University of Wales, Lampeter
Encyclopedia
University of Wales, Lampeter is a university
in Lampeter
, Wales
. Founded in 1822 by royal charter
, it is the oldest degree
awarding institution in Wales and may be the third oldest in England and Wales
after Oxford and Cambridge
. In 2010 it merged with Trinity University College (under its 1822 charter) to create the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David
The university started in 1822 as St David's College (Coleg Dewi Sant), becoming St David's University College (Coleg Prifysgol Dewi Sant) in 1971, when it became part of the federal University of Wales
. With fewer than 2,000 students on campus, it is often claimed to be one of the smallest public universities
in Europe
.
in 1803, he saw a need for a college in which Welsh ordinands
could receive a higher education. The existing colleges at Oxford and Cambridge were out of the geographical and financial means of most would-be students.
Burgess had no Welsh connections; he was born in England in 1756 and, after Winchester
and Oxford
, he had short stays in Salisbury
and Durham
before being appointed to his first bishopric in Wales in 1803. Burgess intended to build his new college to train priests in Llanddewi Brefi
which, at the time, was similar in size to Lampeter but ten kilometres from it and with an honoured place in the Christian history of Wales. When Burgess was staying with his friend the Bishop of Gloucester
in 1820, however, he met John Scandrett Harford
, a wealthy landowner from Gloucestershire
, who donated the three acre (12,000 m²) site called Castle Field in Lampeter, so called for the Norman
castle
once contained in the field. This is the site on which the present University stands.
St David's College was thus founded just outside Lampeter in 1822. Burgess left St. David's in 1825 to become Bishop of Salisbury
but work on the college continued, largely supervised by Harford. The £16,000 required to erect the college had been raised from public donations, a government grant and highly publicised gifts, including one from King George IV
. The main college building was completed in 1827 and the college officially opened on St. David's Day of that year, welcoming its first 26 students. As such, after the ancient universities of Oxford and Cambridge and those in Scotland
, it was the oldest university institution in Britain, receiving its first charter in 1828. In 1852, the college gained the right to award the degree of Bachelor of Divinity
(BD) and, in 1865, the degree of Bachelor of Arts
(BA), long before the other colleges in Wales gained their own degree awarding powers.
Although it continued as a centre of clergy training until 1978, there was always a proportion of students who did not intend to be ordained. The 1896 charter specifically stated that the college could accept anyone, regardless of whether they intended to take Holy Orders and, since 1925, it had been possible to study for a BA at the college without studying any theology at all. Throughout the college's history, non-ordinands had been in a minority. In the 1950s however, the number of ordinands declined sharply and the College faced possible closure unless it could secure government funding. Principal J.R. Lloyd Thomas
did not spare himself in the fight for survival and, in 1960, after much negotiation, University College, Cardiff
, agreed to sponsor Saint David's. Thus the government finally began to assist SDC financially.
In 1971, the college became a member of the federal University of Wales and suspended its own degree-awarding powers. It became St David's University College (SDUC). By this time, the college had begun shifting its specialisms and, whilst theology continued to be a strong point, students could choose from a much wider range of liberal arts
subjects. In 1996, the Privy Council — in response to a petition from the University — agreed to change its title again to the University of Wales, Lampeter in line with moves elsewhere in the University and the recognition of its growth and changing status. In September 2007, the University of Wales become confederal rather than federal in nature, effectively giving Lampeter independent university status. Unlike other former Wales colleges however, the institution's name remained unchanged.
The university specialises in Theology
, Religious Studies
, Philosophy
, Classics
, Anthropology
, Archaeology
, English
and History
. The university is also growing in disciplines from the liberal arts
and social sciences
such as Film and Media Studies, Information Society Studies, Business Management, Chinese Studies and Voluntary Sector Studies. However, in the past two decades several other departments which taught subjects in their own right have closed, notably French
, German
and Geography
.
The university has research and consultancy departments, including the Centre for Beliefs and Values, Centre for Enterprise, European and Extension Services, Archaeological Services and the Centre for the Study of Religion in Celtic Societies.
In the early 1990s, there also existed an influential Human Geography
department at the college. This was closed in 2001 but the diaspora
of the Lampeter Geography School continue to have an influence on their field.
In 2008, the Quality Assurance Agency concluded that, although the quality of Lampeter's degrees were satisfactory, they had 'limited confidence' in the institution's quality assurance procedures and systems. Further to this assessment, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales commissioned a further report which found "very real problems of leadership and management" at the university. As a direct result, on 14 December 2008, the university announced that it was in merger talks with Trinity College, Carmarthen
with the intention of forming a new university in Wales. In July 2010, it was announced that the Queen had approved an order granting a supplemental charter to Lampeter which would create the new University of Wales, Trinity Saint David and which would accept its first students in September 2010.
C.R. Cockerell designed the original college, now called the Saint David's Building (Old Building or OB by students) in the centre of the Campus. It is a Grade II* listed building and contains lecture rooms, common rooms, administrative offices, student residential accommodation and the following three main areas:
The Old Hall was the refectory until the present one came into use in 1969 and fell into disuse until 1991, when it opened after much restoration; it is now used as one of the main public rooms for meetings, conferences and use by outside organisations. It is also used for some examinations.
