University of Hertfordshire
The University of Hertfordshire (UOH) is a public university in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. The university is based largely in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Its antecedent institution, Hatfield Technical College, was founded in 1948 and was identified as one of 25 Colleges of Technology in the United Kingdom in 1959. In 1992, Hatfield Polytechnic was granted university status by the British government and subsequently renamed University of Hertfordshire. It is one of the post-1992 universities. Hertfordshire is mainly based at two campuses - College Lane and de Havilland. As of 2021, it has over 25,130 students, including more than 5,200 international  students that together represent 100 countries. The university is one of Hertfordshire's largest employers with over 2,700 staff, 812 of whom are academic members of staff. It has a turnover of more than £235 million. The university has 9 schools: Hertfordshire Business School, Computer Science, Creative Arts, Education, Health and Social Work, Humanities (which oversees its CATS programme), Hertfordshire Law School, Life and Medical Sciences, Physics, Engineering and Computer Science and Hertfordshire Higher Education Consortium. Hertfordshire is a member of University Alliance, Universities UK and European University Association. History. Origins. The original campus for the university was at  Roe Green in Hatfield, where it was founded as a technical college with a particular focus on training aerospace engineers for the aerospace industry that was then prevalent in Hatfield. The Gape family of St Michael's Manor in St Albans owned the land at Roe Green from the late 17th century. In the 1920s they sold it to Hill, a farmer, who then sold it to Alan Butler, chairman of the de Havilland Aircraft Company who lived at Beech Farm nearby. In 1944 he donated of land at Roe Green to be used for educational purposes. In 1948 building  commenced. The first principal W.A.J Chapman started on 1 January 1949 and in spring 1952 the 33 full-time and 66 part-time teachers were appointed. Hatfield Technical College opened with 1,738 students in September 1952 and in December officially opened by the Duke of Edinburgh. It was the first large technical college to be established in England after the war. Students attended the college on part-time or full-time courses. In 1958 it was renamed Hatfield College of Technology and by 1960 offered four-year sandwich diplomas in technology. In 1961 it was designated a regional college in  England and Wales by the Ministry of Education. The governors purchased a digital computer at a cost of £29,201 in 1962 so that a computer science degree could be established. The Council for National Academic Awards was formed in 1965 and Hatfield College was recognised for 13 honours degree courses. Sir Norman Lindop became the Principal of the College of Technology in 1966. A year later L.E. Haines was made Chair of Governors, but died shortly afterwards and was replaced by F. Bramston Austin. A year later, Bayfordbury is acquired for the college. 20th century. In 1969 Hatfield College  of Technology became Hatfield Polytechnic, offering honours degree courses in engineering and technology. In 1970 an observatory was built on the Bayfordbury Campus. Wall Hall and Balls Park Teacher Training Colleges merged in 1976 to become Hertfordshire College of Higher Education. In the same year Hatfield Polytechnic took over Balls Park. By 1977 more than ten per cent of the 4000 came from more than forty different countries. The Students' Union Social Centre opened in 1977. In 1982 John Illston succeeded Sir Norman Lindop as the director. A sports hall was built on the Hatfield Campus in 1984 and the  number of students in that year was more than 5000. The number of staff, in the same year, had increased to 824. Neil Buxton became its director in 1987. The following year, Sir Ron Dearing and Buxton signed an agreement that gave the polytechnic accreditation from the Council for National Academic Awards. Hatfield was one of only 21 polytechnics, colleges and Scottish Central institutions to be accredited at the time. Hatfield was also, in that year, one of eight polytechnics accredited for research degrees. In 1989 it was given corporate status. After John Major announced in 1991 that polytechnics were  to be abolished, Hatfield Polytechnic announced its intention to apply for university status. In 1992 it became the University of Hertfordshire and Sir Brian Corby became the first Chancellor. It was the first university to run a bus company by making Uno bus public. The Hertfordshire College of Health Care and Nursing Studies and the Barnet College of Nursing and Midwifery merged with the university in 1993. In 1992, Hatfield Polytechnic was granted university status by the British government and subsequently renamed University of Hertfordshire. Its antecedent institution, Hatfield Technical College, was founded in 1948 and was identified as one  of 25 Colleges of Technology in the United Kingdom in 1959. In 1994 the St Albans Cathedral was chosen to hold the university's graduation ceremonies. The same year saw the first publication of league tables and Hertfordshire was named as the top new university. In 1995 its law school moved to St Albans. Sir Ian MacLaurin was appointed chancellor in 1996 and in 1997 the Learning Resource Centre opened. 