Bangor University

History

The university was founded as the University College of North Wales (UCNW) on 18 October 1884, with an inaugural address by the Earl of Powis, the College's first President, in Penrhyn Hall. There was then a procession to the college including 3,000 quarrymen (quarrymen from Penrhyn Quarry and other quarries had subscribed more than 1,200 pounds to the university). The foundation was the result of a campaign for better provision of higher education in Wales that had involved some rivalry among towns in North Wales over which was to be the location of the new college.

The college was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1885. Its students received degrees from the University of London until 1893, when UCNW became a founding constituent institution of the federal University of Wales.

During the Second World War paintings from national art galleries were stored in the Prichard-Jones Hall at UCNW to protect them from enemy bombing. They were later moved to slate mines at Blaenau Ffestiniog. Students from University College, London, were evacuated to continue their studies in a safer environment at Bangor.

Post-war

During the 1960s the university shared in the general expansion of higher education in the UK following the Robbins Report, with a number of new departments and new buildings. On 22 November 1965, during construction of an extension to the Department of Electronic Engineering in Dean Street, a crane collapsed on the building. The three-ton counterweight hit the second-floor lecture theatre in the original building about thirty minutes before it would have been occupied by about 80 first-year students. The counterweight went through to the ground floor.

In 1967 the Bangor Normal College, now part of the university, was the venue for lectures on Transcendental Meditation by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at which The Beatles heard of the death of their manager, Brian Epstein.

Student protests at UCNW in the 1970s focused mainly on calls to expand the role of the Welsh language. Around this time consideration began of mergers with two colleges of education in Bangor: St Mary's College, a college for women studying to become schoolteachers, and the larger and older Normal College/Coleg Normal. The merger of St Mary's into UCNW was concluded in 1977, but the merger with Coleg Normal fell through in the 1970s and was not completed until 1996.

Name change

The change of name to Bangor University, or Prifysgol Bangor in Welsh, was instigated by the university following the decision of the University of Wales to change from a federal university to a confederal non-membership organisation, and the granting of degree-awarding powers to Bangor University itself. As a result, every student starting after 2009 gained a degree from Bangor University, while any student who started before 2009 had the option to have either Bangor University or University of Wales Bangor on their degree certificate.

Campus and buildings

The university occupies a substantial proportion of Bangor and also has some departments in Wrexham.

Arts Building

The university was originally based in an old coaching inn, the Penrhyn Arms Hotel, which housed its 58 students and its 12 teaching staff. In 1911 it moved to a much larger new building, which is now the old part of the Main Arts Building. This building, designed by Henry Hare, had its foundation stone laid by King Edward VII on 9 July 1907, and was formally opened by King George V in 1911. The iconic building, which occupies a highly visible position overlooking Bangor, gave the college its Welsh nickname Y Coleg ar y Bryn ("The College on the Hill"). It included the large Prichard-Jones Hall, named after Sir John Prichard-Jones a local man who became a partner in the London department store Dickins & Jones, and was a substantial benefactor of the building.

The building became a Grade I listed building in 1949.

A modern extension, completing a quadrangle on the College Road side of the building, was completed in 1969. This is now known as the Main Arts Building.

Halls of residence

The redbrick University Hall, built in a Queen Anne style, was the first substantial block. It was opened in 1897. This building was to become the Welsh language hall Neuadd John Morris-Jones in 1974, taking its name in honour of Professor John Morris Jones. It is now called Neuadd Rathbone.

Neuadd Reichel, built on the Ffriddoedd Farm site, was designed in a neo-Georgian style by the architect Percy Thomas and was opened in 1942 as a hostel for male students.

Expansion in the 1960s led to the development of Plas Gwyn in 1963–64 and Neuadd Emrys Evans in 1965, both on the Ffriddoedd site, and Neuadd Rathbone at the top of Love Lane in 1965. Neuadd Rathbone, designed by Colwyn Foulkes and named after the second President of the college, was originally for women students only. The names of Neuadd Rathbone and Neuadd John Morris-Jones were later exchanged. The building originally opened as Neuadd Rathbone is now known as Neuadd Garth.

