The University of St Andrews (Scottish Gaelic: Oilthigh Chill Rìmhinn) is the oldest university in Scotland and third oldest in the English-speaking world, having been founded between 1410 and 1413. The University is situated in the small town of St Andrews, in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It is a renowned centre for teaching and research and is a member of the 1994 Group, a network of smaller research-intensive UK universities. Independent school intake is high, but the university has an active widening participation policy. The library and many departments are in the town centre. The town's population of 16,000 is boosted considerably by the University's 8,000 students. St Andrews is frequently listed among the top universities in the United Kingdom.

History

St Salvator's Chapel

The University was founded in 1410 when a charter of incorporation was bestowed upon the Augustinian priory of St Andrews Cathedral. A Papal Bull was issued in 1413 by the Avignon Pope Benedict XIII. The University grew in size quite rapidly; A pedagogy, St John's College was founded 1418-1430 [1] by Robert of Montrose and Lawrence of Lindores, St Salvator's College was established in 1450, St Leonard's College in 1511, and St Mary's College in 1537. St Mary's College was a refoundation of St Johns College. Some of these early college buildings are in use today date from this period such as St Salvator's Chapel and St Leonards College chapel. At this time, much of the teaching was of a religious nature and was conducted by clerics associated with the cathedral.

From the 17th to 19th centuries, the university underwent many changes. The distinctive red gowns, which are still in use today, were adopted in 1672. Toward the end of the seventeenth century, the university considered and eventually rejected a move to Perth. In 1747, St Salvator's and St Leonards's merged to form the United College of St Salvator and St Leonard.

During the 19th century, student numbers were very low and the university faced the possibility of closing. In the 1870s, the student population was fewer than 150, and perhaps partly in response to this, the university founded University College in Dundee in 1897, which became a centre of medical and scientific excellence. This affiliation ended in 1967 when the college, renamed Queen's College, became a separate and independent institution of the University of Dundee. The loss of teaching facilities for clinical medicine caused the university's Bute Medical School to form a new attachment with the University of Manchester. Today, the university is growing in international reputation, attracting more students than ever before.^{[citation needed]}

Reputation

St Andrews is often listed among the top ten universities in the United Kingdom, and it appears fourth in the UK according to the The Guardian's 2008 Good University guide.^[7] The university was placed top amongst Scottish universities by the Sunday Times University League Table in 2006,^[8] while the independent IpsosMORI National Student Survey 2006 commissioned by HEFCE placed it third among the UK universities.^[9] It has achieved the most consistently high ratings in research assessment exercises with no subjects receiving a rating lower than 4 on a grading scale 1-5*, where 5* denotes outstanding international research. The departments of English and Psychology have received a 5* in the latest exercise, and 72% of staff across the university received a 5 or 5* rating.^[10] The Philosophical Gourmet report ranks St Andrews' graduate philosophy programme as third in the UK, and the joint programme with Stirling University is ranked second in the UK and joint 13th in the world.^[11]

Nearly eight in ten graduates obtain a First Class or an Upper Second Class Honours degree. A similar proportion enter further employment requiring a respected degree or obtaining placements for further postgraduate research. The ancient Scottish universities award Master of Arts degrees (except for science students who are awarded a Bachelor of Science degree) which are classified upon graduation, in contrast to Oxbridge where one becomes a Master of Arts after a certain number of years, and the rest of the UK, where graduates are awarded BAs.

Entry to the University is highly competitive; the latest UCAS figures show that there are generally twelve applications for every place available, and the University did not enter Clearing at the end of the last admissions round. The standard offer of a place tends to require at a minimum AAABB at Scottish Highers for Scottish applicants, AAB at GCE A Levels for English, Welsh and Northern Irish candidates, or a score of at least 36 points on the International Baccalaureate.

Governance and administration

The "Gateway" building, built in 2000 and now used for the University's Management department

As with the other Ancient universities of Scotland, governance is determined by the Universities (Scotland) Act 1858. This Act created three bodies: the General Council, University Court and Academic Senate (Senatus Academicus).

