University of Wales, Lampeter
355780
222382890
2008-06-29T01:43:55Z
88.105.113.123
/* Rugby */
{{Infobox University
|name = University of Wales, Lampeter
|native_name = Prifysgol Cymru, Llanbedr Pont Steffan
|image_name = SDUCcrest.png
|motto = ''Gair Duw Goreu Dysg''<br />The word of God is the best teacher
|established = [[1822]] (Charter 1828)
|staff = 200
|chancellor = HRH [[Charles, Prince of Wales|the Prince of Wales]]
|vice_chancellor = Professor [[Robert A. Pearce|Robert A Pearce]]
|endowment = £5.9M (2004/05)
|city = [[Lampeter]]
|country = [[Wales]], [[United Kingdom|UK]]
|campus = [[Rural area|Rural]]
|address = College Street<br />Lampeter<br />Ceredigion<br />SA48 7ED.
|students = 9,150<ref name="HESA">{{cite web |url=http://www.hesa.ac.uk/holisdocs/pubinfo/student/institution0506.htm |title=Table 0a - All students by institution, mode of study, level of study, gender and domicile 2005/06 |work=[[Higher Education Statistics Agency]] online statistics |accessdate=2007-03-31}}</ref>
|undergrad = 7,455 (of which, 1,100 are on campus) <ref name="HESA" />
|postgrad = 1,035 <ref name="HESA" />
|colours = Black and Gold<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.netsoc.tcd.ie/~peterh/scarves/wales/|title = Scarves of the University of Wales|accessdate = 2007-08-21}}</ref> <br /><table cellspacing="0" width="100%">
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|affiliations = [[University of Wales]]<br/> [[Association of Commonwealth Universities|ACU]]<br/>[[Universities UK]]
|website = http://www.lamp.ac.uk/
|logo = [[Image:1822lamp.png|175px]]
}}
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'''University of Wales, Lampeter''' ([[Welsh language|Welsh]]: ''Prifysgol Cymru, Llanbedr Pont Steffan'') is a [[university]] in [[Lampeter]], [[Wales]], the oldest [[Academic degree]] awarding institution in Wales and the third oldest in [[England and Wales]] after [[Oxford University|Oxford]] and [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]]. The university started in 1822 as '''St David's College''' (''Coleg Dewi Sant''), becoming '''St David's University College''' (''Coleg Prifysgol Dewi Sant'') in 1971, when it became part of the federal [[University of Wales]]. With fewer than 2,000 students on campus, it often claims to be one of the smallest [[public university|public universities]] in [[Europe]]. In many ways, then, it is miraculous that the university has survived in the increasingly competitive atmosphere of the British [[Higher Education]] sector and the institution's financial health was often a cause for concern. Principal [[John Roland Lloyd Thomas|J.R. Lloyd Thomas]]'s decision to lead the institution into the University of Wales in the 1970s rescued the college from [[bankruptcy]] once, and more recently, the college has had to pioneer [[foundation degree]]s and [[distance learning]] through its [[Voluntary sector|Voluntary Sector]] studies and [[Welsh language]] departments, which has helped to rescue the university college once more from having to amalgamate with a larger institution. Through this adversity, however, the university continues to rate highly in its research, particularly the [[Theology]] and [[Religious Studies]] and [[English Literature]] and Language departments which received the top rating in the 2001 [[Research Assessment Exercise]]. The campus's setting in the [[Ceredigion]] hills, on the banks of the [[River Teifi]] attract a high proportion of mature students and students from outside Wales, who wish to escape the urban environments of the majority of the other British universities.
== History ==
When [[Thomas Burgess]] was appointed [[Bishop of St David's]] in 1803 he almost immediately identified the need to establish a College in which Welsh [[ordination|ordinands]] could receive a higher education. The existing colleges at Oxford and Cambridge were out of the geographical and financial means of most men.
