University of Stirling facts for kids
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| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Established | 1967 |
| Endowment | £1.87 million (2022) |
| Budget | £155.3 million (2021–22) |
| Chancellor | Jack McConnell |
| Principal | Gerry McCormac |
|
Administrative staff
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1,872 |
| Undergraduates | 8,585 (2015/16) |
| Postgraduates | 3,480 (2015/16) |
| Location |
,
56°08′45″N 3°55′10″W / 56.14583°N 3.91944°W |
| Campus | 360 acres (1.5 km2) parkland campus |
| Colours | Heritage green and Energy green |
| Affiliations | Association of Commonwealth Universities Universities UK |
The University of Stirling is a public university in Stirling, Scotland. It was officially started by a special royal document in 1967. The university is built on the old Airthrey Castle estate, which is a large, walled area.
The campus covers about 360 acres (1.5 square kilometers). It includes the Stirling University Innovation Park and a special center for Dementia care. The campus is located near the Ochil Hills. In 2002, experts called the University of Stirling and its Airthrey Estate one of the UK's top 20 important heritage sites from the 20th century.
As of 2022, the university has 14,000 students, both full-time and part-time. Stirling works with universities in other countries. These include partnerships in China, Singapore, and Oman. The university offers a special master's degree in Human Rights & Diplomacy. This is the only program of its kind in the world that works with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research.
Contents
University History
The University of Stirling was the first new university to open in Scotland in almost 400 years. The land for the campus was chosen from several possible locations. Lord Robbins, who suggested adding more universities in the UK, became the university's first leader in 1968.
The Pathfoot Building was the first part of the campus to be built. It opened in 1968. This building first held classrooms, offices, and lecture halls. It also had a large area where the university showed its collection of Scottish art. Later, parts were added to the building, including a Tropical Aquarium and a Virology Unit. The Pathfoot Building is now seen as an important example of Scottish architecture from after World War II.
In 1970, work began on the Cottrell Building. It was named after the university's first principal, Tom Cottrell. This building now holds many university offices, lecture halls, and computer labs. The University Library and the MacRobert Centre are in the Andrew Miller Building, which opened in 1971.
In 1972, Queen Elizabeth II visited the new campus. Students protested during her visit because they wanted more social spaces at the university. There were no more royal visits until 2011, when Prince Edward opened the newly updated library.
Over the years, more buildings and departments were added. The Institute of Aquaculture, which studies fish farming, opened in 1982. The Iris Murdoch building opened in 2002 for the Dementia Services Development Centre.
Exploring the Campus
The university campus is located on 330 acres (1.3 square kilometers) of land. It sits below the Ochil Hills, about 2 miles (3 kilometers) from the center of Stirling. Many people say it is one of the most beautiful campuses in the world.
The campus is part of the historic Airthrey estate. This estate includes the 18th-century Airthrey Castle, which was designed by Robert Adam. It also has the Hermitage woods, Airthrey Loch (a lake), and the Airthrey Golf Course.
The Andrew Miller Building is a central spot on campus. It has an Atrium with shops and places to eat, like a bookstore and a bank. This building connects the Library, the Students' Union, and the MacRobert Arts Centre.
The University Library has over 500,000 books and more than 9,000 journals. It also keeps the writings of famous author Patrick McGrath and filmmaker Norman McLaren. The Library was updated and reopened in 2010.
The MacRobert Arts Centre is a small theater and cinema. It is open to both students and the public. The university also has a large collection of fine art in the Pathfoot Building. This collection includes over 300 paintings, tapestries, and sculptures.
The university used to have campuses in Inverness and Stornoway. These focused on Nursing and Midwifery programs. In 2016, these programs were moved to the University of the Highlands and Islands.
Student Housing
The University of Stirling has housing for almost 3,000 students. These homes are in over 20 different buildings, both on and off campus. Most students live in university halls on campus. There are also townhouses for families or groups of students. Many new rooms were built between 2013 and 2015 as part of a big investment in student housing.
Some of the student homes on campus include:
- Andrew Stewart Hall
- Willow Court Flats & Studios
- Beech Court Flats & Studios
- Juniper Court Flats & Studios
- Fraser of Allander House
- H H Donnelly House
- Muirhead House
- Polwarth House
- Penderich Way
- Spittal Hill
Other student homes are located in Stirling city center. These include Union Street, Bayne Street, Lyon Crescent, John Forty's Court, Centro House, and Alangrange.
