Administrative staff 3,234 Number of students 29,195 (2013–2014) Headquarters Treforest, United Kingdom | Vice-Chancellor Julie Lydon Undergraduates 20,840 (2015/16) | |
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Established 11 April 2013 (origins 1841) Similar Cardiff Metropolitan University, University of Glamorgan, University of Wales, Swansea University, Cardiff University Profiles | ||
Pontypridd campus aerial tour university of south wales
The University of South Wales (Welsh: Prifysgol De Cymru) is a university in Wales, with campuses in Cardiff, Newport and Pontypridd. It was formed on 11 April 2013 from the merger of the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wales, Newport.
Contents
- Pontypridd campus aerial tour university of south wales
- University of south wales location
- History
- Notable dates
- Student numbers
- Associated organisations
- Faculties
- Campuses
- Cardiff
- Newport
- Pontypridd Treforest and Glyntaff Campuses
- Caerleon
- London
- Awards
- Rankings
- National Cyber Security Academy
- Research
- Student Union
- Accommodation
- Artists and photographers
- Authors and creative writers
- Business and legal
- Film
- Healthcare professionals
- Media personalities and performers
- Musicians
- Politicians
- Scientists
- Sports people
- References
University of south wales location
History
The university can trace its roots to the founding of the Newport Mechanics' Institute in 1841. The Newport Mechanics' Institute later become the University of Wales, Newport. In 1913 the South Wales and Monmouthshire School of Mines was formed. The school of mines was later to become the Polytechnic of Wales, before gaining the status of University of Glamorgan in 1992. The name for the new merged university was chosen following a research exercise amongst interested parties and announced in December 2012 by the prospective vice-chancellor of the university, Julie Lydon.
Notable dates
Student numbers
At formation it was reported that the university had more than 33,500 students from 122 countries and was then the sixth largest in the United Kingdom and the largest in Wales. However the Office of the Independent Adjudicator stated that, in 2013, the number of students was 29,875. The Higher Education Statistics Agency reported student total numbers of 27,710 for the 2014/15 academic year. Therefore during the 2014/15 academic year University was the 16th largest in the UK and the 2nd largest in Wales, after Cardiff University, when measured by the number of enrolled students. However following the decline in student numbers reported by the HESA for the academic year 2015/16 the University ranking declined to the 19th largest in the UK and the 2nd largest in Wales when measured by student numbers.
Source:- The Higher Education Statistics Agency
Associated organisations
The university is part of the University of South Wales Group comprising the university, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Merthyr Tydfil College.
The university has a band of 106 partner colleges, universities, FE institutions or organisations, who deliver University of South Wales's higher education programmes or access courses in the UK and 18 other countries.
Faculties
The university has four faculties spread over its campuses in South East Wales.
Faculty of Business and Society
Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science
Faculty of Creative Industries
Faculty of Life Sciences and Education
The university has a film school, animation facilities, broadcasting studios, a photography school, a reputation for theatre design, poets, scriptwriters and authors as well as the national music and drama conservatoire, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, as a wholly owned subsidiary. It offers a range of qualifications from further education to degrees to PhD study. As a Post 92 University it delivers a range of STEM subjects.
In June 2013 the fine art course at Newport was closed, with the final degree show being entitled "depARTure". A tutor, Kathryn Ashill, said that the students had a "responsibility of going out with a bang".
Campuses
The university has three main campuses located across South Wales:
Cardiff
The Faculty of Creative Industries is based at the Cardiff Campus, along with a smaller number of courses from the Faculty of Business and Society. The Atrium Building is the main building at the campus, originally opened by the University of Glamorgan in 2007 the building recently extended and re-opening during September 2016. The campus also includes the Atlantic House building.
Newport
The university's newest campus. The £35 million campus on the west bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre was opened in 2011, by the University of Wales, Newport. It hosts a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including teaching, business, social work and youth work. The National Cyber Security Academy is based at the Newport campus.
Pontypridd (Treforest and Glyntaff Campuses)
This was formerly the main campus of the University of Glamorgan. Currently the university's largest campus, with a range of facilities, including an indoor sports centre and students' union. The campus is located in three parts:-
1) Treforest – Which hosts a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate courses notable in engineering and related subjects.
2) Glyntaff – Where nursing, science and sport courses are based.
3) Tyn y Wern – The location of the University of South Wales' sport park.
Caerleon
Caerleon is located on the northern outskirts of Newport. Formerly the second largest campus, it hosted a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including education, sports, history, fashion design, art and photography. The campus had extensive sports facilities, library, students' union shop and a students' union bar. It was formerly the main campus of the University of Wales, Newport. In 2014, it was announced by the University of South Wales that the Caerleon campus would close in 2016 with courses being integrated into the remaining campuses. The campus opened during 1914 and closed for the last time on 31 July 2016, after 102 years. The University is proposing to sell the campus for housing development but there is strong opposition to the planned re-development from local residents. The Caerleon Civic Society asked Cadw, the body that looks after historic monuments and buildings in Wales, to give the Edwardian main building Grade II Listed building status to save it from demolition. On the 7 August 2016 the Welsh Government announced that they would recommend that the main building, gatehouses and gate-piers be listed as ‘buildings of special architectural and historic interest’. The University of South Wales expressed their continued opposition to the proposed listing but the announcement was welcomed by local politicians and the Caerleon Civic Society. Grade II listing of the Main Building, the Principal’s Residence, Gate Piers and Caretaker’s / Gardener’s Lodge was confirmed on the 3 March 2017 .
London
In 2014, USW spent an estimated £300,000 developing a campus in the Docklands area of London, but in January 2015 cancelled the project before taking on any students. The university described this as a test of the market, but blamed problems created by new UK visa regulations.
Awards
The University of Wales, Newport received the 2013 Guardian Higher Education Award (with the University of Glamorgan) for widening participation through its Universities Heads of the Valleys Institute (UHOVI) initiative. The University of Glamorgan was recognised for providing outstanding student support, winning the 2012 Times Higher Award for Outstanding Support to Students.
The vice-chancellor of the university, Julie Lydon, was appointed an OBE for services to higher education in Wales in the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours.
Rankings
The Complete University Guide 2016 ranked the university as 99 out of 127 UK universities. The university came 8th in the UK at the WhatUni? Student Choice Awards 2016.
National Cyber Security Academy
In 2016, the university launched its National Cyber Security Academy. This academy is a joint venture with industrial partners and Welsh Government and has been recognised by the UK's national security organisation GCHQ.
Research
The university is one of Wales’s five major universities and a member of the St David's Day Group. Its precursor institutions have been recognised for producing some world-leading and internationally excellent research in specialist areas, such as mechanical, aeronautical & manufacturing engineering, social work, social policy & administration, education, history, art and design, nursing and midwifery, architecture and the built environment, English language and literature, communication, cultural & media studies, sports-related studies.
The university offers independent advice to government and employers across the UK on health, education, economic growth, social policy and governance. It has provided a partnership platform for think-tanks such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and NESTA to develop debate on public policy reform in the UK.
Student Union
University of South Wales Students' Union is the students' union of the university. It exists to support and represent the students of the university. It is a member-led organisation and all students are automatically members.
Accommodation
Pontypridd has halls of residence and facilities on its Treforest campus. Students studying at the university's Cardiff campus have access to private halls of residence, which are shared with the city's other universities. The Newport City building has nearby private student halls of residence.