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University of Westminster

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University of Westminster
Motto: "Educating for professional life"
Established: 1838 (as The Royal Polytechnic Institution)
Type: Public
Endowment: £270,000[1]
Chancellor: Lord Paul
Vice-Chancellor: Professor Geoffrey E Petts
Students: 24,710[2]
Undergraduates: 17,850[2]
Postgraduates: 6,860[2]
Location: London, England, UK
Website: http://www.westminster.ac.uk/

The University of Westminster (formerly the Polytechnic of Central London) is a university in London, formed in 1992 as a result of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. Its antecedent institution, the Royal Polytechnic Institution dated back to 1838.

Contents

[edit] Overview

Marylebone campus

The University of Westminster's headquarters is situated on Regent Street in the West End of London. Westminster is recognised as a world leader in Media and Communications and Art and Design research as measured by the UK Government Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). Communications, cultural and media studies research at the University is ranked 2nd nationally, and Art and Design Research was judged 6th nationally.

There are plans to celebrate 170 years of the university by publishing a new History of the University in 2008.[citation needed] The university serves more than 23,800 students from 132 countries studying a variety of programmes. These range from undergraduate and postgraduate courses to tailored professional programmes and short courses. Many Westminster students study part-time: courses are available both during the day and in the evening.

The University of Westminster was ranked 55th out of 122 university-level institutions in the United Kingdom in 2005, by The Guardian newspaper.[3]

The University of Westminster Students' Union[4] provides a range of activities for its members. It is based at the Marylebone site, next to Baker Street tube station, where Inter:Mission, a social venue costing £750,000, was launched in 2006.[5] The Union also operates another bar, The Undercroft, and a night club, Area 51, located on the University's Harrow site.[6]

The Union was founded in 1966 as The Polytechnic Students' Union. Its first four Presidents were Owen Spencer-Thomas (1966-1967),[7] Roger Beavil (1967-1968), Alan Smith (1968-1969) and Dick Dixon (1969-1970).[8]

The University of Westminster is home to the Diplomatic Academy of London, which operates postgraduate degrees on international politics and diplomacy.

The University helped to establish Westminster International University in Tashkent in 2002 at the invitation of and with the co-operation of the government of Uzbekistan.

[edit] History

 This section may contain an inappropriate mixture of prose and timeline. Please help convert this timeline into prose or, if necessary, a list. (November 2008)

The University has had four different names during its history:[9]

  • The Royal Polytechnic Institution (1838-1881)
  • Regent Street Polytechnic (1881-1970)
  • The Polytechnic of Central London - known as PCL (1970-1992)
  • The University of Westminster (1992 to present)

[edit] 1838-1881 Royal Polytechnic Institution

The Polytechnic Institution opened to the public at 309 Regent Street on 6 August 1838, under the chairmanship of the distinguished scientist and aeronautical engineer Sir George Cayley. Its aim was to demonstrate new technologies and inventions to the public. The Polytechnic played a significant role in the popularisation of science and engineering, and it became a major tourist attraction in Victorian London.[citation needed]

[edit] 1839

The Polytechnic was the first institution in London to demonstrate the new science of photography, and in 1841 the first photographic studio in Europe opened on the roof of the building.

[edit] 1841

The name changed to The Royal Polytechnic Institution when Prince Albert, the Prince Consort became Patron.

[edit] 1848

A new theatre was added to the building and became known for its spectacular magic lantern shows.

[edit] 1850s-1870s

The Director of the Polytechnic, Professor John Pepper, was internationally known as a showman and popular science lecturer; he invented the popular theatrical illusion known as Pepper's ghost.[citation needed]

[edit] 1881

The Royal Polytechnic closed in 1881. In 1881 the Regent Street Polytechnic was founded. It was then known in full as The Polytechnic Young Men's Christian Institute, Regent Street.[10] The Polytechnic was subsequently to have a significant influence on English higher education and perhaps an even greater one on sport.[11]

The University's founder was Quintin Hogg who is described on a memorial plaque in the rebuilt flagship building (1911) as an "Education and Christian Benefactor", who "expanded his work by founding the Polytechnic in 1881-2". In Portland Place, is his statue, a memorial to both him and to those staff and students who died during the First World War. The imagery of Hogg's statue conveys the values and priorities of his Polytechnic, because he is depicted giving equal value to book learning and sporting activity. In essence, it reflects the ethos of muscular Christianity, a popular strain in Victorian culture. In the Fyvie Hall in the main building, a plaque explains that the reconstruction in 1911 was a memorial to the late Edward VII and it refers to the commitment of the Polytechnic to the "physical and moral development of youthful subjects".

[edit] Organisation

The University offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees via its departments:

  • School of Architecture and the Built Environment
  • School of Biosciences
  • School of Law
  • School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Languages
  • School of Media, Arts and Design
  • School of Integrated Health
  • School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science
  • Harrow School of Computer Science
  • Westminster Business School

[edit] Smoke Radio

Smoke Radio
Broadcast area UK
Frequency Live Stream Quicktime
First air date 2004
Format Contemporary
Owner UWSU & University of Westminster
Website www.smokeradio.co.uk

Smoke Radio is a student-run radio station at the University of Westminster. The station broadcasts online, from a studio located in the Media Arts and Design campus of the university, located in Harrow. Smoke Radio is a member of the Student Radio Association.

