University of St Andrews
The
University of St Andrews is the oldest
university in
Scotland and third oldest in the
English-speaking world, having been founded between
1410 and
1413. It is situated in the
Royal Burgh of
St Andrews, in
Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The university attracts students from over 100 countries.
Independent school intake is high, but the university has an active widening participation policy. The modern library and many departments are in the town centre. The town's population of 16,000 is boosted considerably by the University's 7,000
students.
The University was founded in
1410 when a
charter of incorporation was bestowed upon the
Augustinian priory of
St Andrews Cathedral. A
Papal Bull was issued in
1413 by the
Avignon Pope Benedict XIII. The University grew in size quite rapidly;
St Salvator's College was established in
1450,
St Leonard's College in
1511, and
St Mary's College in
1537. Some of the college buildings in use today date from this period as does
St Salvator's Chapel. At this time, much of the teaching was of a
religious nature and was conducted by
clerics associated with the
cathedral.
From the
17th to
19th centuries, the university underwent many changes. The distinctive red gowns, which are still in use today, were adopted in
1672. Toward the end of the seventeenth century, the university considered and eventually rejected a move to
Perth. In
1747,
St Salvator's and
St Leonards's merged to form the
United College of St Salvator and St Leonard.
During the
19th century, student numbers were very low and the university faced the possibility of closing. In the
1870s, the student population was fewer than 150, and perhaps partly in response to this, the university founded University College in
Dundee in
1897, which became a centre of medical and scientific excellence. This affiliation ended in
1967 when the college, renamed Queen's College, became a separate and independent institution of the
University of Dundee. The loss of teaching facilities for clinical medicine caused the university's
Bute Medical School to form a new attachment with the
University of Manchester. Today, the university is growing in international reputation, attracting more students than ever before, and is moving toward sound financial health.
As with the other
Ancient universities of Scotland, governance is determined by the
Universities (Scotland) Act 1858. This Act created three bodies: the
General Council,
University Court and
Academic Senate (
Senatus Academicus).
General Council
The General Council is a standing advisory body of all the
graduates,
academics and former academics of the University. It meets twice a year and appoints a
Business Committee to transact business between these meetings. Its most important functions are to appoint two
Assessors to the
University Court and elect the University
Chancellor.
University Court
The
University Court is the body responsible for administrative and financial matters, and is in effect the
governing body of the University. It is chaired by the
Rector, who is elected by all the
matriculated students of the University. Members are appointed by the General Council,
Academic Senate and
Fife Council. The President of the
Students' Representative Council and Director of Representation are routinely co-opted onto the Court. Several
lay members are also co-opted and must include a fixed number of alumni of the University.
Academic Senate
The
Academic Senate (in Latin
Senatus Academicus) is the supreme academic body for the University. Its members include all of the
Professors of the University, certain senior
Readers, a number of
Senior Lecturers and
Lecturers, and two students. It is responsible for authorising degree programmes and issuing all degrees to graduates. Another function of the Senate is to discipline students. The
President of the Senate is the
University Principal.
Faculties
The University is divided into four academic
Faculties:
*
Arts,
*
Divinity,
*
Medicine, and
*
Science. Each is governed by a Faculty Council and administered by a
Dean. Students apply to become members of a particular faculty, as opposed to any particular school or department.
Office of the Principal
The
Principal is the
chief executive of the University and is assisted in that role by several key officers.
The current composition of the Office of the Principal is:
*The Principal: Dr
Brian Lang*Deputy Principal: David Corner
*
Secretary and
Registrar: Vacant. Mark Butler has been appointed to serve from September 2006.
