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The University of Plymouth is the largest university in the southwest of England, with over 30,000 students and is the fifth largest UK university based on student population. (Larger universities are Open, London, Manchester, and Manchester Metropolitan respectively.) It has almost 3,000 staff (one of the largest employers in the southwest), and an annual income of around £110 million.

Plymouth is a modern university that has undergone a great deal of development, including several new buildings. It is currently restructuring to cope with the financial implications of these changes. The University jumped 33 places in The Guardian's national university league tables published in May 2006, from 73rd place in 2005 to 40th place in 2006. It is settled at 35th place in the 2007 publication; The Times table, which unlike The Guardian takes research performance into account, places it 55th and bills it as one of the top two modern universities in the UK. The Guardian describes the University as "forward thinking", as well as placing Plymouth in the coveted "top 20" for ten subjects including social work (5th), architecture, fine art and drama.

Professor Roland Levinsky was the University's vice-chancellor (VC) up until his death on 1 January 2007, when he walked into live electrical cables brought down during a storm. He was temporarily replaced by Professor Mark Cleary (now VC of the University of Bradford), and then by Professor Steve Newstead. Professor Wendy Purcell became VC on 1 December 2007.

History

The university was originally a Polytechnic College, with its constituent bodies being Polytechnic Plymouth, Rolle College, and Seale-Hayne College. It was renamed Polytechnic South West in 1989 and remained as this until gaining university status in 1992 along with the other polytechnics. The new university absorbed the Plymouth School of Maritime Studies.

Under then Vice-Chancellor Roland Levinsky, the university begain a policy of centralising its campus activities in Plymouth. The Faculty of Arts based in Exeter moved to the new Roland Levinsky arts building in August 2007, bringing subjects including Fine Art, History of Art, Photography and 3-D Design to Plymouth. Theatre & Performance, based in Exmouth also moved at this time.

The Exmouth campus - Rolle College - housed the Faculty of Education and relocated to the new Rolle Building in August 2008. The decision was unpopular with students and the town of Exmouth itself, there were several protest marches and a campaign to keep the campus open.

An exception to the trend is the University's extensive activities in education for the health professions. In addition many of its students are taught at Further Education Colleges throughout Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, such as Dartington College of Arts. A new building which opens in 2008 will be shared between the Peninsula Medical School and the Faculty of Health and Social Work, highlighting some movement towards Plymouth.

Recent completed developments include Portland Square, a library extension, refurbished and new laboratory and teaching facilities in many of the campus buildings, halls of residence near the Business School and a new £16 million Peninsula Medical School headquarters at Derriford, in the north of the city.

Jointly with the University of Exeter and the National Health Service in the region, the University runs the recently founded Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry. A new £13 million building on the University of Plymouth's main campus will provide teaching rooms, office space, a clinical skills laboratory and research facilities for the Plymouth-based activities of the School from 2008 along with the Faculty of Health and Social work.

In 2006 part of the remains of the World War II Portland Square air-raid shelter were rediscovered on the Plymouth campus. On the night of 22 April 1941, during the the Blitz, a bomb fell here killing over 70 civilians, including a mother and her six children. The bomb blast was so violent that human remains were found in the tops of trees. In 2006, an appeal was made to raise money for a public sculpture to honour those who lost their lives.

In September 2008, it was announced that 223 jobs would be lost (6.5% of the workforce) to reduce expenses by £10 million.

The University was selected by the Royal Statistical Society in October 2008 to home its Centre for Statistical Education.

Courses

The University of Plymouth has a wide variety of Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes which are currently taught at its main city campus in Plymouth. The University of Plymouth is particularly renowned for its courses in maritime business, marine engineering, marine biology and Earth, ocean & environmental sciences. The University is also globally renowned for its courses in international shipping and logistics.

In October 2005, The Sun newspaper voted the University of Plymouth as having the most bizarre degree course in the country, the BSc (Hons) in Surf Science & Technology. Commonly known as "surfing", this course is actually centred on coastal/ocean sciences, surfing equipment/clothing design and surfing-related business, which has its popularity increased by the geographical location of the University.

