Harper Adams University, founded in 1901 as Harper Adams College, is a public university located close to the village of Edgmond, near Newport, in Shropshire, 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.[3]
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.[4]
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.[5]
During the First World War, 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.[6] In 2015, 10 additional names were added to the university's memorial board, after previously unrecorded alumni were also discovered to have been killed in action.[7] 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, and 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, giving Harper a high profile in areas of teaching and research. The college remained open during the Second World War. Bill Price (1946–1962) became Principal in 1946 and student numbers steadily rose to 222. The Jubilee Hostel was opened in 1951.[8]
A wintertime view from the university's west lawn
Reginald Kenny was principal from 1962 until 1977, followed by Tony Harris from 1977 until 1994. 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 students were enrolled in 1969. Degree courses were first introduced in 1981; Harper Adams was one of the first institutions to introduce a BSc. sandwich course. The CNAA granted Harper Adams the authority to validate its own courses. In 1985, the science building was opened by Princess Margaret.[8]
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 granted the university degree awarding powers. In 1998, Harper Adams gained the title of University College. In 2004, Harper Adams was awarded £2.1million 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. David Llewellyn was appointed principal in 2009.[9] That September, a new £2.3million dairy unit was opened[10] and in December, a £3million Regional Food Academy (RFA) was officially opened by The Princess Royal.[11] 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, which is expected to offset three times the carbon emissions of the university annually. It won a Renewable Energy Infrastructure Award.[12] Ken Sloan was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Harper Adams University in 2021, its eighth institutional leader.
In December 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.[14][15]
The campus is on farm land on the outskirts of Edgmond near Newport, Shropshire. Over the last decade more than £45 million has been invested in the campus.[citation needed] Harper Adams operates a 635 hectare (1569 acres) commercial farm on campus.[citation needed] Undergraduate students live on campus in one of 15 halls.[17]
The university's main campus, seen from above
Organisation and administration
Academic departments
Undergraduate courses are offered via 5 academic departments and courses fall under 10 broad subject areas
Agriculture
Animal Sciences (behaviour and welfare)
Business and Agri-Food
Environment, Sustainability and Wildlife
Engineering
Food Science, Technology and Innovation
Land and Property Management
Veterinary Nursing
Veterinary Physiotherapy
Zoology
Governance
Anne, Princess Royal, Chancellor of Harper Adams University
In 2014 Harper Adams University has been recognised for the quality of its research by the Research Excellence Framework.[18]
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 and animal welfare.[19]
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" project within the engineering department has been developing robotic farming operations.[20]
In 2016 Harper Adams University was voted university of the year by WhatUni.[24] The university received The Queen's Anniversary Prize for Further and Higher Education, Innovative applications in agricultural engineering and technologies to address UK and global food security, in 2017.[25]
The 2020 Graduate Outcomes survey showed 98.8% were in work or further study 15 months after completing their studies.[26]
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 leagues and championships.[30]
Harper Adams University Men's 1st VIII at BUCS, Summer 2016
Harper Adams University Boat Club (HAURC) is located at Pengwern Boat Club on the River Severn in Shrewsbury.[31] Members compete in the BUCS Rowing League, local regattas. The club's registered blades are dark blue, cyan and gold.[32]
Harper Adams University Clay Shooting Club (HAUSC) is the largest club in the university with over 100 members.[33] The club competes in local competitions, BUCS League, the Countryside Alliance Cirencester Cup Competition and also holds private matches against the Royal Agricultural University and St Andrews University. In 2011 and 2012, the HAUSC won the national title at the BUCS Clay Pigeon Shooting Championships.[34] The HAUSC is often linked with, but is separate from the HAUFSS (Harper Adams University Field Sports Society)
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, of the College of Arms in May 2018.[37] As a banner of arms these are in use as the university flag.
The arms appear in stained glass in the main building.[38]
Notable people
Notable alumni
Jorian Jenks (1899–1963), English farmer, environmentalism pioneer and fascist[39]
David Llewellyn (born 1960) Vice-Chancellor of Harper Adams University from 2009 to 2021[62]
In popular culture
Ruth Archer, a character played by English actress Felicity Finch in the BBC Radio 4 soap opera The Archers, attended Harper Adams University College as part of her fictional backstory.[63]
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