University of Southampton

The University of Southampton is a university situated in the city of Southampton, on the south coast of England. The university is a member of the Russell Group and of the Worldwide Universities Network.

In the most recent RAE assessment (2001), it has the only engineering faculty in the country to receive the highest rating (5*) across all disciplines. According to The Times Higher Education Supplement, the University has the second largest research income among British universities for the physical sciences and mathematics, and the third largest research income for engineering and technology. The University places great emphasis on inter-disciplinary cooperation and on collaboration with industry. This is most evident in the University's Business division.

History

The University of Southampton has its origin as the Hartley Institution which was formed in 1862 from a benefaction by Henry Robertson Hartley (1777-1850). Hartley was the son of a local wine merchant. On his death he left £103,000 to the Southampton Corporation on condition that it was invested "in such manner as might best promote the study and advancement of the sciences of Natural History, Astronomy, Antiquities, Classical and Oriental Literature in the town, such as by forming a Public Library, Botanic Gardens, Observatory, and collections of objects with the above sciences."

The city officials housed Hartley's books in a building in Southampton's High Street, in the city centre. The Hartley Institution was borne out of this, and became a university college in 1902. In 1919 it was renamed Hartley University College, and subsequently University College Southampton. Before 1952, the college's degrees were awarded by the University of London.

Having outgrown the High Street premises, the college was set to move to greenfield land near Highfield's Back Lane (now University Road). Although the new main building was formally opened on 20 June 1914, the outbreak of the First World War occurred before any lectures could take place there. The buildings were handed over by the college authorities for use as a military hospital. In order to cope with the volume of casualties, wooden huts were erected at the rear of the building. The college continued to use these after the war, eventually replacing the makeshift extension with brick buildings. With the continuing expansion, an academic bookshop was built on the site of Church Farm and the Students' Union complex and refectory were built on the site of Sir Sidney Kimber's brickyard.

In 1952, the Queen granted the University of Southampton a Royal Charter to award degrees in its own right. This conferred full university status and made Southampton independent of the University of London. Despite being one of the last of the "civic" universities, it grew rapidly and gained a reputation for a strong academic approach. It expanded rapidly during the 1960s, when a number of new plate glass universities were created; such as the University of East Anglia, University of Lancaster, University of Warwick, University of York and a number of others.

In 2005, a large fire destroyed part of the Mountbatten Building, holding optical fibre research laboratories (the world-renowned Optoelectronics Research Centre, ORC) and the microchip fabrication laboratories. It is estimated that the costs for rebuilding the centre and replacing the equipment will be around £50 million, making this what is believed to be the world's most destructive university fire.

Faculties

List of Faculties, Schools and Centres
Faculty of Engineering, Science and Mathematics
School of Chemistry
School of Civil Engineering and the Environment (includes the centre for Environmental Sciences)
School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS)
School of Engineering Sciences (includes Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Ship Science)
School of Geography
School of Mathematics
School of Ocean and Earth Science (SOES)
School of Physics and Astronomy
Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR)
Optoelectronics Research Centre
Transportation Research Group (TRG)
National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (home of the School of Ocean and Earth Science) (NOCS)
Southampton E-Science Centre
Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences
School of Social Sciences
School of Management - see below
School of Education
School of Law
School of Art (based at Winchester School of Art)
School of Humanities
Parkes Institute
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
School of Biological Sciences
School of Health Professions and Rehabilitation Sciences
School of Medicine
School of Nursing and Midwifery
School of Psychology
Health Care Innovation Unit
Southampton Statistical Sciences Research Institute
ESRC National Centre for Research Methods

School of Electronics and Computer Science

The School of Electronics and Computer Science, generally abbreviated "ECS", has been at the forefront of the Open Access movement.

The school is regarded as one of the best in the UK for both computer science and electronics, scoring 5th and 1st for the subjects respectively in the Guardian Unlimited University Guide 2008 and 5th and 2nd respectively by both the Times Online Good University Guide and the Good University Guide.

ECS was the first academic institution in the world to adopt a self-archiving mandate (2001) and since then much of its published research has been freely available on the Web. It created the first and most widely used archiving software (EPrints) which is used worldwide by 213 known archives and continues to be evolved and supported from the School .


The University of Southampton is planning to develop the UK’s first wholly integrated ‘professional campus’. The plans will see the transformation of the University’s Boldrewood campus.

