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|affiliations= [[1994 Group]], [[Russell Group]], [[Association of MBAs|AMBA]], [[EQUIS]], [[Universities UK]]
|affiliations= [[1994 Group]], [[Russell Group]], [[Association of MBAs|AMBA]], [[EQUIS]], [[Universities UK]]
}}
}}
The '''University of Warwick''' is a [[campus university]] in the [[United Kingdom]]. It was established in 1965 as part of government plans to expand higher education to a mass public and, like the other new universities, its location was decided in response to strong support from councils and other local institutions and in the face of fierce competition from other areas. Despite its name, it is located mainly inside the southern boundary of [[Coventry]], some 11 km (7 miles) from the town of [[Warwick]]. Part of the campus (the Cryfield site) is built on land donated by [[Warwickshire]]. The campus originally consisted of low-cost Modern architecture (apparently in deliberate contrast with the medieval and classical character of Oxbridge architecture). The low cost was imposed by the government of the day, which required the new universities to be built at rates below those previously used for Britain's older universities. Since its establishment the campus has expanded to 750 acres with many modern buildings and academic facilities, lakes and woodlands. A recent survey by ''[[The Times]]'' resulted in the campus being voted the best in the UK by a national poll of university students.
The '''University of Warwick''' is a [[campus university]] in the [[United Kingdom]]. It was established in 1965 as part of government plans to expand higher education to a mass public and, like the other new universities, its location was decided in response to strong support from councils and other local institutions and in the face of fierce competition from other areas. Despite its name, it is located mainly inside the southern boundary of [[Coventry]], some 11 km (7 miles) from the town of [[Warwick]]. Part of the campus (the Cryfield site) is built on land donated by [[Warwickshire]]. The campus originally consisted of low-cost Modern architecture (apparently in deliberate contrast with the medieval and classical character of Oxbridge architecture). The low cost was imposed by the government of the day, which required the new universities to be built at rates below those previously used for Britain's older universities. However, even today Warwick has an identity of qualitative independence from Oxbridge rather than academic competition. "[[The Guardian]]" commented that "...the outside world imagines universities aspire to Oxbridge, those in the know realise everyone now wants to be Warwick" (The Guardian, 1st May 2001). Since its establishment Warwick has expanded its campus to 750 acres with many modern buildings and academic facilities, lakes and woodlands. A recent survey by ''[[The Times]]'' resulted in the campus being voted the best in the UK by a national poll of university students.


Warwick has amongst the highest entry grades in the UK [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8405-1246293,00.html], and with almost ten applications per place [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8405-1246616,00.html] competition is fierce. Almost 80% of students go on to gain first or upper second class degrees [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8405-1246334,00.html].
Warwick has amongst the highest entry grades in the UK [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8405-1246293,00.html], and with almost ten applications per place [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8405-1246616,00.html] competition is fierce. Almost 80% of students go on to gain first or upper second class degrees [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8405-1246334,00.html].


In the 1960s and 1970s, Warwick had a national reputation as a politically radical institution. The early years of the institution were characterised by confrontations between students, staff and the administration over the involvement of business and industry in the development of the University. The University's associations with industry were criticised in [[E. P. Thompson]]'s book ''Warwick University Limited''.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Warwick had a national reputation as a politically radical institution. The early years of the institution were characterised by confrontations between students, staff and the administration over the involvement of business and industry in the development of the University. The University's associations with industry were criticised in [[E. P. Thompson]]'s book ''Warwick University Limited''.

