University of the West of Scotland

History

Although classified as a new university, the University of the West of Scotland has a rich, diverse history inherited from the various institutions that preceded it, including the University of Paisley, Bell College of Technology, Craigie College of Education and Dumfries and Galloway College of Nursing.

Paisley Campus

At the time of the Industrial Revolution, Paisley was renowned for thread weaving. The Coats mill was run by two brothers, Peter and Thomas Coats. These men, children of the Enlightenment espoused liberal ideals and became noted philanthropists. As members of the Philosophical Institution, founded in 1808 the Coats donated a museum and library to the town, funded the building of the Coats observatory and promoted education throughout Paisley.

The Philosophical Institution, helped establish the School of Arts in 1836, which become a Government School of Design in 1846, one of twenty similar institutions established in UK manufacturing centres from 1837-1851. They were set up to improve the quality of the country's product design through training in design for industry. Peter Coats was director of both Paisley Philosophical Institution and the Government School of Design. Later, the Design schools were renamed Schools of Art, and once again as Schools of Art and Science.

In 1897 Princess Louise laid the foundation stone of a grand new building for the College. The design was the winner of an architectural competition and partially funded by local industrialists (Peter Brough, and Thomas Coats both contributed).

By the start of the twentieth century, Paisley Technical College and School of Art, (as it was known from 1904) was a centre for teaching the University of London External Programme. Perhaps the most famous principal of the College was Lewis Fry Richardson, FRS   principal from 1922 to 1940. A mathematician, physicist, meteorologist, psychologist and pacifist who pioneered modern mathematical techniques of weather forecasting, as well as the application of similar techniques to studying war. He also carried out ground breaking work on fractals.

Throughout the first half of the century the institution had a financial struggle. After the second world war Central Institution status provided a regular Government income but unfortunately also meant closing the school of Art, and ceding students to Glasgow School of Art. The new entity thus became Paisley College of Technology; a Government funded Central Institution in 1950. In the 1960s a large physical expansion took place alongside the Neo-Classical original building on the main 20 acre (81,000 m²) Paisley town centre site.

At the time Paisley, in common with other Central Institutions and the former Polytechnics, already offered a range of degrees under the Council for National Academic Awards. With the Further and Higher Education Act of 1992, the Paisley College of Technology was granted the title University of Paisley and was established as a University with a Royal Charter and degree awarding powers. Today, this institution forms Paisley Campus of the University.

Ayr Campus

The establishment of the University of Paisley prompted a merger with Craigie College of Education in Ayr in 1993, and led to the incorporation of Nursing colleges in the town. The Ayr Campus was operated by the University of Paisley before the merger that established UWS. Set in 20 acres (81,000 m²) of the old parkland of Craigie House bordering the River Ayr, the campus also houses the West of Scotland Management Centre, the Business School’s management training and development facility. A new £71.2 million campus for the University in Ayr, shared with the Scottish Agricultural College, designed by international architecture practice RMJM, on a riverside site adjacent to the previous campus, was completed and opened in August 2011.

Dumfries Campus

The Crichton University Campus in Dumfries is the result of a joint project between the University of Paisley (now University of the West of Scotland), the University of Glasgow, Dumfries and Galloway College and the Open University. The campus mainly offers business, computing and, since the merger with Bell College, Nursing courses. Established in 1999 to provide a hub for higher education in the south-west of Scotland, the Crichton Campus has developed into an essential element in the regeneration of the Dumfries and Galloway economy.

Students at the Crichton Campus also have the benefit of a dedicated Students' Association which operates from its offices in the Dumfries and Galloway College building. The Crichton University Campus Students' Association (CUCSA) is a collective body of volunteers comprising elected representatives from both UWS and the University of Glasgow. Although the existing budget for CUCSA is tiny in comparison to the main students' association, SAUWS, events are held roughly every month in addition to the expected freshers' week at the start of the academic year.

Hamilton Campus

The Hamilton campus was founded in 1972 as the Bell College of Technology. The main campus was constructed in Almada Street, Hamilton, South Lanarkshire. A "Memorandum of Understanding" between the College and the University of Strathclyde was signed in 1993 to allow the College to offer degree level courses. In 1995, the Lanarkshire and Dumfries & Galloway Colleges of Nursing & Midwifery were amalgamated into Bell College.

Following extensive consultation with the local authority, stakeholders, students and staff about the future of the Hamilton campus, UWS has decided that Hamilton is set to remain a university town and announced plans to move into Hamilton International Technology Park (HITP).

Ian Welsh OBE, Chair of UWS Court, said: “Following a lengthy discussion, the Court felt the opportunity to develop what would be the UK’s most environmentally friendly, dynamic and vibrant new campus was one that could not be missed. We held detailed discussions with the developers and other stakeholders, who presented a very compelling and convincing business and educational case for HITP, including an exciting and innovative legacy plan for the current campus location which will add even more value to the town centre."

Principal and Vice-Chancellor of UWS, Professor Craig Mahoney said: “This will be a game-changer for higher education in Scotland and will create the country’s most, dynamic and exciting learning environment, allowing UWS to grow the educational opportunities for students internationally, across the UK, Lanarkshire and the wider central belt."

London Campus

Located in a vibrant part of the city centre and around a 15 minutes walk from the London Bridge underground and Borough Market and also close to Elephant & Castle and Borough tube stations, launched in March 2016, the London campus provides a delivery point for UWS degree and postgraduate programmes to the international student population in London.

