University of Wales, Newport

University of Wales, Newport
Prifysgol Cymru, Casnewydd
Established	1841
Type	Public
Vice-Chancellor	Peter Noyes Lol Jr.
Students	9500
Location	Newport, United Kingdom
Affiliations	Alliance of Non-Aligned Universities Association of Commonwealth Universities University of Wales Campaign for Mainstream Universities
Website	http://www.newport.ac.uk/

Caerleon campus

Caerleon

The University of Wales, Newport (Welsh: Prifysgol Cymru, Casnewydd) is a university based in Newport, South Wales. The university has two campuses; Caerleon on the northern outskirts of the city and a £35 million campus on the banks of the River Usk in Newport city centre opened in 2011.^[1] The university was ranked 55th out of 132 UK universities for the quality of research.^[2][3]

As of 1st August 2011, the University has a new academic structure. There are now two faculties which each contain three schools each:

The Faculty of Arts and Business

• School of Design, Engineering, Fashion and Technology
• School of Film, Photography and Digital Media
• Newport Business School

The Faculty of Education and Social Sciences

• School of Education
• School of Humanities and Lifelong Learning
• School of Sport, Health and Applied Social Sciences

The Centre for Community and Lifelong Learning (CCLL) will continue to be based in Tredegar and focus on the University’s work to widen participation within the Heads of the Valleys and the wider Gwent region. CCLL is also a key deliverer of the UHOVI (Universities, Heads of the Valleys Institute) project in partnership with the University of Glamorgan and Further Education Colleges.^[4]

History of the university

Newport has been involved in higher education since 1841. Originally a Mechanics Institute, set up to provide further education for workers and tradesmen, the institution was based in Newport’s Town Hall on Commercial Street. Working men and women were able to attend a variety of lectures for two shilling per quarter to study subjects including The Pursuit of Attainment and Knowledge and Popular Superstition.^[5]

The institution was later formed as Gwent College of Higher Education by a merger of the Caerleon College of Education (the former Monmouthshire Training College), the Newport College of Art and Design and the Gwent College of Technology in 1975. All three former institutions had established regional and national reputations, most notably the College of Art with many of its students gaining commissions from the BBC and other major organisations in light of the College being amongst a select number of art colleges in the country awarded Diploma in Art and Design status.

The College became an affiliated institution of the University of Wales in 1992, being admitted as a University College in 1996 where there was a ceremony at which trumpeters of the Prince of Wales Division played a fanfare from the top of the University clocktower and balloons were released in the faculty colours.

In May 2004 the University of Wales College, Newport secured Privy Council Approval to use the title University of Wales, Newport, as a full constituent of the federal University.

City Campus

Newport city centre campus

The University opened a new £35 million campus in Newport's City Centre formally on 10 January 2011. The project is a collaboration between the University, Newport City Council and the Welsh Assembly Government operating through Newport Unlimited, the urban regeneration company for the City.^[6]

The campus is situated on the banks of the River Usk in the City Centre and is the first phase of an intended £50m development for the University. It houses the Faculty of Arts and Business whilst the Caerleon Campus houses the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences. The campus is part of a major redevelopment of Newport's City Centre^[7] which will see significant improvement in the area. The old city campus at Allt-yr-yn will be closed.^[8]

Reputation

The University has been involved in higher education since 1841. It was rated the number one university in Wales (which is not as small an achievment as you might think) for enterprise education by the Knowledge Exploitation Fund.^[9]

The School of Film, Photography and Digital Media teaches a documentary photography degree programme as well as housing the Newport Film School, originally founded by John Grierson in 1966 and producing many award-winning film-makers since then.^[10]

The 2010 CILECT Congress (the international association for film and television schools around the world) unanimously voted in Newport Film School as a full member - only two of the ten new applicant schools for full membership were given this accolade.^[11]

Facilities

The accommodation facilities on the Caerleon Campus consist of 661 self-catered, single study bedrooms with a choice of standard or en-suite facilities. En-suite halls are arranged into flats of five rooms whilst the standard halls have approximately 15 residents per floor. Bedrooms are centrally heated and equipped with furniture, whilst hall kitchens are equipped with standard kitchen appliances.

The university has a sports centre housing a large sports hall, a gym/fitness suite and outdoor pitches and courts. The University Library is open seven days a week and computer suites are open 24 hours a day.

Students' Union

Newport Students' Union is the union representing all students at the University. From the moment students enrol they are automatically a member of the Students’ Union.^[12] Every year of every course should have at least one course rep. The union is run day-to-day by a team of sabbatical officers - students who are taking an extra year or year out from their studies to develop the union. Alongside this sabbatical team are full-time and part-time staff employed to assist in the operation of the union and part-time officers, team captains, society presidents and student managers who all work alongside their studies to assist the union.

Newport Students Union provides a range of sports teams, societies and entertainment for students to get involved in. The union also houses a student newspaper, NewsPort, student magazine, newtwo, student TV station, NTV and radio station, Radio Noize, all of which students manage and run.

As well as weekly social events and club nights, the union organises Freshers' Fortnight, Freshers' Fayre, Re: Freshers Week, RAG (Raising and Giving Week) and the May Ball which has previously had headline acts including Supergrass, Girls Aloud, Electric Six, Scouting for Girls, The Zutons and Feeder.^[13]

Notable Alumni

Paul Groves (born 1947), poet

See Also

Newport Technical Institute, the landmark former Newport Art College building

External links

• University of Wales, Newport
• Newport Students Union
• University of Wales, Newport YouTube Channel

References

1. ^ http://www3.newport.ac.uk/displayPage.aspx?object_id=7916&type=PAG University of Wales, Newport
2. ^ http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/index.asp?navcode=92 Times Higher Education Rankings 2008
3. ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/good_university_guide/article2166890.ece The Times Good University Guide 2009
4. ^ http://www.newport.ac.uk/ABOUT/SCHOOLS/Pages/default.aspx University of Wales, Newport
5. ^ Brown, Peter (2009). No More Worlds to Conquer: The Story of Newport's University. Swansea: University of Wales. ISBN 978-1899274413. 
6. ^ "Newport celebrates historic day as University returns to City Centre". University of Wales, Newport. 10 January 2011. http://www.newport.ac.uk/news/newsstories/Pages/UniversityreturnstoCityCentre.aspx. Retrieved 29 January 2011. 
7. ^ http://www.newport.gov.uk/_dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=regeneration.homepage Newport City Council Redevelopment
8. ^ http://www3.newport.ac.uk/displayPage.aspx?object_id=7916&type=PAG University of Wales, Newport
9. ^ "Profile Newport University of Wales". The Times (London). 27 May 2009. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/good_university_guide/article2166890.ece. 
10. ^ http://www.newport.ac.uk/Film-Photography-and-Digital-Media/Pages/Home.aspx
11. ^ http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/8689811.Newport_film_school_joins_international_elite/?ref=rss Newport film school joins international elite
12. ^ http://www.newportunion.com/yourunion/welcome Newport Students' Union
13. ^ Newport Students Union http://www.newportunion.com/