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University of Glamorgan

Coordinates: 51°35′21″N 3°19′38″W / 51.58917°N 3.32722°W / 51.58917; -3.32722
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51°35′21″N 3°19′38″W / 51.58917°N 3.32722°W / 51.58917; -3.32722

University of Glamorgan
Prifysgol Morgannwg
MottoSuccess Through Endeavour[1]
TypePublic
Established1992 - gained University status
1913 - South Wales and Monmouthshire school of mines[2]
ChancellorLord Morris of Aberavon[3]
Vice-ChancellorJulie Lydon [3]
Students21,496
Undergraduates18,240
Postgraduates3,256
Location
Trefforest
,
Wales, UK
Websitehttp://www.glam.ac.uk
Logo of the University of Glamorgan

The University of Glamorgan (Welsh: Prifysgol Morgannwg) is a university based in Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales with campuses in Trefforest, Glyntaff, Merthyr Tydfil, Tyn y Wern (The Glamorgan Sport Park) and Cardiff. The university has four faculties, and is the only university in Wales which has no current or former link with the University of Wales.[4]

History

The University of Glamorgan was founded in 1913 as a School of Mines based in Trefforest, Pontypridd, serving the large coal mining industry in the South Wales Valleys.[4] The school was owned and funded by the major Welsh coal owners, through a levy of one tenth of a penny on each ton of coal produced by the companies involved.[4] At the outset, the school had 17 mining diploma students, including three from China.[5] The school was taken over by Glamorgan County Council during the Depression,[4] and became Glamorgan Technical College in 1949, reflecting its expanding portfolio, and the Glamorgan College of Technology in 1958.[5] By this time, the institution had expanded to offer a range of full-time, sandwich and part-time courses in science, technology and commerce, to which it added the first ever "Welsh for Adults" course in 1967.[4] In 1970, the college became a polytechnic.[5] Glamorgan Polytechnic merged with the Glamorgan College of Education in Barry and was re-designated as the Polytechnic of Wales in 1975, before being awarded university status as the University of Glamorgan in 1992.[4]

Since 2003, the University has been engaged in an active "growth strategy", merging with Merthyr Tydfil College in 2004/5 and forming a "strategic alliance" with the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2006, so that the Royal College is now part of the 'Glamorgan Group' of institutions.[6] In 2007, "ATRiuM", a new facility for teaching and research in media, design and the arts was opened in Cardiff city centre.[7] A new Students' Union building at the Treforest Campus was opened in September 2010.

The University currently serves around 21,500 students,[8] with 10,227 registered as full-time undergraduates.[8] The university currently offers around 200 courses and in 2009 claimed to have one of the highest graduate employment rates in Wales, reporting that 94.3 per cent of 2007-08 graduates found employment within six months of graduation.[9]

Academic rankings

The most recent rankings show that the University of Glamorgan is rated the top "new" university in Wales, and one of the top five Welsh universities, by the Sunday Times.

In November 2012, the University of Glamorgan was awarded the Times Higher Education award for "Outstanding Support for Students".

Reputation

The bulk of full-time students enter through the UCAS system with A-levels or equivalent qualifications and many of the University's degree courses are selective in that they require specific A-levels or above average grades for entry.[citation needed]

  • A Next Generation Networks, IMS Experience Lab[10]
  • One of only 20 UK business schools to get an 'excellent ratings' from the government.[11]
  • Centre of Excellence in Mobile Applications and Services (CEMAS).
  • Research in biohydrogen production and wastewater treatment.
  • The only university in Wales to be awarded the Environmental ISO 14001.
  • The University of Glamorgan, with Cardiff University and South Wales Police, forms the Universities Police Science Institute (UPSI) - a unique organisation in the UK dedicated to research and training in police related matters. Specialists in police and forensic related matters are organised within the Glamorgan Centre for Police Sciences.[citation needed]The University has its own Crime Scenes Investigation House.
  • A £35 million (€46.7 million or $68.6 million) investment in the city of Cardiff, completed in 2007, houses the Atrium.[12]
  • The University, along with Cardiff, Swansea, Aberystwyth and Bangor Universities is part of the St David's Day Group, which is dedicated to acting together drive forward the knowledge economy in Wales.
  • Glamorgan, in partnership with the University of Wales Newport, is leading the development of the University of the Heads of the Valleys Initiative (UHOVI)[13]

In July 2012 the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wales, Newport announced that they had begun exclusive talks aimed at integrating the two institutions and realising their shared vision for a new University that would provide greater depth of support to the students, communities and economy of South Wales. The ambitious plans for the new institution will build on the strengths and resources of the two universities and maximise the opportunities for learners via the partners’ campuses across the cities of Cardiff and Newport and throughout the valleys of South East Wales. The purpose of the new university will be to achieve a step-change in the ability to compete in the UK and international markets, provide more opportunities for students and provide an economic boost to the public and private sectors in the region by emphasising skills, employability and entrepreneurship.

It will be of a similar size to Cardiff University, with an enhanced applied research capacity and a focus on business engagement and employability, while improving widening access opportunities for local learners. They will aim to build on the close partnership between the two institutions that has developed from their work with UHOVI (Universities Heads of the Valleys Institute). The formation of the new University will be guided by the principle of creating a beacon institution for Wales which is integrated into local communities, for the benefit of students and the economy.

