|
Writtle College (near Chelmsford, Essex) is one of the largest land-based university colleges in the UK; it is also one of the oldest. Set in the Essex countryside on a 220 hectare estate, Writtle, previously known as Writtle Agricultural College, is a Partner Institution of the University of Essex and provides FE and HE programmes. It also offers apprenticeships and short courses. The College is very specialist and offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees as well as high quality research for a number of subject areas. == Overview == The College has diversified to meet the changing demands of new students. There has been major investment in IT and science facilities, with free college network access for every student resident on campus. The college has recently built a new Lecture Theatre complex, numerous halls of residence and refurbished its Recreation Centre, including its student venue, ''The Baa and Chef''. Doctor Stephen Waite was appointed as the new Principal in Spring 2013.〔(Writtle College announces new Principal | News | Farmers Guardian )〕 The college is structured into three schools: Sport, Equine and Animal Science; Sustainable Environments; Writtle School of Design. The College has a focus on quality and continues to increase in UCAS tariff points required for entry. It is popular with the local population, staging community events such as NGS Charity garden open days and offering taster days to schools and colleges. Writtle has undergone significant growth in its research areas, such as the Postharvest Technology unit which carries out trails on fruit and vegetables for major supermarkets. One of the College research staff, Dr Jon Amory, recently won funding from the BBSRC for the ‘Assessment of Dairy Cow Welfare through Predictive Modelling of Individual and Social Behaviour’.〔(26 July 2012 - Record amount awarded for research to reduce animal experiments and improve animal welfare - Media release - BBSRC )〕 In 2011, QAA (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education) identified the College’s overarching commitment to student support as a notable feature of best practice, commending its ‘comprehensive student support system and the demonstrable commitment of staff to the support and enhancement of student learning’. Enhancement was also separately commended as a feature of best practice in its own right, the review observing that: ‘The College’s approach to quality enhancement is characterised by a strategic commitment to improve the quality of students’ learning opportunities linked to the College’s own values and vision.’ The College is also committed to improving the quality and currency of its programmes by using a significant proportion of teaching staff who are actively engaged in research and/or professional practice. The report of the 2011 QAA audit again identified this aspect of Writtle provision for praise, noting as best practice ‘the way in which the curriculum is designed, developed and delivered to take advantage of staff research and professional practice.’〔(Institutional audit: Writtle College, November 2010 )〕 In July 2013, the College made its debut on national BBC television programme Countryfile. The focus for this episode was on the College's groundbreaking research which included a piece with presenter Matt Baker (television presenter) carrying out an experiment on the contents of a pig's stomach with Writtle Student Francine Gilman who was one of only five recipients nationally of the National Farmers Union of England and Wales Centenary Award. Writtle College was granted Taught Degree Awarding Powers (TDAP) by the Privy Council in March 2015. This is a significant milestone in the College's history as it has ambitious plans to grow as an institution.〔http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/writtle-college-gains-degree-awarding-powers/2019334.article〕 The College is now looking to apply for 'university college' title. Suggestions of 'Writtle University College' and 'University College Writtle' are the likely options. The Guardian University League Tables ranked Writtle College 14th out of 69 for Sports Science in 2015.〔http://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2014/jun/03/university-guide-2015-league-table-for-sports-science〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Writtle College」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|