Burgess had no Welsh connections; he was born in England in 1756 and after [[Winchester]] and [[Oxford]] he had short stays in [[Salisbury]] and [[Durham]] before being appointed to his first bishopric in Wales in 1803. Originally Burgess intended to build his new college to train priests in [[Llanddewi Brefi]], which at the time was similar in size to Lampeter, but ten kilometres from it, and with an honoured place in the Christian history of Wales. When Burgess was staying with his friend the Bishop of [[Gloucester]] in 1820, however, he met [[John Scandrett Harford]], a wealthy landowner from [[Gloucestershire]], who donated the three acre (12,000 m²) site called Castle Field in Lampeter, so called for the [[Norman architecture|Norman]] [[castle]] once contained in the field. This is the site on which the present University stands.
[[Image:Burgess39694.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Engraving of Bishop Burgess]]'''St David's College''' was thus founded just outside Lampeter in 1822. Burgess left St. David's in 1825 to become [[Bishop of Salisbury]], but work on the college continued, largely supervised by Harford. The £16,000 required to erect the college had been raised from public donations, a government grant, and highly publicised gifts, including one from [[George IV of the United Kingdom|King George IV]]. The main college building was completed in 1827, and the college officially opened on [[St. David's Day]] of that year, welcoming its first 26 students. As such, after the ancient universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and those in [[Scotland]], it is the oldest university institution in Britain, receiving its first charter in 1828. In 1852 the college gained the right to award the degree of [[Bachelor of Divinity]], (BD), and in 1865 the degree of [[Bachelor of Arts]] (BA), long before the other colleges in Wales gained their own degree awarding powers.
Although it continued as a centre of clergy training until 1978, there was always a proportion of students who did not intend to be ordained. The 1896 charter specifically stated that the college could accept anyone, regardless of whether they intended to take Holy Orders, and since 1925 it had been possible to study for a BA at the college without studying any theology at all. Throughout the college's history, non-ordinands had been in a minority. In the 1950s, however, the number of ordinands declined sharply, and the College faced possible closure unless it could secure government funding. Principal [[John Roland Lloyd Thomas|J.R. Lloyd Thomas]] did not spare himself in the fight for survival, and in 1960, after much negotiation, [[Cardiff University|University College, Cardiff]], agreed to sponsor Saint David's, thus the government finally began to assist SDC financially. In 1971 the college became a member of the federal University of Wales, and suspended its own degree-awarding powers. It became '''St David's University College''' (SDUC). By this time, the college had begun shifting its specialisms, and whilst theology continued to be a strong point, students could choose from a much wider range of [[liberal arts]] subjects. In 1996 the Privy Council — in response to a petition from the University — agreed to change its title again to the '''University of Wales, Lampeter''' in line with moves elsewhere in the University and the recognition of its growth and changing status. In September 2007, the University of Wales become confederal rather than federal in nature, effectively giving Lampeter independent university status. Unlike other former Wales colleges, however, the institution's name has remained unchanged.
Today, the university specialises in [[Theology]], [[Religious Studies]], [[Philosophy]], [[Classics]], [[Anthropology]], [[Archaeology]], [[English studies|English]] and [[History]]. The university is also growing in disciplines from the [[liberal arts]] and [[social sciences]] such as Film and Media Studies, Information Society Studies, Business Management, Chinese Studies and Voluntary Sector Studies.
The university also has a number of research and consultancy departments, most notably, Centre for Beliefs and Values, Centre for Enterprise, European & Extension Services, Archaeological Services, and Centre for the Study of Religion in Celtic Societies.
In the early 1990s there also existed a hugely influential [[Human geography|Human Geography]] department at the college. This was closed in 2001, but the diaspora of the [[Lampeter Geography School]] continue to have an influence on their field.
== University buildings ==
=== The Old College ===
[[Image:Uwlsdb.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The St David's Building at the University of Wales, Lampeter]]
[[C.R. Cockerell]] designed the original college, now called the Saint David's Building (Old Building or OB by students) in the centre of the Campus. It is a Grade II* [[listed building]], and contains lecture rooms, common rooms, administrative offices, student residential accommodation and the following three main areas:
'''The Old Hall''' was the refectory until the present one came into use in 1969, and fell into disuse until 1991 when it opened after much restoration; it is now used as one of the main public rooms for meetings, conferences and use by outside organisations. It is also used for some examinations.