Revision as of 18:07, 6 May 2006

University of Warwick
Logo of the University of Warwick
MottoMens agitat molem
"Mind over Matter"
TypePublic
Established1965
ChancellorSir Nicholas Scheele
Vice-ChancellorProf David VandeLinde
Students17,904
Undergraduates10,077
Postgraduates6,272
Location
Coventry
,
UK
Affiliations1994 Group, Russell Group, AMBA, EQUIS, Universities UK
Websitewww.warwick.ac.uk

The University of Warwick is a campus university in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1965 as part of government plans to expand higher education to a mass public and, like the other new universities, its location was decided in response to strong support from councils and other local institutions and in the face of fierce competition from other areas. Despite its name, it is located mainly inside the southern boundary of Coventry, some 11 km (7 miles) from the town of Warwick. Part of the campus (the Cryfield site) is built on land donated by Warwickshire. The campus originally consisted of low-cost Modern architecture (apparently in deliberate contrast with the medieval and classical character of Oxbridge architecture). The low cost was imposed by the government of the day, which required the new universities to be built at rates below those previously used for Britain's older universities. However, even today Warwick has an identity of qualitative independence from Oxbridge rather than academic competition. "The Guardian" commented that "...the outside world imagines universities aspire to Oxbridge, those in the know realise everyone now wants to be Warwick" (The Guardian, 1st May 2001). Since its establishment Warwick has expanded its campus to 750 acres with many modern buildings and academic facilities, lakes and woodlands. A recent survey by The Times resulted in the campus being voted the best in the UK by a national poll of university students.

Warwick has amongst the highest entry grades in the UK [1], and with almost ten applications per place [2] competition is fierce. Almost 80% of students go on to gain first or upper second class degrees [3].

In the 1960s and 1970s, Warwick had a national reputation as a politically radical institution. The early years of the institution were characterised by confrontations between students, staff and the administration over the involvement of business and industry in the development of the University. The University's associations with industry were criticised in E. P. Thompson's book Warwick University Limited.

More recently, the University has been seen as a favoured institution of the British 'New Labour' government. Tony Blair described the University as "a beacon among British universities for its dynamism, quality and entrepreneurial zeal"[4]. The University's reputation for a commercial approach to management, however, has led some to criticise it as being "The University of Warwick plc" [5].

A plan to open a 10,000-student campus in Singapore was abandoned in October 2005 amid concerns about academic freedom, cost, and freedom of speech for students.

Recently constructed buildings on the Warwick campus; (left to right) the International Manufacturing Centre (IMC), the Department of Computer Science (DCS), and the Zeeman building (Maths and Statistics).

One of the UK's younger universities (founded in 1965), Warwick has quickly established itself as one of the UK's leading seats of learning. According to The Sunday Times University Guide, the University of Warwick was rated as "Excellent" for 19 courses.

The University of Warwick is also home to the Modern Records Centre, Britain's largest repository of the archives of trade unions and industrial relations. A recent addition is the Leicester-Warwick Medical School, one of a number of medical schools opened in an attempt to increase the relatively low numbers of doctors trained in the UK.

It is a member of both the Russell Group and the 1994 Group.

Attainment

According to the Guardian the University was ranked 5th for quality of research out of 124 of the institutions which took part in the UK Funding Councils' 2001 Research Assessment Exercise[6]. Over 91% of the University's academic staff are located in departments with top research ratings of 5 or 5*.

Warwick consistently ranks well in rankings of UK universities such as the The Sunday Times University Guide (6th place overall in 2005), The Times Good University Guide (8th), and The Guardian University Guide (8th place overall in 2006). Warwick, Oxford, Cambridge, LSE and Imperial College London are the only universities which have never been out of the Top 10 in the British league tables.

In the two attempts at producing World University Rankings, Warwick lies at joint 77th place in the world according to The Times Higher Education Supplement in 2005, and in the Shanghai Jiao Tong University 2005 ranking (which places Universities in equal groups of approximately one hundred after the first hundred individually ranked Universities), Warwick is placed in the 203-300th rank.

The University of Warwick was ranked 8th overall, according to Guardian Rankings, in the UK and 18 of Warwick's departments were ranked in the top 10: American Studies, Biological Sciences, Business Studies, Classics, Theatre Studies, Economics, Engineering, Education, English, History and History of Art, Law, Mathematics, Film Studies, Philosophy, Social Policy, Sociology and Politics.

