University of St Andrews
 | Latin: Universitas Sancti Andreae apud Scotos (University of St Andrew amongst the Scots) |
The University of St Andrews is the oldest university in Scotland and third oldest in the English-speaking world, having been founded between 1410 and 1413. The University is situated in the town of St Andrews, in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It is a member of the 1994 Group, a network of smaller research-intensive British universities. Intake is highly selective and Independent school intake is high. The university has a widening participation policy; however, the university has one of the smallest percentages of students from lower income backgrounds, out of all higher education institutions in the UK. At the same time, the average price for accommodation for students at St Andrews is more than that for students at any other university in Scotland. The library and many university departments are spread around the town centre. The town's population of 18,000 is boosted considerably by the University's 7,200 students. St Andrews is listed among the top five universities in the United Kingdom, and has been described by the Sunday Times as "the main rival in the UK to Oxford and Cambridge".
History
The University was founded in 1410 when a charter of incorporation was bestowed upon the Augustinian priory of St Andrews Cathedral. A Papal Bull was issued in 1413 by the Avignon Pope Benedict XIII. A royal charter was granted in 1532. The University grew in size quite rapidly; A pedagogy, St John's College was founded 1418-1430 by Robert of Montrose and Lawrence of Lindores, St Salvator's College was established in 1450, St Leonard's College in 1511, and St Mary's College in 1537. St Mary's College was a re-foundation of St Johns College and earlier pedagogy. Some of the early college buildings that are in use today date from this period such as St Salvator's Chapel and St Leonards College chapel and St Mary's College quadrangle. At this time, much of the teaching was of a religious nature and was conducted by clerics associated with the cathedral.
From the 17th to 19th centuries, the university underwent many changes. The distinctive red gowns, which are still in use today, were adopted in 1672. Toward the end of the seventeenth century, the university considered and eventually rejected a move to Perth. In 1747, St Salvator's and St Leonard's merged to form the United College of St Salvator and St Leonard.
During the 19th century, student numbers were very low, in the 1870s, the student population was fewer than 150, and perhaps partly in response to this, the university founded University College in Dundee in 1897, which became a centre of medical, scientific and legal excellence. This affiliation ended in 1967 when the college, renamed Queen's College, became a separate and independent institution as the University of Dundee. The loss of teaching facilities for clinical medicine caused the university's Bute Medical School to form a new attachment with the University of Manchester, which was then expanding its clinical medicine intake.
A new School of Medicine at the University of St Andrews will be named in honour of B.C. Sekhar, after the sizeable sum of £8.25m towards building costs was donated by his son, Malaysian entrepreneur Vinod Sekhar.
Reputation
St Andrews is frequently listed among the top five universities in the United Kingdom, as well as being listed as first in Scotland for the last three years.
| 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Times Good University Guide | 5th | 5th | 20th | 7th | 9th |
| Guardian University Guide | 5th | 4th | 42nd | 43r | 11th |
| Sunday Times University Guide | 5th | 6th | 14th | 14th | |
| The Independent | 7th | 5th | |||
| Daily Telegraph | 5th] |
The independent IpsosMORI National Student Survey 2006 commissioned by HEFCE placed it third among the UK universities. It has achieved the most consistently high ratings in research assessment exercises with no subjects receiving a rating lower than 4 on a grading scale 1-5*, where 5* denotes outstanding international research. The departments of English and Psychology have received a 5* in the latest exercise, and 72% of staff across the university received a 5 or 5* rating. The Philosophical Gourmet report ranks St Andrews' graduate philosophy programme as third in the UK, and the joint programme with Stirling University is ranked second in the UK and joint 13th in the world.
Nearly eight in ten graduates obtain a First Class or an Upper Second Class Honours degree. A similar proportion enter further employment requiring a respected degree or obtaining placements for further postgraduate research. The ancient Scottish universities award Master of Arts degrees (except for science students who are awarded a Bachelor of Science degree) which are classified upon graduation, in contrast to Oxbridge where one becomes a Master of Arts after a certain number of years, and the rest of the UK, where graduates are awarded BAs.
Entry to the University is highly competitive; the latest UCAS figures show that there are generally 12 applications per place available, and the University has not entered Clearing since 2003. The standard offer of a place tends to require at a minimum AAABB at Scottish Highers for Scottish applicants, AAB at GCE A Levels for English, Welsh and Northern Irish candidates, or a score of at least 36 points on the International Baccalaureate, with International Relations commanding AAA at GCE A Level due to the high level of able applicants. They have a noted preference for candidates who already have these qualifications, something that implicitly gives preference to Scottish applicants as they will have normally completed the Scottish Highers at the time of application, whereas other applicants, such as those studying in England, are still in the process of attaining their final secondary qualifications.
Traditions
Gowns
One of the most conspicuous traditions at St Andrews is the wearing of academic dress, particularly the distinctive red undergraduate gown of the United College. Undergraduates in Arts and Science subjects can be seen wearing these garments at the installation of a Rector or Chancellor, at chapel services, on 'Pier Walks', at formal hall dinners, at meetings of the Union Debating Society, or giving tours to prospective students and visitors. Divinity students wear a black undergraduate gown. (See Academic dress of the University of St Andrews.)
