University of York
Encyclopedia
The University of York is an academic institution located in the city of York, England
. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects. The university has built a reputation in less than half a century that places it among the top 10 in the country, top 20 universities in Europe, and ranked 96th in the world, according to the 2011 QS World University Rankings
. In the last Research Assessment Exercise
in 2008, York was also named as the 8th best research institution in the United Kingdom. The university was named Sunday Times university of the year in 2003 and Times Higher Education university of the year in 2010.
The University attracts a student body with a wide range of backgrounds, including a large number of internationals and a relatively high number of state school students in comparison to other well-ranked universities according to The Times
Good University Guide. Situated to the east of the city of York
, the university campus is approximately 200 acre (0.809372 km²) in size, incorporating the York Science Park and the National Science Learning Centre
. Priding itself on its wildlife, renowned campus lakes and greenery, the institution also occupies buildings in the historic city of York. Every student is allocated to one of the university's eight colleges, as is the case at the traditional collegiate universities
of Oxford, Cambridge, and Durham
. In May 2007 the university was granted permission to build an extension to its main campus, on arable land just east of the nearby village of Heslington
. The land was removed from the green belt
especially for the purpose of extending the university.
The first petition for the establishment of a university in York was presented to King James I in 1617. In 1903 F. J. Munby and others (including the Yorkshire Philosophical Society
) proposed a 'Victoria University of Yorkshire'. The then College of Ripon and York St John
also at one time considered purchasing Heslington Hall as part of a proposed new campus.
. The University of York was opened in 1963, admitting 200 students. At the time, the university consisted of three buildings, principally the historic King's Manor
in the city centre and Heslington Hall, which has Tudor foundations and is in the village of Heslington on the edge of York. A year later, work began on purpose-built structures on the Heslington Campus (see below), which now forms the main part of the university.
, the university's first Vice-Chancellor, said of the University of York that "it must be collegiate in character, that it must deliberately seek to limit the number of subjects and that much of the teaching must be done via tutorials and seminars". Due to the influence of Professor Graeme Moodie
, founding head of the Politics Department, students are involved in the governance of the university at all levels, and his model has since been widely adopted.
On 25 November 2010 York was named "University of the Year" at the Times Higher Education Awards, achieving praise from the judges for its "success in combining academic excellence with social inclusion, as well as its record in scientific discovery".
In 1964, work began on the campus facilities in the grounds of Heslington Hall. The marshy land was drained, the winding lake which dominates the campus was built, and the area was landscaped. The original buildings were designed by architect Andrew Derbyshire, and assembled using the CLASP
system of prefabricated
construction, hence York's inclusion among the so-called plate glass universities. The buildings are connected by numerous covered walkways and bridges. Most of the university's arts departments occupy premises in the college buildings, while many of the science departments have their own buildings.
A landmark building is Central Hall, a half-octagonal concert hall used for convocations and examinations, as well as theatrical and musical performances. It has played host to The Wailers, George Melly
, Soft Machine
, Pink Floyd
, and Paul McCartney
. Performances by big-name acts have been rarer at the university following a 1985 The Boomtown Rats
concert, during which the cover of the orchestra pit
was damaged. A ban on pop performances, and in particular dancing, in Central Hall was imposed by the university, although it has occasionally been relaxed. Central Hall is still used for classical concerts and, since a rock concert was held there in on 13 March 2010 it has been available again for full booking. It is going to be used as the location for the main Fresher Week event this year. Public concerts are regularly held in the music department's Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, the Arthur Sykes Rymer Auditorium and in some of the colleges. The Raymond Burton Library was also recently nominated for a SCONUL Design award.
The campus lake, which is the largest plastic-bottomed lake in Europe, has attracted a large population of wild and semi-wild waterfowl. These include greylag
, Canada
, barnacle
and snow geese
, coot
s, moorhen
s and large numbers of duck
s, including mallard
s, tufted duck
, and common pochards. There is also a growing population of black swan
s and a few great crested grebe
. The southern end of the lake has been established as a bird sanctuary. Fishing is permitted in season, on purchase of a licence.
Other parts of the campus support a large rabbit population. On at least one occasion, students have been cautioned by the University for hunting rabbits.
The Heslington campus has both indoor and outdoor sports facilities, including an all weather astroturf pitch and County standard cricket pitch. A large, tent-like structure allows for indoor sport, gymnastics and dance.
and went on to become the headquarters of the Council of the North
following the dissolution of the monasteries
. It is home to the Archaeology, Medieval Studies and Eighteenth Century Studies departments, and is regularly used by other related departments such as History. It has a public restaurant and is used for art displays.
Not far from the King's Manor is the Minster Library, in Dean's Park. Students and staff of the University are able to use the Minster Library, which shares staff and cataloguing with the main University library, and holds the huge collection of early books belonging to the Dean and Chapter of York Minster
.
By date of construction the colleges are:
Some of the university's academic departments have their headquarters in one of the college building complexes.
There are also several off-campus residences, including Constantine House
, 54 Walmgate, and Fairfax House.
The Sunday Times noted, "The colleges are tight-knit communities within the university and enjoy a healthy rivalry." The colleges share practical features of the halls of residence of other UK universities, as well as the traditional Oxbridge
/Durham colleges.
For a number of years, the university's expansion plans were limited by planning restrictions on the Heslington West campus. The City of York planning conditions stipulate that only 20% of the land area may be built upon, and the original campus was at full capacity.
In 2003–04, plans were finalised for a 117 hectare extension to the campus, provisionally called Heslington East, designed to mirror the existing Heslington West campus. The plans set out that the new campus would be built on arable land
between Grimston Bar park and ride
car park and Heslington village. After a lengthy consultation and a public inquiry
into the proposals in 2006, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
gave the go-ahead in May 2007.
In May 2008 the City of York planners approved the design for the first residential college, Goodricke. In The Press
on 28 July 2008, Shepherd Construction was named as the preferred contractor for the Goodricke College buildings. The proposal included landscaping the whole area, constructing a lake with marsh borders, planting light woodland and many specimen trees, and maximising biodiversity. Several departments will move to purpose-built facilities on the extension, with Law and the York Management School being the first.
Construction began in 2008, with the first buildings, including Goodricke college, coming into use in October 2009. The college was officially opened by the Duke of York
in April 2010.
In October 2010, several departments moved into new facilities on Heslington East including the Department of Theatre, Film and Television and the Department of Computer Science.
, the Digital Preservation Coalition
the National Non-Food Crops Centre, the York Neuroimaging Centre, the York JEOL Nanocentre, the North Yorkshire office of Natural England
, the UK head office of AlphaGraphics
, and the Leeds, York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce. In Summer 2011, the Department of Physics moved its Plasma Physics
and Fusion
Group to the Science Park at the newly created York Plasma Institute. York Conferences
are located on the University campus.
Information for entry standards gathered from the 2008–2009 academic year by the HESA shows that the average student at the University of York achieved a UCAS tariff of 421. An A grade at A-Level is equivalent to 120 points, and an A at AS worth 60 points.grade the average entrant can be assumed to be achieving three or more A-Levels at grade A.
York has the 8th highest entrant UCAS points of British universities.
report on the institution gave it the best of their three possible outcomes saying that "broad confidence can be placed in the soundness of the university's current and likely future management of the quality of its academic programmes and the academic standards of its awards."
