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University of Stirling

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Looking out over Airthrey Loch on the main campus of The University of Stirling
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Airthrey Loch frozen over on a snowy day

The University of Stirling is a campus university created in 1967 and is based in a custom-built campus situated on a greenfield site in the outskirts of Stirling, Scotland. The campus (which is around 3 miles (5km) from the centre of Stirling, but is much closer to the town of Bridge of Allan) was formerly the estate of the 18th century Airthrey Castle (which the university retains as a conference centre). It is regularly described as one of the most beautiful campuses in the world, and nestles at the foot of the Ochil Hills in a 300 acre (1.2 km²) estate centred around the Airthrey Loch. The loch serves as a venue for boating and fishing activities, and portions are sequestered for academic research into marine life and aquaculture.

The University caters for nearly 9000 students (around a third of whom live on-campus), and is also home to the MacRobert Arts Centre which is a small theatre and cinema complex, located on the main campus of the university. The Centre is open both to members of the University community and to members of the general public. The university is also home to the Scottish Institute of Sport.

The students of the University are represented by S.U.S.A (Stirling University Students' Association) and was named "Best Students' Union in Scotland" (Bar Entertainment and Dance Association, 2003).

The Highland and Western Isles campus

As well as the main campus in Stirling, the University also has campuses in Inverness and Stornoway which specialise in Nursing and Midwifery. The Highland campus site is on the outskirts of Inverness and within the grounds of the Raigmore Hospital (NHS) Trust. The site has purpose built teaching accommodation and student flats. There is also the Highland Health Sciences Library on this campus, which caters for both the student/staff body of the University as well as the NHS employees of Highland Health Board and its associated Trusts.

The Western Isles campus is located in Stornoway and the teaching accommodation is an integral part of the recently built Lewis Hospital. This is a small campus site that also has student accommodation within the environs of the Lewis Hospital.

Development

From its inception, Stirling has offered modular degree programmes allowing flexibility and choice. Stirling was the first UK university to introduce the acclaimed system of semesters, rather than having three terms. The first semester lasts from mid-September to Christmas and the second from mid-February to the end of May. Programmes are also offered in the evening and through the Summer Academic Programme.

There are now over 250 combinations of undergraduate degree, and a new law degree is to be added to the 2005 course portfolio. The university is principally known for its arts and social science courses, where most of it's top teaching and research assessments are to be found.

Teaching and research

The university has always been highly rated for teaching and research. Excellent teaching ratings for economics, sociology, theology, business studies, psychology and English show Stirling's strengh in the arts and social sciences. Among the sciences, environmental science also reached this feat, its success reflected in the new school of Biological and Environmental Sciences, with substantially refurbished facilities for both teaching and research. All but one of the subjects assessed for teaching quality were rated at least Highly satisfactory. (Source, The Times Higher Education Supplement)

The University is organized academically into four faculties: Arts; Human Sciences; Management; and Natural Sciences; plus the Division of Academic Innovation and Continuing Education (DAICE). There is a range of specialist research centres including the Scottish Network for Economic Methodology; the Institute of Aquaculture and the; the Centre for Environmental History and Policy; the Stirling Media Research Institute; the Social Work Research Centre; the Centre for Social Research on Dementia; the Scottish Addiction Studies; the Scottish Network for Chronic Pain Research Centre; the Scottish Centre for Information on Language, Teaching and Research; the Centre for Lifelong Learning; the Institute for Retail Studies.

The University has research excellence in many academic disciplines. In the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise, Stirling witnessed a dramatic upturn in its research performance, with more than half of the University’s research-active academics now working in subjects in the highly rated category of 5 (which indicates that the majority of the research in these areas is deemed to attain levels of at least national excellence, with a high proportion meeting international standards of excellence). The 5-rated subjects include: accountancy, finance and law; aquaculture; film and media studies; English studies; French; history; psychology; philosophy; social work; religious studies. Other subject areas were also highly rated: biological sciences; business and management; economics; education; German; sports studies.

The University's funding for research following the 2001 RAE increased more than any other pre 1992 university in Scotland, and was amongst the largest increases in the UK. The University has a developing track record in externally funded research, attracting grants and awards from bodies such as the Research Councils, central and local government, the European Union, and charitable sources. It conducts high quality research ranging from basic through strategic to applied, making a vital contribution to the economic, social and cultural life of Scotland and beyond.

Sport centres and departments

The University of Stirling has one of the best sport facilities in the UK and One of only 16 universities in the country with 5 star sports facilities (Sunday Times, 2003). It boasts its own golf course, and a host of other sporting facilities is located in and around the University. The Gannochy Sports Centre on the University campus is recognised as a Tennis Centre of Excellence, and also has an indoor swimming pool, badminton and squash courts, sports halls and playing fields available for student, staff and public use. The campus has been selected as the headquarters for the Scottish Institute of Sport and a new 50m pool has been created as part of the National Swimming Academy.

Useful Facts

  • Ranked 1st in UK for widening access to Higher Education, teaching and research standards, and low non-completion rates (Times Higher Education Supplement, 2002)
  • Ranked 14th in UK for Teaching Assessment (Times Higher Education Supplement, 2003)
  • Ranked 4th in UK for Sociology and 6th in UK for English Studies (The Guardian, 2003)
  • Ranked 1st in Scotland for Communications and Media Studies and 2nd in Scotland for Environmental Science (Times Higher Education Supplement, 2004)
  • Ranked 1st in the UK for Social Work (Times Higher Education Supplement, 2004)
  • One of only 16 universities in the UK with 5 star sports facilities (Sunday Times, 2003)
  • Ranked 1st in Scotland for the Best Students' Union in Scotland award (Bar Entertainment and Dance Association, 2003)
  • Ranked 23rd in the UK for awarding firsts and upper seconds (Times Higher Education Supplement, 2003)


Notable alumni

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