*
Master of the United College: Professor Keith Brown
*Vice-Principal (Research): Professor Alan Miller
*Vice-Principal (Learning and Teaching): Professor Ronald Piper
*Vice-Principal (External Relations): Stephen Magee
*
Quaestor and
Factor: Derek Watson
Student Residences
St Andrews is characterised amongst Scottish Universities as having a significant number of students in University operated accommodation. Residences include:
*Albany Park
*
Andrew Melville Hall*David Russell Apartments
*Deans Court
*Fife Park
*Gannochy House
*
John Burnet Hall*McIntosh Hall
*New Hall
*St Regulus Hall
*
St Salvator's Hall*Stanley Smith House & Angus House
*University Hall
Arts and media
*
Gavin Douglas, poet and bishop
*
William Dunbar, poet
*
Robert Fergusson, poet
*
Hazel Irvine, television presenter
*
Sir David Lindsay, poet and diplomat
*
Ian McDiarmid, actor
*
Siobhan Redmond, actor
*
John Suchet, newsreader
*
Brian Taylor, journalist
*
Fay Weldon, feminist and writer
Education and academia
* Sir
Eric Anderson, academic
*
Walter Perry, Lord Perry of Walton, first Vice-Chancellor of the
Open University*
Dominic Sandbrook, historian and author
Politics and public affairs
*
Angie Bray,
Conservative and Unionist politician
*
Malcolm Bruce,
Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament
*
Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, diplomat
*
Christopher Chope,
Conservative and Unionist politician
*
Barry Gardiner,
Labour Party (UK) politician
*
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, royalist military commander
*
John Graham, 1st Viscount of Dundee,
Jacobite military commander, "Bonnie Dundee"
*
Michael Fallon,
Conservative and Unionist politician
*
Michael Forsyth, Baron Forsyth of Drumlean,
Conservative and Unionist politician
*
Mark Lazarowicz,
Labour Party (UK) politician
*
John MacGregor, Baron MacGregor of Pulham Market,
Conservative and Unionist politician
*
Lewis Moonie, Baron Moonie,
Labour Party (UK) politician
*
Madsen Pirie, founder,
Adam Smith Institute*
Lyon Playfair, 1st Baron Playfair, scientist and
Liberal politician
*
George Reid, MSP (
SNP) and Presiding Officer of the
Scottish Parliament*
Alex Salmond, leader of the
Scottish National Party*
Alex Singleton, Director-General of the
Globalisation Institute*
Catherine Stihler,
Labour Party (UK) politician
*
Desmond Swayne,
Conservative and Unionist politician
*
Hugo Swire,
Conservative and Unionist politician
*
James Wilson, signatory of the
United States Declaration of IndependenceReligion, church, and theology
*
David Beaton, Cardinal Archbishop of St. Andrews
*
George Buchanan (humanist), scholar, theologian, and playwright
*
Thomas Chalmers, theologian and leader of the
Free Church of Scotland*
Patrick Hamilton (martyr),
Protestant Reformer
*
Alexander Henderson, theologian
*
Andrew Melville, scholar and theologian
Royalty
*
James II of Scotland*
Prince William of Wales, known at university as William Wales
Sciences
*
James Black,
Nobel prize winner in Medicine
*
James Gregory, astronomer and mathematician
*
Richard Kemp, chemist and manufacturer of illegal supply of
LSD - arrested as a result of Operation Julie
*
Walter Haworth,
Nobel prize winner in Chemistry
*
Alan MacDiarmid,
Nobel prize winner in Chemistry
*
John Napier, mathematician
Miscellaneous
*
Alexander Berry, explorer
*
James Crichton, polymath, the original "Admirable Crichton"
*
John Honey, student who rescued five men from a ship
In Scotland, the position of Rector exists in the four ancient universities - which are the Universities of St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh - as well as in the University of Dundee. The post (officially Lord Rector, but by normal use Rector alone) was made an integral part of these universities by the Universities (Scotland) Act 1889. The Rector chairs meetings of the University Court, the governing body of the university, and is elected at regular intervals by their matriculated student bodies. This role is considered by many students to be integral to their ability to shape the universities' agendas.
*
Charles Neaves, Lord Neaves 1872-1874, Scottish
theologian,
jurist and
evolution analyst
*
John Marwood Cleese 1970-1973, English actor and comedian
*
Joseph Rudyard Kipling 1922-1925,
Nobel prize winner, British author and poet
*
Andrew Carnegie 1901-1907, Scottish-born American businessman, philanthropist
*
John Stuart Mill 1865-1868, English philosopher and political economist
*
Douglas Haig, 1916-1919, Senior British Commander of World War I
*
James Matthew Barrie, 1919-1922, Scottish author
see
Rector of University of St Andrews for a more detailed list
The University has a strong link with the
United States. Significant numbers of students matriculate from the United States (approximately 15% of university in 2005). Many important American figures have been associated with the university.