The latest Teaching Quality Assessment data for the University of York is listed below. In cases before November 1995 a numerical value, out of 24, is not used. In these cases "Excellent" is the highest possible grade followed by "Satisfactory" and then "Unsatisfactory". Under the newer system the quality of teaching is marked out of 24. 22/24 or higher is equivalent to "Excellent" on the old scale 20 out of 23 departments gained an "excellent" rating.
receiving a rating of 5 and three 5* (where 1 is the lowest and 5* is the highest possible) ratings in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise. The Department of English and Related Literature and the Department of Computer Science were later upgraded from 5* to 6* (indicating successive 5* grades), and the Department of Psychology has been rated 6* for funding. Using these statistics, York was ranked the sixth-best research institution in the UK. The proportion of staff submitted as research active in each Unit of Assessment was above 80%.
York is a founding member of the Worldwide Universities Network
which supports worldwide collaboration in teaching and research. The university has been awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize
four times – in 1997 for the work of the Department of Computer Science; in 2005 for the work of CNAP, the Centre for Novel Agricultural products which explores the potential from the biosphere to reduce the global economy's dependence on fossil reserves and fuel, in 2007 for the work of CHE (the Centre for Health Economics
and in 2009 for the work of Social Policy Research Unit of the Department of Social Policy and Social Work.
Health economics
was pioneered at York and the university leads the world in the methodological development of cost-effectiveness analysis of health care technologies, is home to two prominent Health Economics journals and has been home to many prominent names in Health Economics (including current Lead Health Economist at the World Bank
Adam Wagstaff, ex-deputy chair of NICE
Tony Culyer, current ISPOR director Paul Kind, ex-ISPOR president Mike Drummond, current chairman of York Primary Care Trust Alan Maynard OBE, Andrew Briggs, Carl Klaxton, Mark Sculpher, Alan Williams, Peter C. Smith and Hugh Gravelle).
There are around eight applications for every undergraduate place, and a low dropout rate of 4% (only Oxbridge
, Bristol
, and UCL
are lower).
In 2007 York became the only British University to have an academic department – Chemistry – win the Gold Athena Swan Award for its commitment to the careers of women in science. The Department of Psychology has won a Silver Athena Swan Award, the first in the country to do so, Biology also has silver, and the university as a whole holds the Athena Swan bronze award.
York was ranked 88th in the world (in 2010 Times Higher Education World University Rankings
and QS World University Rankings
parted ways to produce separate rankings). In the same rankings York is listed as 34th for Life Sciences & Biomedicine.
The Sunday Times released averages of all its tables over 10 years, ranking York as 6th in the country from 1998–2007. In 2000 the Sutton Trust named York as a leading university in the UK, placing it 6th overall.
The university also hosts a number of interdisciplinary research centres, including the Borthwick Institute for Archives
, Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies
, the Centre for Modern Studies, the Centre for Medieval Studies and the Institute for the Public Understanding of the Past
. The Department of Politics hosts the Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit.
The campus is also home to the National Science Learning Centre
. Opened in March 2006 by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair
, it serves as the hub for a £51 million national network of centres dedicated to revitalising science teaching in schools. It is operated by the White Rose University Consortium
(which comprises the Universities of Leeds
, Sheffield
and York) together with Sheffield Hallam University
.
(YSTV) was founded at the University in 1967 and is England's oldest student television station
. YSTV once held the world record for longest continuous television broadcast under a single director. It was named the second best student television station at the 2011 NaSTA Awards. The University of York Filmmaking Society is a student-run filmmaking group; since 1999 its members have made two feature films and many shorts, some of which have been shown at national film festivals.
University Radio York
(URY), the student radio station, is the oldest independent radio station in the United Kingdom, and winner of the Student Radio Awards Best Station Award 2005. Nouse
, the oldest student newspaper and longest-running student society on campus, was established in 1964 and was 2005 NUS/Mirror Student paper of the year and 2009 NUS Best Student Media. It has also won multiple Guardian Student Newspaper awards throughout the past decade, for both its pioneering website and outstanding individual journalists. Its rival newspaper, Vision
, was named Guardian Student Newspaper of the Year for three consecutive years between 2002 and 2004—the only time this has occurred in the 27-year history of the prestigious awards—and won it again in 2007. It also won Best Small Budget Publication at the 2006 NUS/Mirror National Student Media Awards.
The Lemon Press
, York's satire magazine, was launched in 2009 and has rapidly gained popularity in both its print and online formats. In 2010 it won the NUS Award for Best Student Media, having existed only one year. The Yorker
is a rapidly growing online publication set up by students as an independent company in 2007; it was nominated for the Guardian Student media awards after running for only a few months. The Zahir is a cultural/philosophical magazine that has been running since 2005. In early 2009 Haus Magazine was also launched focusing of fashion and youth culture.
Each College has its own JCRC or students' association which provide a variety of services, including college events and student welfare services; they also organise the Freshers' Fortnight activities in their College. The students' union
is known as YUSU, but is properly called the University of York Students' Union
. Its membership is currently the entire student population of the university. In 2008 YUSU was able to open its first Union-run licensed venue The Courtyard.
In addition to the students' union, there is a Graduate Students' Association (the GSA) which performs many of the functions of the Students' Union for postgraduate students, including representing postgraduates on university committees and Council.
York Student Cinema (YSC), operating since the late 1960s, show around 30 films a term using a professional 35 mm projector and a full size cinemascope screen in one of the largest rooms on campus. It has won the BFFS film society of the year award several times.
Every summer term the students take part in the Roses Tournament
, a sports competition against Lancaster University
. The venue of the event alternates each year between York and Lancaster, and involves numerous sports clubs, including the conventional (football, hockey) and the more extreme (YUCC, ultimate frisbee).
The University of York Music Society and the University of York Drama society are two of the largest student societies on campus; both now collaborate with the Central Hall Musical Society and Happily Ever After Society who each stage an annual musical. Other performing societies include the Gilbert and Sullivan
Society, PantSoc who stage the biannual student pantomimes, and ComedySoc who run a variety of student comedy events throughout each term. FUSION was recently founded to promote the ever-growing urban music scene and to raise money for charity. In 2004 a student at the university established York Carnival—a day celebrating music and the arts in the centre of York. Its original aim was to encourage links between the University of York and the residents of the historic city and to encourage participation in the arts. It has grown in to a large annual event, attracting crowds of up to 5,000.
The Lords of Misrule are a group of current and former graduate students at the Centre for Medieval Studies at King's Manor who enjoy bringing the theatre of the Middle Ages to life. Since their inception in the 1960s. the Lords have been performing dramas and adaptations of medieval texts in their original languages, frequently in historic locations. Their performances strive to present the spirit of medieval drama to a modern audience. The group's most recent performances were in the York Mystery Plays
on 11 and 18 July 2010, performing the Curriers' Pageant of the Transfiguration of Christ. http://www.yorkmysteryplays.co.uk/
The York Union Society, the University of York's debating union, competes in intervarsity tournaments against other universities. There are also very active political societies on campus with the University of York Labour Club, the University of York Liberal Democrat Society and the University of York Conservative and Unionist Association campaigning on issues both on and off campus, as well as organising debates and talks by high profile speakers. In recent years there have been visits by Ed Miliband
, David Davis
, Nick Clegg
, David Blunkett
, Anthony Giddens
, Ruth Lea
, and David Willets. There is also a branch of People and Planet, which campaigns on environmental and ethical issues.