Lloyd’s Register, an independent risk management organisation, will move its London marine operations to the Boldrewood campus.

The practice of corporations and business schools sharing resources and facilities is well established in some countries but this will be the first ‘professional campus’ in the UK. The Lloyd's Register Group will maintain its building in the City of London as the corporate office and governance of the Group will remain based there.

Web Science Research Initiative (WSRI)

The University of Southampton and the MIT recently announced the launch of a long-term research collaboration that aims to produce the fundamental scientific advances necessary to guide the future design and use of the World Wide Web.The Web Science Research Initiative (WSRI), is headed by Professor Tim Berners-Lee.


University of Southampton ranked 80th in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Southampton ranked 99th in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Southampton ranked 95th in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Southampton ranked 81st in the 2010 QS World University Ranking

University of Southampton ranked 75th in the 2011 QS World University Ranking

University of Leeds

The University of Leeds is a major teaching and research university in Leeds, West Yorkshire; one of the largest in the United Kingdom with over 32,000 full-time students. It is a member of the Russell Group and is ranked in the top ten of UK universities for market share of research funding. Established in 1904, it is one of the six original civic universities, and in 2006 it was ranked second for the number of applications received.

History

The University's history is linked to the development of Leeds as an international centre for the textile industry and clothing manufacture in the Victorian era. Its roots stretch back to the early nineteenth century and it was one of six civic universities in industrial cities given royal charters at the beginning of the twentieth century. Prior to this wave of expansion in higher education, only four universities - Oxford, Cambridge, London and Durham - were established in England.

Origins

In 1831, the Leeds School of Medicine was set up, serving the needs of the five medical institutions that had sprung up in the city. Then in 1874, the School was joined by the Yorkshire College of Science, intended to provide education for the children of middle-class industrialists and merchants.Financial support from local industry was crucial (there is a Clothworkers' Court at the University to this day).

The College of Science was modelled on Owens College, Manchester, established in 1851 as a non-sectarian alternative to Oxford and Cambridge, where religious tests were applied and those outside the Church of England were not allowed to receive degrees or were barred from entry outright. Owens College, like the earlier University College London, applied no such tests and was open to Protestant Dissenters, Catholics and Jews.

While religious tests for students at Oxford and Cambridge ceased in the 1850s, northern colleges continued to promote themselves as offering a distinct type of teaching. They took pride in the progressive and pragmatic nature of their scientific education; a field in which the ancient universities, with their focus on theological study, were felt to lag behind.

The Yorkshire College of Science began by teaching experimental physics, mathematics, geology, mining, chemistry and biology, and soon became well known as an international centre for the study of engineering and textile technology. When classics, modern literature and history went on offer a few years later, the Yorkshire College of Science became the Yorkshire College. In 1887, the College merged with the School of Medicine.

Nowadays

Leeds is a leading research institution, and a member of the Russell Group of Universities. In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise - that of 2001 - the University was placed seventh nationally for the number of top scoring researchers and eighth for 'research power' out of 173 institutions taking part in the exercise. Just under 800 researchers at the University were given ratings of 5* or 5, meaning that 70 per cent of the University's researchers were working at the highest level on projects of international importance. The University received the highest 5* grade, denoting work at the forefront of international research, in six subjects: Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, English, Town and Country Planning, Food Science, and Italian.

In The Times Higher Education Supplement Rankings 2007, Leeds was placed 16th in the UK, 27th in Europe and 80th in the world.

The University has an excellent reputation for teaching and provides a wide range of courses for students. The Guardian University Guide 2008 rated it top in the country for Dentistry and Chemical Engineering, while a number of other subject were rated in the top ten or twenty.

The University of Leeds Business School is regarded as one of the best in the UK. In its most recent ranking the school's MBA programme was placed at 15th in Europe by The Economist. In the Financial Times' Global MBA ranking for 2008, the Leeds MBA was ranked 48th in the World.

During the 2005-2006 academic year, over 32,000 students were attached to 700 different first-degree programmes and 474 postgraduate degree programmes. Additionally, over 32,000 people were enrolled on short courses. It has also developed expertise in more distinctive and rare specialist areas such as colour chemistry, fire science and aviation technology with pilot studies.