21st century. In 2000, Olivia de Havilland, cousin of Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, visited the university to mark the inauguration of a project to build a new campus named after  her cousin. The university's 50th anniversary was celebrated in 2002, by which time it had 21,695 students. In 2003 Tim Wilson succeeded Neil Buxton as vice-chancellor and the de Havilland campus opened. Hertfordshire Sports Village also opened in 2003. In 2005 the university launched the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Postgraduate Medical School and School of Pharmacy to enhance medical education, training and research in the region. In 2006 the university opened its School of Film, Music and Media. The university opened the MacLaurin building in 2007, named in honour of its former chancellor Lord MacLaurin followed by a new  law building in 2011. During this period, Hertfordshire became a lead academic sponsor of Elstree University Technical College, a university technical college which opened in September 2013. Hertfordshire is also the academic sponsor of Watford University Technical College In 2010, Tim Wilson announced his intention to retire as vice-chancellor after more than 19 years at the university. In 2011, Quintin McKellar replaced Tim Wilson as vice-chancellor of the university. Also on the same year, the Hatfield Beacon is restored and repositioned at the new Law School site. Meanwhile, in the following year, the Kaspar project received a £ 180,000 donation from an international grant making foundation, which was used to further the university's research into the use of robotics to support the social development of children with autism. In 2015, Hertfordshire has adopted a policy of naming its buildings after people or organisations with a significant local or regional impact. These include Kate Bellingham, British engineer and television presenter and Alistair Spalding, chief executive and artistic director of Sadler's Wells Theatre. All of the halls are being named after influential alumni who the university feels represent the attributes of Hertfordshire graduates. In these two cases, the  halls were named in recognition of Bellingham and Spalding's attributes of, intellectual depth and adaptability and professionalism, employability and enterprise. On the same year, University of Hertfordshire has been announced as one of the first recipients of the Race Equality Charter which is an initiative that recognises excellence in advancing racial equality in higher education. The charter was launched by the Equality Challenge Unit at the start of the 2015 academic year. In 2020, the |University of Hertfordshire Observatory celebrated its 50th anniversary, and revealed an eight-year-long exposure photograph, breaking the record of longest exposure. The artist , Regina Valkenborgh, was a Master's student in August 2012, when she set the pinhole camera attached to one of the telescope domes in the Observatory. The camera was then forgotten, and rediscovered in September 2020 by the Observatory’s Principal Technical officer. The photograph registered the path of the sun over the sky during the 2,953 days it was exposed to it. Organisation and administration. The University of Hertfordshire was established as an independent Higher Education Corporation in 1989 under the terms of the Education Reform Act (1989). The institution is an exempt charity. The board of governors has  responsibility for running the university, while the academic board is responsible for academic quality and standards, academic policies, research and scholarship. The vice-chancellor oversees its day-to-day running. The current chancellor is Robert Gascoyne-Cecil and the current vice-chancellor is Quintin McKellar. In October 2019, the current deputy vice-chancellor, Professor Ian Campbell, is leaving to become vice-chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University. The following people have been vice-chancellors of the university. The university runs on a three-term calendar in which the academic year is divided into three terms: Autumn (September–December), Spring (January –April), and Summer(April–May). Full-time undergraduate students take three to four courses every year for approximately eleven weeks before their quarterly academic breaks. The school year typically begins in late September and ends in mid-May. Schools. The university offers over 800 undergraduate, postgraduate, CPD, online distance learning and short courses in its 9 schools of study, within which there are around 50 academic departments and 24 research centres. Charity. Being a Higher Education Corporation created by the 1988 Education Reform Act as amended by the 1992 Act, the University of Hertfordshire is an exempt charity