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The University of Kent is a plate glass campus university in Kent, UK.

Disambiguation

The original and main campus of the University is in Canterbury, and for many years it was known as the University of Kent at Canterbury (or UKC). In recent years the University has expanded and now has campuses in Medway, Tonbridge and Brussels, and works in partnership with Canterbury College, South Kent College and Mid-Kent College. Accordingly, University of Kent is now used as an umbrella term incorporating all these campuses; although UKC the term referring to the Canterbury campus is still widely used by those Canterbury students.

History

A university in the ancient city of Canterbury was first considered in 1959, when Kent County Council explored the possibilities of a university through its education committee. The proposals were largely accepted by the authorities and by 1963 a site was found at Beverley Farm, suitably straddling the then boundary between the City of Canterbury and the County of Kent. The University was granted its Royal Charter in 1965 and the first students arrived in the October of that year. In 1966 Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent was formally installed as the first Chancellor.

The University of Kent at Canterbury was envisaged as being a Collegiate establishment, with most students living in College; and specialising in inter-disciplinary studies in all fields. Over the years, changes in Governments' policies have effectively destroyed this original concept, leading to the present state, near the "norm" for a British University.

In recent years the University's expansion to include other campuses has led to its dropping the "at Canterbury" from its official title.

Coat of Arms

The University of Kent's Coat of Arms were granted by the College of Arms in September 1967. The white horse is taken from the arms of the County of Kent. The three Cornish Choughs, originally belonging to the arms of Thomas Becket, were taken from the arms of the City of Canterbury. The Crest depicts the West Gate of Canterbury with a symbolic flow of water, presumably the River Stour, below it. Two golden Bishops' Croziers in the shape of a St.Andrews Cross are shown in front of it. The supporters - lions with the sterns of golden ships - are taken from the arms of the Cinque Ports.

Campus

The main Canterbury campus covers 300 acres (1.2 km²) and is in an elevated position just over two miles (3 km) from Canterbury's city centre. It currently has approximately 11,000 full-time and 3,500 part-time students and some 600 academic and research staff.

Colleges

The university is now divided into four colleges (eighteen were originally planned), named after distinguished people with local connections. In chronological order of construction:

• Eliot (the poet T.S. Eliot) (1965)
• Rutherford (the physicist Ernest Rutherford) (1966)
• Keynes (the economist John Maynard Keynes) (1968)
• Darwin (the biologist Charles Darwin) (1970)

Each College features residential rooms, lecture theatres, study rooms, computer rooms and social areas. The point of the Colleges was that they should not be just Halls of Residence, but complete academic communities. Each College has its own bar, all rebuilt on a larger scale, and originally its own dining hall (today, only Eliot and Rutherford have functioning dining halls; Darwin's is now hired out for conferences and events).

However the University cannot be considered collegiate in any true sense - applications are made to the University as a whole, and many of the colleges rely on each other for day-to-day operation. Many students are allocated accommodation irrespective of their college, which reduces the ties further. In addition to these college accommodations there are also:

• Darwin Houses, a set of 26 student houses next to Darwin college, opened in 1989
• Becket Court, next to Eliot college, opened in 1990
• Tyler Court, three blocks of halls of residence. Block A was opened in 1996 mostly postgraduates; Blocks B and C were completed in 2004 for undergraduates.
• Parkwood, a mini student village comprising of 262 two-storey houses and a recently built halls complex, about 5 minutes walk from the main campus. A large addition to the Parkwood area was completed in 2005, comprising a number of en-suite fitted rooms grouped into six bedroom halls.

Library

The Templeman Library (named after Dr Geoffrey Templeman, the University's first Vice-Chancellor) contains over a million items in stock including books, journals, videos, DVDs, and archive materials (for example, a full text of The Times from 1785 onwards), yet it is still only half its planned size. It has a materials fund of approximately £1million a year, and adds 12,000 items every year. It is open every day in term time, and is currently open 24 hours a day for a trial period during the exam term. It receives 800,000 visits a year, with approximately half a million loans per annum.

It also houses the Centre for the study of Cartoons and Caricature, a national collection of, mainly, newspaper cartoons, with over 90,000 images catalogued.

Theatre and Cinema

The University is home to the Gulbenkian Theatre, an acclaimed 800-seat theatre that shows a variety of local, national and international plays and productions as well as playing host to well-known comedians and celebrities. The theatre was opened in 1969 and was named after the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation which helped fund its construction. Attached to the building is the popular Cinema 3, an arthouse cinema showing a mix of classics, films in association with the University's film studies department, and new Hollywood movies. In the daytime the cinema is used as a lecture theatre. Both the cinema and theatre are open to the public and are popular with residents of Canterbury.

A new cafe-bar extension was completed in 2005.

Sports Centre

A £1.5million development completed in 2003 meant that the Sport Centre is among the best of all UK universities. Its facilities include tennis and squash courts, hockey and football pitches, a state of the art gymnasium, a cardio theatre, a dance studio, a multi purpose sports hall and a fair trade cafe.