In December 2004, financial pressures forced the University's governing body (the Council) to decide to close the Bretton campus. Activities at Bretton were moved to the main University campus in the summer of 2007 (allowing all Bretton-based students to complete their studies there). There was substantial opposition to the closure by the Bretton students. The University's other satellite site, Manygates in Wakefield, also closed, but Lifelong Learning and Healthcare programmes are continuing on a new site next to Wakefield College.

Faculties

The various schools, institutes and centres of the University are arranged into nine faculties, each with a dean, pro-deans and central functions:

• Arts
  
• Biological Sciences
  
• Business
  
• Education, Social Sciences and Law
  
• Engineering
  
• Earth and Environment
  
• Mathematics and Physical Sciences
  
• Medicine and Health
  
• Performance, Visual Arts and Communications
  

What University of Leeds describe about themselves

"Leeds is among the top ten universities for research in the UK and is internationally acknowledged as a centre of excellence in a wide range of academic and professional disciplines.

We have an ambitious vision to join the top 50 universities in the world by 2015 through our distinctive ability to integrate world-class research, scholarship and education. A jump of 41 places to 80th in the THES-QS world university league table in November 2007 brings our ambition a step closer.

Integrating research and learning and teaching is at the heart of our strategy. Our courses are taught by staff who are engaged in world-class research and cutting-edge professional practice.

We invest our own resources in helping organisations turn university research into world-class products and services. From the invention of the Ultracane which helps blind and visually impaired people, to a spin-out company which provides expert services and new technologies for the biopharmaceutical, defence and healthcare sectors, we are at the forefront of innovation.

Our size and international reputation enables us to offer one of the widest ranges of academic courses in the UK. During the current academic year there are over 30,500 students attached to 700 undergraduate and 474 postgraduate degree programmes. A further 31,382 men and women are enrolled on short courses with the University.

Our graduates are highly sought after by employers and go on to succeed in all walks of life and are leaders in their field. Have a look at who has been here."

Passing & surpassing
We are the UK’s second largest university with 30,500 students from over 130 countries
From Arabic to Zoology we offer an enormous range of courses
- 700 undergraduate courses
- 470 postgraduate courses
We have twelve National Teaching Fellows – more than any other university in England or Northern Ireland
The local community benefits from our 1,500 student volunteers - almost five times the national average

A century of service
With 8,000 staff we are the third largest employer in Leeds
We contribute £860m a year to the local economy - students add a further £190m through rents and living costs
The University was ranked 80th in the THES-QS world rankings in November 2007
In the world university league tables published in November 2007, our ‘employer review’ score was a magnificent 97 out of 100

Impact & influence
We are a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive Universities
We are part of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), chaired by our Vice- Chancellor, Professor Michael Arthur
Our annual research income exceeds £91 million

Enterprise & initiatives
Since 2006, the University has:
- filed more than 60 patents – an average of more than one a week
- developed 23 Knowledge Transfer Partnerships with local companies
- incubated 45 companies founded by undergraduates
- spun out 13 new companies (including four public flotations) valued at over £88 million

World classes
We have staff of 100 different nationalities
We lead the White Rose Innovation Partnership involving over 290 companies and organisations with White Rose Universities and the University of Bradford, along with university and medical partners in the USA

Performing wonders
The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Kaiser Chiefs, Arctic Monkeys, Editors and Klaxons have all played at the University Refectory
The Students’ Union is one of the largest and best in the country with 220 activities, clubs and societies

Building futures

Our single campus is a ten minute walk from Leeds city centre
We will spend £359m over the next ten years to transform our campus and create the environment to pursue excellence in research and teaching
Our students and staff – and Leeds residents – will benefit from new sports facilities including a swimming pool and health and fitness complex
We have won more environmental awards than any other UK university including the 2006 Green Gown award for Waste Management and the 2007 Award for Continuous Improvement

University of Leeds ranked 80th in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Leeds ranked 104th in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Leeds ranked 99th in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Leeds ranked 85th in the 2010 QS World University Ranking

University of Leeds ranked 93rd in the 2011 QS World University Ranking

University of Maryland

The University of Maryland, College Park (also known as UMD, UMCP or simply Maryland) is a public research university located in the city of College Park, in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C., in the United States. Founded in 1856, the University of Maryland is the flagship research University of the state of Maryland, and is considered to be a "Public Ivy" by authors Howard and Matthew Greene of Greene's Guides (2001), defined by the authors as a public institution that "provides an Ivy League collegiate education at a public school price". The University is most often referred to as the University of Maryland or simply Maryland, even though its formal name remains University of Maryland, College Park.

