University of Bristol
The
University of Bristol was founded in
1876; it was initially known as University College,
Bristol. It was the first UK university to admit women on the same basis as men. The university is one of the largest employers in the area. It is a member of the
Russell Group of Universities.
\nThe university offers a diverse range of courses, but is most well known for its Medicine, Law and Engineering faculties. In
2001 Bristol University had the highest intake ratio of any British university with 11 applications to every place; the final intake of
2001 had an average
A-Level score of 28.6 points.
The university has been regarded as being elitist, taking nearly half of its students from non-state schools. The University is trying to shake off this image, but despite having one of the highest application-to-place ratios is failing to make any significant progress.
In late
February and early
March 2003 the university became embroiled in a row about its admission policies, with some private schools threatening a boycott based on their claims that, in an effort to improve equality of access, the university is discriminating against their students.
In recent years, vice-chancellor Eric Thomas has advocated shifting the university's emphasis from
undergraduate teaching and towards research. The university has an reputation for excellence in science and technology, but also in many areas of the humanities and social sciences.
History
The University College of Bristol opened, in 1876, as a college of the University of London. In 1893 University College merged with the Bristol Medical School, and in 1909 the college merged with the Merchant Venturers' Technical College to become the University of Bristol. At this point the university was granted a Royal Charter.
Between 1905 and 1930 during the years of the University's birth a large amount of support, both financial and political, came from the influential Bristol families of Fry and Wills. The first Chancellor of the University was Henry Overton Wills, whose death in 1911 prompted the construction of the Wills Memorial Building by his sons, George and Harry.
Miscellaneous Facts
From 1929 to 1965 Sir Winston Churchill was the Chancellor of the university.
On March 12 2004 The Right Honourable the Baroness Hale of Richmond (aka Brenda Hale) was installed as the University's seventh Chancellor, succeeding Sir Jeremy Morse who retired at the end of 2003.
Among university properties is the student hall of residence Goldney Hall, which is a popular location for filming with the Chronicles of Narnia, the House of Eliott and Berkeley Square being filmed there. The University also owns the Victoria Rooms, an impressive public hall with an imposing corner site.
As a result of the 2004 AGM the University Union voted to disaffiliate from the NUS, subject to a student referendum, which resulted in the union remaining affiliated.
Students gaining first degrees from Bristol are in the select group of British students who do not wear mortarboards at graduation. This is because, at an early graduation ceremony, the male graduands all threw their headgear at the female graduands by way of 'protest' at coeducation. Subsequently mortarboards were not worn for receiving first degrees.
The University is the home to the country's oldest drama department, opened in 1946.
Student alumni
Academia
\n*Nancy Fannie Millis (Chancellor of La Trobe University, Australia)\n*David William Rhind (Vice-Chancellor of City University)\n*Richard Sykes (Rector of Imperial College, formerly Chairman of GlaxoSmithKline)\n*John Metcalf (Editor of Canadian Notes and Queries.)
Authors
\n*Dick King-Smith (Author)\n*Simon Pegg (Comedy writer and actor)\n*Deborah Moggach (Author)\n*Jeremy Thomas (Script writer)\n*Sarah Kane (Author)
\nBusiness
\n*Roger Holmes (CEO of Marks & Spencer)\n*Fiona Lowry (CEO of Merlin Communications)\n*Mike Bennett (Founder of E3 Media)\n*Jemima Goldsmith \n*Sahar Hashemi (Founder of the chain Coffee Republic)\n*Peter Williams (CEO of Selfridges)\n*Sinan Mohammed Rida al-Shibibi (Governor of the Iraqi Central Bank)
Journalism
- Plum Sykes (Fashion journalist)\n*Alistair Stewart (TV Journalist)\n*Kate Sanderson (TV Journalist)\n*Laura Trevelyan (TV Journalist)\n*Matthew Norman (Newspaper journalist)\n*Misha Glenny
Politics
Science
\n
\n
The university's physics department.
\n\n
- Paul Dirac (Nobel laureate, Physics)\n*Professor Judith Howard (Chemist)\n*Klaus Fuchs (Physicist and Russian spy) \n*Philip Charles Ruffles (Director of Engineering and Technology at Rolls Royce)
TV
\n*Emily Watson (Actress)\n*Jason Isaacs (Actor)\n*Judy Finnigan (TV Presenter)\n*Sue Lawley (TV Presenter)\n*Chris Morris (TV Presenter)\n*Dominic Diamond (TV Presenter)\n*Derren Brown (Magician)\n*Philip Jackson (Actor)
Staff alumni
Related topics
\n* Badock Hall\n* Clifton Hill House\n* Coimbra Group (a network of leading European universities)\n* University of Bristol Union
External links
\n*University of Bristol website\n*University of Bristol Student Union website\n*Epigram, the University of Bristol Student newspaper\n*BURST, Bristol University Radio Station
2003 Admissions policy dispute
\n*BBC News - Elite uni aims to broaden its appeal\n*BBC News - Bristol denies admissions bias\n*BBC News - 'University bias' debate rumbles on\n*Guardian - 'Bristol University access row'
Bristol, University of\nCategory:Bristol
