University of Strathclyde

University of Strathclyde
Oilthigh Srath Chluaidh (Gaelic)
Motto The Place of Useful Learning
Established 1796 Anderson's University ; 1964 granted University Status by Royal Charter
The University of Strathclyde
Type Public
Chancellor Lord Hope of Craighead
Principal Professor Jim McDonald
Convenor of the Court Fraser Livingston
Admin. staff 3,200
Students 26,000[1]
Undergraduates 16,185[1]
Postgraduates 9,815[1]
Location Glasgow, Scotland
Campus Urban
Affiliations AACSB
AMBA
EQUIS
ECIU
Website http://www.strath.ac.uk/

The University of Strathclyde (Scottish Gaelic: Oilthigh Srath Chluaidh), Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796 by Professor John Anderson, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university. It takes its name from the historic Kingdom of Strathclyde and is characterised today by leading research of international standing, with a reputation for excellence across research, education and knowledge exchange. The University of Strathclyde is Scotland's third largest university by number of students carrying an international reputation and outlook, with students and staff from over 100 countries.

Contents

History

The university founded in 1796 through the will of Professor John Anderson, professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Glasgow who left instructions and the majority of his estate to create a second university in Glasgow which would focus on "Useful Learning" – specialising in practical subjects – "for the good of mankind and the improvement of science, a place of useful learning". The University later named one of the two campuses after him.

In 1828, the institution was renamed Anderson's University, partially fulfilling Anderson's vision of two universities in the city of Glasgow. The name was changed in 1887, to reflect the fact that there was no legal authority for the use of the title of 'university'.[2] As a result the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College was formed, becoming the Royal Technical College in 1912 , and the Royal College of Science and Technology in 1956 concentrating on science and engineering teaching and research. Undergraduate students could qualify for degrees of the University of Glasgow or the equivalent Associate of the Royal College of Science and Technology (ARCST).

Under Principal Samuel Curran, internationally respected nuclear physicist (and inventor of the scintillation counter), the Royal College gained University Status, receiving its Royal Charter to become The University of Strathclyde in 1964, merging with the Scottish College of Commerce at the same time. Contrary to popular belief, The University of Strathclyde was not created as a result of the Robbins Report – the decision to grant the Royal College university status had been made earlier in the 1960s[3] but delayed as a result of Robbins Report. The University of Strathclyde was the UK's first technological university reflecting its history, teaching and research excellence in technological education. In 1993, the University incorporated Jordanhill College of Education.

The university has developed its reputation and grown from approximately 4,000 full-time students in 1964 to over 20,000 students in 2003, when it celebrated the 100th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the original Royal College building. Today, the university is a major educational centre, the largest postgraduate provider in Scotland and one of the largest in the UK (HESA 2006)for post-graduate studies and research, with students from around 90 countries.

Organisation

Departments are organised into four faculties:

The university delivers teaching to over 25,000 full-time and part-time students: 15,000 undergraduates and 10,000 postgraduates. Another 34,000 people take part in continuing education and professional development programmes. The university's main campus, John Anderson Campus, is located in the centre of Glasgow, near George Square, and it has an education campus in the suburb of Jordanhill, at the site of the previous Jordanhill Teacher Training College.

Campus development

Currently, the University contains two campuses, John Anderson Campus and the Jordanhill campus. Each campus changed very little from its humble beginnings to the creation of the University of Strathclyde in 1964. The centrepiece building has long been the massive Royal College Building, begun in 1903, and building work took nine years to complete.

The 1960s and 1970s saw a huge programme of new academic buildings being built, and in line with contemporary fashion at the time with other university expansion programmes of the period many of these buildings were built in the distinctive (and controversial) Brutalist architectural style – the McCance (1964), Stenhouse (1974) and Architecture Buildings (1966) all being good examples of this. The 1980s concentrated on developing the student residences. Below is a synopsis of the campus history, along with the current occupiers of each building in brackets:

The University is embarking on a major campus renewal project, estimated to take 15 years and cost £300m. As of 2011, the current state of this plan[4] is as follows:

Meanwhile, a new biomedical sciences building was opened in early 2010. It was designed by Shepparrd Robson, and is a purpose-built centre which aims to bring the multi-faceted disciplines of the Institute together under one roof. The building is central to the Institute’s aims of delivering speedier, more efficient drug discovery in a pioneering, world-class centre for research and development. Sited on Cathedral Street in Glasgow, the 8,000m2 building is the gateway to the University campus and city centre from the motorway.

