Glyndŵr University:
Glyndŵr University (Welsh: Prifysgol Glyndŵr, Welsh pronunciation: [priːvˈəsɡɔl ɡlɨnˈduːr]) is a British university with campuses at Wrexham, Northop and St Asaph in north-east Wales; and at Elephant and Castle, London. It offers both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, as well as professional courses. GU has approximately 9,000 students.
Formerly known as the North East Wales Institute of Higher Education (NEWI), it was granted full university status in 2008 after being a member of the University of Wales since 2003. The university is named after the medieval Welsh prince Owain Glyndŵr, who first suggested the establishment of universities throughout Wales in the early 15th century.
In June 2014 the university was suspended from recruiting students from outside the UK. This followed an investigation into students who had obtained fraudulent English language qualifications in order to gain admission to the university. An investigation is currently underway and a task force has been established with the aim of getting the suspension lifted
History
The university’s origins date back to the opening of Wrexham School of Science and Art (WSSA) in 1887. At this time Viriamu Jones called for a University of Wales.[citation needed] The WSSA began offering University of London-validated degrees in science in 1924. The original name of Wrexham School of Science and Art was changed several times. In 1927, it became Denbighshire Technical Institute, becoming Denbighshire Technical College in 1939 and North East Wales Institute of Higher Education in 1975 by the merger of Denbighshire Technical College, Cartrefle Teacher Training College and Kelsterton College of Connah’s Quay, Deeside. Initially, its degrees were validated by the University of Salford. Some famous alumni include William Roberts, Srinjoy Guha and Rupert Humphrey among others.
In 1993, NEWI became an associate member of the University of Wales and all further education courses in Wrexham were moved to Yale College, Wrexham. In 2004, NEWI became a full member of the University of Wales and in 2006 became accredited by the University of Wales and exercised devolved powers to validate and deliver its own degrees. The university was officially renamed “Glyndŵr University” in July 2008 after being granted degree awarding powers. The name was chosen in favour of other suggestions such as “University of Wrexham”, “University of Wales, Wrexham”, and “North East Wales University (NEWU)” amongst others. The university was visited by the Queen in 2003 and by HRH the Duchess of Gloucester in 2005.
In June 2014, the Home Office suspended the University’s authorisation to sponsor international students.
Campuses
The university has various sites in the Wrexham area and also a site in south London to develop the university at an academic and professional level. This is near the Elephant and Castle tube station.
Wrexham
The university has five sites in Wrexham. The main site at Plas Coch covers 93 acres (380,000 m2), and was inherited from the former Cartrefle TTC which moved there in 1953. It houses over 70 seminar suites, conference suites, lecture theatres, work shops and laboratories, complemented with a library (the Edward Llwyd Centre) and learning resource facilities, as well as a fair sized sports centre (the Plas Coch Sports Centre), a Centre for the Creative Industries, the Centre for the Child, Family and Society, the Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium, a human performance lab, the Terry Hands studio, the Catrin Finch Centre, William Aston Hall, the Oriel Sycharth Gallery, the Welsh international hockey team, and Techniquest, a science discovery centre which is open to the public.
The other Wrexham site on Regent Street, is near to Wrexham town centre and is home to courses in Art and Design. It formerly housed the Denbighshire Technical College, who moved to the site in 1927 (under their previous name of Denbighshire Technical Institute).
In 2008, the university took over the higher education provision of the Welsh College of Horticulture in Northop, Flintshire, and now has a full campus in that location. Courses offered include Animal Studies, Equine Science, Geography, Ecology & Environment and Wildlife and plant biology.
In 2011 the university acquired the Racecourse Ground, the home of Wrexham FC, renaming it the Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium.
The university has its own music recording facilities, notably The Wall Recording Studio.