| University of the West of England | |
|---|---|
| Motto | Light Liberty Learning |
| Established | 1992 - University Status 1970 - Bristol Polytechnic |
| Type | Public |
| Chancellor | Sir Ian Carruthers |
| Vice-Chancellor | Professor Steven West |
| Students | 29,760[1] |
| Undergraduates | 23,930[1] |
| Postgraduates | 5,675[1] |
| Other students | 155 FE[1] |
| Location | Bristol, United Kingdom |
| Campus | semi-urban |
| Colours | White, Red and Black |
| Affiliations | EUA AMBA Universities UK Association of Commonwealth Universities |
| Website | http://www.uwe.ac.uk/ |
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Frenchay (north), Glenside & St Matthias (east) and Bower Ashton (south). Right: Bristol within England.
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The University of the West of England (abbrev. UWE, often pronounced "you-we") is a university based in the English city of Bristol. Its main campus is at Frenchay, about five miles (8 km) north of the city centre. UWE also has a smaller campus at St Matthias, a School of Health and Social Care at Glenside in north-east Bristol and the School of Creative Arts, located at Bower Ashton, near Ashton Court in south-west Bristol.
There are also regional centres in Bath and Swindon, and an associate faculty specialising in animal behaviour and welfare, agricultural and sports related courses in Hartpury, Gloucestershire. This satellite college has staged the European Young Rider Championship, a horse riding competition. Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is an associate school of the Faculty of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences.
With around 30,000 students and 3,000 academic staff, UWE is the larger of the two universities in the city (the longer established University of Bristol has approximately 18,000 students[2]). 86% of students at UWE are from state schools. The library on the Frenchay site is called the Bolland Library, named after Dr Robert Bolland, the first director of Bristol Polytechnic from 1969 to 1974. The main Frenchay campus is situated close to the M32 motorway, twenty minutes walk from the well-connected Bristol Parkway railway station.
The Chancellor of UWE is Sir Ian Carruthers OBE.[3][4]. Professor Steven West is the vice chancellor.[5]
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The University of the West of England can trace its roots back to the foundation of the Merchant Venturers' Navigation School in 1595. Part of this institution (to which the Universities of Bristol and Bath also partly owe their origins) became a technical college which, after merger with various other colleges, in turn became Bristol Polytechnic in 1970. Like the other former polytechnics, this gained University status and its present name as a result of the Further and Higher Education Act, 1992.[6]
The Bower Ashton site was formed in 1969 as the West of England College of Art which was formerly the art school of the Royal West of England Academy in Queens Road, Bristol.
The St Matthias site was a former teacher training college as was Redland College, and became part of Bristol Polytechnic around 1976 together with Ashley Down, Bower Ashton, Frenchay, and Unity Street.
The Avon and Gloucestershire College of Health (now the Glenside Campus) and the Bath and Swindon College of Health Studies joined in January 1996. Hartpury joined in 1997.
An £80 million student village located at the Frenchay campus, which includes a sports centre and rooms for 2000 students, opened in 2006.
UWE's academic rankings have generally stood mid-place on the league tables. Results accumulated from the National Student Survey (NSS) have shown that 83% of students studying at UWE find their courses acceptable, with a margin for improvement.[7]
The Guardian Good University Guide 2010 ranks UWE 59th overall out of 117 institutions in the UK.,[8] whilst The Complete University Guide (in association with the Independent) 2010 ranks UWE 61st out of 113[9]
The Independent Main University League Table 2009 ranks UWE 61st out of 113,[10] whilst the Telegraph University League Table ranks the university at 77th.[11]
The Times Good University Guide 2009/10 ranks UWE 62nd in the country,[12] whilst the Sunday Times University Guide ranks the university at 68.[13]
According to The Guardian Good University Guide 2010, the UWE Computer Science department has been ranked 35th out of 100 other institutions in the UK.[14]
According to The Guardian Good University Guide 2011, the UWE Economics department has been ranked at 8th in the UK.[15]
| 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Times Good University Guide | 62nd[16] | 65th[17] | 72nd[17] | 67th[18] | 64th | 67th=[19] | 63rd[20] | 58th | 60th | 61st | 61st | 63rd | 59th | 59th | 66th= | 56th | 63rd= | 61st= |
| Guardian University Guide | 59th[21] | 66th[22] | 75th[22] | 82nd[23] | 84th[24] | 63rd[25] | 55th[20][26] | |||||||||||
| Sunday Times University Guide | 64th[13] | 67th[13] | 68th[27] | 63rd[28] | 65th=[28] | 62nd[27] | 61st=[27] | 63rd=[27] | 62nd[27] | 59th[27] | 56th=[27] | 59th=[27] | 55th | |||||
| Independent / Complete | 61st[29] | 62nd[30] | 77th[30] | |||||||||||||||
| Daily Telegraph | 77th[31] | 35th= | ||||||||||||||||
| FT | 66th[32] | 71st[33] | 68th[34] | 73rd[35] |
UWE is one of the leading and fastest growing new universities for research with a particular emphasis on interdisciplinary and collaborative research with a wide range of public and private partners. The Research Assessment Exercise 2008 showed that over a third (37%) of research carried out at UWE was considered to be world-leading or internationally excellent. As a result UWE increased its research funding allocation from HEFCE by 122%, one of the biggest increases in the country.In the 2001 edition of the Research Assessment Exercise UWE averaged a score of 3a (where 1 is the lowest and 5* is the highest possible), achieving similar results to the other mid-table universities.[36] In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise UWE averaged between 3* and 2* (where 1 is the lowest and 4* is the highest), stating that almost half of research originating from UWE is internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour.[37]
In 2010, UWE launched a research repository in order to host electronic versions of the research of its academics. The UWE Research Repository is open access. This means that it is accessible to everyone - both within and outside the university - free of charge.
