University of South Wales

University of South Wales
Prifysgol De Cymru
Former names	University of Glamorgan, University of Wales, Newport
Established	11 April 2013 (origins 1841)
Type	Public
Chancellor	Lord Williams of Oystermouth[1]
Vice-Chancellor	Julie Lydon
Administrative staff	3,800
Students	31,127
Location	Cardiff, Newport, Pontypridd, Wales
Campus	Caerleon, Cardiff, Newport and Pontypridd
Affiliations	University Alliance
Website	http://www.southwales.ac.uk

University of South Wales (Welsh: Prifysgol De Cymru) is a university in South Wales, United Kingdom. It was formed on 11 April 2013 from the merger of the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wales, Newport.^[2] The university can trace its roots to the founding of the Newport Mechanics Institute in 1841. With more than 31,000 students from 122 countries, the university is the 6th largest university in the UK and the largest in Wales.^[3][4][5]

Establishment

The name for the university was chosen following a research exercise amongst interested parties and announced in December 2012 by the prospective vice-chancellor of the university, Julie Lydon.^[6] The foundation of the new university dates back to 1841 when the Newport Mechanics Institute was formed, which later become the University of Wales, Newport. In 1913 South Wales and Monmouthshire school of mines was formed which in 1992 gained the status of University of Glamorgan.

Organisation

The University of South Wales Group

The university is part of the University of South Wales Group comprising the University, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Merthyr Tydfil College.

The university has a band of 106 partner colleges, universities, FE institutions or organizations, who deliver University of South Wales's higher education programs or access courses in the UK and 18 other countries.^[7]

The University has also opened a London Centre in autumn 2014, based at the Docklands Academy.^[8]

Faculties

The university has four faculties spread over its four campuses in South East Wales.

Faculty of Business and Society

• School of Business
• School of Law
• School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science

• School of Computing and Mathematics
• School of Engineering
• School of Applied Sciences

Faculty of Creative Industries

• School of Drama and Music
• School of Art and Design
• School of Media

Faculty of Life Sciences and Education

• School of Psychology, Counseling and Early Years
• School of Education
• School of Inter-professional practice, Sport and Wellbeing
• School of Care Sciences

The university has a film school, animation facilities, broadcasting studios, a photography school, a reputation for theatre design, award-winning poets, scriptwriters and authors, and the national music and drama conservatoire, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, as a wholly owned subsidiary. It offers a range of qualifications from Further Education to degrees to PhD study. As a Post 92 University it delivers a range of STEM subjects, from engineering and mathematics to computing and surveying.

In June 2013 the fine art course at Newport was closed, with the final degree show being entitled "depARTure". A tutor, Kathryn Ashill, said that the students had a "responsibility of going out with a bang".^[9]

Campuses

The university has four main campuses:

• Caerleon - located on the northern outskirts of Newport. The second largest campus and hosts a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including Education, Sports and Photography. This Edwardian campus includes extensive sports facilities, library and students union. Formerly the main campus of the University of Wales, Newport. In 2015, it was announced by the University that the Caerleon campus was to close, with courses being integrated into the remaining campuses.

• Cardiff - The Faculty of Creative Industries is based at the ATRiuM building. Some professional services courses are taught in the Atlantic House building, with Fashion taught in the Cromwell House building. Opened in 2007 by the University of Glamorgan, who converted a former BT office building.

• Newport - The university's newest campus. The £35 million campus on the west bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre was opened in 2011, by the University of Wales, Newport. Hosts a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including Business and the world-renowned Film School.

• Pontypridd - This was formerly the main campus of the University of Glamorgan. Currently the university's largest campus, with a range of facilities, including an indoor sports centre and students' union. The campus is located in three parts:-

1. Treforest - Which hosts a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate courses notable in Engineering and related subjects.
2. Glyntaff - Where Nursing, Science and Sport courses are based
3. Tyn y Wern - The location the University of South Wales sport park.

Reputation

The University of South Wales is one of Wales’s five major universities and a member of the St David's Day Group.^[10] Its precursor institutions have been recognised for producing some world-leading (4*) and internationally excellent (3*) research in specialist areas,^[11][12] such as nursing and midwifery, architecture and the built environment, English language and literature, history, communication, cultural and media studies, mechanical and aeronautical and manufacturing engineering.

The University of Glamorgan was recognised for providing outstanding student support, winning the 2012 Times Higher Award for Outstanding Support to Students^[13] and received the 2013 Guardian Higher Education Award (with the University of Wales, Newport) for widening participation through its Universities Heads of the Valleys Institute (UHOVI) initiative.^[14][15]

The University of South Wales offers independent advice to government and employers across the UK on health, education, economic growth, social policy and governance. It has provided a partnership platform for think-tanks such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and NESTA to develop debate on public policy reform in the UK.