'''St David's Chapel''' was originally consecrated in 1827. In 1879 it was closed and rebuilt according to the specifications of the architect [[Thomas Graham Jackson]] of Cambridge. It re-opened on [[June 24]] [[1880]]. It was then refurbished again during the 1930s, mainly through the provision of a new [[reredos]] in 1933 and a major overhaul of the organ in 1934.
'''The Founders' Library''' was the library until the new library opened in 1966, and now houses the University's oldest printed books (1470–1850) and manuscripts (the earliest being from the thirteenth century), given to Lampeter from 1822 onwards, as well as the archives of the university. It is a priceless collection unique to Lampeter. Named after its founders — Thomas Burgess (1756–1837), [[Thomas Bowdler]] (1754–1825) and [[Thomas Phillips (educational benefactor)|Thomas Phillips]] (1760–1851) — it is a resource for teaching, research and scholarship within the University. In 2005, it was announced that a new £700,000 library building was to be built on campus to house the university's manuscripts, as the Founders' Library was not environmentally suitable for such valuable documents. This extension to the main library was completed in 2008.
=== Recent additions ===
[[Image:Cantuwl.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Original Canterbury Building]]
There have been a number of notable additions to the university in recent times:
'''The Canterbury Building''' was originally built to house a growing number of students at the end of the 19th century. The foundation stone was laid by the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] in 1885, and the building was officially opened on [[June 24]], [[1887]]. It contained a physical science laboratory, two lecture rooms, and new accommodation. However, structural problems forced the university to demolish the original building in the summer of 1971. The current Canterbury Building was opened on [[October 20]] [[1973]] by the Vice-Chancellor of the [[University of Kent]] and now houses the [[History]] and English departments.
'''The New Library''' was opened on [[July 7]], [[1966]] by the then Chancellor of the University of Wales, the [[Duke of Edinburgh]]. It was extended, and then reopened by the [[Prince of Wales]] on [[June 21]] [[1984]].
'''The Arts Building''' was opened by The Rt. Hon [[Peter Thomas, Baron Thomas of Gwydir|Peter Thomas]], [[Secretary of State for Wales]] on [[October 4]], [[1971]], in time for it to house the new [[Geography]] department. The [[Archaeology]] and [[Anthropology]] department has since moved into the ground floor of the building, the first floor being shared by the Department of Film and Media and the Department of Management and I.T.
'''The Cliff Tucker Theatre''', on the banks of the River Dulas, was officially opened by Sir [[Anthony Hopkins]] in 1996, and incorporates teaching rooms and lecture theatres, and a large computer room. It is named in honour of [[Cliff Tucker]], a former student and benefactor of the university.
'''The Sheikh Khalifa Building''' completed in 1997, and named after Sheikh [[Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan]], a benefactor of the university, is the new purpose-built home of the Department of Theology, Religious Studies and Islamic Studies, one the largest departments of its kind in the United Kingdom. It was officially opened by Professor Sir [[Stewart Sutherland, Baron Sutherland of Houndwood|Stewart Sutherland]]. Behind the departmental building is a small [[mosque]], used by Islamic students and residents of the town.
== Academic dress ==
Lampeter currently awards University of Wales degrees, and as such, the academic dress matches that of the [[Academic dress of the University of Wales|University of Wales]] — graduates wear a black stuff gown, with bell sleeves for bachelors, and glove sleeve for masters. Hoods are lined with mazarin blue shot green (arts), mazarin blue shot red (divinity). The degrees of MSc (lined yellow shot black) and MBA (yellow shot red, bound light blue) have been recently introduced. The traditional Lampeter academic dress differs from this.