St David's Chapel was consecrated in 1827. In 1879, it was rebuilt according to the specifications of the architect Thomas Graham Jackson
of Cambridge. It re-opened on 24 June 1880. It was then refurbished again during the 1930s, mainly through the provision of a new reredos
in 1933 and a major overhaul of the organ in 1934.
The Founders' Library was the main library until the new library opened in 1966 and now houses the University's oldest printed books (1470–1850) and manuscripts (the earliest being from the thirteenth century), given to Lampeter from 1822 onwards, as well as the archives of the university. It is a priceless collection unique to Lampeter. Named after its founders — Thomas Burgess (1756–1837), Thomas Bowdler
(1754–1825) and Thomas Phillips
(1760–1851) — it is a resource for teaching, research and scholarship within the University. In 2005, it was announced that a new £700,000 library building was to be built on campus to house the university's manuscripts, as the Founders' Library was not environmentally suitable for such valuable documents. This extension to the main library was completed in 2008.
The Canterbury Building was built to house a growing number of students at the end of the 19th century. The foundation stone was laid by the Archbishop of Canterbury
in 1885 and the building was officially opened on 24 June 1887. It contained a physical science laboratory, two lecture rooms and new accommodation. However, structural problems forced the university to demolish the original building in the summer of 1971. The current Canterbury Building was opened on 20 October 1973 by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kent
and now houses the History
, Classics
and English departments.
The New Library was opened on 7 July 1966 by the then Chancellor of the University of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh
. It was extended and then reopened by the Prince of Wales
on 21 June 1984.
The Arts Building was opened by The Rt. Hon Peter Thomas, Secretary of State for Wales
on 4 October 1971, in time for it to house the new Geography
department. The Archaeology
and Anthropology
department has since moved into the ground floor of the building, the first floor being shared by the Department of Film and Media and the Department of Management and I.T.
The Cliff Tucker Theatre, on the banks of the River Dulas, was opened by Sir Anthony Hopkins
in 1996 and incorporates teaching rooms, lecture theatres and a large computer room. It is named in honour of Cliff Tucker
, a former student and benefactor of the university.
The Sheikh Khalifa Building, completed in 1997 and named after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a benefactor of the university, is the home of the Department of Theology, Religious Studies and Islamic Studies, one the largest departments of its kind in the United Kingdom. It was opened by Professor Sir Stewart Sutherland
. Behind the departmental building is a small mosque
, used by Islamic students and residents of the town.
The Roderic Bowen Research Centre, completed 2007 and named after Roderic Bowen
, a former president of the university, houses the Founder's Library collection and archives and adjoins the main library building. The centre was opened on 17 October 2008, by First Minister for Wales
, Rhodri Morgan
.
matches that of the University of Wales
— graduates wear a black stuff gown, with bell sleeves for bachelors, and glove sleeve for masters. Hoods are lined with mazarin blue shot green (arts), mazarin blue shot red (divinity). The degrees of MSc (lined yellow shot black) and MBA (yellow shot red, bound light blue) have been recently introduced. The traditional Lampeter academic dress differs from this.
Undergraduates wore a black stuff gown, with bell-sleeves, with the whole sleeve split open in front. The year-round wearing of undergraduate academic dress ended in 1971 when Lampeter joined the University of Wales, however there is some support for a resurrection of this tradition by current students.
Bachelor of Divinity
. A black gown, of MA pattern (long closed sleeves), with a double crescent cut at the end of each sleeve. A black silk hood, lined with dark violet silk, and bound with 1" white silk. Originally, it could be made in either the Oxford or the Cambridge shape, but Cambridge became the norm.
Bachelor of Arts
. A black stuff gown of Cambridge BA pattern. A black silk hood, part-lined and bound with 'miniver' - white fur with black spots. (Rabbit was usually used, with 'stick-on' spots, on account of the cost of real miniver!). As with the BD, it could be made in either the Oxford or the Cambridge shape, but Cambridge became the norm.
There was also a two-year course for those who could not afford the full three-year one. From 1884, this was called the Licence in Divinity (LD). Holders wore the undergraduate gown, with a black stuff hood, lined with black stuff, and bound for 1" with white silk. This was always Cambridge shape. The LD was not awarded after about 1940 and, in 1969, the hood was used for the DipTh, which was awarded until the College ceased clergy training in 1978. A degree with a similar title was introduced in 2007, the Licence in Divinity (Doctoral). This however, is a postdoctoral degree in theology or religious studies, the first of its kind in the UK. The academicals prescribed to this degree is non-conventional in that it consists of a scarlet mozzetta
trimmed with white fur that is worn over the festal gown and under the hood (of the relevant Wales degree) and worn with a scarlet bonnet with gold cord and tassel.
The University awards a number of Licences in Theology (LTh), Religious Studies (LRS), Islamic Studies, Latin, and Classical Greek.
and squash
courts, and a multigym with weight training
equipment. For outdoor sports, the University has tennis court
s, a cricket
field and facilities for football and rugby. The college cricket pavilion, opened officially on 1 May 1909 is now a listed building.