General Council

The General Council is a standing advisory body of all the graduates, academics and former academics of the University. It meets twice a year and appoints a Business Committee to transact business between these meetings. Its most important functions are to appoint two Assessors to the University Court and elect the University Chancellor.

University Court

The University Court is the body responsible for administrative and financial matters, and is in effect the governing body of the University. It is chaired by the Rector, who is elected by all the matriculated students of the University. Members are appointed by the General Council, Academic Senate and Fife Council. The President of the Students' Representative Council and Director of Representation are ex officio members of the Court. Several lay members are also co-opted and must include a fixed number of alumni of the University.

Academic Senate

The Academic Senate (in Latin Senatus Academicus) is the supreme academic body for the University. Its members include all of the Professors of the University, certain senior Readers, a number of Senior Lecturers and Lecturers and three elected student Senate Representatives - one from the Arts / Divinity faculty, one from the Science / Medicine faculty and one postgraduate student . It is responsible for authorising degree programmes and issuing all degrees to graduates. Another function of the Senate is to discipline students. The President of the Senate is the University Principal.

Faculties

The University is divided into four academic Faculties:

Each is governed by a Faculty Council and administered by a Dean. Students apply to become members of a particular faculty, as opposed to any particular school or department.

Number of students by faculty

Academic Year 2005/2006 ^[1]:

Faculty	Undergraduate	Postgraduate
Arts	3,582	604
Divinity	48	50
Medicine	419	7
Science	1,731	367
Total	5,780	1,028

Office of the Principal

The Principal is the chief executive of the University and is assisted in that role by several key officers.

The current composition of the Office of the Principal is:

The Principal: Dr Brian Lang
Master of the United College and Deputy Principal: Professor Keith Brown
Secretary and Registrar: Mark Butler
Vice-Principal (Research): Professor Alan Miller
Vice-Principal (Learning and Teaching): Professor Ronald Piper
Vice-Principal (External Relations): Stephen Magee
Quaestor and Factor: Derek Watson
Assistant to the Principal: Hugh Martin

Student residences

St Andrews is characterised amongst Scottish Universities as having a significant number of students in University operated accommodation. Residences include:

Albany Park
Andrew Melville Hall
David Russell Apartments (a new apartment complex built on the site of the now-demolished original David Russell Hall)
Deans Court
Fife Park
Gannochy House (part of St Salvator's Hall)
John Burnet Hall
McIntosh Hall
New Hall
St Regulus Hall
St Salvator's Hall
Stanley Smith House & Angus House

University Hall

Former residences

In addition to the residences listed above, the University formerly also had the following residences:

Hamilton Hall
Hepburn Hall
Southgait Hall
Kinnessburn Hall
David Russell Hall

Alumni

St Salvator's Quadrangle during the Raisin Weekend foam fight

See also Category:Alumni of the University of St Andrews

Arts and media

Crispin Bonham-Carter, actor
Gavin Douglas, poet and bishop
William Dunbar, poet
Robert Fergusson, poet
Hazel Irvine, television presenter
Sir David Lindsay, poet and diplomat
Ian McDiarmid, actor
Louise Minchin, newsreader
Siobhan Redmond, actor
Alastair Reynolds, science fiction author
Brian Taylor, journalist
Fay Weldon, feminist and writer

Education and academia

Sir Eric Anderson, academic, Provost of Eton College
Walter Perry, Lord Perry of Walton, first Vice-Chancellor of the Open University
Dominic Sandbrook, historian and author
Lawrence Stenhouse, educational researcher

Politics and public affairs

Angie Bray, Conservative and Unionist politician
Malcolm Bruce, Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament
Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, diplomat
Christopher Chope, Conservative and Unionist politician
Barry Gardiner, Labour Party politician
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, royalist military commander
John Graham, 1st Viscount of Dundee, Jacobite military commander, "Bonnie Dundee"
Michael Fallon, Conservative and Unionist politician
Michael Forsyth, Baron Forsyth of Drumlean, Conservative and Unionist politician
Mark Lazarowicz, Labour Party politician
John MacGregor, Baron MacGregor of Pulham Market, Conservative and Unionist politician
Lewis Moonie, Baron Moonie, Labour Party politician
Madsen Pirie, founder, Adam Smith Institute
Lyon Playfair, 1st Baron Playfair, scientist and Liberal politician
George Reid, Scottish National Party politician and second Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament
Alex Salmond, First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party
Alex Singleton, Director-General of the Globalisation Institute
Catherine Stihler, Labour Party politician
Desmond Swayne, Conservative and Unionist politician
Hugo Swire, Conservative and Unionist politician
James Wilson, signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence

