Trinity University College

For other institutions named Trinity College, see Trinity College (disambiguation).

Trinity University College
Coleg Prifysgol y Drindod
Established	1848 (Incorporated 2005)
Chancellor	HRH the Prince of Wales
Principal	Medwin Hughes
Students	2,515
Undergraduates	1,990
Postgraduates	410
Other students	120 FE
Location	Carmarthen, Wales, UK 51.8581°N 4.3286°W / 51.8581; -4.3286
Affiliations	University of Wales
Website	http://www.trinity-cm.ac.uk/ (Defunct)

Trinity University College (Welsh: Coleg Prifysgol y Drindod) was a Church University College in Carmarthen, Wales. In 2010, it merged with the University of Wales, Lampeter to become the new University of Wales, Trinity Saint David.

History

Trinity began life in 1848 as the South Wales and Monmouthshire Training College, making it the oldest teacher training college in continuous operation in Wales. The college's role was to train young men for teaching in Church primary schools. In the first year of operation, 22 students were recruited and were taught by three members of staff including the first Principal, William Reed. Walter Powell is recorded as the first student; he was 17, previously a draper and worked in a grocery store. The College required its students to follow a strict schedule which included getting up at half past six for a cold bath. Students were often recruited from humble backgrounds, and to remind them of this, the college curriculum included subjects such as gardening and woodwork. The students were expected to have a knowledge of grammar and arithmetic and received education in Latin and Greek. By 1936, the college also had an art block and a gym. The college also placed restrictions on the interaction with the local town, particularly with women and fines were issued for 'girling' (interaction with local women). The strict regime of college life was however broken for activities such as smoking and reading newspapers in the common rooms, musical concerts and entertainment. In the late Victorian era, photography became a great hobby at the college. In the inter-war era, the college gained a reputation for sports (which still exists to this day). The sports practiced at the college included, badminton, tennis and hockey. The main sport however was rugby, which has a strong tradition at Trinity and many past students have gone on to become great successes in the sport.

An account of college life in the 1930s is provided by ex student Mr George Head. He speaks of how the Old building and the Dewi Hostel combined contained all of the teaching rooms, a gymnasium, the library, the smoking room and common rooms, the secretary offices and the 'Sick Ward' and medical facilities. Church was still at this period a large part of the college life. Interaction with women was still forbidden and punishable. And the lifestyle was still very strict and monastic. Mr Head does however speak of how fond the students were of the college and how much they took away from it. In particular he recounts the old Trinity College Anthem called There is a tavern in the town;

During the World War II era many students at the college were sheltered from the war. However, many of their duties did at times seem almost military like. One such example is that they were expected to take 'fire watches' and serve as lookouts at night. Though this job came with little danger in a town like Carmarthen. Many of the students at the college also joined the home guard and took part in drills.[22] In 1938 a Broadcast room was constructed, the foundation stone being laid by the Duke of Kent. This served as a prime venue for visitors to the college.

In 1931, the College changed its name to Trinity College, Carmarthen. Female students were first admitted in 1957 and in 2009, the College achieved "university college" status, changing its name to Trinity University College.

College anthem

There is a tavern in the town, in the town

And there my true love settled down, settled down

She read her books so merrily

And never, never thought of me, thought of me.

We came from near and far then, unto Trinity Carmarthen

And we saddened as the days drew near to part, to part

We do, O Trinity, we do, we do, we do

Regard thee with affection true, affection true

I’ll hang my hat on the Old Oak Tree,

And may the world go well with thee, well with thee.

Merger with University of Wales Lampeter

On 14 December 2008, it was announced that Trinity was in merger talks with Lampeter with the intention of forming a new university in Wales. The decision was taken in April 2009 for the merger to go ahead. The name for the newly merged institution would be University of Wales Trinity Saint David. The Welsh Assembly Government announced a £14.03m investment in the newly merged institution in October 2008. The merger formally took place in July 2010.

Trinity College, Carmarthen

Location

Trinity College is situated on the outskirts of Carmarthen. It is in a rural setting, surrounded by fields and hills, but is within 10 minutes walk of the town centre. The University is situated around the original 'Old College' of 1848 and is a mixture of lawns and gardens surrounding modern buildings. The main bulk of the university lies at along College Road and Jobs Well Road, with some buildings situated away from the main grounds. On the outskirts of the town, near the town leisure center there is the universities outdoor weather pitch. These facilities were inherited by the new university and continue in use today.

Buildings

Original buildings

Old Building

The campus is centred on the original 1848 'Old Building' of Trinity College. It originally contained all of the original dormitories, common rooms, libraries, an original university quadrangle and teaching spaces. The building today houses several lecture theaters and smaller classrooms often used by the University's school of Justice and Social Inclusion (including Psychology) and, Theology, Religious Studies and Islamic Studies.

