing the department (due for completion in September 2008).[12] This will include the construction of an active learning laboratory which will be one of the largest and best equipped laboratories in Europe.[13] Pupils enrolled on the 4 year Aerospace MEng Programme, have the opportunity to spend their third year at one of America's leading engineering Schools, at the University of Illinois (Urbana champaign).

The Liverpool Engineers Student Society (LESS), of the Department of Engineering and ESHOCK, of the Depatrment of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, organise social events for engineering students from their respective departments.

English Language Unit

The English Language Unit (also known as the ELU) is a teaching unit within the School of English, specialising in language teaching and learning. It offers language support for registered international students, visiting fellows and international staff members. It also helps to provide a range of postgraduate courses and research opportunities for language teachers, including a well-respected CELTA course.

Centre for Manx Studies

The Centre for Manx Studies, located in Douglas, Isle of Man, is also affiliated to the University.

University accommodation

[University Halls

The two main university accommodation complexes are both located in the Mossley Hill district of Liverpool. These both belong to the University, and include the Greenbank and Carnatic complexes. The Greenbank Halls include Derby and Rathbone Hall and Roscoe and Gladstone Hall (commonly known as D&R and R&G respectively). Carnatic Halls is the largest of the University of Liverpool accommodation complexes including 6 halls: Morton House, Lady Mountford House, Dale Hall, McNair Hall, Salisbury Hall and Rankin Hall. Both sites include a range of catered and self-catered accommodation.

Within the main campus, there are three accommodation sites: Mulberry Court, Philharmonic Court and Melville Grove. Mulberry Court is situated between Oxford Street, Mulberry Street, and Mount Pleasant. Melville Grove is on Grove Street and Philharmonic on Catharine Street. These are self-catering halls situated roughly three minutes walk from the Guild of Students, and ten minutes from the city centre. Melville Grove typically accommodates postgraduate students, though undergraduates may also apply for accommodation there. Philharmonic has halls for first year students and flats for postgraduate students with families.

All student rooms in halls have Internet access provided by ResNet which is run by Computing Services. This wired service allows fast downloading, inter/outer hall computer game play and the new addition of FreeWire, offering television via the internet.

Guild of Students

Liverpool Guild of Students

Liverpool Guild of Students is the centre point of activity in student life. It is the largest Students' Union building in England and the second largest in Europe. The Guild often features live acts, demonstrations and tours such as the NME Tour.[14] This has only been emphasized by Liverpool hosting the MTV Music awards, attracting the MTV tour with artists such as Dizzee Rascal, Goldfrapp and Pendulum set to play in the next year. It also hosts the student night Double Vision, which is the largest student event in the United Kingdom. The Guild also offers a selection of student help activities, and it campaigns to aid students in personal or financial crisis. In addition to this, the Guild is also the host for student media projects. These include internet based Icon Radio run by students and a filmmakers' hub to promote the university. The Guild also used to publish the Liverpool Student Newspaper, however due to mismanagement and dwindling popularity the publication was forced to close in May 2007. However since then LGoS has launched a new paper entitled Sphinx,[15] inspired by the Sphinx statues situated atop the adjacent Egyptology building.

Academic reputation

In the Complete University Guide 2008, published in The Independent, the University of Liverpool was ranked 42nd out of 113, based on nine measures,[16] while The Times Good University Guide 2008 ranked Liverpool 34th out of 113 universities.[17] The Sunday Times university guide recently ranked the University of Liverpool 27th out of 123.[18]

Green issues

In 2008 Liverpool University was voted joint seventeenth greenest university in Britain by WWF supported company Green League[19]. This represents an improvement after finishing 55th in the league table the previous year.[20].

The position of the university is determined by point allocation in departments such as Transport, Waste management, sustainable procurement and Emissions amongst other categories; these are then transpired into various awards[21]. Liverpool was awarded the highest achievement possible in Environmental policy, Environmental staff, Environmental audit, Fair trade status, Ethical investment policy and Waste recycled whilst also scoring points in Carbon emissions, Water recycle and Energy source. It is Liverpool’s growing ambition to encourage students and staff to proclaim itself as an environmentally friendly University.

Liverpool University has led the way amongst UK universities with desktop computer power management; they were the first to develop their own power management solution, which has been widely adopted by other institutions.[22] The university has subsequently piloted other advanced software approaches further increasing savings.[23]

Sport

Sports Centre

The University of Liverpool has a proud sporting tradition and has many premier teams in a variety of sports. The current sporting project comes under the title of Club Liverpool. This athletic union offers nearly 50 types of sport ranging from football, rugby and cricket to others such as windsurfing, lacrosse and cheerleading. Many of the sports have both male and female teams and most are involved in competition on a national scale. BUCS[24] is the body which organises national university competitions involving 154 institutions in 47 sports. Most sports involve travelling to various locations across the country, mainly on Wednesday afternoons.

Two other prominent competitions are the Christie Championships[25] and the Varsity Cup. The Christie Cup is an inter-university competition between Liverpool, Leeds and Manchester. The Varsity Cup is a popular "derby" event between Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Liverpool.

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "History of the University". University of Liverpool (2007-03-27). Retrieved on 2007-09-10.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "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 2008-04-10.
  3. ↑ "University Fundraising - an Update" (PDF). The Sutton Trust (December 2006). Retrieved on 2007-11-22.
  4. ↑ "University Rankings League Table: Medicine". The Times Good University Guide. The Times (2007-08-16). Retrieved on 2007-09-09.
  5. ↑ 1741-7015-6-5.fm
  6. ↑ Your University (Student Guide) Page 27
  7. ↑ "www.study-medicine.co.uk British Medical School Statistics". Study-medicine.co.uk. Retrieved on 2008-09-08.
  8. ↑ "About the School of Biological Sciences". University of Liverpool (2006). Retrieved on 2008-11-20.
  9. ↑ "Research in Biological Sciences". University of Liverpool (2007). Retrieved on 2008-11-20.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 7
  11. ↑ Times Online
  12. ↑ Future development
  13. ↑ Active learning laboratory
  14. ↑ http://www.nme.com/news/nme/35032
  15. ↑ http://www.lgos.org/sphinx/news/index.php?page=article&news_id=6522
  16. ↑ The Independent newspaper, April 24, 2008
  17. ↑ The Times: http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/gug/gooduniversityguide.php
  18. ↑ The Times: http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/stug/universityguide.php. 23/05/2008
  19. ↑ http://peopleandplanet.org/gogreen/greenleague2008
  20. ↑ http://peopleandplanet.org/gogreen/greenleague2007/table
  21. ↑ http://peopleandplanet.org/gogreen/greenleague2008/methodology
  22. ↑ "PowerDown" (2008-10-23). Retrieved on 2008-10-23.
  23. ↑ "University of Liverpool save estimated £70 per PC" (2008-10-23). Retrieved on 2008-10-23.
  24. ↑ http://www.bucs.org.uk/
  25. ↑ http://www.liv.ac.uk/sports/clubs/christie.htm
  26. ↑ Saxby

External links

Faculties, departments and other bodies of the University of Liverpool

Medical School | Royal Liverpool University Hospital | School of Tropical Medicine | Liverpool University Press | Faculty of Veterinary Science
Other bodies connected to the University
Centre for Manx Studies
Russell Group of UK research universities
N8 Group of Northern England research universities

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