Religion, church, and theology

David Beaton, Cardinal Archbishop of St Andrews
George Buchanan (humanist), scholar, theologian, and playwright
Victor Premasagar, Old Testament Scholar and Moderator of Church of South India
Thomas Chalmers, theologian and leader of the Free Church of Scotland
Patrick Hamilton (martyr), Protestant Reformer
Alexander Henderson, theologian
Andrew Melville, scholar and theologian
Rev John Munro of Tain, dissenter opposing reforms of James VI.
Klyne Snodgrass, American scholar and theologian
Sheila Watson, archdeacon
John Witherspoon, theologian, President of Princeton University, and signatory of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

Royalty

James II of Scotland
Prince William of Wales (known at university as William Wales)

Sciences

James Black, Nobel prize winner in Medicine
James Gregory, astronomer and mathematician
Walter Haworth, Nobel prize winner in Chemistry
Richard Kemp, chemist and manufacturer of illegal supply of LSD - arrested as a result of Operation Julie
Alan MacDiarmid, Nobel prize winner in Chemistry
John Napier, mathematician, inventor of logarithms
Edward Jenner, Doctor of Medicine, first doctor to introduce & study the Smallpox vaccine

Miscellaneous

Alexander Berry, explorer, Australian pioneer/settler Coolangatta
James Crichton, polymath, the original "Admirable Crichton"
John Honey, student who rescued five men from a ship
Chris Hoy, World, Olympic and Commonwealth Cycling Champion
Russell Kirk, conservative theorist and writer

Famous Rectors

In Scotland, the position of Rector exists in the four ancient universities - which are the Universities of St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh - as well as in the University of Dundee. The post (officially Lord Rector, but by normal use Rector alone) was made an integral part of these universities by the Universities (Scotland) Act 1889. The Rector chairs meetings of the University Court, the governing body of the university, and is elected at regular intervals by their matriculated student bodies. This role is considered by many students to be integral to their ability to shape the universities' agendas.

Charles Neaves, Lord Neaves 1872-1874, Scottish theologian, jurist and evolution analyst
John Marwood Cleese 1970-1973, English actor and comedian
Rudyard Kipling 1922-1925, Nobel Prize winner, British author and poet
Andrew Carnegie 1901-1907, Scottish-born American businessman, philanthropist
John Stuart Mill 1865-1868, English philosopher and political economist
Douglas Haig, 1916-1919, Senior British Commander of World War I
James Matthew Barrie, 1919-1922, Scottish author
Fridtjof Nansen, 1925-1928, Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner

see Rector of University of St Andrews for a more detailed list

Links with the United States

The University has a strong link with the United States. Significant numbers of students matriculate from the United States. Many important American figures have been associated with the university. Benjamin Franklin, Bill Bryson, golfer Bobby Jones, and most recently, Bob Dylan and Michael Douglas, have been awarded honorary degrees.

Signatories of the Declaration of Independence

Also, three of the signatories of the 1776 American Declaration of Independence attended or received degrees from St Andrews, including:

James Wilson, born at Carskerdo, near Cupar (signer from the state of Pennsylvania)

Wilson attended three Scottish Universities including St Andrews, but did not earn a degree from any of them. Carrying important letters of introduction, Wilson arrived in America in 1765. He became a Latin tutor at Philadelphia College (now the University of Pennsylvania), and successfully petitioned that institution to grant him an honorary Master of Arts.

