Harper Adams University
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Harper Adams University, founded in 1901 as Harper Adams College, is a
public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national universit ...
located close to the village of
Edgmond Edgmond is a village in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England. The village population at the 2011 Census was 2,062. It lies north-west of the town of Newport. The village has two pubs (the Lion and t ...
, near Newport, in
Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...
, England. Established in 1901, the college is a specialist provider of higher education for the agricultural and rural sector. It gained university college status in 1998, and university status in 2012 when the requirements were relaxed. The university provides more than 50 foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes to students from over 30 countries. The university is set within a 550 hectare (1360 acre) working farm.


History

Harper Adams College, which would become the university, was founded in 1901. Its first Principal was Headworth Foulkes (1901–1922). Thomas Harper Adams, a wealthy Shropshire gentleman farmer, died in 1892, bequeathing the estate which was the original foundation. The college had just six students to begin with. In 1909 a specialist poultry husbandry was created. During the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Harper Adams remained open, and in 1915 the first women were admitted into the college on wartime farm courses. Harper Adams was the first institute to do so, and in 1916 women were admitted as full-time students onto a wide variety of courses. Approximately, 200 staff and former students served during the war and 40 are known to have died as a result. In 2015, 10 additional names were added to the university's memorial board, after previously unrecorded alumni were also discovered to been killed in action. A board in the Old Library listing the names of those killed was dedicated in March 2015, crafted by Peter Nunn of the university's estate department, whilst a new memorial garden was also created outside the library. The agricultural depression of the 1920s onward led to a drop in student numbers. In 1922, Charles Crowther (1922–1944) became Principal and efforts were taken to ensure the College stayed open. The National Institute of Poultry Husbandry opened in 1926, bringing with it to Harper a high profile in areas of teaching and research. The college managed to stay open during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, and in 1939 the first girls arrived at the college. Bill Price (1946–1962) become Principal in 1946 and student numbers steadily rose to 222. The Jubilee Hostel was opened in 1951. Reginald Kenny became principal in 1962 until 1977. In 1964, the funding of the college was passed from the Ministry of Agriculture to the Department of Education and Science. The first
Higher National Diploma Higher National Diploma (HND), part of the Higher Nationals suite of qualifications, is an academic higher education qualification in the United Kingdom and various other countries. They were first introduced in England and Wales in 1920 alongsi ...
students were enrolled in 1969. Tony Harris was later appointed principal in 1977 until 1994. Degree courses were first introduced at Harper Adams in 1981. The university was one of the first institutions to introduce a BSc.
sandwich course A sandwich degree, or sandwich course, is an academic degree or higher education course (also known as tertiary education) involving practical work experience in addition to academic study. The work experience is often referred as an industrial pla ...
. The
CNAA The Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) was the national degree-awarding authority in the United Kingdom from 1965 until its dissolution on 20 April 1993. Background The establishment followed the recommendation of the UK government Com ...
granted Harper Adams the authority to validate its own courses. In 1985, the science building was opened by The
Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth  ...
. Student numbers passed 1000 for the first time in 1991. In 1994, three new student residences were opened. Wynn Jones became principal in 1996, and later that year the
Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...
granted the university degree awarding powers. In 1998, Harper Adams gained the title of University College. In 2004, Harper Adams was awarded £2.1 million in funding to develop its work with rural businesses. Harper Adams gained the power to award research degrees in 2006 and shortly after, a new Biomass Hall was opened. Dr David Llewellyn was appointed principal in 2009. In the September, a new £2.3 million dairy unit was opened and in December, a £3million award-winning Regional Food Academy (RFA) was officially opened by The Princess Royal. In 2010, Nick Herbert opened a Postgraduate and Professional Development Centre, and in the same year the Faccenda student centre and a new student hall of residence were opened. An anaerobic digester opened in 2011, expects to offset the carbon emissions of the university three times over annually. It won a Renewable Energy Infrastructure Award and hosts an award-winning
anaerobic digestion Anaerobic digestion is a sequence of processes by which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. The process is used for industrial or domestic purposes to Waste management, manage waste or to produce fuels. Mu ...
facility. Professor Ken Sloan was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Harper Adams University in 2021, its eighth institutional leader. Harper Adams is a lead academic sponsor of the
JCB Academy The JCB Academy is a non-selective co-educational secondary school within the English University Technical College programme, in Rocester, Staffordshire, England. It specialises in engineering and business qualifications. Governance The scho ...
which opened in 2010. JCB Academy was the first
university technical college A university technical college (UTC) is a type of specialist secondary school in England that is led by a sponsor university and has close ties to local business and industry. These university and industry partners support the curriculum developm ...
to be established in England. In 2012, Harper Adams had the title 'university' conferred upon it. This ended the institution's long history of being a college and consequently, Harper Adams became Shropshire's first university. In 2020, the University welcomed the first student intake to a new joint veterinary school with
Keele University Keele University, officially known as the University of Keele, is a public research university in Keele, approximately from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as the University College of North Staffordshire, Keele ...
.


