University of Wales, Bangor

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University of Wales, Bangor
Image:UWB shield.jpeg
Motto Gorau Dawn Deall

"The Best Gift is Understanding"

Established 1884
President Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, AM
Vice-Chancellor Professor Merfyn Jones
Chancellor (UW) HRH the Prince of Wales
Pro-Chancellor (UW) Dafydd Wigley
Location Bangor, Wales, UK
Students 9 500
Member of University of Wales
Homepage http://www.bangor.ac.uk/

The University of Wales, Bangor (UWB) is a constituent institution of the University of Wales based in the small city of Bangor in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales, United Kingdom. The university occupies a substantial proportion of the city and is geographically very dispersed, with university departments in locations from Wrexham to Menai Bridge. Whilst Bangor itself is not reknowned for its beauty, one of the university's key selling-points is its location between Snowdonia and the island of Anglesey.

Contents

Other names

UWB has been known at various times as the University College of North Wales (UCNW, in Welsh Coleg Prifysgol Gogledd Cymru) and University College, Bangor (UCB, Coleg y Brifysgol, Bangor) – not to be confused with the University College of Bangor (UCB), which is a campus of the University of Maine at Augusta. It is often referred to, strictly speaking incorrectly, as Bangor University.

History

The university was founded as the University College of North Wales on October 18, 1884 as the result of a campaign for better HE provision in Wales, and was incorporated by charter a year later, in 1885.

The university was originally based in an old coaching inn called the Penrhyn Arms (which housed its 58 students and 10 teaching staff), but in 1911 it moved to a much larger new building which is now the old part of the Main Arts Building (M) (see image below).

Its students received degrees from the University of London until 1893 when UWB became a founding constituent institution of the federal University of Wales.

In 1898, the red-bricked Rathbone Accommodation Halls were built. They are named after Lady Rathbone, one of the early patrons of the University.

In 1967, UWB was the venue for the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's lectures in Transcendental Meditation, at which The Beatles learnt of the death of their manager, Brian Epstein.

In 1996, Coleg Normal was merged with the university, which now has over 8000 students, as well as a franchise cöoperation with Mediterranean College located in Athens, Greece.

Image:University from Bangor Mountain.JPG

Famous alumni and staff

Professor David Crystal OBE, a well-known linguist and author, is an honorary professor of Linguistics (and part-time lecturer) at UWB.

Professor Samuel L. Braunstein, a well-known quantum physicist, worked there, researching subjects such as quantum computation and quantum teleportation, from 1997 until he moved to the University of York in the summer of 2004.

Danny Boyle, the film director and producer of various cult films, including Trainspotting, studied his B.A. at UWB in the English department.

Also, the film and stage actor, Frances Barber is a graduate and honorary fellow, and has conducted acting workshops at UWB. The actor, Lord Richard Attenborough is an honorary fellow.

The TV presenter, Carol Vorderman is an honorary fellow, and Tim Haines, the producer of the BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs studied at UWB.

Football manager, Mark Hughes (formerly of Wales and now of Blackburn Rovers) is a graduate of the university.

Departments

As of 2005 the University of Wales, Bangor is broken down into 4 faculties. These are then broken down into smaller departments and schools.

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences - Business and Regional Development - Communication and Media - ELCOS (English Language Courses for Overseas Students) - English - History and Welsh History - Linguistics & English Language - Modern Languages - Music - Social Sciences and Law - Theology and Religious Studies - Welsh

Faculty of Science and Engineering - Agricultural & Forest Sciences - Biological Sciences - Chemistry - Informatics - Institute of Environmental Sciences - Ocean Sciences - Psychology - Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences

Faculty of Education - Department of Lifelong Learning - Education

Faculty of Health Studies - Nursing, Midwifery & Health Studies - Radiography

Halls of residence

Nearly 2,000 students at Bangor live in halls of residence, which range widely in style and atmosphere. They are variously located at Ffriddoedd, St Mary's, and on College Road.

The Ffriddoedd site comprises several halls, housing over 800 students. The older halls, mostly built or converted in the 1960s, are Neuadd Reichel, Neuadd Emrys Evans and Llys Tryfan. The new halls, built in 1998, comprise Bryn Dinas, Y Borth, Cefn y Coed, Elidir, Y Glyder and Tegfan. There is a canteen and coffee shop, and the Ffriddoedd Bar.

The College Road site is adjacent to the Main Arts building, and overlooks most of Bangor. It consists of Rathbone Halls, built as a department in 1898 and extended in the 1960's, and the Welsh-speaking hall Neuadd John-Morris Jones, named after an early professor of Welsh at the University. The site can be accessed by road from either Love Lane or College Road.

Magazine: Die Promethean

Die Promethean was an alternative student magazine in the early nineties. It is now being archived on the internet in an ongoing project.

See also

External links

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