UNIVERSITY OF SURREY

The 'University of Surrey' is a public university in Guildford, England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology before gaining university status. Its roots however go back to the Battersea Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1891 to provide further and higher education for London's poorer inhabitants.^[3]

Contents

Campus

Research

History

Educational links

Awards

Media

Students' Union

International partners

References

External links

Campus

The University moved in 1968 to a new site on Stag Hill in Guildford, Surrey, adjacent to Guildford Cathedral (see picture, below). A further allocated to the University remained undeveloped until 2005. The new Manor Park campus, to be designed as a car-free village, is from the Stag Hill campus,^[4] on the other side of the A3 trunk road, near the Research Park. It will combine residences for students and staff, buildings for research and teaching, and sporting facilities.

Research

The University is noted for research into small satellites, with its Surrey Space Centre and spin-off commercial company, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. In the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise, the University of Surrey received a 5
★ rating in the categories of "Sociology", "Other Studies and Professions Allied to Medicine", and "Electrical and Electronic Engineering"
and a 5 rating in the categories of "Psychology", "Physics", "Applied Mathematics", "Statistics and Operational Research", "European Studies", and "Russian, Slavonic and East European Languages".^[5]
In addition, the Surrey Research Park is a low density development which is owned and developed by the University, providing large landscaped areas with water features and facilities for over 110 companies engaged in a broad spectrum of research, development and design activities. University generates the third highest endowment income out of all UK universities reflecting its commercially-orientated heritage.^[6]

History

The University of Surrey was preceded by the Battersea Polytechnic Institute which was founded in 1891 and admitted its first students in 1894. Its aims were to provide greater access to further and higher education for some of the "poorer inhabitants" of London. The Institute focused on science and technology subjects, and from about 1920 taught some classes for University of London students. Understanding the Real World, , Christopher, Pick, , 2002,
In 1956 the Institute was among the first to receive the designation "College of Advanced Technology" and was renamed Battersea College of Technology. By the beginning of the sixties the College had virtually outgrown its building in Battersea and had decided to move to Guildford. In addition to this, the Robbins Report of 1963 proposed that the Colleges of Advanced Technology, including Battersea, should expand and become degree-awarding Universities.
In 1965 the University-designate acquired a greenfield site in Guildford from Guildford Cathedral, Guildford Borough Council and the Onslow Village Trust. The following year, on 9 September 1966 the University of Surrey was established by Royal Charter and by 1970 the move from Battersea to Guildford was complete.
Early visitors to the new campus were Led Zeppelin, who performed their very first gig at the University of Surrey on 15 October 1968.^[7]
In 1982 the University became the trustee of the building of the Guildford Institute and uses parts of the building for its adult education programme which ensures a University presence in the heart of Guildford. The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (formerly Associated Examining Board) moved from Aldershot to its own headquarters building on the Stag Hill campus in 1985.
The University marked its Silver Jubilee in 1991, an event celebrated by the publishing of ''Surrey - The Rise of a Modern University'' by Roy Douglas³ and by a Service of Thanksgiving in Guildford Cathedral attended by Her Majesty The Queen in March 1992.
The University celebrated its 35th anniversary year in May 2002 with a major event in Guildford Cathedral and the gift of the Surrey Scholar sculpture (by Allan Sly FBS), located at the bottom of the town's historic High Street, to the people of Guildford and marking the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen. As of 2002 there were over 90,000 graduates of the University, working in all parts of the world. ''Understanding the Real World'', a visual history of the University, by Christopher Pick, was published to coincide with this anniversary.
On 1 July 2005 Prof. Christopher M. Snowden became Surrey’s fourth Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive. Like his predecessors Prof. Dowling and Prof. Kelly, Prof. Snowden is a fellow of the Royal Society. He was appointed in recognition of his pioneering work in the fields of microwave engineering and compound semiconductors.
In 2007 the University recently saw a major increase in overall applications by 39% compared with the previous year.^[8]

Educational links

Since its foundation, the University of Surrey has fostered links with other educational bodies in the local community and region. For example, in recent years it has validated courses at and subsequently accredited Saint Mary's College (now an independent institution called St Mary's University College, Twickenham), Wimbledon School of Art and Farnborough College of Technology. The University currently validates courses at North East Surrey College Of Technology (NESCOT), Conservatoire for Acting & Musical Theatre, Guildford College of Further & Higher Education, King Edward VII Hospital Department of Staff Development, The Nuclear Department at HMS Sultan, St John's Seminary, Southern Theological Education & Training Scheme (STETS), the Pre-Retirement Association and SHL (UK) Ltd.
In 1998, as a result of the continuing development in the relationship between the University of Surrey and the nearby Roehampton Institute, it was decided to form an academic federation. In November 1999, the Privy Council approved the necessary changes to the University's Charter and Statutes and the Roehampton Institute became The University of Surrey Roehampton at the beginning of 2000. Between then and 2004 then Surrey and Roehampton worked together as the Federal University of Surrey. In June 2004, the Privy Council granted Roehampton an independent university title, and it became Roehampton University from 1 August 2004. This move ended the federal partnership between the two institutions, although collaboration between the two is being maintained.

University of Surrey and Guildford Cathedral.

Awards

In 1991 the University was granted the Queen's Award for Export Achievement, and in 1997 it was awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher & Further Education in recognition of the University's outstanding achievement in satellite engineering and communications, teaching and research by the Centre for Satellite Engineering Research and its associated companies. In 1998 Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) was awarded the Queen's Award for Technological Achievement. This was presented in person by The Queen on her second visit to the University, accompanied by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and HRH The Duke of Kent, Chancellor of the University.
More recently the University has been awarded the 2002 Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher & Further Education, this time for its internationally renowned research and development on optoelectronic devices and ion beam applications. For a university of its size and age, Surrey has one of the highest number of staff who are academicians of the learned societies: 10 Fellows of the Royal Society, 21 Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering, one Fellow of the British Academy and 6 Fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences.

Media

The Surrey branch of the BBC's ''Southern Counties Radio'' local radio station has its studios on the campus.^[9] In addition the University has a student-run medium wave radio station, ''GU2 Radio'' (GU2 is the local postcode prefix). The Students Union also publishes a newspaper called ''Barefacts'',^[10] which included
renowned disabled actor Nabil Shaban amongst its contributors when he attended the University in the late 1970s.

Students' Union

The University of Surrey Students' Union (USSU) comprises the student body and is led by five sabbatical officers and a team of part-time officers.
President: Alex Collins^[11]
Vice President Education: Mike Blakeney
Vice President Welfare: Ashley Murray
Vice President Sports: Gemma Leaming
Vice President Societies: Mark Griffiths

International partners

★ Kyushu Institute of Technology

References

★ Understanding the Real World, a visual history of the University of Surrey.
1.
2. Table 0a - All students by institution, mode of study, level of study, gender and domicile 2005/06
3. Surrey- The Rise of a Modern University, , Roy, Douglas, , 1991,
4. University of Surrey Accommodation Services: Band D Rooms
5. HERO - Higher Education & Research Opportunities in the UK: RAE 2001 : Submissions
6. RED Scientific
7. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Led Zeppelin
8. BBC News: Are top-up fees changing courses?
9. BBC Southern Counties Radio Website
10. Students Union Website: About Barefacts
11. [1]

External links

★ University of Surrey – Official website

★ University Of Surrey Students' Union – Official website