as defined under  the various Charities Acts. The University of Hertfordshire has due regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on the reporting of public benefit, and particularly its supplementary guidance on the advancement of education, in accordance with the requirements of HEFCE, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, as the principal regulator of English higher education institutions under the Charities Act 2006. The university has entered an agreement with the Office of Fair Access (OFFA) to demonstrate that access to programmes of full-time undergraduate education should not be limited on grounds of individual financial circumstances. Affiliations and memberships. Hertfordshire is  a member of Association of Commonwealth Universities which is the representative body of 535 universities from 37 Commonwealth countries. It is the world's first and oldest international university network, established in 1913. It is also a member of University Alliance, a network of British universities which was formed in 2006, adopting the name in 2007. University Alliance is a group of 'business engaged' universities that claim to drive innovation and enterprise growth through research and teaching. Its MBA programme is affiliated with Association of MBAs, the only global MBA-specific Accreditation and Membership Organisation. Campus. The university is primarily  based on two campuses, College Lane and de Havilland. It owns a BioPark facility, which is a science park managed by Exemplas on behalf of the university. It also provides 6,000 square metres of laboratory and office space to life science and health technology businesses. As of 2014, there are currently 27 permanent and virtual tenants. Additionally, a pool and climbing wall are among its sports facilities. It has also the Weston auditorium, for arts events, two art galleries and owns one of the highly recognised teaching observatories in the United Kingdom. With over 25,130 students, including more than 5,200  international students that together represent 100 countries, Hertfordshire has a global alumni of over 165,000. College Lane Campus. The main site of the university remains the College Lane campus, which houses the original Hatfield Technical College building. Notable among the buildings in this campus is the university's Learning Resource Centre, a combined library and computer centre. There is also a substantial collection of halls of residence and student houses, and the University of Hertfordshire Students' Union is headquartered at College Lane campus. The College Lane campus is also the location of Hertfordshire International College, which is part of the  Navitas group, providing a direct pathway for international students to the university. The Hertfordshire Intensive Care & Emergency Simulation Centre is also located at College Lane. A new science building has recently opened at College Lane. This purpose built facility will primarily offer teaching laboratories, a range of research laboratories and a café. de Havilland Campus. The £120-million de Havilland campus, which was built by Carillion, opened in September 2003 and is situated within 15 minutes walk of College Lane, and is built on a former British Aerospace site. This campus also houses its own Learning Resource Centre, a  combined library and computer centre. Hertfordshire Sports Village which includes a gym, swimming pool, squash courts is also on this site. The large Weston Auditiorium is present on the de Havilland campus, adjacent to the Learn Resource Centre. The auditorium has a capacity of 450 and can host talks both by university lectures for students and for guest lecturers for guests and students, music and films events and dance events. The campus also contains 11 halls of residence; named after local towns and villages. Ashwell and Welwyn are examples of the buildings with the towns being present in Hertfordshire. The  campus is mostly themed around law and business, having its business school located on the campus as well as its law school. A full scale, mocked up court room is present, being available for use for students studying a law degree. Along with publicly Northampton University it provides the 2 years accelerated law degree. Bayfordbury Campus. A third 50-hectare site in Bayfordbury houses the university's astronomical and atmospheric physics remote sensing observatory, Regional Science Learning Centre, field stations for biology and geography programmes. Situated approximately from the main campus in Hatfield, Bayfordbury Observatory is one of the largest  astronomical teaching observatories in the United Kingdom. The observatory has formed part of the astronomy-related degree programmes since it opened in 1970. The seven optical telescopes at Bayfordbury campus to observe detailed images of objects in space. Moreover, the five newest telescopes are also able to be operated remotely. The 4.5-metre radio telescope and 3-dish 115-metre baseline interferometer allow a completely different view of the universe. These are connected to 21 cm line receivers, to detect