St Martin's College
Encyclopedia
- For the university in Washington state, see St. Martin's University. For the art college, see Central Saint Martins College of Art and DesignCentral Saint Martins College of Art and DesignCentral Saint Martins College of Art and Design is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. The school has an outstanding international reputation, and is considered one of the world's leading art and design institutions...
.
St Martin's College was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Higher Education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
College with campuses in Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
, Ambleside
Ambleside
Ambleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...
and Carlisle
City of Carlisle
The City of Carlisle is a local government district of Cumbria, England, with the status of a city and non-metropolitan district. It is named after its largest settlement, Carlisle, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Brampton and Longtown, as well as outlying villages...
, as well as sites in Whitehaven
Whitehaven
Whitehaven is a small town and port on the coast of Cumbria, England, which lies equidistant between the county's two largest settlements, Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness, and is served by the Cumbrian Coast Line and the A595 road...
, Barrow
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It provided undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the arts, humanities, business studies, teacher training, health and social care. In 2006 the College was granted the power to award its own degrees (prior to this they were accredited by Lancaster University
Lancaster University
Lancaster University, officially The University of Lancaster, is a leading research-intensive British university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established by Royal Charter in 1964 and initially based in St Leonard's Gate until moving to a purpose-built 300 acre campus at...
). On 1 August 2007, the College merged with other institutions to form the University of Cumbria
University of Cumbria
The University of Cumbria is a university in Cumbria, England. Its headquarters are in Carlisle. and other major campuses are at Lancaster, Ambleside and Penrith. It was established in 2007, with roots extending back to the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts established in 1822 and...
.
History
St Martin's College opened in 1964, founded by the Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
as a College of Education to train teachers, one of only two Church Colleges to be established in the 20th Century. Built on the Lancaster site of the (as of 01/07/2006) redundant King's Own Royal Border Regiment on Bowerham Road, the College opened with 89 students. The College was officially opened by the Queen Mother
Queen mother
Queen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577...
in 1967
The College is named after St Martin of Tours, a Roman soldier who tore his cloak in two to clothe a naked beggar and later had a vision of Christ wearing the cloak. It is significant because just as St Martin renounced his life as a soldier after this to take on a life of caring and teaching, Bowerham Barracks left behind its military past to become a Church College.
The College’s founder Principal was Dr Hugh Pollard, who stayed with the College until his retirement in 1976. He had overseen the College’s establishment and led it through its formative years. The student population had grown to 700 students by the time of Dr Pollard’s retirement.
He was replaced by Robert Clayton
Robert Clayton
Sir Robert Clayton was a British merchant banker, politician and Lord Mayor of London.Robert Clayton was born in Northamptonshire, England. He became an apprentice to his uncle, a London scrivener, where he met a fellow apprentice, Alderman John Morris...
, who had been previously Principal of Matlock College in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. During his time in charge, the college branched out into Health, Radiography and Nursing courses, areas that would form a substantial part of the College’s provision from then on. In 1989, Mr Clayton announced his intention to retire. His replacement was Dr Ian Edynbry, formerly Vice-Principal of Worcester College of Higher Education
University of Worcester
The University of Worcester is a British university, based in Worcester, Worcestershire, England. It was granted university status in September 2005.-History:...
and Assistant Principal at Middlesex Polytechnic
Middlesex University
Middlesex University is a university in north London, England. It is located in the historic county boundaries of Middlesex from which it takes its name. It is one of the post-1992 universities and is a member of Million+ working group...
.
Dr. Edynbry was to oversee the College’s greatest expansion to date, as St Martin’s started to establish campuses in Cumbria. In 1996, Charlotte Mason College
Charlotte Mason
Charlotte Maria Shaw Mason was a British educator who invested her life in improving the quality of children's education. Her ideas led to a method used by some homeschoolers.-Biography:...
in Ambleside became part of St Martin’s College to become its first campus in Cumbria.
This was soon followed in 1998 by the College’s acquisition of Carlisle’s former City General Hospital and City Maternity Hospital (originally a Workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
) on Fusehill Street. The College had been active in Carlisle since 1995, since its takeover of the Lakeland College of Nursing. The Carlisle Campus has subsequently been redeveloped with modern facilities including en-suite student accommodation, a sports complex and most recently the Learning Gateway, a building kitted out with state-of-the-art IT to aid flexible and distributed learning.
It was left to Dr Edynbry’s successor to take these new campus developments forward, as he announced he was to retire earlier than expected in 1997. The new Principal was Professor Chris Carr, whose previous role was as Pro-Vice Chancellor of University of Central Lancashire
University of Central Lancashire
The University of Central Lancashire is a university based in Preston, Lancashire, England.The university has its roots in The Institution For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge which was founded in 1828. In 1992 it was granted University status by the Privy Council...
