University of Canterbury

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This page discusses the New Zealand university. For universities in Canterbury, England, see the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University. For a similarly named institution, see Canterbury University (Seychelles).
University of Canterbury
Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

Coat of Arms of the University of Canterbury
Motto Ergo tua rura manebunt
Motto in English Therefore will your fields remain [yours]
Established 1873 (1873)
Type Public
Chancellor John Wood
Vice-Chancellor Rod Carr
Academic staff 784 (as of 2010)[1]
Students 18,764 (as of 2010)[1]
Undergraduates 13,590 (as of 2010)[1]
Postgraduates 2,083 (as of 2010)[1]
Location Christchurch, New Zealand
Campus Urban
Website www.canterbury.ac.nz
University of Canterbury logo

The University of Canterbury (Māori: Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation Cantuar. or Cant. for Cantuariensis, the Latin name for Canterbury) was initiated and founded by scholars from the University of Oxford in 1873 and is New Zealand's second-oldest university. It operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It offers degrees in Arts, Commerce, Education (physical education), Engineering, Fine Arts, Forestry, Law, Music, Social Work, Speech and Language Therapy, Science, Sports Coaching and Teaching.

Contents

[edit] Campus

The James Hight building at the University of Canterbury

The University has a main campus of 76 hectares at Ilam, a suburb of Christchurch: about 5 km from the centre of the city. Adjacent to the main campus stands the University's College of Education, with its own sports-fields and grounds. The University maintains five libraries, with the Central Library (Māori: Te Puna Mātauraka o Waitaha) housed in the tallest building on campus, the 11-storey James Hight building.

The University's College of Education maintains additional small campuses in Nelson, Tauranga and Timaru, and "teaching centres" in Greymouth, New Plymouth, Rotorua and Timaru. The University has staff in regional information offices in Nelson, Timaru, and Auckland.

Canterbury University has six halls of residence housing around 1800 students. The largest of these are Ilam Apartments and University Hall with 850 residents and 550 residents, respectively. Three of these halls (Ilam Apartments, University Hall and Sonoda Christchurch Campus) are managed by UC Accommodation, a subsidiary of Campus Living Villages, while the university maintains ownership of the property and buildings. Sonoda Christchurch Campus has a close relationship with Sonoda Women's University in Amagasaki, Japan. Bishop Julius, College House and Rochester & Rutherford are run independently.

The six Halls of Residence are:

The Science Lecture Theatre complex with the top of the Rutherford building in the background
View of campus buildings from the Central Library

The Field Facilities Centre[3] administers four field-stations:

  • Cass Field Station[4] - Provides a wide range of environments: montane grasslands, scrub, riverbed, scree, beech forest, swamp, bog, lake, stream and alpine habitats; all accessible by day-trips on foot
  • Kaikoura Field Station[5] - Provides a wide range of environments: diverse marine habitats, alpine habitats, kanuka forests, rivers, lakes
  • Harihari Field Station[6] - Access to native forests, streams
  • Westport Field Station[7] - for study of the West Coast of New Zealand, particularly mining

The University and its project-partners also operate an additional field-station in the Nigerian Montane Forests Project[8] - this field station stands on the Ngel Nyaki forest edge in Nigeria.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy runs its own field laboratories:

The Department of Physics and Astronomy also has involvement in the Southern African Large Telescope.

[edit] Organisation

Professor Roy Sharp assumed the position of Vice-Chancellor on 1 March 2003.[9] In May 2008 he announced his imminent resignation from the position, following his acceptance of the chief executive position at the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC[10]),[11] which he took up on 4 August 2008.[12] The then current Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Town, assumed the role of acting Vice-Chancellor on 1 July 2008. On 15 October 2008 the University announced that Dr Rod Carr would begin a five-year appointment as Vice-Chancellor on 1 February 2009.[13]

The Chancellor chairs the governing body of the University, the Council. Council member and former Pro-Chancellor, Mr Rex Williams, became chancellor in 2008. Council Member John Wood became the new Pro-Chancellor.

The Council includes representatives from the faculties, students and general staff, as well as local industry, employer and trade union representatives.[14]

In 2004 the University underwent restructuring into four Colleges and a School of Law, administering a number of schools and departments (though a number of departments have involvement in cross-teaching in numerous academic faculties). 2007 saw the addition of a fifth College with the merging of the Christchurch College of Education into the University. The main constituents of the university include:

[edit] Structure administration

The units listed above constitute administrative groups. Each College and the School of Law has as its head a Pro-Vice-Chancellor (PVC), who answers to the Vice-Chancellor for all activities of the College/School. College Offices support the PVCs, providing financial, administrative, academic, and human-resources advice to each PVC. Each College also has a College Manager, who acts as the day-to-day manager of the College.