Lampeter has active netball
, field hockey
, football
and rugby union
teams, all of which play in the college colours of black and amber
.
around 1850 and, as such, the college can claim to have the oldest Rugby football
team in Wales. Despite some debate as to whether this honour belongs to the town team or the University side, the Welsh Rugby Union's official history "Fields of Praise: The Official History of the Welsh Rugby Union, 1881-1981" indicates the college team as the first. However, Lampeter Town RFC
were the representatives of Lampeter at the formation of the WRU in 1881.
The red strip worn by Wales is one of the University's original strips and, as such, the College team is the only other club permitted to wear it. The club was one of the founder members of the Welsh Rugby Union
in 1881 but, following trouble at a match against the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth
in 1933, were reprimanded from the union.
The club's nicknames are Mad Pilgrims and Fighting Parsons, reflecting Lampeter's history of training clergy. A match is played between the student team and an old boys (graduate) team on the first Saturday in December each year. In recent years, the old boys have formed a touring side known as Old Parsonians RFC. The old boys have become known for their battle cry "chuff", which is chufftastc and chufftastically came into common use c. 2001. Old Parsonians play in a sky blue and white kit in recognition of the historical rugby link to Cambridge rugby through Rowland Williams.
Hip Hip Hooray
Hip Hip Hooray
Hip Hip Hooray
Nawr Dewi. Nawr Dewi. Nawr Dewi.
Dy Blant. Dy Blant. Dy Blant.
Backshe Odinthorog. Backshe Odinthorog.
Niri Giri Wari. Niri Giri Wari.
Zey Zey Zey
Bing Bang Odin. Bing Bang Odin.
Io Dewi. Io Dewi. Io Dewi.
Dewi Sant. Dewi Sant. Dewi Sant.
Hooray!
The secluded rural location lends the campus a special atmosphere and a very high proportion of the students were involved in clubs, societies and associations. There were over 30 recognised bodies, ranging from the Chinese Society and the International Students' Association to Medieval Re-enactment, Fencing Club and Organic Gardening Society. Alongside these were student-run bodies not affiliated with the Students' Union, such as the Christian Union, Conservative Future and Amnesty.
Lampeter is over an hour away from the nearest city
of Swansea
and, as such, some students found it difficult to adjust to rural life. There has been no train service to the town since the local line fell victim to the Beeching Axe
in 1965 and only limited bus services remain, although for many who came there, this was a key attraction, with a high proportion of students getting involved with outdoor activities and local environmental projects. Local country towns of Carmarthen
and Llandeilo
are nearby as well as the coastal resorts of Aberystwyth
and New Quay
. The union building, on the banks of the Afon Dulas and extended in 1998, contains a student bar and small club, known as the Xtension, which hosted parties and live music events; the Union also had a CineClub showing films in the Arts Hall and Cliff Tucker Theatre.
of 1963 recommended immediate expansion of British universities. In its implementation of these recommendations, Lampeter planned to open new Economics
and Geography
departments. The former never materialised but the groundwork was well in place for the Geography department to open by 1970 or 71. The new Arts Building of the University was opened by the Secretary of State for Wales
on 4 October 1971, which provided the new department with luxurious lecture and teaching rooms in time for its opening. Dr David Thomas (not to be confused with David SG Thomas, Professor at Oxford) became the first Professor of Geography at Lampeter in 1970 and, in 1971, Donald A Davidson and John A Dawson joined the staff as lecturers, ready to welcome the first Geography students to Lampeter in October 1971.
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
in Lampeter
Lampeter
Lampeter is a town in Ceredigion, South West Wales, lying at the confluence of the River Teifi and the Afon Dulas.-Demographics:At the 2001 National Census, the population was 2894. Lampeter is therefore the smallest university town in both Wales and the United Kingdom...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Founded in 1822 by royal charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
, it is the oldest degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
awarding institution in Wales and may be the third oldest in England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
after Oxford and Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. In 2010 it merged with Trinity University College (under its 1822 charter) to create the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David
The university started in 1822 as St David's College (Coleg Dewi Sant), becoming St David's University College (Coleg Prifysgol Dewi Sant) in 1971, when it became part of the federal University of Wales
University of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
. With fewer than 2,000 students on campus, it is often claimed to be one of the smallest public universities
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
History
When Thomas Burgess was appointed Bishop of St David'sBishop of St David's
The Bishop of St David's is the ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of St David's.The succession of bishops stretches back to Saint David who in the 6th century established his seat in what is today the city of St David's in Pembrokeshire, founding St David's Cathedral. The current Bishop of St...
in 1803, he saw a need for a college in which Welsh ordinands
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
could receive a higher education. The existing colleges at Oxford and Cambridge were out of the geographical and financial means of most would-be students.