Provisions for lesbian, gay bisexual and trans (LGBT
) students at the university are divided among two distinct organisations. YUSU LGBT is a part of the students' union and represents LGBT students within the union, as well as providing welfare support and conducting awareness raising campaigns on campus. LGBT Social organises social events aimed at LGBT students and their friends. While remaining separate, these two groups generally have strong links to each other and to the staff LGBTI forum, which offers largely similar provision to staff members of the university.
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects. The university has built a reputation in less than half a century that places it among the top 10 in the country, top 20 universities in Europe, and ranked 96th in the world, according to the 2011 QS World University Rankings
QS World University Rankings
The QS World University Rankings is a ranking of the world’s top 500 universities by Quacquarelli Symonds using a method that has published annually since 2004....
. In the last Research Assessment Exercise
Research Assessment Exercise
The Research Assessment Exercise is an exercise undertaken approximately every 5 years on behalf of the four UK higher education funding councils to evaluate the quality of research undertaken by British higher education institutions...
in 2008, York was also named as the 8th best research institution in the United Kingdom. The university was named Sunday Times university of the year in 2003 and Times Higher Education university of the year in 2010.
The University attracts a student body with a wide range of backgrounds, including a large number of internationals and a relatively high number of state school students in comparison to other well-ranked universities according to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
Good University Guide. Situated to the east of the city of York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, the university campus is approximately 200 acre (0.809372 km²) in size, incorporating the York Science Park and the National Science Learning Centre
Science Learning Centres
Science Learning Centres are a UK Government initiative to address the need for improved science education and development for teachers.-Origins:...
. Priding itself on its wildlife, renowned campus lakes and greenery, the institution also occupies buildings in the historic city of York. Every student is allocated to one of the university's eight colleges, as is the case at the traditional collegiate universities
Collegiate university
A collegiate university is a university in which governing authority and functions are divided between a central administration and a number of constituent colleges...
of Oxford, Cambridge, and Durham
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
. In May 2007 the university was granted permission to build an extension to its main campus, on arable land just east of the nearby village of Heslington
Heslington
Heslington is a suburban village and civil parish within the City of York, in North Yorkshire, England, south-east of the centre of York. Prior to 1974, it was a village in the Derwent Rural District, which was part of the East Riding of Yorkshire...
. The land was removed from the green belt
Green Belt (UK)
In United Kingdom town planning, the green belt is a policy for controlling urban growth. The idea is for a ring of countryside where urbanisation will be resisted for the foreseeable future, maintaining an area where agriculture, forestry and outdoor leisure can be expected to prevail...
especially for the purpose of extending the university.
Origins
Yorkshire Philosophical Society
The Yorkshire Philosophical Society is a charitable learned society aimed at promoting the natural sciences, archaeology and history. The society was formed in York in December 1822 by James Atkinson, William Salmond, Anthony Thorpe and William Vernon....
) proposed a 'Victoria University of Yorkshire'. The then College of Ripon and York St John
York St John University
York St John University York St John University York St John University (formerly known variously as York St John University College (2004), York St John College (2001), Ripon and York St John: a College of the University of Leeds (c. 1996), University College of Ripon and York St John...
also at one time considered purchasing Heslington Hall as part of a proposed new campus.
Establishment
Oliver Sheldon (1894–1951), co-founder of York Civic Trust, was a driving force behind the founding of the University, according to the Borthwick Institute for ArchivesBorthwick Institute for Archives
The Borthwick Institute for Archives is the specialist archive service of the University of York, York, England. It is one of the biggest archive repositories outside London. The Borthwick was founded in 1953 as The Borthwick Institute for Historical Research. It was originally based at St...
. The University of York was opened in 1963, admitting 200 students. At the time, the university consisted of three buildings, principally the historic King's Manor
King's Manor
The King's Manor is a Grade I listed building in York, England, and is part of the University of York.King's Manor was originally built to house the abbots of St Mary's Abbey, York. The Abbot's house probably occupied the site since the eleventh century, but the earliest remains date from the...
in the city centre and Heslington Hall, which has Tudor foundations and is in the village of Heslington on the edge of York. A year later, work began on purpose-built structures on the Heslington Campus (see below), which now forms the main part of the university.
Founding principles
Baron James of RusholmeEric James, Baron James of Rusholme
Eric John Francis James, Baron James of Rusholme was a prominent British educator.He was educated at York Place Secondary School, Brighton, Taunton's School, Southampton and Queen's College, Oxford. He taught science at Winchester College from 1933 to 1945, and was High Master of The Manchester...
, the university's first Vice-Chancellor, said of the University of York that "it must be collegiate in character, that it must deliberately seek to limit the number of subjects and that much of the teaching must be done via tutorials and seminars". Due to the influence of Professor Graeme Moodie
Graeme Moodie
Graeme Cochrane Moodie , was the founding Professor in 1963 of the Department of Politics at the University of York. He is most notable as principal author of The Moodie Report, which set out what is now the general model for student participation in the governance of modern British universities,...
, founding head of the Politics Department, students are involved in the governance of the university at all levels, and his model has since been widely adopted.
List of Chancellors
- George Lascelles, 7th Earl of HarewoodGeorge Lascelles, 7th Earl of HarewoodGeorge Henry Hubert Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood, KBE AM , styled The Hon. George Lascelles before 1929 and Viscount Lascelles between 1929 and 1947, was the elder son of the 6th Earl of Harewood , and Princess Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and...
(1962–1967) - Kenneth Clark, Lord ClarkKenneth ClarkKenneth McKenzie Clark, Baron Clark, OM, CH, KCB, FBA was a British author, museum director, broadcaster, and one of the best-known art historians of his generation...
(1967–1978) - Michael Swann, Lord SwannMichael SwannMichael Meredith Swann, Baron Swann, FRS was a distinguished molecular and cell biologist working on the mechanisms of cell division and fertilisation. He used cell polarisation methods to understand the changes in molecular organisation of the mitotic spindle...
(1979–1990) - Dame Janet BakerJanet BakerDame Janet Abbott Baker, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English mezzo-soprano best known as an opera, concert, and lieder singer.She was particularly closely associated with baroque and early Italian opera and the works of Benjamin Britten...
(1991–2004) - Greg DykeGreg DykeGregory "Greg" Dyke is a British media executive, journalist and broadcaster. Since the 1960s, Dyke has a long career in the UK in print and then broadcast journalism. He is credited with introducing 'tabloid' television to British broadcasting, and reviving the ratings of TV-am...
(2004 – present)
List of Vice-Chancellors
- Eric James, Baron James of Rusholme (1962–1973)
- Dr Morris Carstairs (1973–1978)
- Professor Berrick Saul (1979–1993)
- Professor Sir Ronald CookeRonald Urwick CookeProfessor Sir Ronald Urwick Cooke, FRGS is a Professor of geography and geomorphology who was Vice-Chancellor of the University of York from 1993 to 2002.-Life:...
(1993–2002) - Professor Brian CantorBrian CantorProfessor Brian Cantor has been the Vice-Chancellor of the University of York since 2002. He is acknowledged as a world authority on materials manufacturing and is a Vice-President of the Royal Academy of Engineering.-Life:...
(2002 – present)
Reputation and academic rankings
The Times University Guide said of York that "The university is increasingly recognised as a permanent fixture in the top rank of British higher education" and that "No university had a better record for teaching quality". The Sunday Times said, "York is one of Britain's academic success stories, forging a reputation to rival Oxford and Cambridge in the space of 40 years. In some regards – teaching, for example – it has a recent track record better than that of Oxford, according to the official assessments of teaching quality."On 25 November 2010 York was named "University of the Year" at the Times Higher Education Awards, achieving praise from the judges for its "success in combining academic excellence with social inclusion, as well as its record in scientific discovery".