In addition to the administrative structure, the University has seven faculties:

  1. Humanities and Social Sciences
  2. Commerce
  3. Engineering and Forestry
  4. Education
  5. Science
  6. Visual and Performing Arts
  7. Law

Each faculty consists of the teaching-staff of the departments and schools who offer courses that may form part of the particular degree from that faculty[clarification needed]. Student representatives participate in governing the various faculties.

The University receives funding from student fees, the New Zealand government (in partial support of domestic students, and via various research funding mechanisms), non-government research funding agencies, bequests and so on.

Together with the New Zealand government, the University formed the NZi3 ICT Innovation Institute in 2006 to commercialize research and to encourage local high-tech industry. The cluster of technology-companies around Christchurch has led to the name "Silicon Plains" for the area.

[edit] Rankings

In 2011 QS World University Rankings ranked the University of Canterbury 212th overall in the world, and the third highest ranked university in New Zealand.[15] Its individual global subject rankings were: 226th in Arts & Humanities, 128th in Engineering & IT, 207th in Natural Sciences, and 243rd in Social Sciences.[16]

The University is also the first university in New Zealand to have been granted five stars by QS Stars,[17][18] but universities that wish to participate in QS Stars pay an audit fee along with an annual charge,[19] and the programme is described as giving "...those institutions that are not highly ranked or do not appear in the rankings an opportunity to reach out to their prospect students, to stand out and to be recognised for their excellence."[20]

[edit] League tables

World
2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005
QS World University Rankings 221st[21] 212nd[22] 189th[23] 188th[24] 186th[24] 188th[25] 333rd[26] 333rd[27]
Times Higher Education World University Rankings 301-350th[28] 301-350th[29] N/A

[edit] Personnel

In September 2011, the University had a total of 18,178 students, 16,862 domestic students and 1,324 international students (students apart from New Zealand citizens or residents). Undergraduate students make up 85% of the total student numbers with 15% being postgraduate students. The University employed 589 full-time equivalent academic staff and 979 full-time equivalent general staff.[30] Of the academic staff, 14.8% are professors, 15.2% are associate professors, 41.7% are senior lecturers, 20.3% are lecturers, and 0.6% are assistant lecturers. However as of September 2012, the University had only 15,608 students, 14,087 domestic students and 1,521 international students.[31] This decrease in student enrolments, attributable to the Christchurch earthquakes, resulted in the University announced in September 2011 that it might need to dismiss 350 or more of its staff.[32] The University had eliminated over 100 jobs prior to the earthquakes,[33] losing some prominent scholars. The suggestion has been made that staff eliminations are sometimes based on academic ideology rather than merit.[34] Resignations have occurred by staff who complained about restrictions on academic freedom.[35][36] The University, in common with some other New Zealand universities, tends to take a litigious approach to managing its staff and, despite increasing its number of human-resources managers, routinely engages lawyers and employment advocates to handle even minor matters.[37] The University's 2006 financial reports list $836,000 as having been paid out as compensation for employment-relationship problems, more than any other New Zealand university.[37] Unlike five other New Zealand universities, the University refused to release to the Association of University Staff records on how much it spends on external lawyers, advocates and consultants for advice and representation.[37]

[edit] Student Association and traditions

The University of Canterbury Students' Association (UCSA)[38] operates on campus with its own radio station (RDU) and magazine (Canta). The Association also runs two bars, the 430-seat Ngaio Marsh Theatre, and several cafes around campus. The popular on-campus bar, "The Foundry", known as "The Common Room" from 2005, has reverted to its former name as promised by 2008 USCA president, Michael Goldstein.

The University has over 100 academic, sporting, recreational and cultural societies and clubs. The most prominent of these include the University of Canterbury Engineering Society (ENSOC), the Law Society (LAWSOC), the Commerce Society (UCom), as well as the largest non-faculty clubs such as Motosoc (Motorsports Society), BYCSOC (Backyard Cricket Society), CUBA (Canterbury University Boardriders' Association), CurrySoc, The Gentlemen's Club, and KAOS (Killing As Organised Sport). The University of Canterbury Drama Society (Dramasoc) achieved fame for its 1942-1969 Shakespeare productions under Dame Ngaio Marsh, but regularly performs as an active student- and alumni-run arts fixture in the small Christchurch theatre-scene. The Musical Society, MuSoc,[39] engages in comparable activities.

