Anglia Ruskin University
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Anglia Ruskin University, formerly known as Anglia Polytechnic University, is a university in the United Kingdom, with campuses in Cambridge and Chelmsford.
It has its origins in a Cambridge Art School opened in 1858 by John Ruskin (the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology from 1960), and a further education college opened in Chelmsford in 1904 (the Essex Institute of Higher Education from 1984). They merged in 1989 as Anglia Higher Education College and this became a polytechnic in 1991 going by the name Anglia Polytechnic, which was then awarded university status in 1992.
It retained the word polytechnic in its title because of a pride in its history and inclusivity, although in 2000 there was some self-doubt about including the term polytechnic - it was the last university in the country to have done so. Wanting to keep the APU abbreviation, a suggestion put forward by the governors was 'Anglia Prior University' (after a former principal) - but shortly after the governors decided to keep polytechnic in the title. However, the University then considered another name change. From over two hundred suggestions and consultations with staff, students and local residents, communities and businesses, the University became Anglia Ruskin University, with the new name taking effect following the approval of the Privy Council on September 29 2005.
The university has a large proportion of mature students. This has led to the university also having a higher than average number of graduates that go on to start their own businesses or be self-employed.
There are five Faculties of study at Anglia Ruskin University, each led by a Dean. These are: Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences, Ashcroft International Business School, Faculty of Education, Institute of Health and Social Care and Faculty of Science and Technology. Faculties are sub-divided into departments or divisions.
Research at Anglia Ruskin University is coordinated through the Research and Development Services. They support approximately 400 research degree students studying for MPhil, PhD and Professional Doctorates in Business Administration, Education and Health. They also take on research projects from companies and have a service to match graduates and experts with companies who wish to achieve strategic objectives.
Anglia Ruskin is also home to the Ultralab team, the innovating hot house transforming and reforming education through the use of new and emerging technologies in teaching and learning. Ultralab's globally respected team offers major expertise in e-learning through facilitated community online, e-assessment, mobile learning, action research, work-based learning, new software tools, digital creativity and strategic consultancy. Find out more on the Ultralab page here at Wikipedia.
Trivia
- Alumni include Pink Floyd members Syd Barrett and David Gilmour. Other alumni include Patricia Scotland, Britain's first black woman QC; Harry Potter illustrator Thomas Taylor.
- Anglia Ruskin is partnered with Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia in a student exchange program. This allows credits earned at one university to count easily towards the other's degree programs. A similar system takes place with the University of New Brunswick, within the Dept.of History.
- Stephen Fry was given an honorary degree, about which he said (comparing to his degree from the University of Cambridge) "Here at Anglia Ruskin University they have the advantage of not having all that pressure and not being surrounded by idiots who think they are in Brideshead Revisited but still have all the same architecture and facilities".
External links
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