Staff

Well known members of staff at Warwick have included:

Alumni

Famous people to have attended the University of Warwick include:

Politicians

Civil Servants

Mathematicians

  • Ian Stewart – the popular science author, and member of Royal Society
  • David Lake – the popular mathematician and magician

Journalists

Writers

Media presenters / Media people

Actors / Directors

Musicians

Philosophers

Chancellors

Vice-Chancellors

Professor VandeLinde has announced that he intends to retire at the expiry of his current contract in Summer 2006. It was announced on November 29th 2005 that he would be replaced by Professor Nigel Thrift, currently Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Oxford.

Campus Media

Students' Union

The University of Warwick Students' Union is one of the more active Students' Unions in the UK, currently having over 200 societies and around 70 sports clubs. It has an annual turnover of approximately £5 million, the profit from which is used to provide services to students and to employ its staff and Sabbatical officers. The Union building contains four "club" venues and seven bars, with some events such as Top Banana and Skool Days encompassing the entire building.

In late 2005 the student body voted for a ban on smoking in all Union buildings via a cross-campus referendum, though (somewhat controversially) the implementation of this policy will not occur until a forthcoming national ban is implemented.

Recently the abortion issue has been a hot-topic on campus. Pro-choice and No-stance policies have both been overturned in the past eighteen months by the student population.

Drinks prices are not considered to be particularly cheap, although the Union has recently introduced a £1-per-drink night as part of Top Banana on Mondays.

The Union is a member of the National Union of Students (NUS) and West Midlands Area NUS (WMANUS).

Each year in January, the University of Warwick plays host to the world's largest student-run international event, One World Week. Other student run events include Green Week, Warwick Economics Summit and Warwick Student Arts Festival.

In the summer of 2006, Warwick University will host a nationally unprecedented event in the Warwick World Cup '06. Raising money for charity, it aims to bring the 100+ nationalities represented together through a large scale men's and women's football tournament which runs parallel to the FIFA World Cup in Germany. It is a phenomenal project, with thousands secured through sponsorship and donations, and ever-increasing media interest.

University Arts Centre

Situated at the centre of the University, the Warwick Arts Centre is the second largest arts centre in the UK (after London's Barbican).

The centre comprises:

  • The Butterworth Hall, a 1500-seat capacity concert hall
  • A 550-seat theatre
  • A 180-seat theatre studio
  • A 220-seat cinema
  • The Mead Gallery, an art gallery.

Hospitality Services & Warwick Retail

'Arthur Vick' undergraduate on-campus residences

Warwick was a pioneer among UK Universities in opening its halls and lecture facilities to outside organisations, for profit, during the holidays. Warwick Conferences is now a thriving internal business unit, with its profits contributing to the University's financial independence, with a dedicated, year-round conference centre, Scarman House, built on campus.

Unfortunately some such developments have led to many students becoming disillusioned by the manner in which the University seems more concerned with profit than education. Construction work and other preparation for conferences can sometimes interrupt teaching or cause disruption near student accommodation.

Furthermore a number of security breaches, technical difficulties with internet provision in 2005 and 2006, and slow responses to emergency problems with heat and water has made Warwick Accommodation unpopular with many students resident on campus.

The University also has a small portfolio of businesses – Warwick Retail – a private company limited by shares wholly owned by the University of Warwick, whose object is the operation of retail shops. Facilities offered include:

The University also created and owns the temporary employment agency Unitemps and the higher education recruitment website jobs.ac.uk.

Information

File:Univ warwick crest.gif
The University of Warwick crest

In 2002, the total number of students was 17,904. This figure comprised:

undergraduates: 10,077
postgraduates: 6,272
overseas undergraduate and postgraduate students: 2,948
other programmes: 1,555
overseas students on other programmes: 1,484

Total number of staff: 4,354, including:

academic: 824
other research: 728

Size of campus:

2.9 km² (720 acres)

The University's coat of arms includes atoms of two isotopes of lithium, a DNA helix to represent science and also the Bear of Warwickshire and the Elephant of Coventry (the bear is not chained in the University's current coat of arms - although it was in earlier versions).

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