Sports Facilities
In 2008, the Scottish Government named Stirling as Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence. The university offers special scholarships for student athletes in five main sports: football, golf, swimming, tennis, and triathlon. These scholarships help students train for international competitions.
The university has many sports facilities. These include a 9-hole Airthrey Golf Course and a 50-meter swimming pool. The pool opened in 2001 as part of the National Swimming Academy. The sports center also has the Gannochy National Tennis Centre, courts for badminton and squash, a fitness center, and sports fields. These facilities are open to students, staff, and the public.
Many sports organizations have their main offices at the university. These include the sportscotland institute of sport and Scottish Swimming.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, several students and former students from Stirling competed for Great Britain. Swimmers like Duncan Scott and Robbie Renwick won silver medals.
Famous tennis players Andy Murray and his brother Jamie Murray trained on the university's courts when they were young. Gordon Reid, who won a gold medal in wheelchair tennis at the 2016 Olympics, was also a tennis scholar here.
The university's men's and women's golf teams are often ranked among the best in Europe. The university's top football teams play in the main Scottish league system. In January 2023, the men's football team reached the 4th round of the Scottish Cup, which was a big achievement.
In 2018, the university announced a £20 million project to improve its sports facilities. A new sports center opened in November 2020. This new center has a large fitness area with over 100 exercise stations.
International Study Programs
The university has special agreements for degree programs in Singapore, Oman, and Vietnam. In 2018, the university also opened a branch campus in Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates.
How the University Works
In August 2016, the university changed how it is organized. It now has four main faculties (groups of departments), the Stirling Management School, and the Stirling Graduate School.
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Applied Social Sciences
- Education
- Faculty of Arts and Humanities
- Communications, Media and Culture
- History and Politics
- Law and Philosophy
- Literature and Languages
- Stirling Management School
- Accounting & Finance
- Economics
- Management, Work and Organisation
- Marketing and Retail
- Faculty of Natural Sciences
- Aquaculture
- Biological and Environmental Sciences
- Computing Science and Mathematics
- Psychology
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport
- Sport
- Health Sciences
Leadership
The university's rules are set out in its royal charter. The University Court is the main governing body. The Academic Council handles all academic matters. The day-to-day running of the university is managed by Gerry McCormac, who is the University Principal and Vice-Chancellor.
The university's Chancellor is Lord Jack McConnell.
Past Chancellors
- Lord Robbins (1967–1978)
- Sir Harold Montague Finniston (1978–1988)
- 8th Lord Balfour of Burleigh, Robert Bruce (1988–1998)
- Dame Diana Rigg (1998–2008)
- James Naughtie (2008–2018)
- Lord Jack McConnell (2018–present)
Past Principals
- Tom Cottrell (1967–1973)
- Sir Frederick Holliday (Acting Principal, 1973–1975)
- Sir William Alexander Cramond (1975–1981)
- Sir Kenneth (Ken) John Wilson Alexander (1981–1986)
- Arthur (John) Forty (1986–1994)
- Andrew Miller (1994–2001)
- Colin Bell (2001–2003)
- Christine Hallett (2005–2010)
- Gerry McCormac (2010–present)
Learning and Research
Teaching Style
Most Scottish degree programs take four years to complete. This allows for a wide and flexible education. Stirling has offered four-year programs since it first opened. The university uses a two-semester system. The school year starts in mid-September and ends in May. Undergraduate students usually take three courses in each semester.
The university offers many different courses for both undergraduate (first degree) and postgraduate (advanced degree) students. These cover subjects like arts, sciences, business, and health. In 2016, Stirling received a 5 Star Excellence Award for its teaching quality.
Research Projects
Stirling is a university that focuses a lot on research. Its research covers areas like Health and Wellbeing, Culture and Society, Environment, Business, and Sport. Almost three-quarters of the university's research is considered "world-leading" or "internationally excellent."
The university has several special research centers:
- Centre for Environment, Heritage and Policy
- Stirling Media Research Institute (SMRI)
- Stirling Centre for Scottish Studies
- Dementia Services Development Centre
- Centre for Gender and Feminist Studies
- Centre for Transnational Legal Methods
- Stirling Environment and Energy Network
- Centre of Postcolonial Studies
- Stirling Centre for International Publishing and Communication
- Contemporary Portuguese Political History Research Centre
- Stirling Centre for Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies
- Centre for Policy, Conflict and Co-Operation
- Scottish Law and Innovation Network (SCOTLIN)
Working with Businesses
The university has strong connections with businesses through the Stirling University Innovation Park. This large science park started in 1993 and is next to the main campus. About 50 companies that do research and development are located here. The university also has a Conference Centre, which was renamed the Stirling Court Hotel in 2015.