The main campus of University of the West of England is situated in Frenchay.
The Bower Ashton campus of the University of the West of England is home to the practice orientated programmes of the School of Creative Arts (formerly the Faculty of Art, Media and Design), which forms the major part of the Faculty of Creative Arts following the University reorganisation in 2007. Adjacent to the Ashton Court estate, on the edge of the city of Bristol,[38] the West of England College of Art was established here in purpose-built premises in 1969, moving from its previous location as the art school of the Royal West of England Academy in Clifton. In 1970 the college became part of Bristol Polytechnic, the precursor of the University.[39]
Currently the campus is undergoing a programme of redevelopment. Phase 1 was completed in 2008 and included a new building (F Block), which is now the main entrance to the campus. The tower block (B block) was also refurbished.[40] Specialist workshops and resource centres are available to students as well as a specialist art library. An art materials shop and stores provide discounted art materials and the UWE Students Union runs a licensed bar and shop. Every year in June the campus houses a Degree Show which is well attended by Bristol residents as well as friends and families of the graduating students.[41]
Among its Principals and Deans were the war artist Jack Chalker, the Graphic Designer Paul van Der Lem, and Paul Gough RWA, a Fine Artist, who became the first Pro-Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean of the Faculty in its expanded form of over 2,600 students. Gough recently took up a new post and a new Dean will be recruited during summer 2010.
Glenside campus is the home of the School of Health and Social Care at the University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol. It is located on Blackberry Hill in the suburb of Fishponds. grid reference ST625763. Stanley Spencer worked as a medical orderly at the Beaufort Hospital (Glenside) from 1915-16. The Faculty of Health and Social Care was created in 1996 when the former Avon and Gloucestershire College of Health and Bath and Swindon College of Health Studies joined with the existing Faculty of Health and Community Studies at UWE. The Glenside Museum is situated within the campus.[42]
The School of Health & Social Care is part of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences and includes the following schools:
It is one of the largest faculties of its kind in the UK offering full- and part-time courses at all levels, from BSc and Diploma courses to MSc and PhD, plus a wide range of continuing education, in the areas of Midwifery, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Radiography, Social Work and other health-related professions. Many students undertake placements as part of their course in settings within the Avon, Gloucestershire & Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority area and in some case throughout the southwest of England.
The campus provides a range of facilities including:
The school is establishing a reputation for research of international quality in a range of areas based on research centres:
In addition, the school hosts both the whole systems action research group Centre for Social and Organisational Learning as Action Research (SOLAR) and the Centre for Local Democracy which is a multi Faculty research centre of the University.
St Matthias (known by colloquially as St Matts) is located in the suburb of Fishponds in Bristol. St Matthias is home to departments within the faculty of Creative Arts, Humanities and Education. The campus has some attractive Victorian Gothic buildings, set around the sunken lawn.