the neutral hydrogen in the galaxy and extragalactic radio sources. Meridian House. Home to some Schools within the Health and  Human Faculty, this building is located on the edge of Hatfield town centre, off College Lane campus. Meridian House is the location of eight clinical skills laboratories for nursing and midwifery programmes of the university. Skills facilities and ambulances for paramedic training are also situated at Meridian House, aside from counselling programme and staff offices. University symbols. Academic dress. The University of Hertfordshire prescribes academic dress for its members. In accordance with tradition, Hertfordshire's academic dress consists of a gown, a cap and a hood. The black gown and square cap familiar to all readers of the Beano had  evolved into their present form in England by the end of the Reformation. The hood, which is now the distinctive mark of a university-level qualification, is medieval in origin, and was originally functional. Ceremonial mace. The ceremonial mace was produced in 1999 by craftsman Martyn Pugh, a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, member of the British Jewellers Association and a Founder Member of the Association of British Designer Silversmiths. Its design symbolises the university's origins, expertise and associations. Its shape is inspired by the shape of an aeroplane wing symbolising the university's origin in the  aviation industry. The head of the mace is engraved with zodiac symbols representing the university's contribution to astronomy and also contains the DNA double helix representing the biological sciences and microprocessor chips representing information and communications technology. Coat of arms. The university's coat of arms was granted in 1992. The shield is charged with an oak tree taken from the coat of arms of the former Hatfield Rural District, the constellation Perseus (containing the binary star Algol) and a representation of the letter "H" recalling the emblem of the former Hatfield Polytechnic. The crest, a Phoenix rising from  an astral crown, represents the university's evolution from a technical college training apprentices for the aviation industry. The two harts supporting the shield represent the county of Hertfordshire, with the covered cups referring to A.S. Butler, who donated the land upon which the original campus was built. A scroll bears the motto "Seek Knowledge Throughout Life". University logo. The standard university logo comprises the university name and the "UH symbol" in a horizontal panel. There is an exclusion zone equivalent to the height of the H in the logo above, below and to the right of the logo. The  university have created an endorsed version of the logo to be used where legibility is an issue with the standard logo. It comprises just the university name in a horizontal panel. Although the university brands its logo in various colours, the standard colours are black and white. Academic profile. Reputation. The university's School of Pharmacy has been awarded full Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain accreditation. The University of Hertfordshire is recognised as one of the top twenty universities in the world to study animation. According to Destination of Leavers from Higher Education 2012–13 93.2 per cent of its  full-time, first degree UK graduates are in work or further study within six months of graduating. Four of the university's schools achieved scores of 98 per cent: physics; astronomy and mathematics; health and social work; law and education. The survey, conducted by the UK's Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), revealed in its UK Performance Indicators for Employment 2013/14 that the University of Hertfordshire has climbed 30 places in the past year and is now ranked 35th out of 152 universities in the UK. In September 2015, the Complete University Guide showed that the university has the lowest  recorded 'student-relevant' crimes in the East of England. It is the fourth year the university has had the lowest rate of recorded crime in the East of England. For university's commitment to gender equality, it was regranted Athena Swan's Bronze institutional status. The University of Hertfordshire won the Guardian University Award for Student Experience in 2015. Rankings. University of Hertfordshire ranks 601–800 among world universities in Times Higher Education World University Rankings in 2019. It comes under the ranking of 101-150 under Young University Rankings 2018. In subject specific rankings, it has an overall world ranking  between 301-400 in Arts and Humanities in 2019. It had a subject specific world ranking between 150-200 in European Teaching in 2018. The Complete University Guide ranked UH courses in Food Science, Social Work, Optometry Ophthalmology & Orthoptics and Medical Technology as the top 20 in the UK in 2019. In the "THE 100 Under 50 universities 2015", a global ranking of the top 100 world universities under 50 years old, University of Hertfordshire was placed 71st. It was awarded the " Entrepreneurial University of the Year" by "Times