Reputation and Rankings
| National rankings | |
|---|---|
| Complete (2021) | 54 |
| Guardian (2021) | 61 |
| Times / Sunday Times (2021) | 53= |
| Global rankings | |
| ARWU (2020) | 701–800 |
| QS (2021) |
452= |
| THE (2021) | 351–400 |
Stirling is known for its high-quality teaching and research that helps society. It is among the top 50 universities in the world that are less than 50 years old. It ranks 2nd in the UK and 46th globally in this category.
The university is ranked 1st in Scotland and 3rd in the UK for how well its graduates find jobs. More than 96% of graduates are employed or studying further within six months of finishing their degree.
In 2016, the University of Stirling received 5 stars in the QS World University Rankings for "Teaching," "Employability," "Facilities," "Inclusiveness," and "Internationalisation."
The university was given a Queen's Anniversary prize in 2014. This award was for its important research into how tobacco, alcohol, and food marketing affect the health of young people.
Student Life
Students' Union
The University of Stirling Students' Union is located in the Robbins Centre on campus. It helps students with fun activities, support, and information. It also speaks for students' interests to the university and other groups. The union supports over 90 clubs and societies. The Sports Union helps 53 sports clubs.
Students also run their own media services. Brig has been the campus newspaper since 1969. Air3 Radio was the first campus radio station in Scotland. AirTV is a student television station that started in 2002.
In November 2022, the student union voted to make all its cafes serve only plant-based (vegan) meals within three years. By 2025, all meals served in the student union's three cafes will be fully vegan.
Well-Known People from Stirling
Academics
- David Bebbington, Professor of History
- David Blanchflower, Professor of Economics
- Norman Jeffares, Professor of English
- Norman MacCaig, poetry reader
- Gerry McCormac, Principal and Professor of Physics
- Jean Redpath, folk singer
- Stewart Sutherland, former lecturer
- Herbert Wilson, Professor of Physics
Alumni (Former Students)
- Academia and science
- Joseph Bristow, literary scholar
- Muffy Calder, Chief Scientific Advisor to the Scottish Government
- Jonathon Fletcher, creator of the search engine JumpStation
- Chris Lilley, internet architect
- Arts and media
- Iain Banks, author
- Alan Bissett, writer
- Mark Cousins, film critic
- Grace Dent, journalist and author
- Hamish Hamilton, music and events director
- Jackie Kay, poet and writer
- Paul Lewis, BBC Radio 4 presenter
- Greg McHugh, actor and writer
- Rhona McLeod, Scottish broadcaster
- Fiona Ritchie, radio presenter
- Politics
- Hannah Bardell, SNP MP
- Angela Constance, SNP politician
- Angela Crawley, SNP politician
- Kenneth Gibson, SNP MSP
- Neil Gray, SNP MP
- Paul Grice, chief executive, Scottish Parliament
- Daniel Kawczynski, Conservative MP
- Richard Lochhead, SNP MSP
- Jack McConnell, former First Minister of Scotland
- Shirley-Anne Somerville, SNP MSP
- Stephen Kerr, Conservative MP
- Sport
- Craig Benson, swimmer
- Frankie Brown, Scottish footballer
- Colin Fleming, professional tennis player
- Sir Bill Gammell, Scotland rugby international
- Charlotte Henshaw, Paralympic swimmer
- Shelley Kerr, football manager
- Catriona Matthew, professional golfer
- Ross Murdoch, swimmer, World and Olympic Champion
- Richie Ramsay, professional golfer
- Jane Ross, Scottish Internationalist footballer
- Duncan Scott, swimmer, Olympic Medallist
- Colin Turkington, racing driver
- Other
- Alison Brittain, chief executive of Whitbread
- Bill Gammell, Scottish businessman
- Sam Mort, Unicef chief of communications in Afghanistan
See also
In Spanish: Universidad de Stirling para niños
- Armorial of UK universities
- List of universities in the United Kingdom
- Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre
- Scottish Political Archive
