45.Dundee, University of｜邓迪大学

The University of Dundee (Gaelic: Oilthigh D n Deagh) is the older of the two universities in the city and Royal burgh of Dundee, Scotland.

Founded in 1881 and existing for most of its early existence as a constituent college of the University of St Andrews, the University of Dundee became an independent institution in 1967 whilst retaining much of its ancient heritage. Since independence, the university has expanded to become an internationally renowned centre for teaching and research.

Reputation

The University of Dundee has a known reputation for graduating more students into the professions (such as law, accountancy, medicine and dentistry) than any other Scottish university[4]. The Guardian newspaper named the university s medical school and dental school the best in the UK in 2008. In recent years, its molecular biology, biochemistry and genetics departments have grown to become the most influential in the United Kingdom, recently being awarded a Queen s Anniversary Prize for drug discovery and development.

The university has been awarded a number of accolades: it was The Times Good University Guide s Scottish University of the Year in 2004/05, and in 2005 its Higher Education supplement rated the university as first in the UK for teaching quality. The Times also commended a number of Dundee s departments as amongst the top ten in the UK. The Scientist magazine declared the university the best place to work in Europe in both 2004 and 2005.

The University s Chancellor, Sir James Black up till 2006, won the Nobel Prize for Medicine.

Divisions of the University

The University is, as of August 2006, organised into four colleges, with each containing a number of schools. In addition to this, there are two schools which have something of a special status within the structure and contain schools of their own. The head of each college has the position of a Vice Principal of the University, and individual schools are formally headed by a Dean. The following is a full list of the academic divisions of the university:

The College of Art, Science Engineering, containing the Schools of:

Architecture

Computing

Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design

Containing its own schools of Design, Fine Art and Media Art Imaging.

Engineering Physics Mathematics

The College of Arts and Social Sciences, containing the Schools of:

Accounting Finance

Education, Social Work and Community Education

Humanities

Law

Postgraduate School of Management and Policy

Containing the Centre for Energy, Petroleum Mineral Law Policy, the UNESCO Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science and the Centre for Enterprise Management

Psychology

Social Environmental Sciences

The College of Life Sciences, containing the Schools of:

Life Sciences Research

Life Sciences Teaching

The College of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, containing the Schools of:

Dentistry

Medicine

Nursing Midwifery

Students

Students at Dundee are represented by the University s Students Representative Council and the Rector in common with other universities in Scotland sharing the ancient organisational structure.

Dundee University Students Association

The Dundee University Students Association (DUSA), unlike many other Students Unions in the United Kingdom, is not affiliated to the National Union of Students due mainly to cost concerns and political objections, instead being affiliated to the Coalition of Higher Education Students in Scotland (CHESS) and the National Postgraduate Committee. Membership of the body is automatic for all students of the University, although it is possible under statutes to renounce this membership at any time. The Dundee University Students Association, as with its neighbours in the other ancient-organised universities in Scotland, is co-existent with the University s Students Representative Council.

The DUSA building is located in Airlie Place, in the centre of the University s Main Campus and caters as a private members club offering bar, nightclub and rectory services for students. DUSA also provides a number of other typical students union services such as advocacy on behalf of its membership and assistance to individual students.

Dundee University Sports Union and sports facilities

The Dundee University Sports Union is a body, like the Students Union, of which all matriculated students of the university are automatically a member. It elects its own executive committee, although is linked with the Students Union through the Students Representative Council. The Sports Union is affiliated with the British University Sports Association.

As of early 2007, there are 44 clubs affiliated with the Sports Union. There is an annual award ceremony for the sports clubs, and a Blues Colours Ball (see University Sporting Blue) to provide social interaction between the clubs. A popular but informal event is sports clubs joining together on Wednesday night to attend the Students Union, enabled by the university ending most classes early on a Wednesday afternoon to allow for sports participation - which is particularly appropriate in winter when the sun can set in the mid-afternoon due to Dundee s northerly location.

The Institute of Sport and Exercise, unlike the Sports Union, is directly controlled by the university - but works closely with the students organisations. Its chi building is located on Old Hawkhill in the main campus, which contains the main indoor sporting facilities and the university s gym. The building is presently being extensively extended.

