Oxford Brookes University
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| Motto | Excellence in diversity |
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| Established | 1992, from Oxford Polytechnic (est 1970) ultimately from Oxford School of Art (est 1865) |
| Type | Public |
| Chancellor | Jon Snow |
| Vice-Chancellor | Graham Upton |
| Students | 19,000 |
| Location | Oxford, UK |
| Affiliations | Universities UK, AMBA |
| Website | www.brookes.ac.uk |
Oxford Brookes is a public university in Oxfordshire, England.
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[edit] Overview
Brookes has a student body of around 19,000 and, like most of the former polytechnics in the United Kingdom, was re-designated as a university in 1992. Oxford Brookes is regarded by some distance as the best of the post 1992 universities, and has routinely won the best "new university" award since its inception. However, it traces its roots further back to a 19th-century art school. It is named after John Henry Brookes, its head from 1928 to 1956, who was personally responsible for much of its development, and arguably for its very continued existence through the era of his tenure. Although founded by dissatisfied Oxford academics and despite the similarity of names, it is a separate institution from the better known University of Oxford, with which it shares no direct relationship, although the two universities do co-operate on many issues. The friendship between Jon Snow (Chancellor of Oxford Brookes) and Chris Patten (Chancellor of the University of Oxford) is strengthening this bond.
Brookes has been one of the most successful of all the former polytechnics, and prides itself especially on the quality of its history, modern languages, engineering, art and economics departments: in a popular story run by the British media, Brookes's history department gained a higher research rating in an assessment exercise than the University of Oxford's. Brookes has also pioneered the use of modular degree courses.
Efforts by Brookes to forge a distinct and recognisable identity are a work in progress. Its continuing improvement in the national league tables (it has been named "Best New University" by "The Times Good University Guide" for eight years in a row) is a testament to the hard work and dedication of its staff, this has also increased awareness within the general public of the distinction between Oxford and Oxford Brookes University. In particular, Oxford Brookes University is outstanding in a number of fields including Architecture, English Studies, History, Automotive Engineering, Tourism and Hotel Management.
The Department of Architecture at Oxford Brookes University is one of the largest in the UK and has been named as the UK's leading school of architecture outside London in a new survey conducted by The Architect's Journal, and second overall in the UK (AJ 4 May 2006 page 84.)
The Centre for Development and Emergency Practice (CENDEP) in the School of the Built Environment is also internationally renowned for its education of humanitarian practitioners. CENDEP provides a unique academic setting for the study of cities, humanitarianism and refugees and was awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize for it's pioneering work. Singer and campaingner Annie Lennox is patron of the Master's Course in Humanitarian and Development Practice. World renowned property right scholar Jamie Bateman also studied for a Bachelors degree at the university.
[edit] Oxford Brookes campuses
Oxford Brookes University has three main campuses:
Headington Campus is located in Headington, a pleasant residential area of Oxford, one mile from the city centre. It consists of the Gipsy Lane site, which is the main teaching site, and the adjacent Headington Hill site over the road, where the Students' Union is located. Automotive Engineering and History is taught at this site amongst others.
Wheatley Campus is set near Wheatley in the Oxfordshire countryside, seven miles south-east of the city centre, and is where business, IT and mathematics subjects are taught.
Harcourt Hill Campus is situated on Oxford's western perimeter, two and a half miles from the city centre. Education, Philosophy, Theology, Media and Communication and many other subjects are taught here, in a landscaped setting overlooking the city. It was formerly the site of Westminster College, Oxford, the only independent Methodist higher education institution in Europe, which specialised in Teacher Training and Theology and whose students were awarded their degrees by the University of Oxford upon successful completion of their course. The 'campus' was purpose-built for the College's move from London to Oxford in the 1950s and was leased to Brookes by the Methodist Church for a nominal annual sum in 2000 after financial pressures drew into question the viability of what was previously a thriving college. The College lives on in the Westminster Institute of Education at Oxford Brookes University, which is the 'school' responsible for those subjects taught at the Harcourt Hill Campus by Brookes. In practice, however, the College is regarded by many as defunct. The College's Methodist history accounts for the campus' fine chapel and its arrangement around traditional Oxford quads.
All three main campuses offer a range of sports and recreational facilities that can be used by all the students. Harcourt Hill and Wheatley provide catering whereas the rest offer excellent catering facilities, a library with an extensive range of reference books and journals, and 24 hour computer rooms along with numerous other facilities.
[edit] Oxford Brookes halls of residence
Oxford Brookes has 9 halls of residence: Crescent, Cheney, Clive Booth, Warneford, Cotuit Hall, Morrell, Paul Kent, Lady Spencer Churchill Hall at Wheatley campus, and at Harcourt Hill, Harcourt Hill Hall.
[edit] Night life
Oxford's largest music venue resides at the main Headington campus and hosts a diverse array of lively night time events. Ministry of Sound, Cream, Gatecrasher, Judge Jules, Paul Oakenfold, Goldie, Embrace, Kaiser Chiefs, John Carter, The Levellers, Lamacq, Dirty Pretty Things, Coldplay, Travis, David Gray, Ronnie Size, Ash and many, many others have appeared at Brookes in recent years. Students and locals can find further famous djs and bands regularly playing at Oxford's other clubs. The city has an active music scene reflected in the large number of small, intimate clubs found scattered around the city.
[edit] Global partnership
Oxford Brookes University's innovative partnership with Association of Chartered Certified Accountants allows ACCA students to study for a BSc (Hons) in Applied Accounting while taking their ACCA examinations.
Students will be entitled to the BSc (Honours) in Applied Accounting degree awarded by Oxford Brookes University on completing the first two parts of the new Professional Scheme of examinations and submitting a Research and Analysis Project to the university for assessment. The Project examines graduate skills, focusing particularly on the ability of students to carry out research and analysis.
Tsinghua University (清華大學) will recognise the Oxford Brookes University BSc Applied Accounting degree, which has been successfully developed in conjunction with ACCA and which enables students who have completed two parts of the ACCA qualification to apply for the Oxford Brookes degree. [1]
[edit] Future plans
Oxford Brookes is currently redeveloping its campuses, with a view to making them "student centred", in line with the University's objective of being in the best 20 universities in the country. As part of this, the University plans to demolish and rebuild part of the Darcy building at Gipsy Lane, one of the main four buildings surrounding the central quad; as well as demolishing the main residential tower at Wheatley and constructing a new School of Technology. A new Research Centre at Gipsy Lane, opened in mid-2006 and named the Buckley Building, has the aim of improving the university's research levels from its polytechnic roots.
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