The University of Maryland's location near Washington, D.C., has created strong research partnerships, especially with government agencies. Many of the faculty members have funding from federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, NASA and the Department of Homeland Security. It is a member of the Association of American Universities.

As of fiscal year 2007, the University of Maryland, College Park's operating budget was projected to be approximately $1.352 billion. The University has also raised more than $500 million in private donations in its recent "Great Expectations" campaign.

History

On March 6, 1856, the forerunner of today's University of Maryland was chartered as the Maryland Agricultural College (MAC). Two years later, Charles Benedict Calvert, a descendant of the Barons Baltimore and a future U.S. Congressman, purchased 420 acres (1.7 km²) of the Riverdale Plantation in College Park for $21,000. Calvert founded the school later that year with money earned by the sale of stock certificates. On October 6, 1859, the first 34 students entered the Maryland Agricultural College, including four of Charles Calvert's sons, George, Charles, William and Eugene. The keynote speaker on opening day was Joseph Henry, the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.

In July 1862, the same month that the MAC awarded its first degrees, President Lincoln signed the Morrill Land Grant Act. The legislation provided federal funds to schools that taught agriculture or engineering, or provided military training. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the school became a land grant college in February 1864 after the Maryland legislature voted to approve the Morrill Act.

The Great Fire in 1912

On November 29, 1912, around 10:30 p.m., a fire, probably due to faulty electric wiring, broke out in the attic of the newest administration building, where a Thanksgiving dance was being held. The approximately eighty students on the premises evacuated themselves safely, and then formed a makeshift bucket brigade. The fire departments summoned from nearby Hyattsville and Washington, D.C. arrived too late. Fanned by a strong southwest wind, the fire destroyed the barracks where the students were housed, all the school's records, and most of the academic buildings, leaving only Morrill Hall untouched. The loss was estimated at $250,000 (about $5 million in 2005 U.S. dollars) despite no injuries or fatalities. The devastation was so great that many never expected the university to reopen. University President Richard Silvester resigned, brokenhearted.

However, the students refused to give up. All but two returned to the university after the break and insisted on classes continuing as usual. Students were housed by families in neighboring towns who were compensated by the university until housing could be rebuilt, although a new administration building was not built until the 1940s.

A large brick and concrete compass inlaid in the ground designates the former center of campus as it existed in 1912. Lines engraved in the compass point to each building that was destroyed in the Thanksgiving Day fire. The only building not marked on the compass is Morrill Hall, which was spared by the blaze.

Recent History

The state took complete control of the school in 1916, and consequently the institution was renamed Maryland State College. Also that year, the first female students enrolled at the school. On April 9, 1920, the college merged with the preestablished professional schools in Baltimore to form the University of Maryland. The graduate school on the College Park campus awarded its first Ph.D. degrees, and the University's enrollment reached 500 students in the same year. In 1925 the University was granted accreditation by the Association of American Universities.

By the time the first African-American students enrolled at the University in 1951, enrollment had grown to nearly 10,000 students—4,000 of whom were women. In 1957 President Wilson H. Elkins made a push to increase academic standards at the University. His efforts resulted in the creation of one of the first Academic Probation Plans. The first year the plan went into effect, 1,550 students (18% of the total student body) faced expulsion. Since then, academic standards at the school have steadily risen. Recognizing the improvement in academics, Phi Beta Kappa established a chapter at the university in 1964. In 1969, the university was elected to the Association of American Universities. The school continued to grow, and by the fall of 1985 reached an enrollment of 38,679.

On September 24, 2001, a tornado struck the College Park campus, killing two female students and causing $15 million in damage to 12 buildings.