Burgess had no Welsh connections; he was born in England in 1756 and, after Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
and Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, he had short stays in Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
and Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
before being appointed to his first bishopric in Wales in 1803. Burgess intended to build his new college to train priests in Llanddewi Brefi
Llanddewi Brefi
Llanddewi Brefi is a village of approximately 500 people in Ceredigion, Wales.In the 6th century, Saint David , the patron saint of Wales, held the Synod of Brefi here and it has borne his name since; "Llan" referring in Welsh place names to a church or holy place. The parish church is dedicated...
which, at the time, was similar in size to Lampeter but ten kilometres from it and with an honoured place in the Christian history of Wales. When Burgess was staying with his friend the Bishop of Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
in 1820, however, he met John Scandrett Harford
John Scandrett Harford
John Scandrett Harford, FRS was a British banker, benefactor and abolitionist.He was born the son of John Scandrett Harford, a prominent banker in the English city of Bristol and educated at Christ College, Cambridge...
, a wealthy landowner from Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, who donated the three acre (12,000 m²) site called Castle Field in Lampeter, so called for the Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
once contained in the field. This is the site on which the present University stands.
Bishop of Salisbury
The Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset...
but work on the college continued, largely supervised by Harford. The £16,000 required to erect the college had been raised from public donations, a government grant and highly publicised gifts, including one from King George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
. The main college building was completed in 1827 and the college officially opened on St. David's Day of that year, welcoming its first 26 students. As such, after the ancient universities of Oxford and Cambridge and those in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, it was the oldest university institution in Britain, receiving its first charter in 1828. In 1852, the college gained the right to award the degree of Bachelor of Divinity
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
(BD) and, in 1865, the degree of Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(BA), long before the other colleges in Wales gained their own degree awarding powers.
Although it continued as a centre of clergy training until 1978, there was always a proportion of students who did not intend to be ordained. The 1896 charter specifically stated that the college could accept anyone, regardless of whether they intended to take Holy Orders and, since 1925, it had been possible to study for a BA at the college without studying any theology at all. Throughout the college's history, non-ordinands had been in a minority. In the 1950s however, the number of ordinands declined sharply and the College faced possible closure unless it could secure government funding. Principal J.R. Lloyd Thomas
John Roland Lloyd Thomas
John Roland Lloyd Thomas was a noted Anglican clergyman, and later the Principal of St David's University College from 1953 to 1975. He was, himself, a graduate of St David's College, gaining a BA from the institution before completing a second BA in Theology at Jesus College, Oxford...
did not spare himself in the fight for survival and, in 1960, after much negotiation, University College, Cardiff
Cardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
, agreed to sponsor Saint David's. Thus the government finally began to assist SDC financially.
In 1971, the college became a member of the federal University of Wales and suspended its own degree-awarding powers. It became St David's University College (SDUC). By this time, the college had begun shifting its specialisms and, whilst theology continued to be a strong point, students could choose from a much wider range of liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
subjects. In 1996, the Privy Council — in response to a petition from the University — agreed to change its title again to the University of Wales, Lampeter in line with moves elsewhere in the University and the recognition of its growth and changing status. In September 2007, the University of Wales become confederal rather than federal in nature, effectively giving Lampeter independent university status. Unlike other former Wales colleges however, the institution's name remained unchanged.
The university specialises in Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, Religious Studies
Religious studies
Religious studies is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.While theology attempts to...
, Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
, Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, Archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
and History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
. The university is also growing in disciplines from the liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
and social sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
such as Film and Media Studies, Information Society Studies, Business Management, Chinese Studies and Voluntary Sector Studies. However, in the past two decades several other departments which taught subjects in their own right have closed, notably French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
.
The university has research and consultancy departments, including the Centre for Beliefs and Values, Centre for Enterprise, European and Extension Services, Archaeological Services and the Centre for the Study of Religion in Celtic Societies.
In the early 1990s, there also existed an influential Human Geography
Human geography
Human geography is one of the two major sub-fields of the discipline of geography. Human geography is the study of the world, its people, communities, and cultures. Human geography differs from physical geography mainly in that it has a greater focus on studying human activities and is more...
department at the college. This was closed in 2001 but the diaspora
Diaspora
A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
of the Lampeter Geography School continue to have an influence on their field.
In 2008, the Quality Assurance Agency concluded that, although the quality of Lampeter's degrees were satisfactory, they had 'limited confidence' in the institution's quality assurance procedures and systems. Further to this assessment, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales commissioned a further report which found "very real problems of leadership and management" at the university. As a direct result, on 14 December 2008, the university announced that it was in merger talks with Trinity College, Carmarthen
Trinity College, Carmarthen
Trinity University College was a university college in Carmarthen, Wales. In 2010, it merged with the University of Wales, Lampeter to become the new University of Wales, Trinity Saint David.- History :...
with the intention of forming a new university in Wales. In July 2010, it was announced that the Queen had approved an order granting a supplemental charter to Lampeter which would create the new University of Wales, Trinity Saint David and which would accept its first students in September 2010.
The Old College
The Old Hall was the refectory until the present one came into use in 1969 and fell into disuse until 1991, when it opened after much restoration; it is now used as one of the main public rooms for meetings, conferences and use by outside organisations. It is also used for some examinations.
St David's Chapel was consecrated in 1827. In 1879, it was rebuilt according to the specifications of the architect Thomas Graham Jackson
Thomas Graham Jackson
Sir Thomas Graham Jackson, 1st Baronet RA was one of the most distinguished English architects of his generation...
of Cambridge. It re-opened on 24 June 1880. It was then refurbished again during the 1930s, mainly through the provision of a new reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
in 1933 and a major overhaul of the organ in 1934.