Current provision

Accommodation is guaranteed for all first-year undergraduate students at Bangor. There are around 3,000 rooms available in halls of residence, and all the accommodation is within walking distance of the university. There are three residential sites in current use; Ffriddoedd Village, St Mary's Village and Neuadd Garth.

Ffriddoedd Village

The largest accommodation site is the Friddoedd Village in Upper Bangor, about ten minutes' walk from Top College, the Science Site and the city centre. This site has eleven en-suite halls completed in 2009, six other en-suite halls built in the 1990s and Neuadd Reichel built in the 1940s, and renovated in 2011. On-site at Ffriddoedd are a coffee shop, launderettes, a convenience shop, Bar Uno and the Canolfan Brailsford sport centre.

Two of the en-suite halls, Bryn Dinas and Tegfan, now incorporate the new Neuadd John Morris-Jones, which started its life in 1974 on College Road and has, along with its equivalent Neuadd Pantycelyn in Aberystwyth, became a focal point of Welsh language activities at the university. It is an integral part of UMCB, the Welsh Students' Union, which in turn is part of the main Students' Union.

The halls on "Ffridd" ("Ffridd" is the Welsh word for mountain pasture or sheep path; "ffriddoedd" is its plural form) include Cefn y Coed, Y Glyder, Y Borth, Elidir, J.M.J. Bryn Dinas and J.M.J. Tegfan, all of which were built in the early 1990s; Adda, Alaw, Braint, Crafnant, Enlli, Peris, Glaslyn, Llanddwyn, Ffraw, Idwal and Gwynant, which were all built in the late 2000s; and Neuadd Reichel which was built in the 1940s and renovated in 2011.

St Mary's Village

One hall, Bryn Eithin, overlooks the centre of Bangor, and is close to the Science Departments and the Schools of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering. Bryn Eithin has three blocks accommodating ninety-six students. This shared a site office, launderette and common room with the neighbouring St Mary's site halls and Barlow's halls, until the latter were closed to students in 2004. All three parts of the halls were used predominantly by undergraduates at that time. Demolition of the former St Mary's Site halls, with the exception of the 1902 buildings and the Quadrangle, began in 2014 to make way for new halls to be built on the site. These halls were completed in 2015 and are home to around 600 students. The halls on this site are Cybi, Penmon, and Cemlyn which are all self-catered flats, Tudno which is a townhouse complex, and the original St. Mary's building, with studios and flats. Also on site at St Mary's is Barlows shop/cafe a fitness room, laundrette, reception, security and Acapela Hall.

In Welsh "Bryn" means "hill" and "Eithin" means "gorse".

College Road

College Road has one hall, Neuadd Garth (formerly Neuadd John Morris Jones, before that Neuadd Rathbone), which is a self-catering hall. The site is located a stone's throw from the Main Arts building in Upper Bangor, and departments such as Psychology, Music and the College of Business, Social Sciences and Law. Neuadd Garth, after undergoing refurbishment in 2012–13, is now home to postgraduate students.

Neuadd Rathbone (formerly Neuadd John Morris Jones, before that University Hall), which is located on the site, was previously a hall of residence.

Normal Site

The Normal Site is on the shores of the Menai Strait next to the School of Education and the School of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences. The site had two self-catered halls: Neuadd Seiriol and Neuadd Arfon. These halls were closed in 2015 following the completion of the new St Mary's Village. The site is named after the former Bangor Normal College, which has since been incorporated into the university.

Private halls

A private hall of residence called Ty Willis House (formerly known as Neuadd Willis) is operated by Prodigy Living; which incorporates the old listed British Hotel with a new extension to the rear, and a further hall on the site of the old Plaza Cinema. Other privately owned halls of residence in Bangor include Neuadd Kyffin, Neuadd Y Castell, Neuadd Llys Y Deon and Neuadd Ty Ni.

Former Refectory and Student Union Buildings

Undeb is Bangor University’s Students’ Union and was relocated to the brand new Arts and Innovation centre, Pontio, in 2016.