Students' Union

Main article: University of Kent Students' Union

The Students' Union is known as "Kent Union" and has a considerable presence on campus (although it has been claimed that the Union has less power than it once did: in 1974 the University was threatened with closure because of Student Union activities). Kent Union runs three shops on campus, Essentials (all-purpose food and essentials), Parklife (ditto, but in student village Parkwood) and Extras (off-licence). The Union also runs the Parkwood bar Woody's and the three-storey nightclub The Venue, which in 2006 played host to big names such as Zane Lowe, Pendulum, DJ Hype, the Scratch Perverts and Tim Westwood.

The union is notable for having the unique position of "Duck Warden", (currently held by 1st year psychology student Sam Leivers) amongst its many office bearers.

Academic Faculties and Departments

The University is divided into three faculties:

• Humanities
• Social Sciences
• Science, Technology and Medical Studies (STMS)

Originally, there were intended to be no sub-divisions of faculties, with all studies being to some extent inter-disciplinary within a particular faculty. However, these Faculties are, currently, further divided into 18 Departments and Schools, ranging from the School of English to the Department of Biosciences, and from the Kent Law School to the Department of Economics. Also of note is the University's Brussels School of International Studies, located in Brussels, Belgium. The School offers Master's degrees in international relations theory and international conflict analysis, along with an LLM in international law.

The Chaplaincy

Whilst the University is secular, there is a strong chaplaincy consisting of permanent Anglican and Catholic priests, a penticostal minister, as well as part time clergy from other denominations and faiths.

The Chaplaincy runs the annual carol service that takes place every year in the Cathedral at the end of the winter term.

League Table Results

The 2006 Guardian Newspaper University League Tables puts the University of Kent in 28th place in the institutional rankings, while the Sunday Times 2005 League Table (not yet updated for 2006) put the University of Kent in 46th place.

Kent does not appear in the top 200 World Universities listed by the Times Higher Education Supplement or the top 500 World Universities listed by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University's world rankings table.

In the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise the University of Kent was placed 46th (according to the Times Higher Education Supplement's RAE league tables).

Sixteen departments from Kent appear in the top 20 of either The Times or The Guardian's British subject rankings from 2005 (including six departments in the top ten).

A National Student Survey conducted in 2005 reported that the University of Kent had the best student satisfaction in the South East (excluding London, which is considered a region in its own right) and was 26th out of 128 institutions surveyed. Part-time students gave the University an even better ranking, putting Kent in 4th place nationally when only part-time student opinions were taken into account.

The Franco-British double degree programme

This bi-lingual programme combines subjects in one degree and is taught in two countries. The first year is spent at the University of Kent, the second year at the Institut d'études politiques de Lille (IEP), the third year at the University of Kent, the fourth year at the IEP of Lille and the fifth is either spent in Canterbury, in Brussels or in Lille.

The students of the Franco-British double degree programme receive at the end of the fourth year the BA (Bachelor of Arts) from the University of Kent, the Diplôme by the IEP of Lille and at the end of the fifth year, either the MA (Master of Arts) in Canterbury or in Brussels or the Master delivered by the IEP of Lille, chosen between 14 parcours de formation by the IEP of Lille.

• Official Site of the Franco-British course at the IEP of Lille and at the University of Kent at Canterbury - French and English

People

Chancellors

• 1963-68 Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
• 1970-90 Jo Grimond (later Lord Grimond)
• 1990-95 Sir Robert Horton
• 1996-2006 Sir Crispin Tickell
• August 2006- Sir Robert Worcester

Sir Robert Worcester was appointed as the new Chancellor of the University of Kent in March 2006. He will take up his position in August 2006.

Vice-Chancellors

• 1963-1980 Dr Geoffrey Templeman
• 1980-1994 Dr D J E Ingram
• 1994-2001 Professor R Sibson
• 2001-to date Professor D Melville

Famous Alumni

• Paul Ackford - former England rugby player, Sunday Telegraph sports journalist
• Sir David Akers-Jones - Former acting Governor of Hong Kong, 1986/87
• Michael Baigent - Co-Author of "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail", which influenced "The Da Vinci Code", and other books on religion. Apparently still studying at Kent.
• Lord Bassam of Brighton - Government Whip in the House of Lords
• Kate Blewett - documentary film-maker.
• Rosie Boycott - journalist, former editor of The Independent
• Paul Bradley - film producer for Merchant Ivory Productions
• Fred D'Aguiar - novelist, playwright, and poet
• Alan Davies - comedian and actor
• Gavin Esler - BBC Newsnight Presenter
• Baroness Falkner of Margravine - Liberal Democrat peer
• Fi Glover - BBC radio presenter
• Charlotte Green - BBC radio presenter, voted "Most Attractive Female Voice on National Radio"
• Shiulie Ghosh - ITV News Presenter
• Adrian Gilbert - author of books on mysticism
• Dame Ann Hercus DCMG - New Zealand politician and diplomat
• David Horsey - Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist
• Kazuo Ishiguro - novelist, Booker Prize winner
• Robert Lethbridge - Professor, Master of Fitzwilliam College at the University of Cambridge
• Mark Mardell - BBC presenter
• David Mitchell - novelist
• Chris Mole - MP for Ipswich
• Sir Hugh Orde OBE - Chief Constable of Northern Ireland
• Emily Thornberry - Member of Parliament
• Ramon Tikaram - actor
• Sarah Waters - novelist
• Tom Wilkinson OBE - actor, Oscar nominee
• David Wingrove - novelist
• Frederick Kambemba Yamusangie - novelist
• Johnny Yeo - Artist