Campus

The campus is on farm land on the outskirts of
Edgmond Edgmond is a village in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England. The village population at the 2011 Census was 2,062. It lies north-west of the town of Newport. The village has two pubs (the Lion and t ...
near
Newport, Shropshire Newport is a constituent market town in Telford and Wrekin in Shropshire, England. It lies north of Telford, west of Stafford, and is near the Shropshire-Staffordshire border. The 2001 census recorded 10,814 people living in the town's paris ...
. Over the last decade more than £45 million has been invested in the campus. Harper Adams operates a 635 hectare (1569 acres) commercial farm on campus. Undergraduate students live on campus in one of 15 halls.


Organisation


Academic departments

Undergraduate courses are offered via 5 academic departments and courses fall under 6 broad subject areas * Agriculture * Animal health, welfare and behaviour sciences (including veterinary professions) * Business and Agri-Food Management and Marketing * Land, Property and Environmental Management * Land Based Engineering * Food Science, Technology and Innovation


Academics


Research

In 2014 Harper Adams University has been recognised for the quality of its research by the Research Excellence Framework. Areas of research include; management of soil and water, crop disease resistance, agricultural technology, livestock carbon footprint reduction, genetic approaches to improving food quality, bioenergy and renewable sources, agricultural landscape biodiversity,
pedagogy Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken as ...
and animal welfare. Research facilities Facilities for the university's research work include: * Elizabeth Creak Building * Princess Margaret Science Laboratories * Jean Jackson Entomology Building * Crop and Environment Research Centre * Dairy Crest Innovation Centre * Poultry Research Unit * Regional Food Academy


Hands Free Hectare

Since 2016 the "
Hands Free Hectare The Hands Free Hectare (HFH) project was established in order to develop and showcase agricultural automation by completing the world's first fully autonomous cropping cycle. Based at Harper Adams University, Shropshire, UK, working in collaborati ...
" project within the engineering department has been developing robotic farming operations.


Ranking & Awards


Awards

* The Queen's Anniversary Prizes for Further and Higher Education, winner of Innovative applications in agricultural engineering and technologies to address UK and global food security, 2017.


Rankings


Sunday Times

* UK University of the Year, runner up 2020 * Top 20 Universities, (ranked 17th) 2019, * Best Modern University, 2017 and 2019 * Top 50 UK Universities 2011. * Best University College (The Sunday Times): 2008, 2009. 2010, 2011, 2012


Times Higher Education

* UK's Best Modern University (Times Higher Education), 2017. * 1st Student Experience (Times Higher Education), 2017


Employment

The 2020 Graduate Outcomes survey showed 98.8% were in work or further study 15 months after completing their studies.


Sports

Harper Adams has a variety of sports clubs, including rugby, shooting, football, hockey, fencing, netball, polo, tug of war, basketball, motorsport, off-roading, rowing, running, field sports, equestrian and mountain biking. The university competes in the
British Universities and Colleges Sport British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) is the governing body for higher education sport in the United Kingdom. BUCS was formed in June 2008 following a merger of British Universities Sports Association (BUSA) and University College Sport ...
leagues and championships.


Rowing

Harper Adams University Boat Club (HAURC) is located at Pengwern Boat Club on the River Severn in Shrewsbury. Members compete in the BUCS Rowing League, local regattas. The club's registered blades are dark blue, cyan and gold.


Shooting

Harper Adams University Clay Shooting Club (HAUSC) is the largest club in the university with over 100 members. The club competes in local competitions,
BUCS British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) is the governing body for higher education sport in the United Kingdom. BUCS was formed in June 2008 following a merger of British Universities Sports Association (BUSA) and University College Sport ...
League, the
Countryside Alliance The Countryside Alliance (CA) is a British organisation promoting issues relating to the countryside such as farming, rural services, small businesses and field sports, aiming to "Give Rural Britain a voice". History The Countryside Alliance ...
Cirencester Cup Competition and also holds private matches against the
Royal Agricultural University ;(from Virgil's Georgics)"Caring for the Fieldsand the Beasts" , established = 2013 - University status – College , type = public university, Public , president = Charles III, King Charles , vice_chancellor = P ...
and
St Andrews University (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...
. The HAUSC is consistently placed amongst the most successful shooting clubs in the UK. In 2011 and 2012, the HAUSC won the national title at the BUCS Clay Pigeon Shooting Championships.