Heslington West campus
Consortium of Local Authorities Special Programme
The Consortium of Local Authorities Special Programme , was formed in England in 1957 to combine the resources of Local Authorities with the purpose of developing a prefabricated school building programme...
system of prefabricated
Prefabrication
Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be located...
construction, hence York's inclusion among the so-called plate glass universities. The buildings are connected by numerous covered walkways and bridges. Most of the university's arts departments occupy premises in the college buildings, while many of the science departments have their own buildings.
A landmark building is Central Hall, a half-octagonal concert hall used for convocations and examinations, as well as theatrical and musical performances. It has played host to The Wailers, George Melly
George Melly
Alan George Heywood Melly was an English jazz and blues singer, critic, writer and lecturer. From 1965 to 1973 he was a film and television critic for The Observer and lectured on art history, with an emphasis on surrealism.-Early life and career:He was born in Liverpool and was educated at Stowe...
, Soft Machine
Soft Machine
Soft Machine were an English rock band from Canterbury, named after the book The Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs. They were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene, and helped pioneer the progressive rock genre...
, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, and Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
. Performances by big-name acts have been rarer at the university following a 1985 The Boomtown Rats
The Boomtown Rats
The Boomtown Rats were an Irish punk rock band that had a series of Irish and UK hits between 1977 and 1985. They were led by vocalist Bob Geldof.-Biography:All six members were originally from Dún Laoghaire, Ireland...
concert, during which the cover of the orchestra pit
Orchestra pit
An orchestra pit is the area in a theater in which musicians perform. Orchestral pits are utilized in forms of theatre that require music or in cases when incidental music is required...
was damaged. A ban on pop performances, and in particular dancing, in Central Hall was imposed by the university, although it has occasionally been relaxed. Central Hall is still used for classical concerts and, since a rock concert was held there in on 13 March 2010 it has been available again for full booking. It is going to be used as the location for the main Fresher Week event this year. Public concerts are regularly held in the music department's Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, the Arthur Sykes Rymer Auditorium and in some of the colleges. The Raymond Burton Library was also recently nominated for a SCONUL Design award.
The campus lake, which is the largest plastic-bottomed lake in Europe, has attracted a large population of wild and semi-wild waterfowl. These include greylag
Greylag Goose
The Greylag Goose , Anser anser, is a bird with a wide range in the Old World. It is the type species of the genus Anser....
, Canada
Canada Goose
The Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body....
, barnacle
Barnacle Goose
The Barnacle Goose belongs to the genus Branta of black geese, which contains species with largely black plumage, distinguishing them from the grey Anser species...
and snow geese
Snow Goose
The Snow Goose , also known as the Blue Goose, is a North American species of goose. Its name derives from the typically white plumage. The genus of this bird is disputed...
, coot
Coot
Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family Rallidae. They constitute the genus Fulica. Coots have predominantly black plumage, and, unlike many of the rails, they are usually easy to see, often swimming in open water...
s, moorhen
Moorhen
Moorhens, sometimes called marsh hens, are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family Rallidae. They constitute the genus Gallinula....
s and large numbers of duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s, including mallard
Mallard
The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
s, tufted duck
Tufted Duck
The Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized diving duck with a population of close to one million birds.- Description :The adult male is all black except for white flanks and a blue-grey bill. It has an obvious head tuft that gives the species its name.The adult female is brown with paler...
, and common pochards. There is also a growing population of black swan
Black Swan
The Black Swan is a large waterbird, a species of swan, which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. The species was hunted to extinction in New Zealand, but later reintroduced. Within Australia they are nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon climatic...
s and a few great crested grebe
Great Crested Grebe
The Great Crested Grebe is a member of the grebe family of water birds.- Description :The Great Crested Grebe is long with a wingspan. It is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its fish prey underwater. The adults are unmistakable in summer with head and neck decorations...
. The southern end of the lake has been established as a bird sanctuary. Fishing is permitted in season, on purchase of a licence.
Other parts of the campus support a large rabbit population. On at least one occasion, students have been cautioned by the University for hunting rabbits.
The Heslington campus has both indoor and outdoor sports facilities, including an all weather astroturf pitch and County standard cricket pitch. A large, tent-like structure allows for indoor sport, gymnastics and dance.
King's Manor
Located in York city centre, approximately two miles (three kilometres) from the main Heslington West campus, the historic King's Manor began as the Abbot's House of St Mary's AbbeySt Mary's Abbey, York
The Abbey of St Mary in York, once the richest abbey in the north of England, is a ruined Benedictine abbey that lies in what are now the Yorkshire Museum Gardens, on a steeply sloping site to the west of York Minster. The original abbey on the site was founded in 1055 and dedicated to Saint Olave...
and went on to become the headquarters of the Council of the North
Council of the North
The Council of the North was an administrative body originally set up in 1484 by king Richard III of England, the third and last Yorkist monarch to hold the Crown of England; its intention was to improve government control and economic prosperity, to benefit the entire area of Northern England...
following the dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
. It is home to the Archaeology, Medieval Studies and Eighteenth Century Studies departments, and is regularly used by other related departments such as History. It has a public restaurant and is used for art displays.
Not far from the King's Manor is the Minster Library, in Dean's Park. Students and staff of the University are able to use the Minster Library, which shares staff and cataloguing with the main University library, and holds the huge collection of early books belonging to the Dean and Chapter of York Minster
York Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
.