One major student tradition, the Undie 500, involves an annual car-rally from Christchurch to Dunedin run by ENSOC. The rules require only the use of a road-legal car costing under $500 with a sober driver. The 2007 event gained international news coverage (including on CNN and BBC World) when it ended in rioting in the student quarter of Dunedin and in North East Valley. ENSOC cancelled the planned 2008 event: its future now seems murky.

[edit] History

Former University of Canterbury campus in the city centre, today the Christchurch Arts Centre

The University originated in 1873 in the centre of Christchurch as Canterbury College, the first constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It became the second institution in New Zealand providing tertiary-level education (following the University of Otago, established in 1869), and the fourth in Australasia.

The Canterbury Museum and Library and Christ's College, dissatisfied with the state of higher education in Canterbury, had both worked towards setting up Canterbury College.[40] In 1933, the name changed from Canterbury College to Canterbury University College. In 1957 the name changed again to the present University of Canterbury.

Until 1961, the University formed part of the University of New Zealand (UNZ), and issued degrees in its name. That year saw the dissolution of the federal system of tertiary education in New Zealand, and the University of Canterbury became an independent University awarding its own degrees. Upon the UNZ's demise, Canterbury Agricultural College became a constituent college of the University of Canterbury, as Lincoln College.[41] Lincoln College became independent in 1990 as a full university in its own right.

Over the period from 1961 to 1974, the university campus relocated from the centre of the city to its much larger current site in the suburb of Ilam. The neo-gothic buildings of the old campus became the site of the Christchurch Arts Centre, a hub for arts, crafts and entertainment in Christchurch.

For many years the university worked closely with the Christchurch College of Education, leading to a full merger in 2007.[42]

The James Hight building suffered extensive damage during the 2010 Canterbury earthquake.

[edit] 2011 Christchurch earthquake

Following a magnitude 6.3 earthquake on 22 February 2011, the university was temporarily closed to allow a full safety inspection of all its buildings.[43] A progressive restart of the University began on 14 March with lectures delivered online, off-site, and in tents set up on campus.[44] In September 2011, plans were announced to demolish some University buildings.[45] Student numbers at the University of Canterbury have dropped at least 13 percent since the earthquakes began. The university has lost 25 percent of its first-year students and 8 per cent of continuing students. The number of international students, who pay much higher fees and are a major source of revenue, has dropped by 30 percent.[46][47]

Other New Zealand universities, apparently defying an informal agreement, have launched billboard and print advertising campaigns in the earthquake-ravaged city to recruit University of Canterbury students who are finding it difficult to study there.[48] As of October 2011, staff are being encouraged to take voluntary redundancies as the university scrambles to survive through a financial crisis.[49] The Vice Chancellor Dr Carr warned "There was 'no doubt' staff who were teaching a smaller number of students, researchers whose outputs were smaller and researchers who were not attracting grants would be at high risk of redundancy".[50] He described possible changes in university courses by stating “What we don't know, and we won't know, is where there are rationalisations of courses within programmes - where we may be able to, instead of having twelve flavours, have eight flavours. We may require staff to teach four courses instead of three courses. But the impact on the actual programmes we offer will be quite modest".[51]

[edit] Coat of arms

Academic procession at the University of Canterbury graduation ceremony 2004

With the dissolution of the University of New Zealand, the newly independent University of Canterbury devised its own coat of arms, blazoned:

"murrey a fleece argent, in base a plough or, and on a chief wavy or an open book proper bound murrey, edged and clasped or between a pall azure charged with four crosses formy fitchy or and a cross flory azure."

What it means. The colour of the shield is the first thing stated. “Murrey” is maroon. This is a colour seldom seen in Heraldry. Next the objects on the shield and their colour are described. “A fleece” is usually depicted as a whole sheep with a band around its middle and “argent” means silver (or white as it is usually depicted.) “In Base” means at the bottom of the shield, and the object is a hand plough. “Or” means gold so the plough is coloured gold. A “chief” is a broad stripe across the top of the shield and “wavy” means the line at the base of the chief is like a sine wave. “Or” again means gold so the chief is coloured gold. Then the objects on the chief are described. “An open book” is self-explanatory. “Proper” means the object is depicted in its natural colour(s) and as books normally have white pages this is how it looks. The book is “bound murrey” which means the covers are in maroon. However the edges of the pages are in gold (“edged or”.) The book also has clasps (“clasped”) in maroon. A clasp allows the book to be more securely bound after it has been closed. The “between” indicates that the book is between two other objects; in this case a “pall” which is the Y shaped object. “Azure” means blue. “Charged” means that the following objects are placed on the pall. The “four crosses” are Christian crosses but “formy” means the arms of the cross flare at the ends and fitchy” means that the lower arm has a pointed end. Again “or” means these crosses are gold. The pall is a link between Canterbury, New Zealand, and Canterbury, England as it (and the crosses) appear on the arms of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The other object is another type of cross this time all arms are of equal length and the “flory” means the shaped part at the end of each arm is a fleur-de-lys. “Azure” again means blue, so this cross is blue.