John Witherspoon, born at Gifford, East Lothian (signer from the state of New Jersey)

Witherspoon had an impressive list of credentials and was a significant public figure. He was president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). Witherspoon was largely responsible for converting the institution into a success by employing Scottish educational standards. He received his Master of Arts, Bachelor of Divinity, and was made a Doctor of Divinity at the University of St Andrews. His direct descendants may include the Academy Award winning actress Reese Witherspoon, who attended the private all-girl's Harpeth Hall School and Stanford University as a literature major.

Benjamin Franklin, born Boston, Massachusetts (signer from the state of Pennsylvania)

In 1759 Franklin Received an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of St Andrews.

Exchange Programs

Emory University in Atlanta runs an exchange programme with St Andrews called the Bobby Jones Scholars programme, which allows for recent graduates of both universities to study at the other university. In addition, the School of Physics and Astronomy maintains a postgraduate exchange with The Georgia Institute of Technology. Both of these exchanges are funded by the Robert T. Jones Memorial Trust. The Robert Lincoln McNeil Scholarship is run in conjunction with the University of Pennsylvania

University scarves

Students and staff at the University are able to wear a variety of different scarves depending on whether they are an undergraduate, post-graduate or members of either the Faculties of Divinity or Medicine.

University of St Andrews

Any alumnus, student or staff member can wear a scarf of dark blue, sky blue and white:^[5]^[6]

University of St Andrews

St Mary's College

Bute Medical School

St Leonard's College (Postgraduate)

Student organisations

Students' Association

The University of St Andrews Students' Association was formed in 1983 by the adoption of the principle of closer co-operation between the Students' Representative Council (SRC) and the Students' Union. The Union was founded in 1864 as a "Common and Reading Room" and was located in the "cloister" behind St Salvator's Chapel.

Societies

Students at the university form various voluntary societies for academic, social, political, religious and other reasons. Many of these are affiliated with the Students' Association; notable affiliated societies are the Bute Medical Society, University of St Andrews Union Debating Society and the Shinty Club. Other groups are not affiliated to the University or the Students Association, and therefore not a part of the University structure. Notable independent student groups include the Kate Kennedy Club.

Media

Newspapers:
- The Saint is the longest-lived student newspaper, published fortnightly since 1997 and tracing its roots several decades further. It is fully independent of both the Student's Union and the University, which has led to some controversy about certain articles in the past. This independence is only matched by two other student newspapers in Britain - Cherwell in Oxford and Varsity in Cambridge.
- On 17 April 2006, the Vine magazine (supported by the Students' Association) was re-launched. The magazine claims to generate discussion and thought throughout the student population of the town, and is printed at irregular intervals.
- The Chihuahua, which began in 2002, was a free alternative monthly magazine in an 8-page tabloid newspaper format, known for provocative and surreal humour which is not for the easily offended. The Chihuahua's disclaimer together with use of satire sometimes allowed it to tackle issues that the Vine is unable to but it rarely received complaints about content being unsuitable (merely that sometimes it is not funny). However the issue of November 27 2006 attracted a large number of complaints to the extent that the society that ran the magazine was shut down for the publication of an issue that was deemed to breach several laws including Obscenity and Blasphemy. The University is likely to introduce a system of guidelines for any future publication of a similar nature. The Saint reported on the story in early March.^{[citation needed]}

Other Publications:
- James Crichton Society is a student society dedicated to publishing a monthly academic journal comprised of the student's work as well as outside contributions. The society also hosts monthly events that launch a new issue of the journal and that feature guest speakers from a broad range of disciplines.

Radio:
- On 28 February 2005, a number of St Andrews students launched the University's first FM station broadcasting over 5 km on the 87.7 MHz frequency. The station was granted a Restricted Service Licence by Ofcom, which allowed for six hours of broadcast a day. The station had another successful run for two weeks from 21 November 2005, this time broadcasting for 24 hours a day for two weeks. The station also broadcast live 24 hours a day on the Internet. The radio station is now a sub-committee of the Students' Association under the name of the Broadcasting Committee. Its most recent broadcast was from 13 April 2007.

The station currently plans to relaunch for a three week RSL beginning on the 14th of October 2007. From this date the station will also broadcast 24 hours a day on the Internet for the duration of the academic year.