Colleges
There are eight colleges at the University of York, and every student is a member of a college. Staff may choose to join a college if they wish. All the colleges are of equal status, but each has its own constitution. The day-to-day running of the colleges is managed by an elected committee of staff and student members chaired by the college's Provost. Each college has a Junior Common Room for students, which is managed by the elected Junior Common Room Committee, and a Senior Common Room, which is managed by elected representatives of the college's academic and administrative members. The colleges are deliberately assigned undergraduates, postgraduate students and staff from a wide mixture of disciplines.By date of construction the colleges are:
| Name | Foundation | Website | Named after |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derwent College Derwent College Derwent College is a college of the University of York, one of the first two colleges to be opened following the university's inception. It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 22 October 1965... |
1965 (also includes "Derwith", a joint residential extension of Derwent and Langwith, built in 1988) | Website | River Derwent River Derwent, North East England The River Derwent is a river on the border between County Durham and Northumberland in the north east of England. It broadens into the Derwent Reservoir, west of Consett. The Derwent is a tributary of the River Tyne, which it joins near the MetroCentre... |
| Langwith College Langwith College Langwith College is a college of the University of York, home to the English and Educational Studies departments and the first college to be opened following the university's foundation in 1963... |
1965 | Website JCRC Website |
Langwith Common |
| Vanbrugh College | 1968 | Website JCRC Website |
Sir John Vanbrugh John Vanbrugh Sir John Vanbrugh – 26 March 1726) was an English architect and dramatist, perhaps best known as the designer of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard. He wrote two argumentative and outspoken Restoration comedies, The Relapse and The Provoked Wife , which have become enduring stage favourites... |
| Alcuin College Alcuin College Alcuin College is a college of the University of York. The Seebohm Rowntree Building was added in 2002.Sitting upon Siward's Howe, it has throughout the life of the University been the home of the self-styled Alcuin Separatist Movement, a running gag at York, involving the secession of the college... |
1969 | Website | Alcuin of York Alcuin Alcuin of York or Ealhwine, nicknamed Albinus or Flaccus was an English scholar, ecclesiastic, poet and teacher from York, Northumbria. He was born around 735 and became the student of Archbishop Ecgbert at York... , scholar and advisor to Charlemagne Charlemagne Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800... |
| Goodricke College Goodricke College (University of York) Goodricke College is one of the colleges of the University of York. It was the fifth college to be built and was named after the astronomer John Goodricke. The College was opened in 1968 by Michael Swann and the event is commemorated by a plaque on the outside of the Old Dining Hall - now part of... |
1968 (moved to new facilities on the Heslington East campus in 2010) | Website JCRC Website |
Astronomer John Goodricke John Goodricke John Goodricke FRS was an eminent and profoundly deaf amateur astronomer. He is best known for his observations of the variable star Algol in 1782.- Life and work :... |
| Wentworth College Wentworth College Wentworth College is a college of the University of York, named after Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford. Originally opened in 1972, since 2002 it has had the distinction of being the only college exclusively housing postgraduate students; though postgraduates can be resident in all colleges... |
1972 (refounded in 2001) | Website | Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford was an English statesman and a major figure in the period leading up to the English Civil War. He served in Parliament and was a supporter of King Charles I. From 1632 to 1639 he instituted a harsh rule as Lord Deputy of Ireland... |
| James College James College James College is a college at the University of York in the United Kingdom.- History and geography :James College is named after Lord James of Rusholme, the University of York's first Vice-Chancellor, and was built in several stages during the 1990s. Originally a graduate-only college, it admitted... |
1990 | Website | Lord James of Rusholme Eric James, Baron James of Rusholme Eric John Francis James, Baron James of Rusholme was a prominent British educator.He was educated at York Place Secondary School, Brighton, Taunton's School, Southampton and Queen's College, Oxford. He taught science at Winchester College from 1933 to 1945, and was High Master of The Manchester... |
| Halifax College Halifax College Halifax College is the largest and newest college of the University of York. It was founded in 2001 and is named after Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, the 1st Earl of Halifax.... |
2002 | Website HCSA Website |
E. F. L. Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax E. F. L. Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, , known as The Lord Irwin from 1925 until 1934 and as The Viscount Halifax from 1934 until 1944, was one of the most senior British Conservative politicians of the 1930s, during which he held several senior ministerial posts, most notably as... |
- Wentworth College is a postgraduate only college. It originally had undergraduates as well, but became postgraduate only at its refounding in 2001
- James College was originally postgraduate only, but changed to accept undergraduates in 1993
- Halifax College was originally Halifax Court, but received college status in 2002.
Some of the university's academic departments have their headquarters in one of the college building complexes.
There are also several off-campus residences, including Constantine House
Constantine House
Constantine House is a student residence owned by the University of York. It is situated in St. Mary's, Bootham, York, England, about five minutes walk from King's Manor. It was one of the first buildings to be acquired by the university after it was founded in 1963.Constantine House consists of...
, 54 Walmgate, and Fairfax House.
The Sunday Times noted, "The colleges are tight-knit communities within the university and enjoy a healthy rivalry." The colleges share practical features of the halls of residence of other UK universities, as well as the traditional Oxbridge
Oxbridge
Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in England, and the term is now used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior social status...
/Durham colleges.
Heslington East campus
In 2003, the university set out plans to create a campus for 5,000 additional students, and to introduce a number of new subjects such as Law and Dentistry.For a number of years, the university's expansion plans were limited by planning restrictions on the Heslington West campus. The City of York planning conditions stipulate that only 20% of the land area may be built upon, and the original campus was at full capacity.
In 2003–04, plans were finalised for a 117 hectare extension to the campus, provisionally called Heslington East, designed to mirror the existing Heslington West campus. The plans set out that the new campus would be built on arable land
Arable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
between Grimston Bar park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
car park and Heslington village. After a lengthy consultation and a public inquiry
Public inquiry
A Tribunal of Inquiry is an official review of events or actions ordered by a government body in Common Law countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland or Canada. Such a public inquiry differs from a Royal Commission in that a public inquiry accepts evidence and conducts its hearings in a more...
into the proposals in 2006, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, is a Cabinet position heading the UK's Department for Communities and Local Government....
gave the go-ahead in May 2007.
In May 2008 the City of York planners approved the design for the first residential college, Goodricke. In The Press
The Press (York)
The Press is the local daily paper for a substantial area of North and East Yorkshire, based on the city of York. It is printed by the Newsquest Ltd, a subsidiary of the Newsquest Media Group....
on 28 July 2008, Shepherd Construction was named as the preferred contractor for the Goodricke College buildings. The proposal included landscaping the whole area, constructing a lake with marsh borders, planting light woodland and many specimen trees, and maximising biodiversity. Several departments will move to purpose-built facilities on the extension, with Law and the York Management School being the first.
Construction began in 2008, with the first buildings, including Goodricke college, coming into use in October 2009. The college was officially opened by the Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
in April 2010.
In October 2010, several departments moved into new facilities on Heslington East including the Department of Theatre, Film and Television and the Department of Computer Science.
Support for off-campus accommodation
The University publishes an annual code of practice for student accommodation to help students living off-campus.Science Park and on-campus organisations
Next door to the university on the York Science Park are organisations including the Higher Education AcademyHigher Education Academy
The Higher Education Academy is an independent organisation in the United Kingdom that supports higher education institutions with strategies for the development of research and evaluation to improve the learning experience for students.-History:...
, the Digital Preservation Coalition
Digital Preservation Coalition
The Digital Preservation Coalition is a UK-based non-profit limited company which seeks to secure the preservation of digital resources in the UK and internationally to secure the global digital memory and knowledge base.-History:...
the National Non-Food Crops Centre, the York Neuroimaging Centre, the York JEOL Nanocentre, the North Yorkshire office of Natural England
Natural England
Natural England is the non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved...
, the UK head office of AlphaGraphics
AlphaGraphics
AlphaGraphics is a franchised chain of more than 260 independently owned and operated full-service print shops.AlphaGraphics business centers are franchised by AlphaGraphics, Inc., part of the UK-based Pindar Group. AlphaGraphics was founded by entrepreneur Rodger Ford in Tucson, Arizona, in 1969,...
, and the Leeds, York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce. In Summer 2011, the Department of Physics moved its Plasma Physics
Plasma (physics)
In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
and Fusion
Nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion is the process by which two or more atomic nuclei join together, or "fuse", to form a single heavier nucleus. This is usually accompanied by the release or absorption of large quantities of energy...
Group to the Science Park at the newly created York Plasma Institute. York Conferences
York Conferences
York Conferences is registered under York Conference Park Ltd as a subsidiary trading company of the University of York and is the commercial body responsible for the organisation and management of conferences and events at three different venues: the University's Heslington campus during the...
are located on the University campus.
Entry standards
York has the 8th highest entrant UCAS points of British universities.
Official teaching statistics
The 2003 QAAQaa
Qaa is a town in Beqaa Governorate, Lebanon.It has a mainly Greek Catholic population....
report on the institution gave it the best of their three possible outcomes saying that "broad confidence can be placed in the soundness of the university's current and likely future management of the quality of its academic programmes and the academic standards of its awards."