Benjamin Franklin,
Bill Bryson, golfer
Bobby Jones, and most recently,
Bob Dylan, have been awarded honorary degrees.
Signatories of the Declaration of Independence
Also, three of the signatories of the
1776 American Declaration of Independence attended or received degrees from St Andrews, including:
*
James Wilson, born at Carskerdo, near St. Andrews (signer from the state of Pennsylvania) Wilson attended three Scottish Universities including St. Andrews, but did not earn a degree from any of them. Carrying important letters of introduction, Wilson arrived in America in 1765. He became a Latin tutor at Philadelphia College (now the
University of Pennsylvania), and successfully petitioned that institution to grant him an honorary Master of Arts.
*
John Witherspoon, born at Gifford, Scotland (signer from the state of New Jersey) Witherspoon had an impressive list of credentials and was a significant public figure. He was president of the College of New Jersey (now the
University of Princeton). Witherspoon was largely responsible for converting the institution into a success by employing Scottish educational standards. He received his Doctorate of Divinity from the University of St. Andrews (honorary?). His direct descendent is the Academy Award winning actress
Reese Witherspoon, who attended the private all-girl's
Harpeth Hall School and
Stanford University as a literature major.
*
Benjamin Franklin, born Boston, Massachusetts (signer from the state of Pennsylvania) In 1759 Franklin Received an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of St. Andrews.
Exchange Programs
Additionally,
Emory University runs an exchange program with St Andrews called the
Bobby Jones Scholars program, which allows for recent graduates of both universities to study at the other school.
Miscellaneous
St. Andrews claimed that the
dollar sign was invented at the university.
Students' Association
Main article: University of St Andrews Students' Association''
The University of St Andrews Students' Association was formed in 1983 by the adoption of the principle of closer co-operation between the Students' Representative Council (SRC) and the Students' Union. The Union was founded in 1864 as a "Common and Reading Room" and was located in the "cloister" behind St Salvator's Chapel. The Students' Union of the University of St Andrews is the oldest in Scotland. The SRC is a statutory body established in 1885 but formalised by the Universities (Scotland) Act 1889.
Societies
Students at the university form various voluntary socities for
academic, social, political, religious and other reasons. Some of these are affilliated with the Students' Association, while others are private members' organisations.
The following is a partial
list of Societies at the University of St Andrews:
* St. Andrews University Juggling Society
*
The Economics Society*
The Global Investment Group*
University of St Andrews Liberty Club*
University of St Andrews Union Debating Society*
University of St Andrews Rock music society*
Bute Medical Society [
1]
* St. Andrews University Labour Club
* St Andrews Voluntary Service (SVS)
* The Charities Campaign, including the annual
http://www.race2paris.co.uk Race to Paris* The
St Andrews University Conservative and Unionist Association website* The
St Andrews University Scottish Nationalist Association official website*
St Andrews University, Student Catholics' Society*
The University of St. Andrew's Liberty Club*
The University of Saint Andrews Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transperson Society* The Royal Cake Club, comprised of select UK/American/African Young Professionals
* The University of St Andrews Skydiving Club
* The University of St Andrews Quaich Society
* The University of St Andrews Real Ale Society
* The University of St Andrews '
Scotland actually owns
England anyway' Society
* St Andrews Student UNICEF Society [
2]
* The St Andrews University Madrigal Group [
3]
Well-established private members' clubs
* The
Kate Kennedy Club* The
Strafford Club* The Lumsden Club
* The Toad Club
* The Breakfast Club
* The Royal and Ancient Poker Club
Media
*Newspapers
*
The Saint, published fortnightly, is the oldest of the student publications (although it has been published under a number of titles, of which
The Saint is the most recent) and has the highest circulation. The publication was named 'Best Student Newspaper in Scotland' by the
Herald in
2002 and
2003, runner-up to 'Best Student Newspaper in the UK' and 'Best Small Budget Student Publication' in the
Guardian Student Media Awards, 2001. It received nominations for Best Student Newspaper, Best Photographer, Best Features Writer, Best Production and Best Sports Writer in the 2005 Herald awards. In the whole of the United Kingdom, only
Oxford's Cherwell and
Cambridge's Varsity are similarly independent. However, the paper made headlines in the national press over accusations of discrimination against homosexuals by the SSC Postgraduate Officer in the Spring of 2005 which threatened to close the paper down permanently. The paper publishes once every two weeks and sells around 1,000 copies, with each copy estimated to be read by three students. An online version of the newspaper, at [
4], ceased to be updated in April 2004 but a new website is due to be launched in September 2006.
