University of Hertfordshire

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{{Infobox_University | name = University of Hertfordshire | image = Image:University of hertfordshire small logo.jpg | motto = Building futures | established = 1952 (University status granted 1992) |type= |staff= | chancellor = Lord Salisbury | vice_chancellor = Timothy Wilson | city= Hatfield, Hertfordshire | country= UK |campus= | students= 20,000 total |postgraf= 4,000 post-graduate | website= www.herts.ac.uk }}

The University of Hertfordshire is a modern university based largely in Hatfield, in the county of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, from which the university takes its name. It has more than 20,000 students.

1 History
2 Campuses
3 Faculties
4 UH Key Developments
5 Academic Dress
6 Certifications
7 See also
8 External links
- 8.1 Academic Dress
- 8.2 Maps
9 Reference

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History

In 1951, the de Havilland company gave land in Hatfield adjoining the A1 to Hertfordshire County Council for educational use in perpetuity; the Council used this to build and operate Hatfield Technical College, which trained aerospace engineers for Hatfield's then-dominant aerospace industry. In 1967 it became an early polytechnic. With the passage of the Further and Higher Education Act, 1992, the institution gained university status and became self-governing rather than controlled by the county council.

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Campuses

Image:UHCollegeLaneCampus.jpg Image:UHdeHavillandCampus.jpg There are three campuses of University of Hertfordshire.

College Lane Campus.
De Havilland Campus.
St Albans Campus

The main site of the university remains the original technical college buildings in Hatfield, though the site has had many new buildings added since. Notable among these is the Learning Resources Centre, a combined library and computer centre which is the largest university building of its kind in Britain. Computer science, engineering, and natural sciences are here, along with halls of residence including Telford Court, and the Roberts Way student village.

Nearby in Hatfield is the de Havilland campus, built on a former BAe site. The Business School and the faculty of Humanities and Education are housed here, along with another library. The law faculty is based in St Albans, conveniently for the law courts. There were formerly campuses in Watford (Wall Hall) and Hertford (Balls Park), but these were closed when the de Havilland campus opened. A very small site in Bayfordbury houses the university's telescopes and the biology plus geography field station. The University has particular research strengths in History, Engineering, Computer Science, Astrophysics, Philosophy and Nursing.

Since the town of Hatfield does not have a very active nightlife, the Students' Union (UHSU) puts on regular events at the Hatfield campus. These often take place in the Union's Hutton Hall or the peculiarly shaped building commonly known as the "Elehouse" because its original architecture was similar to the elephant house at London Zoo (built by Sir Hugh Maxwell Casson (1910-1999)).

It is likely that the Medschool campus, when opened, will be built on the former Hatfield Aerodrome, on which the de Havilland campus is also sited.

The university is seeking to set up a campus in China, where pupils will be taught in English and following English-designed courses.

They are also seeking to set up a wine school in China. This promises to be the only one set up by a University from the UK.

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Faculties

Hertfordshire was described as "the flagship of the former polys" by the Independent in 2002. [1] As a polytechnic, it was strong in aerospace engineering and computer science. More recently, it has built up its strengths in other areas such as pharmacology, history, geography and astrophysics. Entry requirements have been rising in recent years.

The university has six faculties:

Art and Design - actually known as the Faculty for the Creative and Cultural Industries
the Business School
Engineering and Information Sciences (Faculty Intranet | Technical Forum)
Health and Human Sciences
Humanities, Law and Education
Inter-disciplinary Studies

(Faculties, Departments and schools details)

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UH Key Developments

The University of Hertfordshire has invested £200 million over the last ten years developing world class facilities.

The 2003/04 academic year saw the opening of the £120m de Havilland campus in Hatfield complimenting the existing College Lane site, providing a 21st century environment for teaching and learning.

The multi-award winning, Learning Resources Centre - the largest in the UK - on the College Lane campus with similar high standard facilities on de Havilland. Both are open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week with long hours on weekends. They provide over 2,600 study places.

StudyNet, an on-line learning environment giving students access to information specific to their individual programme on studies.

The new Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Postgraduate Medical School was launched in June 2005 to enhance medical provision in the region.

The £15m Hertfordshire Sports Village has some of the best university-based sporting and fitness facilities in the country on the de Havilland campus.

The £4.5m three-storey Innovation Centre, opened in 2003, providing 800 square metres of office space. It provides facilities for spin-out companies from across the University as well as start-ups.

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Academic Dress

The University of Hertfordshire prescribes academic costume for its members. Both dress and undress are prescribed, though only dress is used in practice - for example, at the graduation ceremonies, held in St Alban's cathedral.

The academic dress of bachelors of the university is a black stuff gown, with facings and long open sleeves gathered to a point at the elbow with a button. The master's gown is similar, but with spade sleeves. With these, on formal occasions such as graduations, is worn a hood of grey or white silk and stuff. In dress, grey hoods are worn by holders of diplomas below bachelor's level, and white hoods by bachelors. Masters add a border of purple silk. Because of the university's emphasis on interdisciplinary studies, there is no distinction between the academic dress of the various faculties.

In dress, holders of initial doctorates wear red gowns with purple facings; higher doctorates have purple gowns with white facings. In undress all doctors wear master's gowns. The university is unusual among former polytechnics in also prescribing academic dress for undergraduates - the black stuff bachelor's gown with no hood - although, again, this is not used in practice.

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