The latest Teaching Quality Assessment data for the University of York is listed below. In cases before November 1995 a numerical value, out of 24, is not used. In these cases "Excellent" is the highest possible grade followed by "Satisfactory" and then "Unsatisfactory". Under the newer system the quality of teaching is marked out of 24. 22/24 or higher is equivalent to "Excellent" on the old scale 20 out of 23 departments gained an "excellent" rating.
| Department | Date of Last Assessment | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Archaeology | November 2001 | 24/24 |
| Architecture | March 1994 | Excellent |
| Biology | March 2000 | 24/24 |
| Computer Science | March 1994 | Excellent |
| Economics | January 2001 | 24/24 |
| Educational Studies | October 2001 | 24/24 |
| Electronics | January 1998 | 24/24 |
| English | November 1994 | Excellent |
| Health Sciences (Nursing) | January 2000 | 21/24 |
| History | October 1993 | Excellent |
| History of Art | May 1998 | 21/24 |
| Language and Linguistic Studies | February 1996 | 22/24 |
| Management | March 2001 | 22/24 |
| Mathematics | October 1998 | 22/24 |
| Music | February 1995 | Excellent |
| Philosophy | December 2000 | 24/24 |
| Physics | November 1999 | 24/24 |
| Politics | November 2000 | 24/24 |
| Psychology | February 2000 | 24/24 |
| Social Policy | February 1995 | Excellent |
| Social Work | November 1994 | Excellent |
| Sociology | November 1995 | 23/24 |
Research assessment
York has an impressive reputation for research with 19 Units of Assessment out of the 23 in the 2000 Research Assessment ExerciseResearch Assessment Exercise
The Research Assessment Exercise is an exercise undertaken approximately every 5 years on behalf of the four UK higher education funding councils to evaluate the quality of research undertaken by British higher education institutions...
receiving a rating of 5 and three 5* (where 1 is the lowest and 5* is the highest possible) ratings in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise. The Department of English and Related Literature and the Department of Computer Science were later upgraded from 5* to 6* (indicating successive 5* grades), and the Department of Psychology has been rated 6* for funding. Using these statistics, York was ranked the sixth-best research institution in the UK. The proportion of staff submitted as research active in each Unit of Assessment was above 80%.
| Unit of Assessment | 2001 Rating |
|---|---|
| Community-based Clinical Subjects | 5 |
| Nursing | 5 |
| Psychology | 5* (later 6* for funding) |
| Biological Sciences | 5 |
| Chemistry | 5 |
| Physics | 4 |
| Environmental Sciences | 4 |
| Pure Mathematics | 5 |
| Applied Mathematics | 5 |
| Computer Science | 5* (later 6*) |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering | 3a |
| Economics and Econometrics | 5* |
| Politics and International Studies | 5 |
| Social Policy and Administration | 5 |
| Social Work | 5 |
| Sociology | 5 |
| English Language and Literature | 5* (later 6*) |
| Linguistics | 5 |
| Archaeology | 3a |
| History | 5 |
| Philosophy | 5 |
| Music | 5 |
| Education | 4 |
York is a founding member of the Worldwide Universities Network
Worldwide Universities Network
The Worldwide Universities Network is an invitation-only group of research-led universities that have agreed to carry out research and research training on a collaborative basis...
which supports worldwide collaboration in teaching and research. The university has been awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize
Queen's Anniversary Prize
The Queen's Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education is a biennially awarded series of prizes awarded to Universities and Colleges in the further and higher education sectors within the United Kingdom...
four times – in 1997 for the work of the Department of Computer Science; in 2005 for the work of CNAP, the Centre for Novel Agricultural products which explores the potential from the biosphere to reduce the global economy's dependence on fossil reserves and fuel, in 2007 for the work of CHE (the Centre for Health Economics
Health Economics
Health Economics is a journal published by John Wiley & Sons, covering the subject of health economics. It was established in 1992, and is published monthly.- See also :* Health economics* Journal of Health Economics...
and in 2009 for the work of Social Policy Research Unit of the Department of Social Policy and Social Work.
Health economics
Health economics
Health economics is a branch of economics concerned with issues related to efficiency, effectiveness, value and behavior in the production and consumption of health and health care...
was pioneered at York and the university leads the world in the methodological development of cost-effectiveness analysis of health care technologies, is home to two prominent Health Economics journals and has been home to many prominent names in Health Economics (including current Lead Health Economist at the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
Adam Wagstaff, ex-deputy chair of NICE
NICE
NICE may refer to:* National Independent Cadres and Elites in Iraq* National Institute for Coordinated Experiments, a fictional organisation in C.S...
Tony Culyer, current ISPOR director Paul Kind, ex-ISPOR president Mike Drummond, current chairman of York Primary Care Trust Alan Maynard OBE, Andrew Briggs, Carl Klaxton, Mark Sculpher, Alan Williams, Peter C. Smith and Hugh Gravelle).
There are around eight applications for every undergraduate place, and a low dropout rate of 4% (only Oxbridge
Oxbridge
Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in England, and the term is now used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior social status...
, Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
, and UCL
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
are lower).
In 2007 York became the only British University to have an academic department – Chemistry – win the Gold Athena Swan Award for its commitment to the careers of women in science. The Department of Psychology has won a Silver Athena Swan Award, the first in the country to do so, Biology also has silver, and the university as a whole holds the Athena Swan bronze award.
League tables
Traditionally regarded as a 'Top 10 university', York has consistently been present near the top of the UK league tables, coming second only to Cambridge in the Daily Telegraph league tables from 2002 to 2006, beating Oxford into third place. It is one of the youngest Universities in the world to be ranked top 100 in the overall THE-QS World University Rankings, and in the 2010 QS World University RankingsQS World University Rankings
The QS World University Rankings is a ranking of the world’s top 500 universities by Quacquarelli Symonds using a method that has published annually since 2004....
York was ranked 88th in the world (in 2010 Times Higher Education World University Rankings
Times Higher Education World University Rankings
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is an international ranking of universities published by the British magazine Times Higher Education in partnership with Thomson Reuters, which provided citation database information...
and QS World University Rankings
QS World University Rankings
The QS World University Rankings is a ranking of the world’s top 500 universities by Quacquarelli Symonds using a method that has published annually since 2004....
parted ways to produce separate rankings). In the same rankings York is listed as 34th for Life Sciences & Biomedicine.
| Times Good University Guide | Guardian University Guide | Sunday Times University Guide | Daily Telegraph | FT | Independent Complete University Guide | Times HE QS World Rankings | Academic Ranking of World Universities Academic Ranking of World Universities The Academic Ranking of World Universities , commonly known as the Shanghai ranking, is a publication that was founded and compiled by the Shanghai Jiaotong University to rank universities globally. The rankings have been conducted since 2003 and updated annually... |
Global University Ranking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 8th | ||||||||
| 1994 | 8th | ||||||||
| 1995 | 8th | ||||||||
| 1996 | 7th | ||||||||
| 1997 | 6th | ||||||||
| 1998 | 9th | 5th |
|||||||
| 1999 | 12th | 6th |
11th |
||||||
| 2000 | 10th | 5th |
14th |
||||||
| 2001 | 10th | 5th |
12th |
||||||
| 2002 | 12th | 6th |
7th |
2nd |
6th |
||||
| 2003 | 8th |
6th |
6th |
2nd | 8th |
||||
| 2004 | 7th | 8th |
6th |
301 – 350th |
|||||
| 2005 | 7th |
8th |
7th |
137th |
202 – 301st |
||||
| 2006 | 9th | 15th |
7th |
2nd | 109th |
203– 300th |
|||
| 2007 | 15th |
15th | 8th |
14th |
124th |
201 – 300th |
|||
| 2008 | 16th |
15th |
8th | 14th |
74th |
203 – 304th |
|||
| 2009 | 9th |
11th |
9th |
11th |
81st |
201 – 302nd |
|||
| 2010 | 11th |
11th |
8th |
10th |
70th |
43rd |
|||
| 2011 | 9th | 9th | 10th | 81st |
201 – 300th |
The Sunday Times released averages of all its tables over 10 years, ranking York as 6th in the country from 1998–2007. In 2000 the Sutton Trust named York as a leading university in the UK, placing it 6th overall.