Glasgow Creative Enterprise Cluster

Between 2008 and 2010 UWS opened offices in Glasgow, with a focus on the creative industries. The School of Media, Culture & Society has offices in Film City Glasgow and the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA). This forms a metropolitan base for research, performance, events and exhibitions, work with industry, and knowledge exchange activities, connecting the university's four campuses with the city where the media and arts sector is most concentrated in the west of Scotland.

Merger

On 1 August 2007, the University of Paisley merged with Bell College, a higher education college based in Hamilton. On 30 November 2007, the Privy Council approved the name University of the West of Scotland for the merged institution.

The name change was resisted by many in Paisley, seeing it as a break with tradition and the connections binding the previous university to the town. The 'Keep It Paisley' campaign attracted a number of supporters, amongst them local MP and then Secretary of State for Scotland, Douglas Alexander.

The merged institution served over 18,000 students and remains the largest 'new university' in Scotland. The Principal and Vice-Chancellor is Craig Mahoney.

Schools

The University of the West of Scotland is organised into six schools:

The university offers over 100 degree courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level, and has a rapidly growing number of doctoral students. It also carries out research and consultancy work for industry, and is ranked second in Scotland for the number of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships with businesses. The University attained Skillset Media Academy status in August 2010. Many courses at the University of the West of Scotland have an emphasis on vocational skills and offer students the option of spending a year working in industry at home or abroad.

The University has also worked with NHS Ayrshire and Arran resulting in a partnership in 2012 in the renaming of Ayr Hospital to University Hospital Ayr and Crosshouse Hospital to University Hospital Crosshouse. Its partnership with the Gaiety Theatre, Ayr has established Scotland's first 'Learning Theatre'.

Reputation

Currently the university's School of Education is the sixth best in the UK according to the 2016 Complete University Guide.

Student accommodation

The university has a number of halls of residence, ranging from modern en-suite/studio flats at Ayr Campus to furnished flats within Paisley. Students at Dumfries may apply for a place within the University of Glasgow managed accommodation at the Crichton. In September 2012, the new £13.2 million on-campus Paisley student residence opened situated next to the library.

Student Association

The Students' Association of the University of the West of Scotland, (informally SAUWS) is the recognised student organisation of the University of West the West of Scotland. The Students' Association of the University of the West of Scotland are member of Scottish Students' Sport, British Universities and Colleges Sport and the National Union of Students. The key function of the organisation is to represent students studying at the University, the current SAUWS Sabbatical Team is Heather Armstrong (President of Societies and Citizenship), John Black (President of Education), Johnathan Cranstoun (President of Sports and Wellbeing) and Lisa McCusker (President of Student Support).

The majority of the Student Clubs and Societies come are available to Scottish-based UWS campuses and are run by students for students. These include the Christian Union, Islamic Society, gaming societies and course groups. There are also a collection of liberation groups and peer support groups. These were set up to counter under-represented and oppressed sections of the student body.

In 2016 SAUWS won the NUS Scotland award "Higher Education Student Association of the year". This was award due to the organisations work and campaigns such as Keep UWS in Hamilton, the Summer Safety Net and its work developing its services.

For students at Dumfries CUCSA has a more limited range of sports and societies on offer and CUCSA is currently working with students to produce a new Netball club, both Boys and Girls Football clubs and an improved Riding Club.

Student unions

SAUWS Union bars are at the heart of the student community and are home to various events and activities including; screenings of major sporting events, stand-up comedy gigs, quiz nights, poker competitions, karaoke and open mic sessions and pool tables and quiz machines.

Sports

Sporting affairs are regulated by TeamUWS, the Sports and Societies branch of the main Students Association headed by the Sports President. There are a large number of varied clubs, including Aikido, Basketball, Curling and Snowsports who regularly compete in BUCS and Scottish Student Sport competitions. Students who join one of the sports clubs affiliated with the university must also join the Sports Union. However, there are also regular classes and drop-in sessions for various sports which are non-competitive and available to all university gym members. The University operates two sports centres across the west of Scotland, Robertson Trust Sports Centre at Thornly Park Campus in Paisley and Hamilton Leisure Centre on site on Hamilton Campus.

The university, as the University of Paisley, has also had a number of previous clubs including Ice Hockey, Shinty, Gaelic Football and Ice Sports. There have been attempts in recent years to resurrect these teams, most notably the Paisley IcePanthers, the university's former ice hockey team in 2008 by Finnish and German students, but due to lack of interest the club never happened. The most successful of all the resurrections was the American Football team. The Paisley College of Technology/University of Paisley Panthers American Football played between the 1989–90 British Collegiate American Football League and the 1996–97 British Collegiate American Football League seasons until the club rejoined as the University of Paisley Pyros at the start of the 2004–05 British Collegiate American Football League season.

TeamUWS competes in the East vs West varsity competition against Edinburgh Napier University in the sports of American Flag Football, Badminton, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Netball, Rugby and Volleyball which is at the moment the biggest sport club (2017). In the 2013/2014 competition the hockey games were cancelled due to location and weather difficulties.

According to the Scottish Daily Record, it is rumoured that South Ayrshire Council is considering giving the dated Dam Park Stadium, the venue for UWS-SRUC-Ayrshire College Varsity, to the University saving nearly £70,000. As part of the transfer, the facility will continue to be used by Ayr Seaforth AC and the local community.

Notable people