Until 2010 the Students' Union building was situated on Deiniol Road at one end of College Park below the Main Arts building. The Refectory and Curved Lounge were built in 1963 and the main administrative building was added in 1969. The building was known as Steve Biko House from the 1970s to the early 1990s, after Steve Biko. The buildings were renovated in 1997 to create an 1,100-capacity nightclub, Amser/Time, where the previous refectory space was.

Demolition of the Union buildings and Theatr Gwynedd began in July 2010 to make room for the proposed Pontio Arts and Innovation Centre.

When the original Students’ Union building was demolished, the Students’ Union was relocated to Oswalds on Victoria Drive, before moving back to its original location on Deiniol Road in 2016. Pontio includes a theatre, a cinema, a studio theatre and social facilities including the Undeb on the 4th floor.

Undeb has helped to achieve 24 hour opening of the libraries, ensuring that Wednesday afternoons are free. Student Volunteering Bangor (SVB) a department in the Undeb offer, on average, 750 volunteering opportunities a year which equates to about 600 hours of volunteering per week. The Undeb secured contracts for post-graduates who teach as well as ensure that all post-grads have a personal tutor as well as a supervisor. The Undeb work with the University to ensure that the student community have everything they need. One example is the Annual Student Survey; a chance for students to have their say and for the Undeb to feedback to the University.

Undeb stands by their purpose of “Bangor Students: we work to amplify your voice, enable your opportunities and develop your communities”.

Organisation

The University is divided into five Colleges and these are then broken down into Schools and Research Institutes. Bangor's Colleges, and their constituent Schools and Research Institutes, are:

Students' Union

The Students’ Union provides services, support, activities and entertainment for students. All Bangor University students automatically become members of the Students' Union unless they choose to opt out. Its officers have seats on all major university committees.

As with most if not all Students' Unions, a yearly election takes place in which a number of sabbatical officers are elected. These sabbatical officers are held accountable for the actions and decisions of the union, and often work closely with members of the Student Representative Council and other boards.

In January 2016 Bangor Students' Union moved into the new Pontio Arts and Innovation Centre, Deiniol Road, Bangor. The New Student Centre provides students with Free Sports and Activities clubs, over 600 opportunities to volunteer, as well as the chance to become a Course Rep for your University School. The new open plan space provides students with a warm welcome and a safe space to relax and socialise with their peers.

Volunteering

There are several opportunities to volunteer at Bangor University, the main hub being Student Volunteering Bangor, a department of the Students' Union.

Student Volunteering Bangor

Student Volunteering Bangor (SVB) is a department within the Students’ Union that offers more than 600 volunteering opportunities in 33 community-based projects. SVB volunteers currently contribute a total of 600 hours each week.

There is a long tradition of student volunteering in Bangor. The oldest records available detail the organisation of a tea party for local elderly residents in 1952. The Tea Party project continues to run to this day and is SVB's oldest project.

In October 2012 Student Volunteering Bangor was awarded the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service.

RAG

Bangor RAG (Raising and Giving) is a Student Volunteering Bangor project. The committee is made up of two coordinators and a number of committee members, plus several hundred "raggies". RAG collects money for two local and two national charities, which change every academic year and are chosen by the students. RAG members also regularly attend "raids" across the country and assist charities with one-off events throughout the year. Their mascot is a tiger named Rhodri RAG. In 1968, raggies surepticiously carved a panda (then the RAG mascot) and the letters 'UCNW' into a chalk hillside in Wiltshire, causing considerable puzzlement in England.

Clubs and societies

There are more than 150 societies, ranging from academic societies to sport clubs. Notable sports include football (Bangor University F.C.) and rowing (Bangor University Rowing Club).

Student radio

Storm FM is the official student radio station for Bangor University and is one of only three student radio stations in the UK with a long-term FM licence. The station is broadcast on 87.7FM from a low-powered FM transmitter based on the Ffriddoedd Site. Storm is run on a voluntary basis by about 90 students. The FM licence allows for broadcast to a very small area of Bangor, namely the Ffriddoed Road Halls of Residence. Storm FM went online in 2009.

Presidents

Vice Chancellors

The University has had seven Principals/Vice-Chancellors:

Notable academics

Notable alumni

Fictional alumni