This replaced the arms formerly used by Canterbury College — an unofficial, simplified version of the Canterbury Province coat of arms.

The fleece symbolises the pastoral, and the plough at the base the agricultural background of the province of Canterbury. The Bishop's Pall and the cross flory represent Canterbury's ecclesiastical connections, and the open book denotes scholarship.

As it relates to an institution of learning, the University's coat of arms does not have a helmet, crest or mantling on its bearings.

A more detailed history of the arms, including their formal heraldic description, appears on the University website.

[edit] Awards

The University was awarded the 2006 Cycle Friendly Award for the best cycle-friendly commitment by a public organisation in New Zealand.[52]

[edit] Notable staff

Main category: University of Canterbury faculty

[edit] Notable alumni

Main category: University of Canterbury alumni

[edit] Office-holders

[edit] Chancellor

[edit] Pro-Chancellor

  • Trevor McIntyre

[edit] Vice-Chancellor

  • Dr Rod Carr (1 February 2009 - )

[edit] Pro-Vice-Chancellors

College of Arts
  • Professor Ed Adelson (2010 - )
College of Business and Economics
  • Dr Sonia Mazey (2012 - )
College of Education
  • Professor Gail Gillon (2007- )[53]
College of Engineering
  • Professor Jan Evans-Freeman (2009 - )[54]
College of Science
  • Professor Paul Fleming (2009 - )[55]