The University is divided into four faculties which are then subdivided into departments:
Proposals for a new faculty structure were announced by Steve West in November 2009. The Faculty of Creative Arts and the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities will merge, with the Law School moving into Bristol Business School. This new structure was put into operation during the academic year 2010/11.[43]
Echoing Bristol's long connection with the sea and the Merchant Venturers' Navigation School, the top of the crest depicts a ship's mainmast and rigging. The flaming fire basket indicates guidance, hope and the desire for learning.[44]
The shield at the centre is adapted from that of the College of St Matthias with the wavy line representing the rivers of Avon and Severn. The unicorn is taken from the arms of the City of Bristol and the sea stag from those of the former County of Avon. Both these creatures wear a crown of King Edgar around their necks. Edgar is regarded as a local monarch because he was crowned in Bath Abbey in 973.[45] The wavy lines enclosed in circles on the shoulders represent the fountain of knowledge and learning.[44]
The unicorn and sea stag each support an apple tree, known as the tree of knowledge and is taken from the coat of arms of the Council for National Academic Awards which used to authorise degrees awarded to students of Bristol Polytechnic.[44]
The motto Light, Liberty, Learning is a Disraeli quotation and corresponds directly to the symbolism of the coat of arms. The fire basket represents the Light, the Bristol and Avon supporters represent liberty, and the trees of knowledge and learning.[44]
University of the West of England Students' Union ("UWESU"), formerly known as Bristol Polytechnic Students' Union (BPSU) until it changed its name in line with its parent establishment becoming a university in 1992, is based at Frenchay Campus and was established in 1971. It is run by a team of four sabbatical officers, who are elected annually from the student population. The Students' Union operates bars at all main sites, "Escape" and "Red" at Frenchay, "Bar 75" at Glenside, the "St Matt's Bar" and "Faculty of Creative Arts Bar" - otherwise known as the FoCA Bar. There are also shops at Frenchay, Glenside, St Matthias and Bower Ashton. A laundrette is also provided underneath the Students' Union shop on Frenchay campus, in addition to those provided in the student village.
UWESU Jobshop provides employment opportunites for students.
At Frenchay campus a NatWest bank and Blackwell's book store operate for the benefit of students and staff on campus. The student radio station, Hub Radio operates out of a studio on campus.
The University House Services department operates three bars ("Core24", "OneZone Lounge" and "Street Café"), one canteen named "OneZone" (formally "Merchants' Refectory" before August 2006 and four coffee shops named "Cribs B", "Cribs Q", "Phaz" and "Sports Café". Staff only facilities at Frenchay include "Felixstowe Court", "Paninos" and "Café Severn". At each of the other campuses House Services operate canteens named "Traders". "Core24" at Frenchay was once a "Traders" in line with all the other satellite campuses before it was refurbished in 2004.
In August 2006, a new Sports Centre was opened at Frenchay, including a large main hall with a wooden sprung floor and two glass back squash courts. The hall has court markings for a variety of sports including, badminton, basketball, netball, 5-a-side football, volleyball and indoor hockey. There is also a 70 station fitness suite, changing rooms and a hockey pitch. At St Matthias campus there is a small sports hall and outdoor pitches.
The Centre for Student Affairs offers advice, counselling and career development guidance to students and there is also a university-wide multi-faith chaplaincy, based at the Octagon Centre at Frenchay.
As of September 2008 UWE have purchased the major part of neighbour Hewlett Packard's adjoining land, resulting in a 70-acre (280,000 m2) expansion to their current 80-acre (320,000 m2) campus. The university views this move as an opportunity to move within the local enterprise region and to provide a hub for students and employers. After early consultation meetings it has been stated that the campuses of Glenside and St Mathias will be moved to the Frenchay campus.[46] Bower Ashton will be retained for a longer period, but may ultimately move.[46] It is the single largest development in the university's history since its creation.[47]
Students and local residents in Stoke Park have complained about the poor transport facilities to the university, citing a severe lack of buses and parking spaces. The university has claimed that parking facilities are handled by the local authority and they will not grant additional spaces to the area for the foreseeable future, even with a new campus and more students studying in the area.[48]
The National College of Legal Training (NCLT) is a collaboration between UWE and Central Law Training, launched in January 2010 to provide postgraduate legal training. Currently NCLT offers a two-year, part-time Legal Practice Course and Professional Skills Course. A full time LPC, a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and a Top-up LLM will be launched soon.[49][50] NCLT Study centres are located at Coventry University, Manchester Metropolitan University, Southampton Solent University and University of Westminster.[51]
In September 2006 Frenchay Student Village opened providing on-campus accommodation for 1,932 students, adding to the 252 units already provided in Carroll Court. Campus accommodation is also provided at Glenside and St Matthias campuses. In partnership with UNITE Student Housing a further 1,500 places are provided in Bristol City Centre and UWE Accommodation services also places students in vetted private rentals.
The main halls of residence are
The student village, St Matthias and Marketgate are all en suite, however Marketgate has 12 studio flats that allow for single occupancy by a student. All other accommodation is shared bathrooms and shared kitchen facilities. All accommodation at UWE is self catering.
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