. Professor Carr took on the challenge of bringing cohesion to a diverse and multi-campus institution, whilst encouraging further diversification and expansion. Developments have been constant on each campus during that time, with new sports complexes built in Carlisle and Lancaster, a new library named the Charlotte Mason Library on the Ambleside Campus and new en-suite halls of residence built on the Carlisle Campus. The Alexandra Building was opened on the Lancaster Campus in 2004, a teaching and learning block with dedicated facilities for the arts.
As of 2005, over 11,500 students study at St Martin’s College, employing over 1000 dedicated staff. The College has a substantial national reputation in teacher training and nursing, as the largest provider of teachers in the UK and a major provider of Health Care Practitioners in the North and North-West.
Academic portfolio
The College has a significant undergraduate and postgraduate portfolio with degrees accredited by Lancaster UniversityLancaster University
Lancaster University, officially The University of Lancaster, is a leading research-intensive British university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established by Royal Charter in 1964 and initially based in St Leonard's Gate until moving to a purpose-built 300 acre campus at...
. As the largest provider of Higher Education in Cumbria, St Martin’s College offers a wide range of courses from the traditional academic subjects to Sport Studies, British Psychological Society
British Psychological Society
The British Psychological Society is a representative body for psychologists and psychology in the United Kingdom. The BPS is also a Registered Charity and, along with advantages, this also imposes certain constraints on what the society can and cannot do...
(BPS) accredited Psychology, Information Technology and Environmental Management, to name just a few.
The College is made up of three Faculties, which are split into schools and divisions. They are:
Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
- Business and Community Enterprise Unit
- School of Applied Social Sciences
- School of Business and Enterprise
- School of Culture, Media and the Environment
- School of Sport and Outdoor Studies
Faculty of Education
- Division of Education Studies
- Division of English and Literacy
- Division of History and Geography
- Division of Information and Communication Technology Education
- Division of Mathematics Education
- Division of Modern Foreign Languages
- Division of Religion and Philosophy
- Division of Science and Technology
- Educational Development Unit
- Division of Childhood, Adolescent and Creative Studies
Faculty of Health and Social Care
- Division of Social Work and Applied Behavioural Sciences
- Division of Medical Imaging Sciences
- Division of Rehabilitation and Public Health
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, which contains:
- Directorate of Pre-Registration Nursing
- Directorate of Learning in Practice
- Directorate of CPD and Midwifery
- Directorate of Advanced Clinical Practice
- Directorate of Community and Public Nursing
Locations
The college was located in the historic cities of LancasterLancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
and Carlisle
City of Carlisle
The City of Carlisle is a local government district of Cumbria, England, with the status of a city and non-metropolitan district. It is named after its largest settlement, Carlisle, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Brampton and Longtown, as well as outlying villages...
and in the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
. There are a wide range of clubs, bars and other activities available, as well as a variety of outdoor activities in the Lake District.
New buildings including a new library and learning resource centre in Ambleside
Ambleside
Ambleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...
, a modern sports centre in Carlisle and purpose built teaching facilities in Lancaster have been added in the last few years, totalling over £20 million, and more development and expansion is planned for the future.
Merger
St Martin's College, Cumbria Institute of the ArtsCumbria Institute of the Arts
The Cumbria Institute of the Arts was a further and higher education institution in Carlisle, Cumbria, England.-History:Founded as the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts in 1822, it proceeded as the Carlisle College of Art, from 1950, and switched to Cumbria Institute of the Arts from...
and the Cumbrian sites of the University of Central Lancashire
University of Central Lancashire
The University of Central Lancashire is a university based in Preston, Lancashire, England.The university has its roots in The Institution For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge which was founded in 1828. In 1992 it was granted University status by the Privy Council...
(UCLan) in Carlisle and Penrith amalgamated to form the University of Cumbria on 1 August 2007. This was instigated by a HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England) report by Sir Martin Harris, published in September 2005, which recommended the amalgamation of the two institutions (UCLan's involvement came about after the report was published) to best serve the higher education needs of Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
.
Campus Closure
On 1 December 2009, it was announced that the AmblesideAmbleside
Ambleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...
Campus would be 'mothballed' at the end of July 2010, and will no longer take new undergraduate students. The action by the University of Cumbria, if seen through, will end over 175 years of heritage and a protest was held on on the 1 December 2009 by the student body, with more action to follow. This is despite fierce opposition from the Ambleside students, the townspeople of Ambleside, and in spite of the support that Tim Farron MP has pledged to the campus and students.
Tim Farron, speaking in the Commons.
"Hundreds of local people have signed this petition and that shows how committed the community is to stopping this closure from happening. Now that the issue has national attention, I hope that the University will take notice of level of protest against this proposal and will reconsider their decision to downgrade Ambleside Campus..."