Higher Education" in 2010. In 2011, it was ranked 41st by  The Complete University Guide among UK universities, its highest regional ranking in recent years. In the Times Higher Education ranking of most international universities in January 2015, Hertfordshire ranked 84th in the top 100 in the world. In 2016, it was placed at 122nd in the top 200 international universities in the world, by Times Higher Education. The rankings are based on excellence across teaching, research, citations, industry income and international outlook. In the "US News" Best Global Universities Ranking in 2018, Hertfordshire ranked 698th among universities in the world. According to the Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2018 , the University of Hertfordshire has a ranking of 69, with a score of 75.5 for overall student satisfaction. QAA and OIA. The last Quality Assurance Agency institutional audit for the university was in March 2009. The outcome was that 'confidence can reasonably be placed in the soundness of the institution's present and likely future management of the academic standards of the awards that it offers'. According to the complaint statistics, from the Office of the Independent Adjudicator, the university issued 69 completion of procedures letters in relation to student complaints, in 2013. This is below the band medium of  81, possibly suggesting greater student satisfaction when compared to universities of a similar size. The OIA received 22 complaints in 2013. This is above the band medium of 18.5, possibly suggesting that more students are dissatisfied with the outcome of internal complaints procedure's, compared to universities of a similar size. The university has also never been named in an OIA annual report for a shortfall in practice, or a failure to comply with a recommendation set by the Adjudicator. Research. The university has three research institutes: Health and Human Sciences Research Institute; Science and Technology Research Institute; Social Sciences , Arts and Humanities Research Institute. Also an expanding research profile with key strengths in areas of nursing, psychology, history, philosophy, physics and computer science. HR Excellence in Research. In recognition of development activities related to research careers and the position of researchers at the university, the European Commission awarded University of Hertfordshire the right to use the HR Excellence in Research logo in spring 2010. Research Excellence Framework. Over 55 per cent of the university's research has been rated 'world leading' and 'internationally excellent' in the UK Government's 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) announced last 18 December 2014 . Fifty-seven per cent of the university's research submissions achieved a 4 or 3-star rating. This is an increase of 11% when compared to the results of the assessment in 2008. In 2014, it claimed the top impact for History for the results of REF, indicating that all of its submission in History is deemed 'outstanding'. Kaspar. Kaspar, a social robot, has been designed by the University of Hertfordshire's Adaptive Systems Research Group (ASRG). The Kaspar project began in 2005, drawing upon previous researches to develop a social robot for engaging autistic children in a variety of  play scenarios. The aim was to research whether interacting and communicating with Kaspar would help children with autism interact and communicate more easily with people. This is important because there is mounting evidence that early intervention for children with autism may change the child's development trajectory. Kaspar is a research tool with programmed responses adapted to be used by an autistic child in a safe, non-judgemental environment. The Kaspar research has shown that robots may provide a safe and predictable tool for children with autism, that enables the children to learn social interaction and communication skills, addressing specific  therapeutic and educational objectives (for example, being able to engage in direct eye-contact or shared eye-gaze), in an enjoyable play context. Rocket powered car. As part of the final year Aerospace Project, students and staffs from the University of Hertfordshire designed, built and tested a full sized rocket powered car under the mentorship of Ray Wilkinson, a senior professor from Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering.With support from BBC - Bang Goes the Theory and Host Dallas Campbell, the Vauxhall VX220 sports car, was fitted with a large hybrid rocket motor that is designed to produce over half  a tonne of thrust was tested in the Duxford Aerodrome. The project got lot of attention for its unprecedented success story and was showcased in local places to build interest in STEM. Facilities. In 1992, it established University of Hertfordshire Press, whose first publication was a book celebrating the institution's change in status from polytechnic to university. Art collection. The University of Hertfordshire holds over 450 artworks in its art collection. The ethos of the UH Art Collection is to present modern and contemporary