The University also scores well in law, psychology, geographical sciences, computing (including digital media) and computer science, fine art and art history. The Planetary Collegium, the international centre for research in art, technology and consciousness is based at Plymouth, with nodes in Milan and Zurich. The University offers a course in "Digital Art and Technology", a new media and computer science hybrid course. Another possibly unique course is the BA in Business & Perfumery, and there is also an MSc in E-Commerce on offer.

The University provides professional diving qualifications on a numbers of its courses, the only university in the country provide this. This is provided by the University's own diving centre based next to Queen Anne's Battery Marina, with its full time team of instructors and dedicated boats and equipment.

Notable academics

Staff include Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, who have written extensively on electoral systems, voting behaviour, polling results and British politics and have regularly appeared on national television election programmes for both the BBC and ITV. Other notable academics include Dr Roy Lowry who, in August 2006, broke the world record for launching the most rockets at once and Dr Iain Stewart who has hosted BBC documentaries like Journeys into the Ring of Fire and Journeys from the Centre of the Earth.

English rock band Muse graduated from the university in 2008 with a degree in honorary Doctorates of Arts.

Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

In 2005 the University of Plymouth was successful in being awarded four HEFCE funded Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs). In addition, Plymouth is a partner in a fifth successful bid, led by Liverpool Hope University College. The University’s CETLs are:

• Centre for Excellence in Professional Placement Learning (CEPPL)
• Experiential Learning in the Environmental and Natural Sciences
• Higher Education Learning Partnerships CETL
• Education for Sustainable Development
• Learn Higher

Sport

The University has many active sport teams. These include:

• Motorsport - UoP Motorsport club
• Clay Pigeon Shooting
• Sailing - University of Plymouth Yacht Club
• Adventure and Expo University of Plymouth Caving, Climbing and Walking
• UPSAC University of Plymouth Sub aqua club
• Triathlon - University of Plymouth Triathlon Club
• Ultimate
• Beach Volleyball
• Volleyball - University of Plymouth Volleyball Club
• Octopush/Underwater Hockey
• JuJitsu
• Pool - University of Plymouth Pool Society
• Fencing
• Men's Hockey Club
• Rugby union
• Windsurf and Kitesurf Club
• Rolle Rockets - Ladies' Football
• Rolle Rhinos - Salibandy
• Rolle Stars - Cheerleaders
• Rolle Rangers - Men's Football
• Rolle Rats - Men's Rugby
• Rolle Rascals - Mixed Hockey
• Rolle Rogues - Netball
• Boardriders
• Canoe and Kayaking

References

1. ^ "Table 0a - All students by institution, mode of study, level of study, gender and domicile 2006/07" (Microsoft Excel spreadsheet). Higher Education Statistics Agency. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
2. ^ "For those who died in Portland Square". University of Plymouth. Retrieved 2008-10-21. Cite error: The named reference "UniHerald" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
3. "Plymouth jumps 30 places in Guardian league tables". University of Plymouth. May 2, 2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
4. "Top Universities 2007 League Table". The Times. June 05, 2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
5. "Top two position for Plymouth". University of Plymouth. June 05, 2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
6. "University of Plymouth". The Guardian. May 2, 2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
7. "Power cable kills university boss". BBC. January 2, 2007. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
8. "University boss successor named". BBC. January 4, 2007. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
9. "Teaching college closure agreed". BBC News. 11 November 2005.
10. "Medical school plans new headquarters". BBC Devon. 6 January 2002.
11. "Student dental school is approved". BBC. January 26, 2006.
12. ^ Tony Rees, Gerry Cullum and Steve & Karen Johnson (2007-07-08). "Portland Square Air Raid Shelter at Plymouth". CyberHeritage.com. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
13. "University cuts hundreds of jobs". The BBC. 2008-09-18. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
14. "Plymouth chosen for Prestigious Centre". University of Plymouth. 2008-10-17. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
15. "University of Plymouth - an introduction". University of Plymouth. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
16. "MSc E-Commerce". University of Plymouth.
17. "Firework Record goes with a Bang". BBC. August 16, 2006.
18. Blogspot Muse Muse are now doctors. (Retrieved 2nd October 2008)
19. http://www.plymouthane.com
20. http://cakeandbeerpaddlers.co.uk

External links

• University of Plymouth – official website
• University of Plymouth Students' Union – home page
• Entrepreneurial students at the university

• University of Plymouth