Notable alumni

Glamorgan

• Sue Bale
• Kevin Brennan (politician)
• Carole Bromley
• Lorna Dunkley
• Gareth Evans (director)^[16]
• Ben Green (comedian)
• Mark Labbett
• Maria McCann ^[17]
• Darren Morris
• Dan Rhodes^[17]
• Catherine Thomas
• Rachel Trezise^[17]
• Camilla Way
• Tine Wittler
• Leanne Wood- leader of the Welsh party Plaid Cymru

Newport

• Christopher Chung Shu-kun, BBS, JP, a member of Hong Kong Legislative Council
• Ken Elias (born 1944), artist
• Harry Greene, television personality
• Paul Groves (born 1947), poet
• Jon Maguire songwriter and former member of duo Lilygreen & Maguire
• Ian Watkins from rock band Lostprophets

Gallery

• 

  Newport city centre campus

• 

  Caerleon campus, Newport

• 

  ATRiuM, Cardiff

References

University of South Wales University of South Wales merger of University of Glamorgan and the University of Wales, Newport Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Merthyr Tydfil College

Links to related articles Education in Cardiff Further and higher education Cardiff University Cardiff Metropolitan University University of South Wales Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama Cardiff Law School Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies Cardiff University School of Medicine Cardiff Business School Cardiff and Vale College St David's Catholic College University Hospital of Wales Cardiff School of Art & Design Wales International Academy of Voice Cardiff Sixth Form College Schools Primary Lansdowne Primary School Trowbridge Primary School Ysgol Gymraeg Pwll Coch Ysgol Gymraeg Treganna Secondary Bishop of Llandaff CW High School Cardiff High School Corpus Christi RC High School Eastern High School Fitzalan High School Llanishen High School Mary Immaculate High School Radyr Comprehensive School St Illtyd's Catholic High School St Teilo's CW High School Whitchurch High School Willows High School Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Plasmawr Independent The Cathedral School Howell's School Kings Monkton School St John's College Other institutions Cardiff Central Library Libraries in Cardiff CEWC-Cymru Centre for Occupational and Health Psychology Estyn Higher Education Funding Council for Wales National Institute of Adult Continuing Education Techniquest Urdd Gobaith Cymru WISERD WJEC Wales Institute for Research in Art and Design University of Wales Press International Baccalaureate Defunct Llanedeyrn High School Llanrumney High School University of Glamorgan University of Wales Universities and colleges in Wales Universities Aberystwyth Bangor Cardiff Cardiff Metropolitan Glyndŵr South Wales Swansea Trinity Saint David Further Education colleges Bridgend Cambria Cardiff and Vale Ceredigion Cymoedd Gower College Swansea Gwent Harlech Llandrillo Cymru Merthyr Tydfil Neath Port Talbot Pembrokeshire Powys Sir Gâr Sixth form colleges St David's Catholic Cardiff Sixth Form College Universities in the United Kingdom England East Anglia Anglia Ruskin BPP University Campus Suffolk Cambridge East Anglia Norwich University of the Arts London University of London Birkbeck Courtauld Goldsmiths Heythrop Institute of Cancer Research King's London Business School LSE LSHTM Queen Mary Royal Academy of Music RCSSD Royal Holloway Royal Veterinary College St George's SOAS UCL Other BPP Brunel City East London Greenwich Imperial Kingston Law London Met London South Bank Middlesex Regent's University London Richmond, The American International University in London Royal College of Art Royal College of Music Roehampton St Mary's University University of the Arts London Westminster West London Midlands Aston BPP Birmingham Birmingham City Bishop Grosseteste Coventry De Montfort Derby Harper Adams Keele Law Leicester Lincoln Loughborough Newman Northampton Nottingham Nottingham Trent Staffordshire University College Birmingham Warwick Wolverhampton Worcester North Bolton BPP Bradford Central Lancashire Chester Cumbria Durham Edge Hill Huddersfield Hull Lancaster Law Leeds Leeds Beckett Leeds Trinity Liverpool Liverpool Hope Liverpool John Moores Manchester Manchester Metropolitan Newcastle Northumbria Salford Sheffield Sheffield Hallam Sunderland Teesside York York St. John South Arts Bournemouth Ashridge Bath Bath Spa Bedfordshire Bournemouth BPP Brighton Bristol Buckingham Buckinghamshire New Canterbury Christ Church Chichester Cranfield Creative Arts Essex Exeter Falmouth Gloucestershire Hertfordshire Kent Law Oxford Oxford Brookes Plymouth Portsmouth Reading Royal Agricultural University St Mark & St John Southampton Southampton Solent Surrey Sussex UWE Winchester Northern Ireland Queen's Ulster Scotland Aberdeen Abertay Dundee Dundee Edinburgh Edinburgh Napier Glasgow Glasgow Caledonian Heriot-Watt Highlands and Islands Queen Margaret Robert Gordon Royal Conservatoire of Scotland St Andrews Stirling Strathclyde University of the West of Scotland Wales Aberystwyth Bangor Cardiff Cardiff Metropolitan Glyndŵr South Wales Swansea Swansea Metropolitan UW Trinity Saint David Overseas territories American University of the Caribbean Bermuda College Cayman Islands Law School International College of the Cayman Islands Saint James School of Medicine St. Matthew's University University of Gibraltar University College of the Cayman Islands University of Science, Arts and Technology University of the West Indies Non−geographic Lambeth degrees Open University University of London International Programmes Related List by date of foundation (Third-oldest in England) List by endowment List by size of student population Colleges within universities Degree abbreviations National Union of Students Rankings Undergraduate degree classification UCAS Category Commons List