Academics

The University of Maryland offers 127 undergraduate degrees and 112 graduate degrees in 13 different colleges and schools which include:College of Arts and Humanities

• School of Music
  
• College of Education
  
• College of Computer, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences
  
• Philip Merrill College of Journalism
  
• College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
  
• College of Chemical and Life Sciences Robert H. Smith School of Business
  
• College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
  
• A. James Clark School of Engineering
  
• College of Information Studies
  
• School of Public Policy
  
• School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation
  
• School of Public Health
  

Rankings

Times of London Higher Education Supplement

A ranking of the World's Top 200 Universities.
The Times ranked UM No. 79 among world universities. Within these rankings, UM's place among U.S. schools:
No. 30 among all universities
No. 7 among flagship institutions
No. 11 among all public universities

The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine's Top 50 Entrepreneureal Colleges Undergraduate and Graduate Programs

UM is No. 14 among undergraduate programs and No. 18 among graduate programs.
It is among only 12 schools to make the Top 25 in both classifications.
Fortune's Best Colleges for Entrepreneurs
Fortune Small Business Magazine ranks UM as one of the 'America's Best Colleges for Entrepreneurs.'
MBA Rankings:
UM is one of (26) grad schools that 'blend real-world small-business know-how with top academics.'
Undergrad Rankings:
At UM, 'even freshmen have visions of startups at these top spots (25 schools).
Wall Street Journal Best Business Schools

The Journal ranks the Smith School of Business No. 10 among the world's "Regional" schools. ("Regional" is a category of schools that traditionally attract business recruiters from their own region or nation.)
Smith is ranked No. 8 among all the world's business schools in "Information Technology."
15 Green Colleges and Universities
Grist Magazine ranks UM as one of the Top '15 Green Colleges and Universities.' UM is the only U.S. state flagship university so named.
Institute of Higher Education (Jiao Tong University, Shanghai) World's Top 100 Universities Ranking

The Institute of Higher Education ranks the world's top universities, based on research.
UM ranks No. 37 in the world, up from No. 57 three years ago
UM ranks No. 8 among U.S. Flagship univerisites
UM ranks No. 28 among U.S. schools
U.S. News & World Report Undergraduate Rankings, Top Public Universities

The university is 18th in the ranking of national public universities.
With the release of these rankings, Maryland has 29 programs overall in the magazine's Top 10 rankings (undergraduate and graduate), and 90 programs in Top 25 rankings.

University of Maryland, College Park ranked 79th in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Maryland, College Park ranked 122nd in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Maryland, College Park ranked 122nd in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Maryland, College Park ranked 104th in the 2010 QS World University Ranking

University of Maryland, College Park ranked 113rd in the 2011 QS World University Ranking

Purdue University

Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six campuses Purdue University System, one of the largest university systems in the United States. Purdue University has a long established reputation as one of America's top engineering universities, with an especially impressive record in aeronautical and astronautical engineering achievements.

Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869 as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and money from Lafayette businessman John Purdue to establish a college of science, technology, and agriculture in his name. The first classes were held on September 16, 1874, with three buildings, six instructors, and 39 students. Today, Purdue enrolls the largest student body of any university in Indiana and the largest international student population of any public university in the United States.

In 2005, Purdue reorganized its academic units into its present configuration of eight colleges and fourteen schools, containing both undergraduate and graduate programs in over 200 major areas of study. Of these, the Purdue University College of Engineering, the Krannert School of Management, and Purdue's pharmacy school offer a number of programs that are consistently rated among the best in the United States. Purdue has long been influential in America's history of aviation, having established the first college credit offered in flight training, the first four-year bachelor's degree in aviation, and the first university airport (Purdue University Airport). In the mid-20th century, Purdue's aviation program would expand to encompass advanced spaceflight technology, epitomized by its top-ranked School of Aeronautics and Astronautics and its #1 ranked Purdue University College of Technology.

Twenty-two American astronauts are graduates of Purdue, including the first person to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong, and the last, Eugene Cernan, giving rise to Purdue's nickname, Cradle of Astronauts.



History

Founded in 1869 and named after benefactor John Purdue, Purdue University began its journey with six instructors, 39 students and a mission to provide agriculture and mechanic arts education.

On July 2, 1862, President Lincoln signed the Morrill Act into law, which offered public lands to any state that would establish and maintain a college for the purpose of teaching agriculture and mechanics. In 1865, the Indiana General Assembly took advantage of this offer, and began plans to establish such an institution. John Purdue, a Lafayette business leader and philanthropist (buried at Purdue), sought to help establish a "land grant" college in Indiana. The state of Indiana received a gift of $150,000 from John Purdue, along with $50,000 from Tippecanoe County, and 150 acres (0.6 km²) of land from Lafayette residents in support of the project. On May 6, 1869, it was decided that the college would be founded near the city of Lafayette and legislators established the institution as Purdue University, in the name of the institution’s principal benefactor.