Research Assessment Exercise 2008

The university dropped six places to number 50 in the UK league table published by the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES).[5] although it did rank highly in a number of areas in the same newspaper article – 8th in the UK for Pharmacy, 12th for Business and management studies, 17th for Chemistry, 13th for Law, 21st for Electrical and Electronic Engineering and 12th for Allied health professions and studies. However the RAE 2008 led directly to cuts in the university's research funding in 2009.[6]

UK rankings
2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993
Times Good University Guide 37th=[7] 35th 44th 40th 32nd 37th 36th= 41st 39th= 43rd 43rd 45th 42nd 43rd 42nd= 33rd= 25th= 40th=
Guardian University Guide 25th 38th[8] 29th[8] 31st 45th 67th 89th 61st
Sunday Times University Guide 36th 39th[9] 43rd 43rd[10] 47th 48th 45th 48th 49th 49th 47th 38th 46th
The Complete University Guide 35th 40th[11] 31st[12] 41st[12]
The Daily Telegraph 41st=[13][14] 43rd
FT 37th 36th 38th 39th

Royal College Building

The Royal College Building, is the oldest building on the John Anderson Campus. Started in 1903 and completed in 1912, it was partially opened in 1910 and at the time was the largest educational building in Europe for technical education. Originally built as the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College Building, it now houses Bioscience, Chemistry, and Electronic and Electrical Engineering. The building is currently undergoing major internal renovation following the relocation of the Pharmacology and Bioscience departments to new accommodation in the John Arbuthnott (SIPBS) building, and the installation of a new heating system.

IET Power Academy

Strathclyde is the only Scottish university that offers the IET Power Academy engineering scholarships to its engineering students.[15]

Notable Discoveries and Inventions

Notable academics and alumni

See also Category:People associated with the University of Strathclyde

Academics

Alumni

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Table 0a – All students by institution, mode of study, level of study, gender and domicile 2006/07". Higher Education Statistics Agency online statistics. http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_datatables&Itemid=121&task=show_category&catdex=3#institution. Retrieved 25 January 2009. 
  2. ^ http://phys.strath.ac.uk/information/history/photos.php
  3. ^ http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/69524
  4. ^ University of Strathclyde. [www.strath.ac.uk/media/ps/.../Campus_Development_Plan_2011.pdf "Campus Development Plan – 2011"]. www.strath.ac.uk/media/ps/.../Campus_Development_Plan_2011.pdf. Retrieved 28 November 2011. 
  5. ^ http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/Journals/THE/THE/18_December_2008/attachments/RAE_2008_THE_RESULTS.pdf
  6. ^ http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=3805
  7. ^ Times University Guide 2010
  8. ^ a b The Guardian University Guide 2009
  9. ^ Sunday Times University Guide 2010
  10. ^ "University ranking based on performance over 10 years" (PDF). London: Times Online. 2007. http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/pdfs/univ07ten.pdf. Retrieved 28 April 2008. 
  11. ^ The Independent University League Table 2010
  12. ^ a b "The Independent University League Table". The Independent (London). 24 April 2008. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/higher/the-main-league-table-2009-813839.html. Retrieved 27 May 2010. 
  13. ^ "University league table". The Daily Telegraph (London). 30 July 2007. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=HXFCSGXMNVABTQFIQMFCFGGAVCBQYIV0?xml=/news/2007/07/30/ncambs430.xml. Retrieved 29 October 2007. 
  14. ^ Daily Telegraph University League Table
  15. ^ http://www.theiet.org/about/scholarships-awards/power-academy/qualify.cfm
  16. ^ "Motorola Biography – Sanjay Jha". http://www.motorola.com/content.jsp?globalObjectId=9087. 
  17. ^ http://www.journalonline.co.uk/News/1005871.aspx

External links