**The
Chihuahua, which dates back to
2002, is an alternative monthly magazine in a tabloid newspaper format, known for low-culture humour which is not for the easily offended. The Chihuahua's famous disclaimer together with use of satire sometimes allows it to tackle issues that the Saint is unable to.
**The
Mitre - a conservative newpaper targeted at, but not limited to, the university's Roman Catholic students. The paper was established in 2003 as reaction to what its writers perceived as the occasional intellectual shortcomings of the
Saint. In spite of a widening readership and considerable journalistic development, the Mitre is still criticised among St Andrews' far-left extreme as a "hate rag" due to its support for traditionally Christian or conservative causes.
**In
2005, there was also an irregularly-published satirical magazine called the "Horn of Plenty". Recently established is the "Colonnade", a literary magazine.
**In
2006, on
17 April, the "Vine" magazine (supported by the Students' Association) was re-launched. The magazine, which claims to generate discussion and thought throughout the student population of the town, sold out of its relaunch issue. Issue 8 subsequently sold out, despite two reprint runs.
**In
2006, "The Andie," a St Andrews "society" magazine, was launched and sold out its first run. However, the style and content of the publication was highly controversial, due in part to its scathing criticism of the Students' Association's elected officials and their conduct in the March 2006 elections, and the perception that the magazine was aimed at a narrow, upper-middle class demographic.
*Radio
**On the 28th of February
2005, a number of St Andrews students launched the university's first
FM station broadcasting over 3
km on the 87.7
MHz frequency. The station was granted a
Restricted Service Licence, which allows for six hours of broadcast a day. The station had another successful run for two weeks from November 21st
2005. The station also broadcasts live 24 hours a day on the internet [
5]. The radio station is currently in the process of becoming a sub-committee of the Students' Association under the name of the Broadcasting Committee.
Online communities
There are two official sites for the students of the university: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk which is the Universty's site, and http://www.yourunion.net which is the official site for the Students' Association.
The Sinner was a side project by St Andrews computer science student James Baster. "St-Adz" as it was first called, provided a place where students could exchange books and other goods. It later developed into a messageboard and unofficial Guide to St Andrews, under its new name, The Sinner. Oli Walker took over the running of the site in May 2003, expanding the messageboards to provide an online presence for halls of residence, student societies and academic groups.Members of TheSinner.net are known as "Sinners", and a new student society called "SinnerSoc" was started in September 2005 to ensure the Guide to St Andrews is up to date and to encourage people from all over the University to interact in thought-provoking debate.
St Andrews is one of the many British universities and colleges to have a community on the
Facebook, and listed 5635 students as of 25th November 2005.
*
Lord Rector of St Andrews University*
Ancient universities of Scotland*
:Category:Wikipedians by alma mater: University of St Andrews*
Academic dress of the University of St Andrews* R.G. Cant
The University of St. Andrews, A Short History (Oliver and Boyd Ltd. 1946)
*
University of St Andrews website*
University of St Andrews Students' Association Website*
STAR FM 87.7 St Andrews Student Radio*
The Saint newspaper*
The Mitre â€" Monthly student newspaper*
The Institute for Theology, Imagination and the Arts (ITIA) - a research institute based at St Mary's College, the Divinity School at the University of St Andrews, Scotland.
