University of Dundee

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Template:Infobox Ancient Scottish University

The University of Dundee is the principal university in the city and Royal Burgh of Dundee, Scotland.

1 History
2 Future Plans
3 Chancellors
4 Rectors
5 See also
6 External links

History

The University has its roots in the earlier university college based in Dundee and the University of St Andrews. As the 19th century progressed Dundee grew, and this growth in population spurred demand for a university. In 1881 University College Dundee was established as an academic institution for 'promoting the education of persons of both sexes and the study of Science, Literature and the Fine Arts'. The University-College had no power to award degrees and for some years students were merely prepared for external examinations of the University of London.

In 1897, University College Dundee became part of the University of St Andrews, Fife, and with this the University of St Andrews, which was based in a small burgh with much too small population to support a medical school, gained sufficient population base to start one. Medical students could choose to do their pre-clinical studies either in Dundee or St Andrew's (at the Bute Medical School) and then all undertook their clinical studies in the city of Dundee. With time, the teaching of law and dentistry and many other prestige subjects was concentrated in University College Dundee. However, the relationship between St Andrew's University and University College Dundee was often stormy. In 1954, after a major report, University College was renamed Queen's College and the Dundee-based elements of St Andrew's university gained a greater degree of independence and flexibility. However, these changes, which included the incorporation of the Dundee School of Economics into the College, still left it as an integral part of the University of St Andrews. In time, the growth of tertiary education increased local demand for Queen's College Dundee to be granted full independent university status, and the logic for this step being taken became particularly clear when a new independent university was created in Stirling (a much smaller place than Dundee) and second universities created in Edinburgh and Glasgow: Heriot-Watt University and the University of Strathclyde.

In 1966, St Andrews University Court and the Council of Queen's College submitted a joint petition to the Privy Council seeking the grant of a Royal Charter to establish the University of Dundee. This petition was approved and Queen's College became the University of Dundee on the August 1 1967.

The university has grown considerably since securing that status. The teaching of medicine, dentistry, law (Dundee is the only UK university where students can choose to read for an LLB in either Scottish law or English Law), accountancy etc flourished, a new Faculty of Letters (later renamed the Faculty of Arts) was developed, and in 1974 it began to validate some degrees from Dundee's Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and by 1988 all degrees from that institution were being validated by the university. By 1994. the two institutions merged with one another, with the college becoming a faculty of the university. In 1996 the Tayside College of Nursing and the Fife College of Health studies became part of the university as a school of Nursing and Midwifery. For several years, Dundee College of Education granted Dundee University degrees, and in December, 2001 the university merged with the Dundee campus of Northern College to create a Faculty of Education and Social Work.

Although it only became an independent university in 1967, Dundee University shares an organizational structure akin to Scotland's other four ancient universities, and so for most purposes Dundee is regarded as an ancient.Template:Ref In some other ways, it shares qualities with the great redbrick universities of the large northern English cities.

In 2005 the University received the accolade of "Higher Education Institution of the Year" from The Times newspaper. It was also stated to be the Best Scottish University.

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Future Plans

Some £200 million is being spent extensively renovating the central campus which is including the building of a number of new student halls of residence. The work is scheduled for completion in 2007 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Dundee's independence.

From August 1st 2006, the University will be restructured from its present seven faculty arrangement into four colleges.

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Chancellors

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (1967-1977)
The 17th Earl of Dalhousie (1977-1992)
Sir James Black OM (1992-Present)

It has been announced by the University that Sir James Black is to retire from his position at the age of 82 and will be succeeded by Lord Naren Patel in late May 2006.

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Rectors

The present Rector, Ms Lorraine Kelly, was installed in April 2004 beating competition in the student election from local broadcaster Lesley Riddoch and ex-MI5 agent David Shayler. Lorraine, along with Lesley, did not, in fact, attend the university but Lorraine has local connections and has a home nearby.

Before her, a number of others have held the position since the university's independence including Sir Clement Freud, Stephen Fry, Tony Slattery, Sir Peter Ustinov and Fred MacAulay.

As with other Rectors, the Rector of Dundee has a three year term of office. The position is correctly titled 'Lord Rector' but this is rarely used.

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