In 2007 Smoke Radio won the Silver Award for "Best Station 2007" at the Student Radio Awards, and then won the award again in 2008, making Smoke Radio the UK's second best Student Radio Station for two consecutive years.

[edit] History

It was established in 2004 by then students: Joe Haddow, Tim Pryor, Sam Gregory and Mark Jackson with additional help from others throughout the University of Westminster - including Radio Production Lecturer, Matthew Linfoot. After the intake of new students in September 2005 the station took to running a 24 hour playout system and began a broadcasting a schedule of live programmes during the week.

In 2006 Smoke Radio had won awards at the Student Radio Awards, including the Gold Award for "Best Journalistic Programming" and two Bronze Awards for "Best Marketing and Station Sound" and "Best Station 2006". At the 2008 Student Radio Awards, Smoke Radio also picked up a Bronze Award for "Best Interview", for an interview with British humorist, Danny Wallace; and the Gold Award for "Best Newcomer" was awarded to the first-year work of Dan Roberts.

[edit] The Smoke

The Smoke is the newspaper of the University of Westminster. It was originally printed in 1992 as a magazine. In 2006, The Smoke was switched to a newspaper format, initially being published fortnightly during term time. The newspaper currently features News, Comment, Politics, Media Business, Film, Music, Arts and Culture, Fashion, Sports, Science and Technology, Listings and Comic Strips.

A Smoke newspaper archive is now being built on its new UWSU minisite. www.uwsu.com/newspaper

[edit] Sites and halls

This University is divided into four sites: three in central London and the fourth in Harrow. The nearest Tube station to the Harrow site is Northwick Park, on the Metropolitan Line, which takes 18 minutes from Baker Street; Kenton also nearby. The site includes a Business School, Computer School and Media School. Each site has its own library, IT and catering facilities.

There are several Halls of Residence dispersed throughout London, including Furnival House in Highgate, and Alexander Fleming situated near Old Street; one hall is based at the Marylebone site, Wigram House in Victoria and as of September 2005 there are two based at the Harrow site.

[edit] Sport

From 1898, the polytechnic awarded the Studd Trophy, an annual trophy for the best sports performance. Over the years, the award was given to sportsmen from various disciplines, such as swimming, boxing and cycling, but the majority of awards have been given to athletes.

Noted award holders include:

The other two sports with which the university has a strong association are cycling and water polo.

See also: Polytechnic F.C.

[edit] People

[edit] Notable lecturers

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] Fashion design

A number of notable fashion designers have attended the University of Westminster. These include Vivienne Westwood and Christopher Bailey, who have each been awarded British Fashion Designer of the Year in the past.

Other notable alumni include Katie Hillier, accessories designer for Marc Jacobs; Stuart Vevers, the Creative Director of Loewe and Carri Mundane the Creative Director of Cassetteplaya.

A number of Fashion Designers have also been awarded honorary doctorates from the University. These include Christopher Bailey in 2006, Jeff Banks in 1992, and Zandra Rhodes in 1999.

[edit] Ceramics

With the creation of the University in 1992, the studio pottery course formerly taught at Harrow School of Art was developed into a BA degree. In line with the requirements of study at degree level, the course was expanded to examine the studio approach within broader contexts and critiques.[13] Teachers on the course include three professors – Christie Brown, Nigel Wood and Edmund de Waal. The BA Ceramics course is still referred to as 'The Harrow Course' among some studio potters.[14] In March 2009, the University stated its intention of closing the course by 2013.[15]

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.wmin.ac.uk/pdf/%20FIN%20STATEMENT%202008%20single%20.pdf
  2. ^ a b c "Table 0a - All students by institution, mode of study, level of study, gender and domicile 2006/07" (Microsoft Excel spreadsheet). Higher Education Statistics Agency. http://www.hesa.ac.uk/dox/dataTables/studentsAndQualifiers/download/institution0607.xls. Retrieved on 2008-04-12. 
  3. ^ Univ2005~subject~subjects~Institution-wide~Institution-wide: University guide
  4. ^ http://www.uwsu.com/
  5. ^ YouTube - Inter:mission
  6. ^ Harrow Campus
  7. ^ Biography, Owen Spencer-Thomas Accessed 2007-05/09
  8. ^ Student Revolution in 1960s Britain: Myth or Reality? Patrick Smith, Accessed 2008/07/31.
  9. ^ A History of the Polytechnic (by Ethel M. Wood (a daughter of Quintin Hogg) was published in 1965 (Macdonald & Co.).
  10. ^ The Independent, 27 July 2007
  11. ^ http://www.wmin.ac.uk/pdf/Exhibition%20panels%201-8.pdf
  12. ^ [1]
  13. ^ Prospectus
  14. ^ Young PotteryAntonia Salmon
  15. ^ Studio Pottery

[edit] External links

[edit] Video clips


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Coordinates: 51°31′01.20″N 0°08′34.70″W / 51.517°N 0.1429722°W / 51.517; -0.1429722

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