University of Glamorgan

From Rhondda Cynon Taff Wiki

The University of Glamorgan (Welsh: Prifysgol Morgannwg) is a university in Glamorgan, Wales with campuses in Trefforest, Glyntaff, Merthyr Tydfil and Cardiff.

1 History
2 Academic rankings
3 Campuses
4 Facilities
5 Reputation
6 Awards
7 List of Faculties and Departments
8 University of Glamorgan News Stories on Rhondda Cynon Taff Online
9 References
10 External links

History

The University of Glamorgan was founded in 1913 as a School of Mines based in Trefforest to serve the large coal mining industry in the South Wales valleys. It later became Glamorgan Polytechnic, then The Polytechnic of Wales, before becoming The University of Glamorgan in 1992, the second established University in Wales. Since 2003, the University has been engaged in an active growth strategy, merging with Merthyr Tydfil College in 2004/5 and entering a "strategic alliance" with the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2006. A new campus was announced in 2005 - the Atrium - and was recently opened in Cardiff city centre^[1].

Presently it has around 18,222 students on campus [1], with around 15,118 of them being undergraduates and has a reputation for friendly and teaching-focussed staff. 3,104 students do not study direct at the campus.

The University of Glamorgan are currently one of the main sponsors of the Rhondda Cynon Taf Business Club.

Academic rankings

UK
	2008
Times Good University Guide	65^[2]
Guardian University Guide	64^[3]
Sunday Times University Guide	95^[4]

Campuses

The University has several campuses:

Trefforest - the main campus plays host to the bulk of academic departments and facilities, including the indoor sports centre and students union. It is easily accessed via Trefforest railway station from either Cardiff, Merthyr or the Rhondda; regular bus services or the A470.
Glyntaff - is the home of the Law School and the School of Care Sciences
Partner colleges - The University has specialised "partner colleges" throughout South Wales; for example, Barry College for aeronautical engineering.
Merthyr Tydfil - the former Merthyr Tydfil College has become part of the University of Glamorgan, although its focus remains on delivering Further Education rather than Higher Education.
Atrium - The Cardiff School of Creative and Cultural Industries is based at a new Cardiff campus located close to Queen Street train station

Facilities

There are two halls of residence, both within the Trefforest campus:

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

Neuadd Philip Evans & Neuadd Philip Squire - which have kitchens on each of the three sections of each of the three floors, communal toilets and showers. Each building also has a communal lounge with a TV.

The Students Union is also on the Trefforest campus. The Student Union is the home to a number of sports teams, sports clubs and societies as well as Leek, the student newspaper and GlamTV, the student TV station for Glamorgan (and the only student TV station in Wales).

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 on-campus radio studio, two theatres, and an art gallery. The new campus in Cardiff will feature two cinema / theatre tiered auditoriums with screens and performance stages.

Learning Resource Centre [2] : 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.

Other: Facilities for the disabled are taken very seriously and proper material and work is done to ensure that people with disabilities can move around and learn properly.

Reputation

The University has been a major contributor to the widening participation agenda of the Welsh assembly, and provides a range of foundation certificate courses, some of which require B grades in order to permit progression to the BSc/BA programmes. The bulk of full-time students enter through the UCAS system with A-levels or equivalent qualifications and many of the university BA/BSc courses are selective in that they require specific A-levels or above average grades for entry{{#if:||{{#if:Category:Articles with unsourced statements|[[Category:Articles with unsourced statements {{#if:October 2007|{{#if:|from|since}} October 2007}}]]{{#if:October 2007|{{#ifexist:Category:Articles with unsourced statements {{#if:|from|since}} October 2007||}}}}}}}}{{#if:citation needed|^{[citation needed]}|}}.