Scandals

Two newspaper scandals have recently involved University of Kent degrees. Michael Gunn, a third year English Literature student, was found in 2004 - just before taking his final examinations - to have plagiarised large proportions of his essays and examinations from the time that he began the course, and he was subsequently expelled from the University without a degree. He and his parents threatened to sue the University for negligence, on the grounds that the University had not caught him earlier or told him that his actions were forbidden. The University pointed out that plagiarism was clearly forbidden by the School of English handbook. Gunn's proposed legal action never took place.

An earlier scandal involved Sion Jenkins, who was accused of the murder of his foster-daughter, Billie-Jo Jenkins in 1997 (he was found not guilty of the murder after his third trial). Police investigations revealed that Jenkins, who was Deputy Headmaster at the William Parker School in Hastings and was in the process of successfully applying for the post of Headmaster, had fabricated his educational history in his job applications. Jenkins had claimed a University of Kent degree in English Literature, amongst various other qualifications (in fact he had five poor O levels, a single poor Higher, a non-graduate Certificate in Education in Physical Education, and an MSc in Education Management from the University of East London). He had also claimed to have attended the prestigious Gordounstoun School as a child. He has admitted fabricating his CV, but has never yet been prosecuted for the offence.

A further scandel at the Univeristy involves accusations of pedophilia and cover-up by UKC officals. After repeated complaints of pedophile priets hovering near the UKC child care center the Kent Police investigated Security Manager Michael Epps for alleged harassment of wittnesses. They cleared him of complicity in pedophilia. However, after the investigation it turns out that two pedophile priests were regularly on campus.

Two known pedophile priests - Msgr John Ward and the Rev. Richard Thomas -- were regulars on the UKC campus. Ward visited the Franciscan International Studies Centre which abuts the uni and issues UKC degrees is, in reality, the disgraced former Archbishop of Cardiff who was forced to resign over involvement with pedophiles. Ward now travels in cognito as Msgr Ward and stays occasionally stays on campus

The Rev Richard Thomas - former media advisor to the C of E Bishop of Oxford --is on trial for downloading child pornography. Thomas is close associate of Rev Robin Gill and Rev Stephan Laird - both of whom teach at UKC. The Kent police refuse to reopen the investigation even after these new revelations have come to light. It is speculated that the reason the police refuse to investigate further stems from the number of high ranking officials who would be implicated in the protection of pedophiles.

Trivia

• Approximately 25% of students are from overseas; 128 different nationalities are currently represented.
• Darwin College was originally to be named after Bertrand Russell, but this was changed due to a previous disagreement and/or scandal involving Russell and the wife of an undisclosed member of the university's upper management. (Another proposal was that it be named Becket College, and the Master's Office was actually given some appropriate stained glass in anticipation.)
• When Darwin opened it had no College Rules at all. Three years later there were three: Thou Shalt NOT Let Off: Fireworks, or Fire Alarms, or Fire Extinguishers. Then the college got a Constitutional Lawyer as Master.
• Graduation ceremonies were originally held on campus, in, first, Eliot and, then, Rutherford Dining Halls; but as numbers grew were transferred to Canterbury Cathedral. Since 2003, graduates of the University of Kent at Medway branch have had separate graduation ceremonies at Rochester Cathedral in Medway.
• In 1987 an honorary degree was awarded to Oliver Postgate, creator of Bagpuss. He stated that the degree was really intended for his creation, who was subsequently displayed in academic dress.
• The female to male ratio is 54 women to every 46 men.
• The university was built above a tunnel on the disused Canterbury and Whitstable Railway, which collapsed in July 1974, damaging part of the Cornwallis Building.
• In January 2006 smoking was banned from all college bars except for the Venue and a small annex of Woody's.

References

1. Graham Martin, From Vision to Reality: the Making of the University of Kent at Canterbury (1990) ISBN 0904938034
2. Teaching Quality Information - publishers of the National Student Survey
3. BBC News Story.
4. Times Article. Guardian Article. BBC News Story.

See also

• University of Kent Students' Union
• KRED

External links

• University of Kent website
• University of Kent Students' Union website
• University of Kent Societies Directory
• The Franco-British course website - French and English

• Universities in England
• University of Kent