University of Bath

The University of Bath is a campus university located near Bath, England at . It received its Royal Charter in 1966, making it one of the newest "traditional" universities in the United Kingdom. Despite being young, the University of Bath is recognised as one of the United Kingdom's top universities, ranking consistently within the top twenty universities in university league tables published by various newspapers. Bath is currently ranked as the UK's 9th best university overall in both the Guardian and Times [http://www.bath.ac.uk/news/articles/campus/leaguetable-times050606.html university league tables published in May-June 2006, up from 12th place in the 2005 tables. The university has expressed its wish to become an elite university, in terms of quality, not exclusivity.

History

Despite being granted university status merely forty years ago, the University of Bath can trace its roots to a technical school established in Bristol 100 years earlier, the Bristol Trade School of 1856. In 1885, the school became part of the Society of Merchant Venturers, and was renamed the Merchant Venturers' Technical College. Meanwhile, in the neighbouring city of Bath, a pharmaceutical school, the Bath School of Pharmacy was founded in 1907. This became part of the Technical College in 1929.

In 1949, the College under the control of the Bristol Education Authority and was renamed the Bristol College of Technology; which was subsequently changed again in 1960 to the Bristol College of Science and Technology when it became one of ten technical colleges under the umbrella of the Ministry of Education. The college was mainly housed in the former Muller's Orphanage at Ashley Down, Bristol, which now houses part of the City of Bristol College.

In 1963, the government completed an inquiry into the state of Higher Education in the United Kingdom. This was known as the Robbins Committee report. It was this report that paved the way for the College to assume University status.

Although the grounds of Kingsweston House were briefly considered, the City of Bristol, was unable to offer the growing College a suitable site. Following discussions between the College Principal and the Director of Education in Bath, an agreement was reached to provide the College with a new home in Claverton Down, Bath; on a greenfield site overlooking the city of Bath.

Construction of a purpose-built campus in Bath began in earnest in 1964, with the first building, now known as 1 South completed in 1965, and the Royal Charter was granted in 1966. Over the subsequent decade, new buildings were added as the campus took shape. There are plans to build a significant second campus in Oakfield, Swindon.

In November 1966, the first degree ceremony was held at the Assembly Rooms in Bath.

Recent discoveries from city records reveal that there were plans in the 19th Century to build a College of Oxford University on the very same site, which would have resulted in a University of a very different character. Such plans, however, did not come to fruition.

Campus and facilities

The University's campus is located on Claverton Down, two kilometres from the Unesco World Heritage City of Bath. The campus is extremely compact, and it is possible to walk from one end to the other in fifteen minutes.

Architectural plans of the University show that the design involved the separation of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, with road traffic on the ground floors and pedestrians on a raised central thoroughfare, known as the Parade. Buildings would line the parade and student residences built on tower blocks rising from the central thoroughfare.

Such plans were mostly adhered to. At the centre of the campus is the Library and Learning Centre, a 24/7 facility offering computing services, information and research assistance as well as books and journals. A number of outlets including restaurants, bars and fast-food outlets; plus three banks, a union shop, hairdresser, insurance company and a small supermarket; as well as academic blocks, housed around the parade. Buildings are named based on their location relative to the Library: 1 East, 2 East and so forth based on their distance from the Library and the same applies to the south and west.

Buildings, like many so-called plate glass universities, were constructed in a functional, modernistic style using concrete; although such designs were later derided for lacking the charm of the Victorian Red-Brick Universities or the Ancient and Medieval universities. In the City of Bath, there is a particular contrast between the concrete campus and the Georgian style architecture of the World Heritage City of Bath.

Buildings along the east-west axis are mostly along the parade, although later additions such as 7 West, 9 West and 8 East no longer follow this rule and are accessible on the ground level instead. Buildings on the south of the campus, 1 South to 4 South are accessible via roads and pedestrian walkways by the University lake and gardens.

The eastern part of the campus is dominated by the Sports Training Village, built originally in 1992 and enhanced in 2003 with a significant new extension.

The northern perimeter of the University is bounded by students residences including Westwood, Eastwood and Solsbury and Marlborough courts. The original plan for students to be housed in tower blocks above the parade did not materialise, except for Norwood House. The second tower block, Wessex House now hosts a number of offices rather than residences.

The university also owns a number of buildings in the City of Bath, mostly student residences dotted around town; although Carpenter House is also home to a life-long learning centre and a business incubation facility, the Innovation Centre.

Today, major campus works continues, notably the completion of the new building 3 West North in 2005 and the reconstruction of a major building on campus, 4 West.