Motorsport

The Motorsport Team has its own
VW Golf GTi The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...
rally car and Ford Fiesta R2 National. In January 2017, the team announced a partnership with the M-Sport World Rally Team. The team regularly competes in BRC events.


Coat of arms and flag

The arms of the university are those of the Harper Adams family, which were formally transferred to the university by letters patent presented in May 2018
Rouge Croix Pursuivant Rouge Croix Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary is a junior officer of arms of the College of Arms. He is said to be the oldest of the four pursuivants in ordinary. The office is named after St George's Cross which has been a symbol of England since t ...
, of the
College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...
in May 2018. As a
banner of arms A banner of arms is a type of heraldic flag which has the same image as a coat of arms, ''i.e.'' the shield of a full achievement (heraldry), heraldic achievement, rendered in a square or rectangular shape of the flag. The term is derived from t ...
these are in use as the university flag. The arms appear in stained glass in the main building.


Governance


Chancellor

The
Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
has been
HRH The Princess Royal Princess Royal is a style customarily (but not automatically) awarded by a British monarch to their eldest daughter. Although purely honorary, it is the highest honour that may be given to a female member of the royal family. There have been sev ...
, from its opening in 2013 until the present. This is a ceremonial role.


List of College Principals and University Vice-Chancellors

* Hedworth Foulkes (1901–1922) * Charles Crowther (1922–1944) * Bill Price (1946–1962) * Reginald Kenney (1962–1977) * Tony Harris (1977–1994) * Wynne Jones (1996–2009) * David Llewelyn (2009–2021): the role was renamed
Vice-Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth n ...
on full university status being conferred in 2012. *Ken Sloan (2021–present)


Notable people


Notable alumni

* Scott Bemand (born 1978) a retired English rugby union player. * Christopher Borrett (born 1979) an English cricketer. *
Helen Browning Helen Browning OBE, DL is an organic livestock and arable farmer in Wiltshire, England, and Chief Executive of the Soil Association. Career In 1986 Browning took on her father's farm near Bishopstone, Swindon, which is rented from the Church ...
OBE (born 1961) an organic livestock and arable farmer in Wiltshire * Robin Faccenda (born 1937) wealthy businessman in the poultry industry *
Rachael Hamilton Rachael Georgina Hamilton (born 1970) is a Scottish Conservative Party politician, who has served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire since 2017. Hamilton has served as the Conservative Shad ...
(born 1970) a British politician, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire. *
Jorian Jenks Jorian Edward Forwood Jenks (1899 – 20 August 1963) was an English farmer, environmentalism pioneer and fascist. He has been described as "one of the most dominant figures in the development of the organic movement". Early life Born in Oxf ...
(1899–1963) an English farmer, environmentalism pioneer and fascist. * Michael Paget-Wilkes (born 1941) Archdeacon of Warwick 1990–2009. *
Boyd Rankin William Boyd Rankin (born 5 July 1984) is a Northern Irish former cricketer who played international cricket for Ireland, and briefly also played for England. He is a right-arm medium-fast bowler. He is the brother of fellow cricketer David Ran ...
(born 1984) an Irish cricketer. * Rob Strachan (born 1960) the heir presumptive to the Mill of Strachan *
Julian Sturdy Julian Charles Sturdy (born 3 June 1971) is a British Conservative Party politician and farmer. He was elected at the 2010 general election as Member of Parliament (MP) for York Outer. Early life and career Sturdy was born on 3 June 1971 to Ro ...
(born 1971) a farmer and MP for
York Outer York Outer is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 2010 by Julian Sturdy, a Conservative. Constituency profile The constituency is in the form of a ring surrounding the York Centra ...
. * Barbara Woodhouse (1910–1988) a dog trainer, author, horse trainer and TV personality.