Outdoor facilities are mainly based in the Riverside Sporting Ground, within a reasonable walking distance and bordering the Tay, although there are others - such as tennis courts - spread throughout the main campus. There are plans to upgrade the facilities at Riverside to include a pavilion and new social areas. The ISE s swimming pool is located within the Students Association building on Airlie Place.

Notable sporting achievements of the University include winning British University Gaelic Football Championship in 1994.

Chaplaincy

The University Chaplaincy Centre was constructed in 1974 and extended in 1987 and houses both the University Chapel and a number of other related social facilities. The chapel is often used for concerts.

The university has a full time chaplain, presently the Revd Dr Fiona Douglas (since 1997) who is a minister of the Church of Scotland. There are also several part-time associate and honorary chaplains representing other faiths and denominations.

Residences

The University has a number of student residences spaced around the city. There is at present an attempt to move some of these halls of residence closer to the main campus. With the closure and re-building of West Park Hall in 2005, all of the halls are now self catered and, bar Tay Mills, ensuite.

At present, there exists the following university residences:

Belmont Hall (including Balfour Flats) - Based in the main campus and consisting of three main sections: Belmont Tower, a 1950s construction; the Balfour Flats, a long and low building connected to the tower, and; the new halls of residence, completed in 2006.

Heathfield - A new (2006) hall of residence. Major construction work finished in December 2006. All students who were accepted to it for the 2006/2007 session have since moved in. It is located on Old Hawkhill, immediately across from Belmont Hall.

Seabraes - A number of buildings containing flats, with a new hall identical in style to the new Heathfield and Belmont Halls being build at the foot of the complex. Located near to the south side of the main campus on Roseangle. Withholding Finns!

Tay Mills - A number of flats in a converted mill (which is shared with private student accommodation) to the east of the campus and on the edge of the city centre. The flats are beginning to look rather dated.

West Park - Located some distance to the west of the main campus, these halls were traditionally popular with medicine students due to their proximity to Ninewells Hospital. Consists of a relatively new complex known as West Park Villas, which are essentially student flats. The old hall (separate from the Villas) was largely torn-down in 2005 (leaving behind only the listed parts of the building) and the new complex (generally known as West Park Flats by the University) will be available from the start of the 2007/08 term.

Some older halls, despite remaining open in the interim until building works were finished, are now out of use - the last students moved out in early 2007. These are:

Airlie Place Springfield - A number of flats located in old terrace housing on the main campus, comprising of two streets mainly owned by the University. Both are architecturally noteworthy and are to have other functions assigned to them in due course.

Peterson Hall - An almost Brutalist style building to be found further down Roseangle from Seabraes. This hall was traditionally a non-smoking hall of residence, and is now ear-marked for private development.

Wimberley Houses - The furthest university residences from the main campus, Wimberley - also the closest to Ninewells Hospital in the far west of the city. The residences themselves were a complex of buildings, each comprising a house which served as an independent flat for a number of students. Largely considered the least desirable university residence (they were also the cheapest).This, and its white and run down appearance, led to it acquiring a number of nicknames, notably Siberia . They were favoured by some medical students for their proximity to Ninewells Hospital. The halls are currently for sale

Traditions

Dundee students participate in a number of traditional events during the academic calendar. Towards the start of the year, a standard British Freshers Week is organised, with a secondary one held when the University reconvenes after the Christmas vacation.

Traditions remaining from Dundee s days as a college of the University of St Andrews include the Gaudie Night (taking its name from the first line of the students anthem, De Brevitate Vitae) - held early in the first semester and organised both as a Students Union night and an event organised by the individual schools (for example by the Medical, Law and Dentistry Societies) where students are assigned academic parents from the senior years. Some weeks later, a Raisin (alternatively spelled Raisen ) weekend is held to all new students to repay their academic parents hospitality. Generally the school society run events are more traditional in nature than the Students Union event.

Since 2004, the University has organised the Discovery Days series of public lectures hosted by University and visiting academics and persons of note, providing introductions into a number of major fields of work taking place at Dundee. Further details are available here.

Prior to the reorganisation of the University s departments in 2006, there were associated faculity colours. These can be seen in university scarves here, however since the reorganisation these no longer sell in campus shops.