The Founders' Library was the main library until the new library opened in 1966 and now houses the University's oldest printed books (1470–1850) and manuscripts (the earliest being from the thirteenth century), given to Lampeter from 1822 onwards, as well as the archives of the university. It is a priceless collection unique to Lampeter. Named after its founders — Thomas Burgess (1756–1837), Thomas Bowdler
Thomas Bowdler
Thomas Bowdler was an English physician who published an expurgated edition of William Shakespeare's work, edited by his sister Harriet, intended to be more appropriate for 19th century women and children than the original....
(1754–1825) and Thomas Phillips
Thomas Phillips (educational benefactor)
Thomas Phillips , was an educational benefactor, a founder of St David's College, Lampeter, and the founder of Llandovery College in Wales....
(1760–1851) — it is a resource for teaching, research and scholarship within the University. In 2005, it was announced that a new £700,000 library building was to be built on campus to house the university's manuscripts, as the Founders' Library was not environmentally suitable for such valuable documents. This extension to the main library was completed in 2008.
Recent additions
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
in 1885 and the building was officially opened on 24 June 1887. It contained a physical science laboratory, two lecture rooms and new accommodation. However, structural problems forced the university to demolish the original building in the summer of 1971. The current Canterbury Building was opened on 20 October 1973 by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kent
University of Kent
The University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
and now houses the History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
and English departments.
The New Library was opened on 7 July 1966 by the then Chancellor of the University of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh is a British royal title, named after the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family only four times times since its creation in 1726...
. It was extended and then reopened by the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
on 21 June 1984.
The Arts Building was opened by The Rt. Hon Peter Thomas, Secretary of State for Wales
Secretary of State for Wales
The Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the British cabinet. He or she is responsible for ensuring Welsh interests are taken into account by the government, representing the government within Wales and overseeing the passing of legislation which is only for Wales...
on 4 October 1971, in time for it to house the new Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
department. The Archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
and Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
department has since moved into the ground floor of the building, the first floor being shared by the Department of Film and Media and the Department of Management and I.T.
The Cliff Tucker Theatre, on the banks of the River Dulas, was opened by Sir Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
in 1996 and incorporates teaching rooms, lecture theatres and a large computer room. It is named in honour of Cliff Tucker
Cliff Tucker
Clifford Lewis Tucker was a British industrial relations executive, magistrate and politician.He was educated at Monmouth School and St David's College, Lampeter...
, a former student and benefactor of the university.
The Sheikh Khalifa Building, completed in 1997 and named after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a benefactor of the university, is the home of the Department of Theology, Religious Studies and Islamic Studies, one the largest departments of its kind in the United Kingdom. It was opened by Professor Sir Stewart Sutherland
Stewart Sutherland, Baron Sutherland of Houndwood
Stewart Ross Sutherland, Baron Sutherland of Houndwood, is a British academic and public servant and one of the UK's most distinguished philosophers of religion.He was educated at Robert Gordon's College...
. Behind the departmental building is a small mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
, used by Islamic students and residents of the town.
The Roderic Bowen Research Centre, completed 2007 and named after Roderic Bowen
Roderic Bowen
Evan Roderic Bowen KC was a Welsh Liberal Party politician.Bowen was educated at Cardigan County School, University College, Aberystwyth, St John's College, Cambridge, Brussels and the Inns of Court. He served in the Army for five years during World War II, reaching the rank of Captain...
, a former president of the university, houses the Founder's Library collection and archives and adjoins the main library building. The centre was opened on 17 October 2008, by First Minister for Wales
First Minister for Wales
The First Minister of Wales is the leader of the Welsh Government, Wales' devolved administration, which was established in 1999. The First Minister is responsible for the exercise of functions by the Cabinet of the Welsh Government; policy development and coordination; relationships with the...
, Rhodri Morgan
Rhodri Morgan
Hywel Rhodri Morgan is a Welsh Labour politician who, as First Secretary for Wales, and subsequently First Minister, was leader of the Welsh Assembly Government from 2000 to 2009. A former leader of Welsh Labour, he was the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011...
.
Academic dress
Lampeter awards University of Wales degrees, and as such, the academic dressAcademic dress
Academic dress or academical dress is a traditional form of clothing for academic settings, primarily tertiary education, worn mainly by those that have been admitted to a university degree or hold a status that entitles them to assume them...
matches that of the University of Wales
Academic dress of the University of Wales
The academic dress of the former University of Wales was designed for the first graduations in 1893, and has as its main identifying feature a faculty colour scheme involving 'shot silks'.- Gowns :...
— graduates wear a black stuff gown, with bell sleeves for bachelors, and glove sleeve for masters. Hoods are lined with mazarin blue shot green (arts), mazarin blue shot red (divinity). The degrees of MSc (lined yellow shot black) and MBA (yellow shot red, bound light blue) have been recently introduced. The traditional Lampeter academic dress differs from this.
Undergraduates wore a black stuff gown, with bell-sleeves, with the whole sleeve split open in front. The year-round wearing of undergraduate academic dress ended in 1971 when Lampeter joined the University of Wales, however there is some support for a resurrection of this tradition by current students.