'''Undergraduates''' wore a black stuff gown, with bell-sleeves, with the whole sleeve split open in front. The wearing of undergraduate academic dress officially ended in 1971 on federalisation with the [University of Wales], however there is some support for a resurrection of this tradition.
'''[[Bachelor of Divinity]]'''. A black gown, of MA pattern (long closed sleeves), with a double crescent cut at the end of each sleeve. A black silk hood, lined with dark violet silk, and bound with 1" white silk. Originally, it could be made in either the Oxford or the Cambridge shape, but Cambridge became the norm.
'''[[Bachelor of Arts]]'''. A black stuff gown of Cambridge BA pattern. A black silk hood, part-lined and bound with 'miniver' - white fur with black spots. (Rabbit was usually used, with 'stick-on' spots, on account of the cost of real miniver!). As with the BD, it could be made in either the Oxford or the Cambridge shape, but Cambridge became the norm.
There was also a two-year course for those who could not afford the full three-year one. From 1884, this was called the '''Licence in Divinity '''(LD). Holders wore the undergraduate gown, with a black stuff hood, lined with black stuff, and bound for 1" with white silk. This was always Cambridge shape. The LD was not awarded after about 1940, and in 1969 the hood was used for the DipTh, which was awarded until the College ceased clergy training in 1978.
The College currently awards a number of '''Licences''' (Theology, Religious Studies, Islamic Studies, Latin, Classical Greek). Holders of the [[Licentiate in Theology|Licence in Theology]] may wear the [[Academic dress of the University of Wales|University of Wales]] BA gown, with the old Lampeter BD hood.
== Sports ==
The university owns a sports hall with [[badminton]] and [[Squash (sport)|squash]] courts, and a "multigym" with [[weight training]] equipment. For outdoor sports, the University has [[tennis court]]s, a [[cricket]] field and facilities for football and rugby. Indeed, the college cricket pavilion, opened officially on [[1 May]], [[1909]] is now a [[listed building]] in its own right.
Lampeter has active [[field hockey]], [[Football (soccer)|football]] and [[rugby union]] teams, all of which play in the traditional college colours of [[Flag of Saint David|black and gold]].
=== Rugby ===
Rugby was introduced to Lampeter by Vice-Principal [[Rowland Williams]] around 1850, and as such the college can claim to have the oldest [[Rugby football]] team in Wales. Despite some debate as to whether this honour belongs to the town team or the University side, the Welsh Rugby Union's official history "Fields of Praise: The Official History of the Welsh Rugby Union, 1881-1981"<ref>Fields of Praise, The Official History of the Welsh Rugby Union 1881-1981 pp259, David Smith, Gareth Williams (1980)</ref> indicates the college team as the first. However, [[Lampeter Town RFC]] were the representatives of Lampeter at the formation of the WRU in 1881.
The red strip worn by Wales is actually one of the University's original strips and as such are the only other club permitted to wear it. The club was one of the founder members of the [[Welsh Rugby Union]] in 1881, but following trouble at a match against the [[University of Wales, Aberystwyth|University College of Wales, Aberystwyth]], in 1933, were reprimanded from the union.
The club's nicknames are ''Mad Pilgrims'' and ''Fighting Parsons'', reflecting Lampeter's history of training clergy. Traditionally a match is played between the current student team and an old boys (graduate) team on the first Saturday in December each year. In recent years the old boys have formed a touring side know as Old Parsonians RFC. The old boys have become known for their battle cry "chuff". Old Parsonians play in the college change strip of black/navy, maroon and white. Sky and white socks are worn as a recognition to the historical rugby link with Cambridge.
== The College Yell ==
Taken from the Student Handbook 1938–39, the College Yell was originally used at sporting and other competitive events. It has largely fallen into obscurity in recent years, though is occasionally resurrected by zealous students.