[edit] See also

Portal icon New Zealand portal

[edit] References

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d University of Canterbury - At a Glance 2010
  2. ^ a b c d e f "UC Accommodation". Canterburyuv.co.nz. http://www.canterburyuv.co.nz/. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  3. ^ "Field Facilities Centre - University of Canterbury - New Zealand". Ffc.canterbury.ac.nz. http://www.ffc.canterbury.ac.nz/. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  4. ^ "Cass Field Station - Field Facilities Centre - University of Canterbury - New Zealand". Ffc.canterbury.ac.nz. http://www.ffc.canterbury.ac.nz/cass. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  5. ^ "Kaikoura Field Station - Field Facilities Centre - University of Canterbury - New Zealand". Ffc.canterbury.ac.nz. http://www.ffc.canterbury.ac.nz/kaikoura. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  6. ^ "Harihari Field Station - Field Facilities Centre - University of Canterbury - New Zealand". Ffc.canterbury.ac.nz. http://www.ffc.canterbury.ac.nz/harihari. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  7. ^ "Westport Field Station - Field Facilities Centre - University of Canterbury - New Zealand". Ffc.canterbury.ac.nz. http://www.ffc.canterbury.ac.nz/westport. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  8. ^ "Nigerian Montane Forest Project - Biological Sciences - University of Canterbury - New Zealand". Biol.canterbury.ac.nz. http://www.biol.canterbury.ac.nz/NMF_project/index.shtml. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  9. ^ "University News - Communications and Development - University of Canterbury". Comsdev.canterbury.ac.nz. 2003-02-11. http://www.comsdev.canterbury.ac.nz/news/2003/03021101.shtml. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  10. ^ "Tertiary Education Commission". Tec.govt.nz. http://www.tec.govt.nz/. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  11. ^ http://www.comsdev.canterbury.ac.nz/chronicle/2008/ChronVol43-7.pdf
  12. ^ TEC appoints new Chief Executive[dead link]
  13. ^ "University News - Communications and Development - University of Canterbury - New Zealand". Comsdev.canterbury.ac.nz. 2008-10-15. http://www.comsdev.canterbury.ac.nz/news/2008/081015b.shtml. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  14. ^ "Charter Cover.indd" (PDF). http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/piru/documents/uc_charter.pdf. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  15. ^ "NZ universities sliding down world league", stuff.co.nz
  16. ^ "QS World University Rankings", topuniversities.com
  17. ^ "UC receives international 5-star rating", 23 September 2011, canterbury.ac.nz
  18. ^ "Canterbury University gets top marks". The Press. 30 September 2011. http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/5708043/Canterbury-University-gets-top-marks. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  19. ^ http://www.iu.qs.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/qs-stars_fall_11_foremail1.pdf/ QS Stars Ratings System
  20. ^ http://iu.qs.com/projects-and-services/qs-stars/ QS Stars."
  21. ^ "QS Top Universities 2012". http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2012?page=1. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  22. ^ "QS Top Universities 2011". http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2011?page=1. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  23. ^ "QS Top Universities 2010". http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2010/results. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  24. ^ a b http://www.topuniversities.com/institution/university-canterbury/wur
  25. ^ "QS World University Rankings 2007". THES. http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2007/results. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  26. ^ "QS World University Rankings 2006". THES. http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2006/results. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  27. ^ "QS World University Rankings 2005". THES. http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2005/results. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  28. ^ "University of Canterbury - The Times Higher University Rankings 2012-2013". http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2012-13/world-ranking/institution/university-of-canterbury. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  29. ^ "Top 400 - The Times Higher University Rankings 2011-2012". http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2011-2012/top-400.html. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  30. ^ "UC Facts". Canterbury.ac.nz. http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/theuni/plans/facts.shtml. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  31. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named UC_Facts; see the help page.
  32. ^ "Canterbury University plans to axe 350 jobs". The Press. 1 September 2011. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/5548359/Canterbury-University-plans-to-axe-350-jobs. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  33. ^ http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/sep2011/nzun-s08.shtml
  34. ^ http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0603/S00390.htm Don't sack Canterbury academics.
  35. ^ http://wais.stanford.edu/NewZealand/newzealand_academicfreedom73003.html
  36. ^ http://www.adelaideinstitute.org/Dissenters/fudge1.htm
  37. ^ a b c http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0710/S00036.htm
  38. ^ "The University of Canterbury Students’ Association". UCSA. http://www.ucsa.org.nz. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  39. ^ "Welcome to Musoc!". Musoc.org.nz. http://www.musoc.org.nz. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  40. ^ http://www.collegehouse.org.nz/history.html
  41. ^ [1][dead link]
  42. ^ "http://www.education.canterbury.ac.nz/regions/history.shtml". Education.canterbury.ac.nz. http://www.education.canterbury.ac.nz/regions/history.shtml. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  43. ^ . http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/restart/announcements/VCmessage_25feb.shtml.
  44. ^ . http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/restart/announcements/VCmessage_14mar.shtml.
  45. ^ Law, Tina (28 September 2011). "Two uni buildings for demolition". The Press. http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch-earthquake-2011/5694169/Two-uni-buildings-for-demolition. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  46. ^ http://intsse.com/de/node/1025 New Zealand universities cut staff and courses.
  47. ^ Law, Tina (4 October 2011). "Canterbury Uni invites staff to resign". The Press. http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/5726614/Canterbury-Uni-invites-staff-to-resign. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  48. ^ "NZ unis warned not to poach from Chch". Television New Zealand. NZN. 16 September 2011. http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/nz-unis-warned-not-poach-chch-4404893. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  49. ^ "Canterbury crumbles as enrolments decline". The Australian. AAP. 4 October 2011. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/canterbury-crumbles-as-enrolments-decline/story-e6frgcjx-1226158056545. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  50. ^ http://teu.ac.nz/2011/10/canterbury-redundancies-would-be-irresponsible-and-disloyal/
  51. ^ http://teu.ac.nz/2011/10/staff-say-they-will-defend-uc-for-cantabrians/
  52. ^ "New Zealand Recreation Association press release. Retrieved 2 January 2010". Nzrecreation.org.nz. 2006-11-27. http://www.nzrecreation.org.nz/default.aspx?section=home&page=item&itemID=2d33f644-b791-48e9-98ae-6bd0399feabc. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  53. ^ "College of Education welcomes new Pro-Vice-Chancellor". 5 September 2007. http://www.comsdev.canterbury.ac.nz/news/2007/070905b.shtml.
  54. ^ "New Pro-Vice-Chancellor for College of Engineering". 29 April 2009. http://www.comsdev.canterbury.ac.nz/news/2009/090429a.shtml.
  55. ^ "Chemistry Newsletter" (PDF). University of Canterbury Department of Chemistry. 12 June 2009. http://www.chem.canterbury.ac.nz/news/dept_newsletter/2009/newsletter_362_12_june_2009.pdf.

[edit] External links

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Coordinates: 43°31′24″S 172°34′55″E / 43.52333°S 172.58194°E / -43.52333; 172.58194

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