Business school is ranked as the best in Wales and the 12th in UK [3]
In May 2001, the Times 'Higher Education' supplement numbered Glamorgan amongst the top Business Schools for teaching quality/Business studies [4], placing it with Warwick, Cranfield and London Business School. [5]
In 2001 the accounting and finance courses were ranked in the top 5 in UK [6]
One of only 20 UK business schools to get an 'excellent ratings' from the government. [7]
Research partner for the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), world’s largest and most prestigious entrepreneurship research project[8]
Graduates have gone to set up the highest number of successful businesses in the UK of all universities. [9]
Research in biohydrogen production and wastewater treatment is internationally recognised.
The only university in Wales to be awarded the Environmental ISO 14001 [10]
12 of the Universitys' departments have been rated as "excellent". [11]
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. The University of Glamorgan's BSc in Police Sciences is the only one of its kind in the UK. Specialists in police and forensic related matters are organised within the Glamorgan Centre for Police Sciences.
The highest paid Graduates of any university in Wales. [12]
A £35 million investment in Cardiff City, to be completed in 2007, will house the University Creative Industries Faculty, will create one of the most important hubs in drama, media and production in Wales.
The University houses one of the two main chiropractic schools in the UK.

The somewhat rural location of Trefforest, the post-92 university status, and occasionally bleak league table results{{#if:||{{#if:Category:Articles with unsourced statements|[[Category:Articles with unsourced statements {{#if:October 2007|{{#if:|from|since}} October 2007}}]]{{#if:October 2007|{{#ifexist:Category:Articles with unsourced statements {{#if:|from|since}} October 2007||}}}}}}}}{{#if:citation needed|^{[citation needed]}|}} (the university can leap tens of places up and down from one year to the next, depending on criterion changes{{#if:||{{#if:Category:Articles with unsourced statements|[[Category:Articles with unsourced statements {{#if:October 2007|{{#if:|from|since}} October 2007}}]]{{#if:October 2007|{{#ifexist:Category:Articles with unsourced statements {{#if:|from|since}} October 2007||}}}}}}}}{{#if:citation needed|^{[citation needed]}|}}) contribute to the difficulties in recruiting high profile students in some (but by no means all) subject areas{{#if:||{{#if:Category:Articles with unsourced statements|[[Category:Articles with unsourced statements {{#if:October 2007|{{#if:|from|since}} October 2007}}]]{{#if:October 2007|{{#ifexist:Category:Articles with unsourced statements {{#if:|from|since}} October 2007||}}}}}}}}{{#if:citation needed|^{[citation needed]}|}}. There is a difference in teaching quality between departments and courses - some are world class and highly rated by HEFCW, but in general students are very complimentary of the assistance that staff provide. Glamorgan claims great successes in developing students and through good quality teaching, encouragement and nurturing make them succeed.

The economy of nearby Pontypridd, though not dependent, is heavily influenced by Glamorgan. The university has also increased the cultural diversity of the valleys, giving way to newer restaurants, clubs and bars{{#if:||{{#if:Category:Articles with unsourced statements|[[Category:Articles with unsourced statements {{#if:October 2007|{{#if:|from|since}} October 2007}}]]{{#if:October 2007|{{#ifexist:Category:Articles with unsourced statements {{#if:|from|since}} October 2007||}}}}}}}}{{#if:citation needed|^{[citation needed]}|}}.

Awards

The University of Glamorgan has been rated the most environmentally friendly university in Wales in the 2007 "Green League Table" published in the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) and produced by People & Planet. The University also scored the fourth place UK wide in the same league table.
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, the UK's premier award for staff training and development.
In 2000, The Daily Telegraph reported that Glamorgan is in the top five of modern universities for teaching quality

List of Faculties and Departments

Cardiff School of Creative & Cultural Industries
- Art and Design
- Media and Communication
- Drama and Music
Faculty of Health, Sport & Science
- Health Sciences
- Life Sciences
- Physical Sciences
- Sport
- Geography and the Environment
- C.A.S.E. (Centre for Astronomy and Science Education)
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- English and Creative Writing
- Humanities and Social Sciences
- Law, Policing and Criminology
Faculty of Advanced Technology
- Built Environment
- Computing and Mathematics
- Engineering
Glamorgan Business School
- Business Excellence BA
- Accounting
- Leisure, Sport and Tourism Courses
- Management and Business
Faculty of Further Education and Collaborative Activities
Centre for Lifelong Learning
- Combined Studies Unit
- Glamorgan GATES
- Centre for Intergenerational Practice
- Llynfi Valley Project
- Race and Ethnicity
- First Campus