Classes first began at Purdue on September 16, 1874 with three buildings, six instructors, and 39 students. Purdue issued its first degree, a Bachelor of Science in chemistry, in 1875. The first female students were admitted to the university in the fall of the same year. By 1883 enrollment had increased beyond 350, and by the turn of the 20th century Purdue had begun a period of active expansion: scholarship standards were raised, courses were expanded, and equipment was improved.

Student Body

System-wide enrollment of 69,098 students; West Lafayette enrollment of 38,712 students (fall 2005); students from 50 states and 130 countries.

Location

Main campus in West Lafayette, Indiana (126 miles southeast of Chicago, 65 miles north of Indianapolis). Statewide university system includes five campuses and numerous teaching and research sites.

Estimated Annual Undergraduate Expenses

$18,800 resident; $34,444 nonresident (2008-09). Includes fees, books and supplies, room/board, tuition for nonresidents, and miscellaneous costs.

The slatter slammer concert at the beginning of each fall term


Athletics

Member of Big Ten Conference
nine men's, nine women's Division I NCAA teams

Purdue is home to 18 Division I/I-A NCAA teams including football, basketball, cross country, tennis, wrestling, golf, volleyball and others. Purdue is a founding member of the Big Ten Conference, and played a central role in its creation. Traditional rivals include Big Ten colleagues the Indiana Hoosiers, the Illinois Fighting Illini, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from the Big East Conference (football program independent, however). The Boilermakers battle the Hoosiers on the football field each year to win the Old Oaken Bucket. Purdue leads the series, first played in 1925, 68-36-6.

The Boilermaker men's and women's basketball teams have won more Big Ten Championships than any other conference school, with 27 conference banners, including a league-leading 21 for the men’s team. Purdue men's basketball has an all-time winning record against all Big Ten schools Old Gold Free Press. The current coach of the Boilermaker men's basketball team is Matt Painter. Men’s former head coach Gene Keady coached his final season with the Boilermakers in the 2004 – 2005 season after 25 years with the Boilermakers. Coach Keady became Purdue's all-time-winningest coach on December 6, 1997. In his years at Purdue, Keady led the Boilermakers to more than 500 victories. Coach Keady had the honor of being named in The Sporting News as the best college coach never to make the final four.

The Boilermaker football team, after suffering a string of disappointing seasons in the late 1980s and early 1990s, has enjoyed a significant resurgence under the leadership of head coach Joe Tiller. Before Tiller joined the Boilers as the 33rd head coach in 1996, the team had not seen a bowl game since 1984. The team has made a bowl appearance every year of Tiller’s leadership except in 2005. After his first season at Purdue, Tiller was named National Coach of the Year by both Football News and Kickoff magazines, the GTE Region 3 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association and the Big Ten Dave McClain Coach of the Year. Tiller recently announced his retirement following the upcoming 2008 season, after he sets the coaching record for most wins at Purdue. He will be replaced by Danny Hope, interim assistant coach, who will take over in 2009.

Future UCLA basketball coach John Wooden played his college basketball at Purdue and was the captain of Purdue's 1932 17-1 team that was named Helms Athletic Foundation National Champions.

Purdue Symphony Orchestra

Colleges

College of Agriculture
College of Consumer and Family Sciences
College of Education
College of Engineering
College of Liberal Arts
College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Health Sciences
College of Science
College of Technology

Schools

School of Consumer and Family Sciences
School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering
School of Chemical Engineering
School of Civil Engineering
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
School of Health Sciences
School of Industrial Engineering
Krannert School of Management*
School of Materials Engineering
School of Mechanical Engineering
School of Nuclear Engineering
School of Nursing
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
School of Veterinary Medicine*

A * indicates a school existing independently of a larger college.

Purdue University ranked 77th in the 2007 THES-QS World University ranking

Purdue University ranked 99th in the 2008 THES-QS World University ranking

Purdue University ranked 87th in the 2009 THES-QS World University ranking

Purdue University ranked 87th in the 2010 QS World University ranking

Purdue University ranked 85th in the 2011 QS World University ranking

University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is an independent, state-related, doctoral/research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1787, Pitt is a renowned leader in academic fields as diverse as philosophy and medicine, and is well known for pioneering work in the development of the first Polio vaccine, among other achievements.