While the current process involves a bilateral agreement between Glamorgan and Newport, the new institution, when established, will be designed to remain open for further expansion with potential partners in the future. This is in accordance with the strategic direction of successive Welsh Governments.

On 17th December 2012 it was announced that the preferred name for the new university is the University of South Wales.

Campuses

The University has several campuses:

  • Treforest - the main campus plays host to the bulk of academic departments and facilities, including the indoor sports centre and students union. It is accessed via Treforest railway station from either Cardiff, Merthyr or the Rhondda; regular bus services or the A470.
  • Glyntaff - houses the Faculty of Health, Sport and Science. All Science and Sport subjects are based here, including Police Sciences and Nursing.
  • Partner colleges - The University has specialised "partner colleges" throughout South Wales; for example, Barry College for aeronautical engineering.
  • Merthyr Tydfil - Merthyr Tydfil College has become part of the University of Glamorgan Group (but not part of the University), although its focus remains on delivering Further Education rather than Higher Education.
  • Tyn y Wern - Is home to the new Glamorgan Sport Park.
  • ATRiuM - The Cardiff School of Creative and Cultural Industries is based at a Cardiff campus located close to Cardiff Queen Street railway station.

List of Faculties and Departments

  • Cardiff School of Creative & Cultural Industries, the Atrium
    • Animation
    • Communication Design
    • Drama
    • Fashion and Retail Design
    • Film, Photography and New Media
    • Media, Culture and Journalism
    • Music and Sound
  • Faculty of Health, Sport & Science
    • Health Sciences including Nursing and Chiropractic
    • Police Sciences
    • Social Work
    • Life Sciences
    • Physical Sciences (including Chemistry, Geology and Forensic Science)
    • Sport
    • Geography and the Environment
    • Astronomy
  • Faculty of Business and Society
    • History
    • English and Creative Writing
    • Humanities and Social Sciences
    • Law and Criminology
    • Psychology
    • Art Practice
    • Business Management
    • Event Management
    • Accounting
  • Faculty of Advanced Technology
    • Built Environment
    • Computing and Mathematics
    • Engineering
    • Aerospace
    • Lighting and Live Event Technology

Facilities

The halls of residence are based at the Treforest campus:

  • Glamorgan Court - Built in 1996, with all the rooms in the hall buildings arranged into clusters of six en-suite bedrooms with a shared kitchen.

Mountain Halls Accommodation blocks opened in September 2011.

The Students Union is also on the Treforest campus. The Student Union is the home to a number of sports teams, sports clubs and societies as well as TAG, the student newspaper. The building opened in September 2010.

The Students’ Union is one of only 7 buildings in Wales to be awarded with an internationally recognized RIBA award in 2011.

The Union has also welfare, education and equality support and there is also a new democratic structure change to Student Council.

Additional educational facilities include a 24-hour PC lab, wireless internet access in specified areas, world class equipment for nursing courses (including life sized dummies that simulate human beings, from breathing to giving birth), a TV studio, an Aerospace Centre (with its own plane), an on-campus radio studio, and two theatres.

  • Oriel Y Bont galleries, an art gallery that hosts a collection of Ernest Zobole paintings. In 2002 the gallery achieved Museum Status.
  • Learning Resource Centre: The library of the University has books and all other media facilities as well as daily newspapers from around the country and journal articles. Online research journals such as Mintel and Keynotes are available for students to use for free.

Awards

  • In November 2012, the University of Glamorgan was awarded the Times Higher Education award for "Outstanding Support for Students".
  • Glamorgan is the first university in Wales, and only the 8th in the whole of the UK, to have been awarded the nationally recognised Investor in People status, for staff training and development.[14]
  • Glamorgan has received the first prize in the national competition for best course designs and teaching ability three times.[citation needed]
  • Electronic Product Engineering within the School of Electronics, and Environmental Technology and Management, have been designated "Centres of Expertise" for Wales.[citation needed]

Notable Alumni

References

  1. ^ "Glamorgan Crest - University of Glamorgan". University of Glamorgan. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
  2. ^ "Glamorgan, University of - A-Z Unis & Colleges, Getting Into University - Independent.co.uk". The Independent. 2007-07-27. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
  3. ^ a b "Directorate and Governors - University of Glamorgan". University of Glamorgan. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
  4. ^ a b c d e f The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales. John Davies, Nigel Jenkins, Menna Baines and Peredur Lynch (2008) pg896 ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6
  5. ^ a b c "The History of the University of Glamorgan". Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  6. ^ "Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the University of Glamorgan Strategic Alliance welcomed". Welsh Assembly Government. 4 January 2007. Retrieved 28 February 2010.
  7. ^ "Cardiff School of Creative & Cultural Industries - ATRiuM facilities". University of Glamorgan. Retrieved 28 February 2010.
  8. ^ a b "University of Glamorgan - Facts and Figures". University of Glamorgan. Retrieved 2009-11-06.
  9. ^ Devine, Darren (17 July 2009). "The Western Mail". Welsh students struggling to find jobs after graduation. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  10. ^ [1]
  11. ^ University of Glamorgan accountingmasters.co.uk
  12. ^ University expansion plan WalesOnline
  13. ^ UHOVI
  14. ^ [2] glam.ac.uk
  15. ^ University Awards glam.ac.uk

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=University_of_Glamorgan&oldid=530120642"