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University of St Andrews

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University of St Andrews

University of St Andrews coat of arms

Established 1413
Chancellor Sir Kenneth Dover
Rector Sir Clement Freud
Principal & Vice-Chancellor Dr Brian Lang
Location St. Andrews, Scotland
Students c. 6,500 total (1,000 postgraduate)
Member of 1994 Group
Homepage http://www.st-and.ac.uk

The University of St Andrews was founded in 1413 and is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the United Kingdom. The University is situated in the town of St Andrews, on the eastern coast of Scotland.

History

The University was founded in 1413 when a charter of incorporation was bestowed upon the Priory of St Andrews Cathedral. The University grew in size quite rapidly; St Salvator's College was established in 1450, St Leonard's in 1511 and St Mary's in 1537. Some of the college buildings in use today date from this period as does St Salvator's Chapel. At this time much of the teaching was of a religious nature and was conducted by clerics associated with the Cathedral.

During the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries the University underwent many changes. The distinctive red gowns which are still in use today were adopted in 1672 and towards the end of the seventeenth century a move to Perth was considered and eventually rejected. In 1747 St. Salvator's and St. Leonard's Colleges were merged to form United College. During the nineteeth century student numbers were very low and the University having to close was a very real possibility. In the 1870s there were fewer than 150 students, perhaps partly in response to this the University was, in 1897, strengthened by the affiliation of University College in Dundee which became a centre of medical and scientific excellence. This affiliation ended in 1967 when Dundee University became an independent institution. Today the university is growing rapidly and in sound financial health, perhaps helped by what some students have argued are the highest hall of residence rents in the UK outside of London.

Alumni

Sciences

Politics

Arts

Miscellaneous

The University has a strong link with America, with significant numbers of students from that country. Benjamin Franklin, golfer Bobby Jones and (most recently) Bob Dylan have all been awarded honorary degrees. Also, three of the signatories of the 1776 American Declaration of Independence received degrees from St Andrews. It is also claimed that the dollar sign was invented at the University, and it is certain that the decimal point was.

Student Newspapers

There are several student newspapers in publication; The Saint, a fortnightly tabloid, has the highest circulation but there is also The Mitre, the self-styled quality paper, and The Chihuahua, which has been described as being "Private Eye without the journalism".

The Mitre has been in publication since March 26, 2003 and is pitched as a right-wing, Christian organ. Unlike The Saint it is not funded in any way by the Students' Association and is indeed highly critical of the Union. It unashamedly boasts of the fact that the majority of its readership is comprised of student Catholics, Tories and debaters, and has strong links with their respective societies. Its distribution is quite limited compared to The Saint, although it has become easier to get hold of recently.

The Saint is ostensibly editorially independent of the University of St Andrews Students' Association, although it is financially dependent on grants from the organisation and so must comply with the rules laid down by the Association for affiliated (and thus funded) societies. It has regularly won awards for being the best student newspaper in Scotland. It is sold in the streets and in several shops.

Finally, The Chihuahua is given out free to anyone who wants it, and unlike the other two papers it makes no attempt at serious journalism, instead focusing on satire and parody. To this end it has described The Mitre as a "fascist hate-rag" and its articles often sport headlines such as "'Canadian' Student outed as American".

University of St. Andrews Liberty Club

Founded in 2001, by Alex Singleton, Dr. Marian Tupy and Conyers Davis it has inherited the mantle of the University of St. Andrews Political Economy Club which was founded by Dr. Madsen Pirie and Dr. Eamonn Butler who later founded the highly influential Adam Smith Institute. The Club exists to promote classical liberalism and all that is associated with that, it is therefore of a libertarian leaning.

The Club has over 100 members and is the largest libertarian organisation in Scotland. It regularly holds lectures with distinguished guest speakers, past speakers include the Editor of The Economist Bill Emmott, Lord Pearson of Rannoch, The editor of The Salisbury Review Prof. Dennis O'Keefe, former Editor of the Sunday Times Andrew Neil and Prof. Sir Alan Walters.

It has strong association with right wing and libertarian think tanks, former Club President Alex Singleton, works for the Adam Smith Institute and former Vice President Dr. Marian Tupy works for the Cato Institute.

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