Pitt has grown from its humble beginnings to a renowned leader in multiple academic disciplines. Along the way, Pitt's ability to withstand pressures to abandon its commitment to liberal education has resulted in strong reputations in a myriad of disciplines including philosophy, physics, astronomy, history of science, creative writing, chemistry, business, biological sciences, jazz, engineering, education, international studies, and a variety of medical and health sciences.

In 2006 Pitt was placed in the top cluster of 7 leading U.S. public research universities and among the clusters comprising the overall top 26 research universities, was ranked in U.S. News & World Reports's top 20 public universities, and has also been recognized as one of the top universities in the world by multiple studies.Pitt regularly produces internationally recognized scholarship and fellowship award winners.

One of 62 elected members of the Association of American Universities, Pitt is among the top universities in total research expenditures and is a top 10 school in National Institute of Health research allocations, bringing in over $430 million a year for biomedical and health science research alone.

Pitt and its medical school are also closely affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, a leading academic medical center and the most active organ transplant center in the United States. These resources have propelled Pitt to a leadership role in, among other fields, stem cell science, bioterrorism defense, and tissue engineering.

Pitt is popularly recognized for its National Landmark centerpiece building, the Cathedral of Learning (at 535 feet (163 m), the second tallest educational building in the world); for its central role in developing the first polio vaccine; and for fielding nationally competitive NCAA Division 1 athletic programs.

History

Founded in 1787 as a small, private school, the Pittsburgh Academy was located in a log cabin near Pittsburgh’s three rivers. In the 220 years since, the University has evolved into an internationally recognized center of learning and research.

Founded by Hugh Henry Brackenridge as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787, the University of Pittsburgh is among a select group of universities and colleges established in the 18th century in the United States. It is the oldest continuously chartered institution of learning in the U.S., west of the Allegheny Mountains. The school began its life as a preparatory school, presumably in a log cabin, as early as 1770 in Western Pennsylvania, then a frontier. Hugh Henry Brackenridge sought and obtained a charter for the school from the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that was passed by the assembly on February 28, 1787, just ten weeks before the opening of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. A brick building was erected in 1790 on the south side of Third Street and Cherry Alley for the Pittsburgh Academy. The small two-story brick building, with a gable facing the alley, contained three rooms: one below and two above.

Pitt is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt evolved into the Western University of Pennsylvania with an alteration to its charter in 1819. Upon relocating to its current campus in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, the school received its current moniker, the University of Pittsburgh, with a 1908 charter alteration. For most of its history, Pitt was a private institution until it became part of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education in 1966.

In 1966, Pitt was designated by Pennsylvania as a state-related university. As such, Pitt receives public funds (currently more than $200 million per annum) and offers reduced tuition to Pennsylvania residents, but is under independent control. It is typically categorized as a public university. Upon affiliation with the state, subsidized tuition led to a massive influx of new students and rapid expansion of Pitt's size and scope.

In the 1970s, Pitt's football team returned to greatness with a national championship season in 1976 led by Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett and continued success in the 1980s with players such as Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino.

In the 1980s, significant medical research in the field of organ transplantation was conducted by Thomas Starzl, establishing Pitt as the world leader in the field of organ transplantation. In 1991, long-time chancellor Wesley Posvar retired after 24 years in office. His administration is best known for elimination of the university's debt from its 1960s financial crisis and growing the school's prestige and endowment. Under Posvar, Pitt's operating budget grew sevenfold to $630 million and its endowment tripled to $257 million.

Mark Nordenberg has been chancellor of the University since 1995 and is leading Pitt through a period of substantial progress, including a $2-billion capital-raising campaign that is over half-way toward achieving it goal and a $1-billion 12-year facilities plan. Pitt's endowment in 2007 reached $2.254 billion, a 25 percent increase from 2006. It ranks 28th among all college endowments and 8th nationally among public universities.

Schools

Bachelor's, master's, doctoral and professional programs are offered through the following academic units:

School of Arts and Sciences
College of Business Administration
Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business
School of Dental Medicine
School of Education
Swanson School of Engineering
College of General Studies
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
University Honors College
School of Information Sciences
School of Law
School of Medicine
School of Nursing
School of Pharmacy
Graduate School of Public & International Affairs (GSPIA)
Graduate School of Public Health
School of Social Work

Rankings

The Center for Measuring University Performance has ranked Pitt, along with only six other schools, in the top tier of U.S. public research universities and in the 6th tier (or top 26) among all universities according to its 2006 annual report.