List of academic departments
- Department of Archaeology:-
- Head of department: Professor Julian D. Richards, MA(Cantab), PhD(CNAA), FSA, MIFA.
- Location: King's Manor
- Department of Biology:-
- Head of department: Professor Deborah Smith
- Location: Biology, Heslington Campus
- Department of Chemistry:-
- Head of department: Professor Richard Taylor
- Location: Chemistry, Heslington Campus
- Department of Computer Science:-
- Head of department: Professor John McDermid, OBE, MA(Cantab), PhD(Bham), FREng, CEng, CITP, FBCS, FIEE, FRAeS, ITLM, MIoD
- Location: Computer Science, Heslington East Campus
- Department of Economics and Related Studies:-
- Head of department: Professor Peter J. Simmons, BA(Exeter), MSc(LSE), PhD(Soton)
- Location: Alcuin College, Heslington Campus
- Educational Studies:-
- Head of department: Professor Judith Bennett, BA, PCCE(York), MA, PhD(KCL)
- Location: Langwith College, Heslington Campus
- Department of Electronics:-
- Head of department: Professor David M. Howard, BSc (Eng), PhD, CEng, FIET, FIOA, MAES
- Location: Physics and Electronics, Heslington Campus
- Department of English and Related Literature:-
- Head of department: Professor David Attwell, BA(Natal), MA(Cape Town), PhD(Texas)
- Location: Langwith College, Heslington Campus
- Environment Department:-
- Head of department: Professor David Raffaelli, BSc(Leeds), PhD(Wales)
- Location: Environment Department, Heslington Campus
- Department of Health Sciences:-
- Head of department: Professor Christine Godfrey
- Location: Seebohm Rowntree Building, Heslington Campus
- Department of History:-
- Head of department: Professor Bill Shiels, PhD(London)
- Location: Vanbrugh College, Heslington Campus
- Department of History of Art:-
- Head of department: Professor Mark Hallett, BA(Cantab), MA, PhD(Courtauld Institute, London)
- Location: Vanbrugh College, Heslington Campus
- Department of Language and Linguistic Studies:-
- Head of department: Professor Peter Sells, BA (Liverpool), PhD (Massachusetts, Amherst)
- Location: Vanbrugh College, Heslington Campus
- York Law School:-
- Head of department: Professor Stuart Bell
- Location: Law and Management Building, Heslington East
- The York Management School:-
- Head of department: Professor Steven Toms MA(Oxon), MBA, PhD(Nottingham), ACA, PGCE
- Location: Law and Management Building, Heslington East
- Mathematics:-
- Head of department: Professor Stephen Donkin, MA(Oxon), MSc, PhD(Warwick)
- Location: James College, Heslington Campus
- The Hull York Medical School:-
- Head of department: Professor Tony Kendrick BSc, MD, FRCGP, FRCPsych
- Location: HYMS, Heslington Campus (University of HullUniversity of HullThe University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
)
- Department of Music:-
- Head of department: Professor Jonathan P. Wainwright MA (Dunelm), PhD (Cantab)
- Location: Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, Heslington Campus
- Department of Philosophy:-
- Head of department: Professor Tom StonehamTom StonehamTom Stoneham is a British philosopher, currently Professor of Philosophy and the Head of the Department of Philosophy at the University of York, England. He was educated at Oxford University and the University of London and is a specialist in metaphysics, epistemology, philosophical logic and the...
, MA(Oxon), MPhil, PhD(London) - Location: Sally Baldwin A, Heslington Campus
- Head of department: Professor Tom Stoneham
- Department of Physics:-
- Head of department: Professor Sarah Thompson, BSc, PhD(Durham), CPhys, MInstP
- Location: Physics and Electronics, Heslington Campus
- Department of Politics:-
- Head of department: Professor Matthew Festenstein BA, PhD (Cantab)
- Location: Derwent College, Heslington Campus
- School of Politics, Economics and Philosophy:-
- Head of Department: Professor Matt Matravers BSc, PhD(LSE)
- Location: Derwent College, Heslington Campus
- Department of Psychology:-
- Head of Department: Professor Quentin Summerfield, PhD (Belfast)
- Location: Psychology, Heslington Campus
- Department of Social Policy and Social Work:-
- Head of Department: Professor Mary Maynard BA, MA(York), PGCE(London)
- Location: Alcuin College, Heslington Campus
- Department of Sociology:-
- Head of Department: Professor Mike Savage BA (York), MA, PhD (Lancaster)
- Location: Wentworth College, Heslington Campus
- Department of Theatre, Film and Television:-
- Head of Department: Professor Andrew Higson, PhD (Kent)
- Location: TFTV Building, Heslington East
The university also hosts a number of interdisciplinary research centres, including the Borthwick Institute for Archives
Borthwick Institute for Archives
The Borthwick Institute for Archives is the specialist archive service of the University of York, York, England. It is one of the biggest archive repositories outside London. The Borthwick was founded in 1953 as The Borthwick Institute for Historical Research. It was originally based at St...
, Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies
Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies
The Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies was launched in October 2005 at the University of York and is now a flourishing interdisciplinary community devoted to the study of the 16th and 17th centuries...
, the Centre for Modern Studies, the Centre for Medieval Studies and the Institute for the Public Understanding of the Past
Institute for the Public Understanding of the Past
The Institute for the Public Understanding of the Past is an interdisciplinary research centre at the University of York, established in 2006. The institute works as an outward-facing body to create a sustainable network of partnerships between the academic environment and those working in...
. The Department of Politics hosts the Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit.
The campus is also home to the National Science Learning Centre
Science Learning Centres
Science Learning Centres are a UK Government initiative to address the need for improved science education and development for teachers.-Origins:...
. Opened in March 2006 by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, it serves as the hub for a £51 million national network of centres dedicated to revitalising science teaching in schools. It is operated by the White Rose University Consortium
White Rose University Consortium
The White Rose University Consortium is a partnership among three universities in Yorkshire, England consisting of The University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, and The University of York. It was formed in 1997 to combine the resources of the universities so they can all benefit...
(which comprises the Universities of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
and York) together with Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University is a higher education institution in South Yorkshire, England, based on two sites in Sheffield. City Campus is located in the city centre, close to Sheffield railway station, and Collegiate Crescent Campus is about two miles away, adjacent to Ecclesall Road in...
.
Student activities
York Student TelevisionYork Student Television
York Student Television is England’s oldest student television station. Founded in 1967, the station is based at the University of York, with its studio in James College. YSTV once held the world record for longest continuous television broadcast under a single director, and is a member of the...
(YSTV) was founded at the University in 1967 and is England's oldest student television station
Student television station
A student television station is a television station run by university, high or middle school students that primarily airs school/university news and in many cases, student-produced soap operas, entertainment shows, and other programming....