Archibishop Childs' Hall

Another feature of the old building of Carmarthen is the Archbishop Childs' hall. Named after Derrick Greenslade Childs, who was archbishop of Wales, Bishop of Monmouth and director of the Church of Wales. Childs was principal of Trinity in 1965. He died in 1987 shortly after his retirement. The hall is of a classical shape and is hung with framed paintings of Childs. The hall is today used as a venue for conferences, lectures and performances (it contains a grand piano). On the outside of the building, there is a carved crest of the Bishops of Wales. The name of Childs is also given to aan upper room in the old building named 'Archbishop Childs room'

Cwad

The original 1848 quadrangle has been modified and renamed the 'Cwad'. This comprises a collection of computer suites and study rooms as well as a coffee shop located in the 'old Library' which serves Starbucks coffee and small meals. This area is also home to the University shop which sells daily essentials for learning.

Chapel

Attached to the main body of the building is the University Chapel. This space is divided into 3 areas; the main chapel, the ante-chapel and the chaplaincy lounge. The Main chapel is an extension added in 1932, it retains many of its original features such as a large pipe organ and several stained glass features. The ante-chapel is the original 1848 chapel, now dedicated to past students and lecturers who served during WW1. It has a central font and is decorated with student artwork. Connected to this is the Chaplaincy lounge. This space serves as a comfortable relaxed meeting space for students. It also houses the chaplaincy library, a small collection of literature for the chapel's needs.

Later additions

Halliwell Centre

The Halliwell Centre is the colleges premium conference facility. It is named after Rev. Halliwell, a former lecturer and principle of the college. The building compromises several large lecture halls, smaller conference rooms and suites, a larger conference hall complete with bar facilities and the Halliwell theater, which regularly puts on shows from travelling companies and the universities acclaimed performing arts students. The facilities of the Halliwell are often used by the various schools of the college for lectures and larger seminars. Beneath the main complex is also several more lecture rooms and the drama department.

The Halliwell also houses the Merlin restaurant, which is the main refectory for catered students.

Carwyn James Building

This building is named after Carwyn James a rugby player and former lecturer of the college. This facility was home to the Faculty of Education and Training. It was used to teach degrees such as primary education and its interior was designed to resemble that of a school building. On the second floor of the building, overlooking the quadrangle was the college's 'Quiet Study Facility' which allows students a comfortable space to work in peace.

Emyr Wyn Jones Building

This building is home to office space and contains music suites and practice rooms for the school of performing arts. Adjoined to this building is also the schools main workshop for the degree of theater production and design.

Dewi Building

The Dewi building was originally built in 1925 as the Dewi Hostel. It was an extension of the original old college and served as an extra wing for student accommodation. An account of the conditions of the hostel survives from a student living in them at the time; “To keep oneself warm in the new wing during the Winter months was a problem for although it had a system of heating, the heat seldom reached even the second floor. To wash we depended on the rain-water caught in the roof of the building and this was always cold”. In 2010 the building was entirely refurbished primarily as office space into a modern building. It contained the university's main reception, finance office and registry as well as IT facilities which were sometimes used by the school of Business and Tourism.

Students' Union

The Students' Union building was the center of student social life on the campus. Constructed in 1972 it comprised two main venues: the Attic Bar which served food and drinks and downstairs 'Unity', the main entertainment venue of the Union. This facility hosted club nights as well as other social events. The Union plays host to many societies, ranging from sports such as rugby and hockey, to historical societies. Behind the Union is the Students' services building, which is the main department for both campuses.

Learning Resources Centre

The main library of the university Campus was constructed in 1995 to accommodate the growing diversity of subjects on the campus and is located opposite the Parry Block. It is dedicated to the poet Raymond Garlick, who was a principal lecturer in Trinity's Welsh department. It contains a total of 110,000 books along with academic journals and DVDs. It also houses public computers, printing and photocopying facilities. It is a two story building. The first floor contains the bulk of the main collection as well as specialist collections, IT spaces and larger collections. The second floor contains quieter working spaces and the rest of the main collection.

Parry Block

Named after Canon Parry a former head of the college, the Parry Block contains a variety of teaching facilities which were used largely by the University's School of Justice and Social inclusion and School of Creative Arts. These include large classrooms and smaller art studios.

Norah Isaac

Named after Norah Isaac, a former lecturer and important figure in welsh drama, this building has a selection of classrooms and lecture suites. Degrees in English and Creative Writing (for which the University has gained a good reputation for) were also taught in this building. It is located directly opposite the Parry Building.

File:File:Arch Bishop Noakes Student accommodation.jpg thumb Arch Bishop Noakes Student accommodation

Arch Bishop Noakes Accommodation

Robert Hunter

Named after Robert Hunter, this building contains a selection of classrooms and lecture halls used by the school of sport, health and outdoor education. It also houses state of the art labs for the school. The facility is located near the Myrddin Accommodation blocks, and is currounded by picturesque gardens and ponds.