Notable governors

* Sir
Arthur Colegate Sir William Arthur Colegate (1884 – 10 September 1956) was a British Conservative Party politician who served in the House of Commons as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1941 to 1945 and from 1950 to 1955. Biography Colegate was born in Walw ...
, Governor and Conservative party MP *
Francis Fitzherbert, 15th Baron Stafford Francis Melfort William Fitzherbert, 15th Baron Stafford DL (born 13 March 1954) is an English politician, educator and landowner, who had a seat in the House of Lords from 1986 until the reform of the House of Lords which took effect in 2000. ...
DL, Landowner, Peer


Honorary degree and fellowship holders

*
Adam Henson Adam John Lincoln Henson (born 8 January 1966) is an English farmer, author and television presenter. Family Henson's grandfather Leslie Henson, was a music hall and musical comedy comedian and actor. His farmer father Joe Henson MBE,
* Richard Scott, 10th Duke of Buccleuch and 12th Duke of Queensbury * Dame
Julia Slingo Dame Julia Mary Slingo (''née'' Walker; born 13 December 1950) is a British meteorologist and climate scientist. She was Chief Scientist at the Met Office from 2009 until 2016. She is also a Visiting Professor in the Department of Meteorol ...
* Hugh Pennington * Jimmy Doherty * Sir
Anthony Bamford Anthony Paul Bamford, Baron Bamford, (born 23 October 1945) is a British billionaire businessman who is chairman of J. C. Bamford (JCB). He succeeded his father, Joseph Cyril Bamford, as chairman and managing director of the company in 1975, ...
DL, Chairman of JCB * Baroness Hazel Byford DBE, Conservative bench and Shadow Minister * Peter Kendall, NFU President *
Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster Major General Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, (22 December 1951 – 9 August 2016), was a British landowner, businessman, philanthropist, Territorial Army general, and peer. He was the son of Robert Grosvenor, 5th Duke of W ...
* Sir
John Beddington Sir John Rex Beddington HonFREng (born 13 October 1945) is a British population biologist and Senior Adviser at the Oxford Martin School, and was previously Professor of Applied Population Biology at Imperial College London, and the UK Govern ...
* Catherine Henstridge * Justin King CBE, Chief Executive of J Sainsbury PLC *
Geoffrey Davies Geoffrey Davies (born 15 December 1942 in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire) is an English actor. Biography The son of an accountant, Davies was educated at grammar school and studied at art college to be a commercial artist before becoming an ...
OBE, Managing Director of Alamo Group Europe Ltd *
The Princess Royal Princess Royal is a style customarily (but not automatically) awarded by a British monarch to their eldest daughter. Although purely honorary, it is the highest honour that may be given to a female member of the royal family. There have been sev ...


Notable staff

* Charles Crowther (1876–1964), Principal of Harper Adams Agricultural College from 1922 to 1944, father of
Geoffrey Crowther, Baron Crowther Geoffrey Crowther, Baron Crowther Kt. (13 May 1907 – 5 February 1972) was a British economist, journalist, educationalist and businessman. He was editor of ''The Economist'' from 1938 to 1956.His major works include 'Economics for Democrats'(1 ...
* F. P. Raynham (1893–1954) In 1909 he was an office worker at the Harper Adams Agricultural College, he then became a British pilot from the early days of aviation * William Thomas Price, CBE, MC, Principal, Harper Adams Agricultural College, CBE in 1960 New Year Honours * Anthony George Harris, OBE, Principal, Harper Adams Agricultural College, OBE in 1991 Birthday Honours * Izzy Warren-Smith, Senior Lecturer, Rural Economics and Management, Harper Adams University College (for services to the rural economy) Midlander of the Year 2003 * Elphin Wynne Jones, OBE, Principal, Harper Adams University College, OBE in 2009 New Year Honours * David Llewellyn (born 1960) Vice-Chancellor of Harper Adams University since 2009 * Simon Leather, Professor of
Entomology Entomology () is the science, scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such ...
at Harper Adams University, aphid specialist


In popular culture

Ruth Archer, a fictional character played by English actress
Felicity Finch Felicity Finch (born 14 March 1955) is a British actress, known for her Northumberland-accented portrayal of Ruth Archer in ''The Archers'' on BBC Radio 4. Early life Felicity Finch was born in the London Borough of Southwark and grew up in Eagle ...
from the
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
soap opera ''
The Archers ''The Archers'' is a BBC radio drama on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now promoted as "a contemporary drama in a rural sett ...
'', attended Harper Adams University College as part of her fictional backstory.BBC iPlayer Radio, BBC Radio 4, David and Ruth Archer go head-to-head
retrieved 5 September 2018


References


External links


Harper Adams University homepage

Harper Adams University Students' Union homepage
{{authority control Agricultural universities and colleges in the United Kingdom Buildings and structures in Newport, Shropshire Telford and Wrekin Education in Shropshire Educational institutions established in 1901 1901 establishments in England