. YSTV once held the world record for longest continuous television broadcast under a single director. It was named the second best student television station at the 2011 NaSTA Awards. The University of York Filmmaking Society is a student-run filmmaking group; since 1999 its members have made two feature films and many shorts, some of which have been shown at national film festivals.
University Radio York
University Radio York
University Radio York is a campus radio covering the campus of the University of York. It was the first legal independent radio station in the United Kingdom.-About:...
(URY), the student radio station, is the oldest independent radio station in the United Kingdom, and winner of the Student Radio Awards Best Station Award 2005. Nouse
Nouse
Nouse is a student newspaper and website at the University of York. It is the oldest registered society of, and funded by the University of York Students' Union. Founded in 1964 by student Nigel Fountain, some twenty years before its rival York Vision...
, the oldest student newspaper and longest-running student society on campus, was established in 1964 and was 2005 NUS/Mirror Student paper of the year and 2009 NUS Best Student Media. It has also won multiple Guardian Student Newspaper awards throughout the past decade, for both its pioneering website and outstanding individual journalists. Its rival newspaper, Vision
York Vision
York Vision is one of two student newspapers at the University of York. It is a registered society of, and funded by the University of York Students' Union...
, was named Guardian Student Newspaper of the Year for three consecutive years between 2002 and 2004—the only time this has occurred in the 27-year history of the prestigious awards—and won it again in 2007. It also won Best Small Budget Publication at the 2006 NUS/Mirror National Student Media Awards.
The Lemon Press
The Lemon Press
The Lemon Press is a satirical magazine at the University of York. It is written by and for students, and currently has over 50 working members. The first issue of the publication was launched in 2009 at the University of York Students’ Union Freshers' Fair...
, York's satire magazine, was launched in 2009 and has rapidly gained popularity in both its print and online formats. In 2010 it won the NUS Award for Best Student Media, having existed only one year. The Yorker
The Yorker
The Yorker is a student-run website that provides news, features, comments, university and college sports, and reviews for the University of York. As a private limited company, The Yorker is the only independent media outlet on campus...
is a rapidly growing online publication set up by students as an independent company in 2007; it was nominated for the Guardian Student media awards after running for only a few months. The Zahir is a cultural/philosophical magazine that has been running since 2005. In early 2009 Haus Magazine was also launched focusing of fashion and youth culture.
Each College has its own JCRC or students' association which provide a variety of services, including college events and student welfare services; they also organise the Freshers' Fortnight activities in their College. The students' union
Students' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
is known as YUSU, but is properly called the University of York Students' Union
University of York Students' Union
University of York Students' Union is the representative body for the students at the University of York, England. It provides representation for all students, is the key provider of entertainment and welfare services, and operates a range of commercial ventures including a cafe bar, shop and...
. Its membership is currently the entire student population of the university. In 2008 YUSU was able to open its first Union-run licensed venue The Courtyard.
In addition to the students' union, there is a Graduate Students' Association (the GSA) which performs many of the functions of the Students' Union for postgraduate students, including representing postgraduates on university committees and Council.
York Student Cinema (YSC), operating since the late 1960s, show around 30 films a term using a professional 35 mm projector and a full size cinemascope screen in one of the largest rooms on campus. It has won the BFFS film society of the year award several times.
Every summer term the students take part in the Roses Tournament
Roses Tournament
The Roses Tournament is an annual sports competition between Lancaster University and the University of York in England. It is organised by their respective Students' Unions, YUSU and LUSU. It takes its name from the 15th Century civil war, The Wars of the Roses, between the House of Lancaster...
, a sports competition against 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...
. The venue of the event alternates each year between York and Lancaster, and involves numerous sports clubs, including the conventional (football, hockey) and the more extreme (YUCC, ultimate frisbee).
The University of York Music Society and the University of York Drama society are two of the largest student societies on campus; both now collaborate with the Central Hall Musical Society and Happily Ever After Society who each stage an annual musical. Other performing societies include the Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
Society, PantSoc who stage the biannual student pantomimes, and ComedySoc who run a variety of student comedy events throughout each term. FUSION was recently founded to promote the ever-growing urban music scene and to raise money for charity. In 2004 a student at the university established York Carnival—a day celebrating music and the arts in the centre of York. Its original aim was to encourage links between the University of York and the residents of the historic city and to encourage participation in the arts. It has grown in to a large annual event, attracting crowds of up to 5,000.
The Lords of Misrule are a group of current and former graduate students at the Centre for Medieval Studies at King's Manor who enjoy bringing the theatre of the Middle Ages to life. Since their inception in the 1960s. the Lords have been performing dramas and adaptations of medieval texts in their original languages, frequently in historic locations. Their performances strive to present the spirit of medieval drama to a modern audience. The group's most recent performances were in the York Mystery Plays
York Mystery Plays
The York Mystery Plays, more properly called the York Corpus Christi Plays, are a Middle English cycle of forty-eight mystery plays, or pageants, which cover sacred history from the creation to the Last Judgement. These were traditionally presented on the feast day of Corpus Christi...
on 11 and 18 July 2010, performing the Curriers' Pageant of the Transfiguration of Christ. http://www.yorkmysteryplays.co.uk/
The York Union Society, the University of York's debating union, competes in intervarsity tournaments against other universities. There are also very active political societies on campus with the University of York Labour Club, the University of York Liberal Democrat Society and the University of York Conservative and Unionist Association campaigning on issues both on and off campus, as well as organising debates and talks by high profile speakers. In recent years there have been visits by Ed Miliband
Ed Miliband
Edward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition...
, David Davis
David Davis (British politician)
David Michael Davis is a British Conservative Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Haltemprice and Howden...
, Nick Clegg
Nick Clegg
Nicholas William Peter "Nick" Clegg is a British Liberal Democrat politician who is currently the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord President of the Council and Minister for Constitutional and Political Reform in the coalition government of which David Cameron is the Prime Minister...
, David Blunkett
David Blunkett
David Blunkett is a British Labour Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, having represented Sheffield Brightside from 1987 to 2010...
, Anthony Giddens
Anthony Giddens
Anthony Giddens, Baron Giddens is a British sociologist who is known for his theory of structuration and his holistic view of modern societies. He is considered to be one of the most prominent modern contributors in the field of sociology, the author of at least 34 books, published in at least 29...
, Ruth Lea
Ruth Lea
Ruth Jane Lea is a British economist, who works in the financial sector and has also worked in the Civil Service, policy research bodies and the media....
, and David Willets. There is also a branch of People and Planet, which campaigns on environmental and ethical issues.
Provisions for lesbian, gay bisexual and trans (LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
) students at the university are divided among two distinct organisations. YUSU LGBT is a part of the students' union and represents LGBT students within the union, as well as providing welfare support and conducting awareness raising campaigns on campus. LGBT Social organises social events aimed at LGBT students and their friends. While remaining separate, these two groups generally have strong links to each other and to the staff LGBTI forum, which offers largely similar provision to staff members of the university.
External links
- University of York – official website
- University of York Students' Union ("YUSUUniversity of York Students' UnionUniversity of York Students' Union is the representative body for the students at the University of York, England. It provides representation for all students, is the key provider of entertainment and welfare services, and operates a range of commercial ventures including a cafe bar, shop and...
") - University Magazine
- A New University – page on the History of York website
- York Conferences website
Video clips
- Fresher's Guide to York Colleges from York Student TelevisionYork Student TelevisionYork Student Television is England’s oldest student television station. Founded in 1967, the station is based at the University of York, with its studio in James College. YSTV once held the world record for longest continuous television broadcast under a single director, and is a member of the...