Dafydd Rowlands

Named after the author Dafydd Rowlands, this building is the hub of the school of film and visual media. It is used by many of the creative arts degrees and contains lecture rooms and crafting spaces. As well as this it is an office space for the school of visual media.

Cultural Enterprise Centre

This building serves as a hub for the colleges cultural schemes and helps to develop links with the wider community.

Student life

Student Union

The students' union building at the college was constructed in 1972 for the purposes of serving the growing number of students deciding to live on campus. It is a large building, complete with a club called Unity and the Attic Bar. Trinity has several societies and clubs run by the union. These range from sporting societies such as rugby and badminton, to outdoor pursuits. It also has a range of academic societies. The university college also has an operating Christian union and Amnesty groups.

Carmarthen

Carmarthen is a historic market town disputed to be the oldest in Wales. It has a busy atmosphere with several key shopping areas as well as an array of restaurants and cafe's. The town has recently undergone a new regeneration project which has seen larger business emerge such as Debenhams and several high chain restaurants such as Frankie and Bennie's and Pizza Express. Night life in the town is lively but simple with a mix of clubs, bars and more traditional pubs.

Transport

Carmarthen has regular buses connected with Lampeter, Aberystwyth, Pembrokeshire and Swansea. The town is also connected to the A40 which leads to Pembrokeshire and the M4 to Swansea, which is 30 mins away, and Cardiff. The towns railway also runs to Swansea and onwards as well as to Pembrokeshire.

Accommodation

• Archbishop Noakes Hall: this is a large accommodation facility that is split into three sections. It can house hundreds of students and is reserved for returning students (though some first years may be able to acquire a room). The Blocks are all self catered, each room is en-suite, and are divided into flats of eight with one kitchen per flat.
• Myrddin Hall: this is a catered first year hall, built in the 1970s to accommodate the rise in students. The Halls have shared common room space and shared bathrooms. These facilities have now been modified and up-dated.
• Non Hall: originally built in 1957 opposite the old Dewi Hostel to accommodate the first female students. The building has similar facilities to the Myrddin Halls. It is still an all-girl block, reserved for first year catered students. It is a large block, that is 4 stories tall. It has recently been refurbished.
• Tower Hall: this too is a first year catered block. It is 14 stories tall and can accommodate many students.

The college could accommodate 600 of its students, though many did and still do elect to live within the abundance of private accommodation in town.

Sports

Trinity has a long history of sport. From its very beginnings sport played an important role in students life. Rugby is an important and strong tradition at Trinity and many of its past Alumni went on to become very successful in the sport.

Facilities

The College has continued this sporting heritage into the present day. Today the college boasts a fully equipped and up to date gymnasium and sports hall. It has a climbing wall, a swimming pool, tennis courts and an astro turf. As well as this the college has a large open area playing fields and outdoor weather pitch near the town leisure center. On top of this, the college has an academic application of sport with the school of nutrition health and exercise. This school, housed in the Robert hunter building, teaches degrees in nutrition, lifestyle, fitness and exercise referral and physical/ outdoor education.

Performing arts

The campus' general workshop and costume workshops are used by students of theater design. Venues for theatrical performances include a tiered theater in the Halliwell Center, a 160-seat facility with a sprung floor which can be used for dance rehearsals, Theatr Parry, and Theatr Fach (which contains a green screen and is used as a recording studio).

Creative arts

The college also houses workshops designed for different arts and crafts such as woodwork, fine art and ceramics. There are also modern media suites which allow students to engage with 2D and 3D moving artwork and an Apple Mac lab equipped with dual core i-Macs, as well as Mac Pro towers to enable students to have an industry standard experience. In addition, the campus is home to the 'final cut' film studio and recording and editing studios used by film and media students.

Courses

Historically, Trinity College was primarily concerned with the discipline of teacher training. It had a long and constant history with the subject. This tradition continued throughout the institution's history and the college became one of the UK's chief providers of the subject^{[citation needed]}. As it developed, Trinity College began to teach a wide range of subjects including:

• Business and Tourism,
• IT, Computer and Internet technology,
• Health Science, Nutritional science, and Sports Science,
• Social Inclusion and Justice,
• Psychology,
• Religious Studies, Theology and Islamic Studies,
• Drama and Theater Production,
• Performance Art, Vocal studies
• Physical Education, Outdoor Education
• Art and Design
• Film, Media and Photography,
• Chidhood Studies,
• English and Creative Writing.

After obtaining university status, the College also began awarding postgraduate degrees.

Alumni

Former students include rugby players Dewi Bebb and Barry John, singers Stuart Burrows and Rhys Meirion, Pam Evans, founder of Peace Mala and writers Gwyn Morgan and John Owen. Former lecturers include Raymond Garlick, Norah Isaac, Islwyn Ffowc Elis and Carwyn James.

See also

• List of universities in Wales