Bachelor of Divinity
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
. A black gown, of MA pattern (long closed sleeves), with a double crescent cut at the end of each sleeve. A black silk hood, lined with dark violet silk, and bound with 1" white silk. Originally, it could be made in either the Oxford or the Cambridge shape, but Cambridge became the norm.
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
. A black stuff gown of Cambridge BA pattern. A black silk hood, part-lined and bound with 'miniver' - white fur with black spots. (Rabbit was usually used, with 'stick-on' spots, on account of the cost of real miniver!). As with the BD, it could be made in either the Oxford or the Cambridge shape, but Cambridge became the norm.
There was also a two-year course for those who could not afford the full three-year one. From 1884, this was called the Licence in Divinity (LD). Holders wore the undergraduate gown, with a black stuff hood, lined with black stuff, and bound for 1" with white silk. This was always Cambridge shape. The LD was not awarded after about 1940 and, in 1969, the hood was used for the DipTh, which was awarded until the College ceased clergy training in 1978. A degree with a similar title was introduced in 2007, the Licence in Divinity (Doctoral). This however, is a postdoctoral degree in theology or religious studies, the first of its kind in the UK. The academicals prescribed to this degree is non-conventional in that it consists of a scarlet mozzetta
Mozzetta
The mozzetta is a short elbow-length cape that covers the shoulders and is buttoned over the breast. It is worn over the rochet or cotta as part of choir dress by some of the clergy of the Catholic Church, among them the Pope, cardinals, bishops, abbots, canons and religious superiors...
trimmed with white fur that is worn over the festal gown and under the hood (of the relevant Wales degree) and worn with a scarlet bonnet with gold cord and tassel.
The University awards a number of Licences in Theology (LTh), Religious Studies (LRS), Islamic Studies, Latin, and Classical Greek.
Sports
The university has a sports hall with badmintonBadminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
and squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
courts, and a multigym with weight training
Weight training
Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the weight force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction...
equipment. For outdoor sports, the University has tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s, a cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
field and facilities for football and rugby. The college cricket pavilion, opened officially on 1 May 1909 is now a listed building.
Lampeter has active netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
, field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
teams, all of which play in the college colours of black and amber
Flag of Saint David
The flag of Saint David is normally a yellow cross on a black field, although it has also appeared as a black cross on a yellow field, or with an engrailed cross...
.
Rugby
Rugby was introduced to Lampeter by Vice-Principal Rowland WilliamsRowland Williams
Rowland Williams was vice-principal and Professor of Hebrew at St David’s College, Lampeter from 1849 to 1862 and was one of the most influential theologians of the nineteenth century. He supported biblical criticism and pioneered comparative Religious Studies in Britain. He was also a priest in...
around 1850 and, as such, the college can claim to have the oldest Rugby football
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
team in Wales. Despite some debate as to whether this honour belongs to the town team or the University side, the Welsh Rugby Union's official history "Fields of Praise: The Official History of the Welsh Rugby Union, 1881-1981" indicates the college team as the first. However, Lampeter Town RFC
Lampeter Town RFC
Lampeter Town Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the town of Lampeter, West Wales. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Llanelli Scarlets....
were the representatives of Lampeter at the formation of the WRU in 1881.
The red strip worn by Wales is one of the University's original strips and, as such, the College team is the only other club permitted to wear it. The club was one of the founder members of the Welsh Rugby Union
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
in 1881 but, following trouble at a match against the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth
University of Wales, Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth University is a university located in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding Member Institution of the former federal University of Wales. As of late 2006, the university had over 12,000 students spread across seventeen academic departments.The university was founded in 1872 as...
in 1933, were reprimanded from the union.
The club's nicknames are Mad Pilgrims and Fighting Parsons, reflecting Lampeter's history of training clergy. A match is played between the student team and an old boys (graduate) team on the first Saturday in December each year. In recent years, the old boys have formed a touring side known as Old Parsonians RFC. The old boys have become known for their battle cry "chuff", which is chufftastc and chufftastically came into common use c. 2001. Old Parsonians play in a sky blue and white kit in recognition of the historical rugby link to Cambridge rugby through Rowland Williams.
The College Yell
Taken from the Student Handbook 1938–39, the College Yell was originally used at sporting and other competitive events. It had largely fallen into obscurity by the twenty-first century, though occasionally resurrected by zealous students.Hip Hip Hooray
Hip Hip Hooray
Hip Hip Hooray
Nawr Dewi. Nawr Dewi. Nawr Dewi.
Dy Blant. Dy Blant. Dy Blant.
Backshe Odinthorog. Backshe Odinthorog.
Niri Giri Wari. Niri Giri Wari.
Zey Zey Zey
Bing Bang Odin. Bing Bang Odin.
Io Dewi. Io Dewi. Io Dewi.
Dewi Sant. Dewi Sant. Dewi Sant.
Hooray!