Raisin Weekend
Raisin Weekend is the highlight of the social calendar at the University. Held annually over the last weekend of November, first years are entertained by their academic parents, normally consisting of a tea party thrown by the mothers and then a tour of pubs conducted by the fathers. This culminates in a shaving foam fight on the Monday morning in quad of St Salvator's College.
Cobblestones
Situated around the town of St Andrews are cobblestone markings denoting where Protestant martyrs were burnt at the stake. To students, the most notable of these is the cobblestone initials "PH" located outside the main gate of St Salvators College. These cobblestones denote where Patrick Hamilton was martyred in 1528. According to student tradition, stepping on the "PH" will cause a student to become cursed, with the effect that the offender will fail his or her degree and so students are known to jump over the cobblestones when passing.
May Dip
The May Dip is a student tradition held annually at dawn on May Day. Students stay awake until dawn, at which time they collectively run into the North Sea. The May Dip is also traditionally the only way of removing the curse inflicted by stepping on the PH cobbles. If a student is to step on the stones he/she can be forgiven if on the dawn of the first of May, they run into the North Sea.
Governance and administration
As with the other Ancient universities of Scotland, governance is determined by the Universities (Scotland) Act 1858. This Act created three bodies: the General Council, University Court and Academic Senate (Senatus Academicus).
General Council
The General Council is a standing advisory body of all the graduates, academics and former academics of the University. It meets twice a year and appoints a Business Committee to transact business between these meetings. Its most important functions are to appoint two Assessors to the University Court and elect the University Chancellor.
University Court
The University Court is the body responsible for administrative and financial matters, and is in effect the governing body of the University. It is chaired by the Rector, who is elected by all the matriculated students of the University. Members are appointed by the General Council, Academic Senate and Fife Council. The President of the Students' Representative Council and Director of Representation are ex officio members of the Court. Several lay members are also co-opted and must include a fixed number of alumni of the University.
Senatus Academicus
The Academic Senate (Latin Senatus Academicus) is the supreme academic body for the University. Its members include all of the Professors of the University, certain senior Readers, a number of Senior Lecturers and Lecturers and three elected student Senate Representatives - one from the Arts / Divinity faculty, one from the Science / Medicine faculty and one postgraduate student. It is responsible for authorising degree programmes and issuing all degrees to graduates. Another function of the Senate is to discipline students. The President of the Senate is the University Principal.
Faculties
The University is divided into four academic Faculties:
- Arts
- Divinity
- Medicine
- Science
Each is governed by a Faculty Council and administered by a Dean. Students apply to become members of a particular faculty, as opposed to any particular school or department.
Number of students by faculty
Academic Year 2005/2006 :
| Faculty | Undergraduate | Postgraduate |
| Arts | 3,582 | 604 |
| Divinity | 48 | 50 |
| Medicine | 419 | 7 |
| Science | 1,731 | 367 |
| Total | 5,780 | 1,028 |
Office of the Principal
The Principal is the chief executive of the University and is assisted in that role by several key officers.
The current composition of the Office of the Principal is:
- Principal and Vice-Chancellor: Dr Louise Richardson
- Master of the United College and Deputy Principal: Professor Keith Brown
- Vice-Principal (Governance and Planning): Professor Ronald Piper
- Vice-Principal (Research): Professor Neville Richardson
- Vice-Principal (Learning and Teaching): Professor Philip Winn
- Vice-Principal (External Relations): Stephen Magee
- Proctor: Professor Christopher Smith
- Quaestor and Factor: Derek Watson
Deans of the Faculties
The Deans are academics appointed by the Master of the United College to oversee the day to day runnings of each faculty. They were once elected by their constituents but this was changed to appointment in 2005
The current Deans are:
- Dean of the Faculty of Arts: Professor Lorna Milne
- Dean of the Faculty of Divinity: Professor James Davila
- Dean of the Faculty of Medicine: Professor R. Hugh MacDougall
- Dean of the Faculty of Science: Professor Alyson Tobin
Student Residence Halls
St Andrews is characterised amongst Scottish Universities as having a significant number of students in University operated accommodation. Approximately half of the overall student population live 'in Hall'. All are now co-educational and non-smoking. Residences include:
- Albany Park
- Andrew Melville Hall
- Carruthers House
- David Russell Apartments (built on the site of the now-demolished original David Russell Hall)
- Deans Court (Postgraduate only)
- Fife Park
- Gannochy House (Postgraduate only)
- John Burnet Hall (formerly known as Athol Hotel, and was male only)
- McIntosh Hall (formerly known as Chattan Hotel, and was female only)
- New Hall
- St Regulus Hall (originally male only)
- St Salvator's Hall (originally male only)
- Stanley Smith House & Angus House (Postgraduate only)
- University Hall (originally female only)
Former residences
In addition to the residences listed above, the University formerly also had the following residences:
- Hamilton Hall
- Hepburn Hall
- Southgait Hall
- Kinnessburn Hall
- David Russell Hall
- Bishops Hall (now part of St Leonards School)
and West Park, which was pulled down to make way for the the Students' Union building, built in the 1970s.
The University guarantees every student a place of accomodation. For this reason, when 400 extra students joined for the 2008/09 academic year, the university had to rent out flats in the previously sold Hepburn Hall to accommodate the rise in student numbers.
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