art in places where people study, work and visit. This reflects the University of Hertfordshire 's determination to provide not only an attractive education setting but also one which will inform, enlighten and enhance the life of its students, staff and the local community. The UH Art Collection was established in 1952, as part of Hertfordshire Country Council's commitment to the post-war programme. The collection has a diverse portfolio including photography, textile, ceramics, sculpture, mixed media and works by Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, Andy Goldsworthy, Alan Davie, and Diane MacLean. Park and Ride. Hertfordshire operates a regular shuttle bus service, Park and Ride, which connects 800 parking spaces at Angerland Common with its  College Lane and de Havilland Campus facilities. The scheme started in 2006, when it is initially provided with the 700-car facility at Angerland Common, off South Way, Hatfield, in a bid to get cars off surrounding roads. Since 2006, the university has planned on opening a second venue, with 150 spaces, at the south side car park at Stanborough Lakes in Welwyn Garden City. Uno bus. Uno (formerly UniversityBus) is a bus service operated by the University of Hertfordshire, serving members of the general public, and also its own students and staff, at a discounted rate. In 1992, the  University of Hertfordshire wanted to create and provide bus service to and from the university. Uno, previously known as "UniversityBus", was created to provide student transport to the university from local areas; improve east-west travel across the county of Hertfordshire; and, to create new links between Hertfordshire and North London. Student life. The main source of nightlife is the Forum, which houses three entertainment spaces, a restaurant, a café, multiple bars and onsite parking. Hertfordshire Students' Union (HSU) is the Students' Union of the University of Hertfordshire. The Students' Union Social Centre was opened in 1977. The Hatfield Technical  College's management encouraged the establishment of a Student Representative Council (SRC) in 1982, to create a sense of unity and expand the social activities of its day students. The SRC was affiliated to the National Union of Students but initially restricted itself largely to social activities. After 1988 it began to campaign on issues such as improvements to the canteen, lifting the ban on religious or political activity within the then Hatfield Polytechnic, and for a formal students' union. The sectarian ban was finally lifted in 1992 and a Union granted in 1995. However, the canteen continued to be  an issue throughout the 2000s. The Students' Union at the University of Hertfordshire represents all students in the university by organising campus activities and running different clubs and societies, from sports to entertainment. Trident Media Radio. Trident Media Radio (formerly known as Crush Radio, Campus Radio Hatfield, CRUSH and Crush 1278) is the student radio station. TMR is run by students of the university. Crush is run by students of the university along with amateurs from around the surrounding areas. Crush was the first campus radio, founded in 1960 under the name of CRH (Campus Radio Hatfield). After starting as  a pirate radio station, CRH was turned into a University Society of the University of Hertfordshire and was renamed Crush 1278 for it broadcast on 1278AM frequency. As Crush became more accessible, via the internet, the name was changed again to Crush Radio. In 2009 Crush as a society merged with the other media societies of the Students union and the University of Hertfordshire as one media society, though Crush still uses its own website and broadcasts over 1278AM frequency, however it stopped broadcasting on 1278AM after the move in September 2009, but restarted commencing February 2011. Crush Radio has  been broadcasting since 1960. It broadcasts online via the Tunein platform. Sport. Rowing. The University of Hertfordshire Rowing Club is affiliated to British Rowing (boat code UHE) and Dave Bell became a British champion after winning the men's double sculls title at the 2010 British Rowing Championships. American Football. The University of Hertfordshire American Football team, The Hurricanes, is affiliated to British Universities American Football League (BUAFL) Premier League South Partner institutions. The university holds a number of formal links with top-ranking institutions from around the world to share teaching and research and facilitate staff and student exchanges . Aside from its international partners, the university has also strong regional agenda and a number of partner institutions in the region: Elstree Screen Arts Academy a university technical college located in Borehamwood; The Watford UTC, a University Technical College for the Watford area. The UTC specialises in Event Management and Computer Sciences. Notable alumni. The university has notable alumni and staff in a number of disciplines. Hertfordshire has more than 5,200 international students and a global network of more than 160,000 alumni.