''Hip Hip Hooray<br />Hip Hip Hooray<br />Hip Hip Hooray<br />Nawr Dewi. Nawr Dewi. Nawr Dewi.<br />Dy Blant. Dy Blant. Dy Blant.<br />Backshe Odinthorog. Backshe Odinthorog.<br />Niri Giri Wari. Niri Giri Wari.<br />Zey Zey Zey<br />Bing Bang Odin. Bing Bang Odin.<br />Io Dewi. Io Dewi. Io Dewi.<br />Dewi Sant. Dewi Sant. Dewi Sant.<br />Hooray!''
== Student life ==
The Students' Union at Lampeter is heavily involved in Student Life and entertainment. Three full time sabbatical officers and ten non-sabbatical officers oversee student entertainment, welfare and childcare, as well as ensuring that the views of Lampeter students are represented on a national level, through affiliation with the [[National Union of Students of the United Kingdom|National Union of Students]]. Lampeter's small and compact campus, and its beautiful rural setting, attracts a unique and varied range of students, and it is regularly commented that the university is one of the friendliest in the United Kingdom and that everyone seems to know one another. The atmosphere is unique. The Students Union also publishes a popular satirical magazine entitled 1822 which "blends satire, pointlessness and toilet humour".
Lampeter is well over an hour away from the nearest [[city]] of [[Swansea]], and as such, many students find it difficult to adjust to rural life, although to some who come here, this is among the main attractions. Local country towns of [[Carmarthen]] and [[Llandeilo]] are nearby as well as the coastal resorts of [[Aberystwyth]] and [[New Quay]]. The union entertainments officer has to work tirelessly, organising events for students. The union building, purpose built on the banks of the ''Afon Dulas'' and extended in 1998, contains a student bar and small club, known as the Extension, which hosts various parties and live music events, and the university's film society shows new and old films in the Arts Hall and Cliff Tucker Theatre. There is also a strong emphasis of getting students involved in clubs, societies and associations; there are well over 30 officially recognised ones to choose from ranging from African Students' Society to Pudding Club, Medieval Re-enactment and Women's Rugby, alongside societies not affiliated with the Students' Union such as the Christian Union, the Jewish Society, Amnesty and the invitation-only "[[16' Club]]".
== Notable academics ==
[[Image:Rolandwilliams.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Reverend Professor Rowland Williams]]
Important academics past and present:
*Reverend Professor [[Paul Badham]] (Theology)
*Professor [[David Cockburn]] (Philosophy)
*Rabbi Professor [[Dan Cohn-Sherbok]] (Jewish Studies)
*Professor [[Tim Cresswell]] (Geography)
*Professor Peter Davison (English)
*Mr [[Dic Edwards]] (English)
*Reverend [[Islwyn Ffowc Elis]] (Welsh)
*Professor Andrew Fleming (Archaeology)
*Professor [[Mary Grey]] (Feminist Theologies)
*Professor [[Harold Arthur Harris]] (Latin and Greek)
*Reverend Professor [[Ernest William Hunt]] (Theology)
*Professor John Manning (English)
*Professor [[Chris Philo]] (Geography)
*Professor [[Michael Shanks (archaeologist)|Michael Shanks]] (Archaeology)
*Doctor [[Laurie Thompson]] (Swedish)
*Professor [[Nigel Thrift]] (Geography)
*Professor [[Thomas Frederick Tout]] (History)
*Reverend Professor [[Rowland Williams (theologian)|Rowland Williams]] (Hebrew, also Vice-Principal of the college)
== Alumni ==
{{main|List of University of Wales, Lampeter people}}
== Academic departments ==
*[http://www.lamp.ac.uk/archanth/ Archaeology and Anthropology]
*[http://www.lamp.ac.uk/chinese/ Chinese Studies]
*[http://www.lamp.ac.uk/classics/ Classics]
*[http://www.lamp.ac.uk/fm/ Film and Media]
*[http://www.lamp.ac.uk/english/ English]
*[http://www.lamp.ac.uk/history/ History]
*[http://www.lamp.ac.uk/mit/ Management and Information Technology]
*[http://www.lamp.ac.uk/philosophy/ Philosophy]
*[http://www.lamp.ac.uk/trs/ Theology, Religious Studies and Islamic Studies]
*[http://www.volstudy.ac.uk/ Voluntary Sector Studies]
*[http://welsh.lamp.ac.uk/ Welsh]
=== Defunct departments ===
*[[Physical Science]]
*[[Mathematics]]
*Modern Languages ([[French language|French]], [[German language|German]] and [[Swedish language|Swedish]])
**Centre for [[Australia|Australian Studies]] in Wales
== Lampeter Geography School ==
The '''Lampeter Geography School''' was an important collection of academics based at the Geography department of the [[University of Wales, Lampeter]]. The department has since closed, but the Lampeter diaspora continues to have a major impact on the academic discipline.