Student life
Three full-time sabbatical officers and ten non-sabbatical officers oversaw student entertainment, welfare and childcare, as well as ensuring that the views of Lampeter students were represented on a national level, through affiliation with the National Union of Students. The Students Union also published a popular satirical magazine entitled 1822 which "blends satire, pointlessness and toilet humour".The secluded rural location lends the campus a special atmosphere and a very high proportion of the students were involved in clubs, societies and associations. There were over 30 recognised bodies, ranging from the Chinese Society and the International Students' Association to Medieval Re-enactment, Fencing Club and Organic Gardening Society. Alongside these were student-run bodies not affiliated with the Students' Union, such as the Christian Union, Conservative Future and Amnesty.
Lampeter is over an hour away from the nearest city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
and, as such, some students found it difficult to adjust to rural life. There has been no train service to the town since the local line fell victim to the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
in 1965 and only limited bus services remain, although for many who came there, this was a key attraction, with a high proportion of students getting involved with outdoor activities and local environmental projects. Local country towns of Carmarthen
Carmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
and Llandeilo
Llandeilo
Llandeilo is a town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated at the crossing of the River Towy by the A483 on a 19th century stone bridge. Its population is 1,731.The town is served by Llandeilo railway station on the Heart of Wales Line.- Early history :...
are nearby as well as the coastal resorts of Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
and New Quay
New Quay
New Quay is a seaside town in Ceredigion, West Wales with a resident population of around 1,200 people. Located on Cardigan Bay with a harbour and large sandy beaches, it remains a popular seaside resort and traditional fishing town.-History:...
. The union building, on the banks of the Afon Dulas and extended in 1998, contains a student bar and small club, known as the Xtension, which hosted parties and live music events; the Union also had a CineClub showing films in the Arts Hall and Cliff Tucker Theatre.
Notable academics
- Reverend Professor Emeritus Nigel YatesNigel YatesProfessor Nigel Yates was Professor of Ecclesiastical History at the University of Wales, Lampeter. He was born in Swansea and died of cancer on 15 January 2009...
(Theology) - Reverend Professor Paul BadhamPaul BadhamProfessor Paul Badham is Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Wales, Lampeter, where he also heads a Master's program in Death and Immortality....
(Theology) - Professor David CockburnDavid CockburnProfessor David Cockburn MA BPhil DPhil studied Philosophy at St Andrews and Oxford, and has taught at Swansea, the Open University, and, until 2010, has spent over 30 years at the University of Wales, Lampeter, where he teaches courses on the philosophy of mind, Spinoza, Wittgenstein among others...
(Philosophy) - Rabbi Professor Dan Cohn-SherbokDan Cohn-SherbokDan Cohn-Sherbok is a rabbi of Reform Judaism, a Jewish theologian and a prolific author on religion. He is Professor Emeritus of Judaism at the University of Wales, Honorary Professor at the University of Abersystwyth, Visiting Professor at St Mary's University College, London, York St John...
(Jewish Studies) - Professor Tim CresswellTim CresswellTim Cresswell is a human geographer at the Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London. He is the author of four books on the role of space and mobility in cultural life.-Education:After attending Woolverstone Hall School, he received his B.A...
(Geography) - Mr Dic EdwardsDic EdwardsDic Edwards is a British playwright and poet with more than 20 productions to his name. Born in Cardiff Edwards has often found himself at odds with his Welsh background...
(English) - Reverend Islwyn Ffowc ElisIslwyn Ffowc ElisIslwyn Ffowc Elis was one of Wales's most popular Welsh-language writers.Born Islwyn Ffoulkes Ellis in Wrexham, Elis was educated at the University of Wales colleges of Bangor and Aberystwyth. During World War II he was a conscientious objector and he began writing poetry and prose, winning the...
(Welsh) - Professor Harold Arthur HarrisHarold Arthur HarrisProfessor Harold Arthur Harris was educated at Oxford High School, and went on to study at Jesus College, Oxford...
(Latin and Greek) - Doctor Johannes HoffJohannes HoffJohannes Hoff teaches philosophical theology at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. He was born in Trier, Germany . He completed his doctorate and habilitation at the University of Tübingen. His specializations include: Radical Orthodoxy Johannes Hoff (BA, BA, DipTh, MA, PhD, Dr...
(Theology) - Professor Chris PhiloChris PhiloChris Philo is Professor of Geography at the Department of Geographical and Earth Sciences, the University of Glasgow.Philo graduated from the Sidney Sussex College of Cambridge University and became a Research Fellow there. In 1989 he joined the Department of Geography at the University of Wales,...
(Geography) - Professor Michael ShanksMichael Shanks (archaeologist)Michael Shanks is a British archaeologist who has specialized in Classical archaeology and archaeological theory. He received his BA and PhD from Cambridge University, and was a lecturer at the University of Wales, Lampeter before moving to the United States of America in 1999 to take up a Chair...
(Archaeology) - Doctor Laurie ThompsonLaurie ThompsonLaurie Thompson is a British academic and translator, born in York, England, and lived in northern Sweden for a few years, noted for his translations of Swedish literature into English...
(Swedish) - Professor Nigel ThriftNigel ThriftNigel John Thrift is the current Vice Chancellor of the University of Warwick and a leading academic in the field of human geography.-Early life and career:...