In 2007, U.S. News & World Report ranked Pitt 19th among public universities in the United States and #57 among all national universities.

Newsweek ranks Pitt 37th in its "The Top 100 Global Universities." Pitt is ranked 48th worldwide in the Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Academic Ranking of World Universities Pitt ranked 77th out of the top 200 institutions in the world, 28th out of all U.S. institutions, and 9th out out of all public U.S. institutions according to the “Times Higher-QS World University Rankings 2007,” by The Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) and Quacquarelli Symonds.

Pitt's Department of Philosophy has long been renowned in the U.S. and worldwide, and is especially strong in the areas of mathematical and philosophical logic, metaphysics, history and philosophy of science, philosophy of language, philosophy of mathematics, philosophy of mind and psychology, and semantics.

The University also is a leader in the field of business studies. The Joseph M. Katz School of Business MBA program is ranked first in the U.S. in "Value for Money," 51st overall in the nation, and its faculty research is ranked 47th in the world by the 2007 Financial Times ranking.The Joseph Katz Graduate School consistently ranks among the top ten public business schools in the U.S. according to The Wall Street Journal.

Pitt's law school faculty has been ranked 21st in the nation based upon standard objective measures of scholarly impact.

Pitt is home to the Gertrude E. and John M. Petersen Institute of NanoScience and Engineering, which was ranked second in the nation in 2006 for microscale and nanoscale research by the leading global trade publication, Small Times. Pitt also is a global leader in Radio-frequency identification device (RFID) technology, with its research program rated among the top three in the world along with MIT and the University of Cambridge in England.

University of Pittsburgh is ranked 77th in the 2007 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Pittsburgh is ranked 97th in the 2008 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Pittsburgh is ranked 114th in the 2009 THES-QS World University Ranking

University of Pittsburgh is ranked 119th in the 2010 QS World University Ranking

University of Pittsburgh is ranked 116th in the 2011 QS World University Ranking

University of St Andrews

Parted per saltire Argent and Azure, in chief a book expanded proper leaved Gules, and in base a lion rampant of the last armed and langued of the second, on a chief of the fourth a crescent reversed of the first between two mascles Or.

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 renowned centre for teaching and research and is a member of the 1994 Group, a network of smaller research-intensive British universities. Independent school intake is high, but the university has a widening participation policy.

The library and many university departments are spread around the town centre. The town's population of 16,000 is boosted considerably by the University's 8,000 students. St Andrews is frequently listed among the top universities in the United Kingdom. Until 1967, a large part of the University of St Andrews was located in the nearby city of Dundee, separating to become the University of Dundee.

History of the University

Founded in 1413, St Andrews is the oldest university in Scotland. By the middle of the sixteenth century the University had three colleges - St Salvator's (1450), St Leonard's (1511), and St Mary's (1538): the buildings of St Mary's College and St Salvator's Chapel both date from this period.

The 16th to 18th centuries saw a period of mixed fortunes for the University. During this time St Salvator's and St Leonard's Colleges joined to form the United College which still survives in a greatly enlarged form.

In the 19th century the University made considerable progress in developing teaching and research in the Arts, Divinity and the Biological and Physical Sciences. In 1897 the University was joined by a new academic centre in Dundee and with it gained notable achievements in Medical and Applied Science. This association ended in 1967 with the foundation of a separate University of Dundee.

The University history, its personalities and its teaching practices can be traced through the collections of documents, art works, furniture, laboratory equipment and specimens that it has accumulated in its Museum collections.

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.

Rankings

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 twelve applications for every 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. They have a noted preference for candidates who already have these qualification, something that implicitly gives preference to Scottish applicants as they will have normally completed the Scottish Highers when they apply, whereas other applicants, such as those studying in England, are still in the process of attaining their final secondary qualifications.

University of St Andrews ranked 76th in the 2007 THES-QS World University ranking

University of St Andrews ranked 83rd in the 2008 THES-QS World University ranking

University of St Andrews ranked 87th in the 2009 THES-QS World University ranking

University of St Andrews ranked 95th in the 2010 QS World University ranking

University of St Andrews ranked 97th in the 2011 QS World University ranking