References

^ http://foi.st-andrews.ac.uk/PublicationScheme/servlet/core.generator.gblobserv?id=710#search=%22university%20st.%20andrews%20endowment%22
^ http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/publications/univ_statistics.shtml#StaffNumbers
^ http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/publications/univ_statistics.shtml#StaffNumbers
^ ^a ^b ^c Table 0a - All students by institution, mode of study, level of study, gender and domicile 2005/06. Higher Education Statistics Agency online statistics. Retrieved on 2007-04-05.
^ ^a ^b Online Catalogue > University Branded Clothing > Hats, Scarves, Ties > Scarves. University of St Andrews Students' Association Shop. Retrieved on 2007-04-06.
^ ^a ^b Scarves of the University of St Andrews. Retrieved on 2007-04-06.
^ http://education.guardian.co.uk/universityguide2008/story/0,,2069022,00.html
^ http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/stug2006/stug2006.pdfPDF (208 KiB)
^ http://education.guardian.co.uk/students/table/0,,1857547,00.html
^ http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~rsrchweb/rae/rae_2001.shtml
^ http://www.philosophicalgourmet.com/overall.asp

University of St Andrews - Facts and Figures
http://browse.guardian.co.uk/education?SearchBySubject=true&Subject=University+ranking&Institution=St+Andrews&Go=Go
R.G. Cant The University of St Andrews, A Short History (Oliver and Boyd Ltd. 1946)

External links

Universities of Scotland
Aberdeen · Abertay · Dundee · Edinburgh · Glasgow · Glasgow Caledonian · Heriot-Watt · Napier · Paisley · Queen Margaret · Robert Gordon · St Andrews · Stirling · Strathclyde

Universities in the United Kingdom
England	Anglia Ruskin · University of the Arts · Aston · Bath · Bath Spa · Bedfordshire · Birmingham · Birmingham City (Birmingham Conservatoire) · Bolton · Bournemouth · Bradford · Brighton · Bristol · Brunel · Buckingham · Cambridge · Canterbury Christ Church · Central Lancashire · Chester · Chichester · City · Coventry · Cranfield · Cumbria · De Montfort · Derby · Durham · East Anglia · East London · Edge Hill · Essex · Exeter · Gloucestershire · Greenwich · Hertfordshire · Huddersfield · Hull · Imperial · Kent · Keele · Kingston · Lancaster · Leeds · Leeds Metropolitan · Leicester · Lincoln · Liverpool · Liverpool Hope · Liverpool John Moores · London (Birkbeck · Central School of Speech and Drama · Courtauld Institute of Art · Goldsmiths · Heythrop · Institute of Cancer Research · Institute of Education · King's · London Business School · LSE · LSHTM · Queen Mary · Royal Academy of Music · Royal Holloway · Royal Veterinary College · St George's · SOAS · School of Pharmacy · UCL) · London Metropolitan · London South Bank · Loughborough · Manchester · Manchester Metropolitan · Middlesex · Newcastle · Northampton · Northumbria · Nottingham · Nottingham Trent · Oxford · Oxford Brookes · Plymouth · Portsmouth · Reading · Roehampton · Royal College of Art · Salford · Sheffield · Sheffield Hallam · Southampton · Southampton Solent · Staffordshire · Surrey · Sunderland · Sussex · Teesside · Thames Valley · Warwick · UWE · Westminster · Winchester · Wolverhampton · Worcester · York · York St John
Scotland	Aberdeen · Abertay · Dundee · Edinburgh · Glasgow · Glasgow Caledonian · Heriot-Watt · Napier · Paisley · Queen Margaret · Robert Gordon · St Andrews · Stirling · Strathclyde
Wales	Aberystwyth · Bangor · Cardiff · Glamorgan · Lampeter · Newport · Swansea · Trinity · UWIC · Wales
Northern Ireland	Queen's · Ulster
Non−geographic	Open University

The 1994 Group of smaller British research universities
Bath • Birkbeck • Durham • East Anglia • Essex • Exeter • Goldsmiths College • Lancaster • Leicester • Loughborough • Queen Mary • Reading • Royal Holloway • School of Oriental and African Studies • St Andrews • Surrey • Sussex • Warwick • York

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)