=== History ===
===Establishment===
The [[Robbins Report]] of [[1963]] recommended immediate expansion of British universities. In its implementation of these recommendations, Lampeter planned to open new [[Economics]] and [[Geography]] departments. The former never materialised, but the groundwork was well in place for the Geography department to open by 1970 or 71. The new Arts Building of the University was opened by the [[Secretary of State for Wales]] on [[October 4]], [[1971]], which provided the new department with luxurious lecture and teaching rooms in time for its opening. Dr David Thomas (not to be confused with David SG Thomas, Professor at Oxford) became the first Professor of Geography at Lampeter in 1970, and in 1971, [[Donald A Davidson]] and John A Dawson joined the staff as lecturers, ready to welcome the first Geography students to Lampeter in October [[1971]].
=== Academics of the Lampeter Geography School ===
*Professor [[Chris Philo]]
*Professor [[Tim Cresswell]]
*Professor [[David Sadler (geographer)|David Sadler]]
*Professor [[Ulf Strohmayer]]
*Professor [[Paul Cloke]]
*Professor [[Nigel Thrift]]
*Professor [[Andrew Leyshon]]
*Professor [[John A Dawson]]
*Professor [[Miles Ogborn]]
*Professor [[Joe Painter|Joe M. Painter]]
*Assoc. Prof.[[Ian Cook]]
*Professor [[Joe Howe]]
*Dr [[Hester Parr]]
*Dr [[David A Atkinson]]
*Dr [[Eric Laurier]]
*Professor [[Ghazi Falah]]
*Dr [[Catherine Nash]]
*Professor [[Jon Beaverstock]]
*Professor David A Kirby
*Ian Farrington
* Dr MJC Walker
* Dr G Sumner
== References ==
<references />
*D T W Price, ''A History of Saint David's University College, Lampeter'', University of Wales Press, Cardiff. Volume One, to 1898 (ISBN 0-7083-0606-3) Volume Two 1898–1971 (ISBN 0-7083-1062-1).
*D T W Price, ''Yr Esgob Burgess a Choleg Llanbedr: Bishop Burgess and Lampeter College'', University of Wales Press, Cardiff (ISBN 0-7083-0965-8)
*Nicholas Groves ''Academical robes of Saint David's College Lampeter (1822–1871)'', University of Wales, Lampeter Special Publications (ISBN 0-905285-68-9).
== See also ==
*[[Lampeter Geography School]]
*[[Lampeter]]
*[[University of Wales]]
*[[List of universities in Wales]]
*[[Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wales, Lampeter]]
== External links ==
*[http://www.lamp.ac.uk University of Wales, Lampeter website]
*[http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianeducation/story/0,,396799,00.html ''Guardian'' Newspaper article on the future of the College]
*[http://www.geocities.com/ConservativeSociety Lampeter University Conservative Society]
* {{geolinks-UK-buildingscale|52.1139|-4.0759}}
{{University of Wales}}
{{Universities in the United Kingdom}}
[[Category:University of Wales, Lampeter|*]]
[[Category:University of Wales|Lampeter]]
[[Category:Ceredigion]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1822]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Wales with royal patronage]]
[[Category:Universities in Wales|Lampeter, University of Wales]]
[[cy:Prifysgol Cymru, Llanbedr Pont Steffan]]
[[no:University of Wales, Lampeter]]