Academics and courses

The University's major academic strengths are the physical sciences, mathematics, engineering and technology. Today, the University is becoming increasingly strong in management, humanities and social sciences. Courses place a big emphasis on vocational education; with many industry links, the University offers and recommends students to take a one-year industry placement in the penultimate year of the course. In many subjects, opportunities for overseas placements or exchange also exist.

According to the latest government assessments, Bath has 14 subjects rated 'excellent' (the highest on the scale). These are: Business & Management (AMBA accredited); Architecture & Civil Engineering; Economics; Mechanical Engineering (IMechE accredited); Mathematics, Statistics and Operational research; Education; Molecular Biosciences; Biosciences; Pharmacology and Pharmacy; Physics and Astronomy; Politics; Hospitality, Leisure, Recreation, Sport and Tourism; Social Policy and Administration. (^*).

Admissions and students

As one of the top universities in the United Kingdom, admissions generally require top grades at A-Level and are extremely competitive, with some ten applications for each place. ^*

The university has grown rapidly, particularly in the last few years. As of December 2005, some 12,484 students are studying at the university; of which some 9,321 (76%) are undergraduates (full-time and part-time) and some 2,914 (24%) are postgraduates. The remaining 249 are either visiting students or staff also registered as students.

Over 20% of students are international students; the vast majority of which come from China (including Hong Kong). ^*

Housing and transport

Most students in the first year live in one of the 3,000 single study bedrooms on campus. In subsequent years, students generally live in town in privately-owned shared student houses; although a number may be offered excess rooms off-campus. Postgraduate students have the opportunity to choose between numerous postgraduate campus residences and off-campus residences.

Although the campus is located on top of a steep hill, buses operated by First Bus between town and campus are frequent, running at a 20 minute interval during off-peak hours, and every 6 minutes during peak times. There is also an hourly circular service to the smaller suburbs of Bath.

Sports and recreation

Sports and TeamBath

The University is host to Team Bath F.C. as well as some of the UK's top Olympic athletes through TeamBath, the university's family of sports. It has one of the best sports facilities in a United Kingdom University, with only Loughborough offering any competition for Bath. ^* Facilities are spread over three sites; two on the Claverton Down campus; known as the Founder's Hall, Sports Traming Village/English Institute of Sport for South West England and at the Sulis Club a short distance from the Claverton Down campus.

Facilities at the University include two fitness suites, four squash courts, a 25-metre indoor swimming pool and a 50-metre outdoor swimming pool, outdoor athletics track, multi-purpose sport halls (including basketball, netball and badminton courts), eight-court indoor tennis hall, indoor athletics facilities, and various suites catering for Judo/Jitsu dojo, sports science and sports medicine needs.^* A number of outdoor astroturf and natural pitches and grounds cater for football pitches and rugby; while the Sulis Club hosts the University's American football team, the Bath Killer Bees.

Societies

The University has an active Students' Union with over 100 different active clubs and societies including sports clubs, cultural, arts, interest and faith societies:

Bath Area Rag collects money for local and national charities by running events to bring the town and student communities closer.
The Arts Union offers students the opportunity to prepare and perform plays and other shows to audiences both on campus and in the town, with technical support provided by the Backstage society.
The Students' Union is well represented by various faith groups including Buddhist, Christian, Islamic, Jewish, and other groups.
Bath University Guides and Scouts (BUGS) is the university's SSAGO unit. It provides outdoor activities for students, and also helps with scouting and guiding in the community.

Student media

Student media is varied - the University is home to three media outlets: a bi-weekly student newspaper, The bath impact; a radio station, 1449AM URB; and a television station, Campus TV. CTV (Bath)

Future expansion

Claverton Down

The University is currently upgrading its Claverton Down campus with major new teaching blocks opening every other year and a consultation is being held with the local council and residents to move the boundary of the greenbelt to facilitate further expansion.
In July 2005, building 3 West North (officially opened on 27 October) was completed.
The deconstruction of the asbestos-contaminated 4 West was completed in mid-2005, and the new 4 West building is currently in late-planning stages and is expected to open by 2007.
The ICIA Arts Complex is planning to expand by adding a new building adjacent to the current theatre. It is expected to open in 2008.

Swindon

A new campus is being developed in Oakfield, Swindon which offers part-time and community courses. It is expected that the Swindon campus will house some 6,000 students. However, proposals to build a campus next to the Great Western Hospital and the Coate Water nature reserve has been met by opposition from environmentalists and locals. [http://archive.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/2004/10/20/104033.html

Notable alumni

Neil Fox: radio DJ and TV presenter known as "Dr Fox"

Justin King: CEO of Sainsbury's

Vedat Tavsanoglu: prominent electronic engineer

Mansoor Hekmat: Iranian Communist Leader

External links

Official links

Student media

Related organisations

Universities in England | Bath | Education in Somerset

دانشگاه باث | Université de Bath

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