(Geography) - Professor Thomas Frederick ToutThomas Frederick ToutThomas Frederick Tout, F.B.A. was a 19th- and 20th-century British historian of the medieval period.-Early life:...
(History) - Mr David Walford (Philosophy)
- Reverend Professor Rowland Williams (Hebrew, also Vice-Principal of the college)
- Dr Nicholas CampionNicholas Campionthumb |upright |Dr Nicholas CampionNicholas Campion , is an historian with particular expertise in cultural history and the history and contemporary culture and practice of astrology. He is the author of a two volume history of Western Astrology.He is a native of Bristol, England...
, Archaeology, History of Anthropology, Sophia Centre for the Study of Cosmology in Culture
Academic departments
- Archaeology and Anthropology
- Chinese Studies
- Classics
- Film and Media
- English
- History
- Management and Information Technology
- Philosophy
- Theology, Religious Studies and Islamic Studies
- Voluntary Sector Studies
- Welsh
Defunct departments
- Physical SciencePhysical sciencePhysical science is an encompassing term for the branches of natural science and science that study non-living systems, in contrast to the life sciences...
- MathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
- GeographyGeographyGeography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
- Modern Languages (FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and SwedishSwedish languageSwedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
)- Centre for Australian StudiesAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in Wales
- Centre for Australian Studies
Lampeter Geography School
The Lampeter Geography School was an important collection of academics based at the Geography department of the University of Wales, Lampeter. The department has since closed, but the Lampeter diaspora continues to have a major impact on the academic discipline.Establishment
The Robbins ReportRobbins Report
The Robbins Report was commissioned by the British government and published in 1963. The Committee met from 1961 to 1963...
of 1963 recommended immediate expansion of British universities. In its implementation of these recommendations, Lampeter planned to open new Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
departments. The former never materialised but the groundwork was well in place for the Geography department to open by 1970 or 71. The new Arts Building of the University was opened by the Secretary of State for Wales
Secretary of State for Wales
The Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the British cabinet. He or she is responsible for ensuring Welsh interests are taken into account by the government, representing the government within Wales and overseeing the passing of legislation which is only for Wales...
on 4 October 1971, which provided the new department with luxurious lecture and teaching rooms in time for its opening. Dr David Thomas (not to be confused with David SG Thomas, Professor at Oxford) became the first Professor of Geography at Lampeter in 1970 and, in 1971, Donald A Davidson and John A Dawson joined the staff as lecturers, ready to welcome the first Geography students to Lampeter in October 1971.
Academics of the Lampeter Geography School
- Professor Chris PhiloChris PhiloChris Philo is Professor of Geography at the Department of Geographical and Earth Sciences, the University of Glasgow.Philo graduated from the Sidney Sussex College of Cambridge University and became a Research Fellow there. In 1989 he joined the Department of Geography at the University of Wales,...
- Professor Tim CresswellTim CresswellTim Cresswell is a human geographer at the Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London. He is the author of four books on the role of space and mobility in cultural life.-Education:After attending Woolverstone Hall School, he received his B.A...
- Professor David SadlerDavid Sadler (geographer)David Sadler is a professor and a researcher of human geography at the University of Liverpool, England.Sadler gained his first degree, and a doctorate from Durham University, and has held academic posts at Durham, and the University of Wales, Lampeter, before becoming a professor at Liverpool.His...
- Professor Ulf StrohmayerUlf StrohmayerUlf Strohmayer is a German geographer who is a professor and head of the Geography Department at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Born in Germany, educated there, in Sweden and in the USA , has held posts in the USA, France and the University of Wales, Lampeter.Texts include "Space and...
- Professor Nigel ThriftNigel ThriftNigel John Thrift is the current Vice Chancellor of the University of Warwick and a leading academic in the field of human geography.-Early life and career:...
- Professor John A Dawson
- Professor Miles OgbornMiles OgbornProfessor Miles Ogborn is an influential human geographer at Queen Mary, University of London. He was awarded the Philip Leverhulme Prize in 2001 for outstanding contribution to his discipline.-See also:*Lampeter Geography School...
- Professor Joe M. PainterJoe PainterJoe Painter is a British geographer and academic.He is as of 2006 a professor in the Department of Geography and Associate Director in the International Centre for Regional Regeneration and Development Studies at the University of Durham in the U.K.-Education:Painter was born and matured in st...
- Assoc. Prof. Ian CookIan CookIan Cook is Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Exeter in the UK, and formerly senior lecturer in geography at the University of Birmingham....
- Professor Ghazi FalahGhazi FalahGhazi-Walid Falah is a Bedouin Israeli-Canadian geographer, who is currently a tenured professor at the University of Akron, Ohio, USA.Ghazi Falah is an expert on political, social and urban geography of the Middle East and the Arab World, with special emphasis on Israel. He has published over 45...
See also
- University of WalesUniversity of WalesThe University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
- List of universities in Wales
- Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wales, LampeterVice-Chancellor of the University of Wales, LampeterThis is a list of Vice-chancellors of the University of Wales, Lampeter.The institution has changed its title three times in its history, from St David's College to St David's University College in 1971, then to the University of Wales, Lampeter in 1996, and more recently to the University of...