Harper Adams University Information

Harper Adams University (previously known as Harper Adams College) is a public university located close to the village of Edgmond, near Newport, in Shropshire, England. Established in 1901, the university is a specialist provider of higher education for the agricultural and rural sector. 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.

Harper Adams College was founded in 1901 under leadership of Principal Headworth Foulkes (1901-1922) after Thomas Harper Adams, a wealthy Shropshire gentleman farmer who had died in 1892, bequeathed the estate. The College had just six students. In 1909 a specialist poultry husbandry was created.

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. In 2015, 10 additional names were added to the universitys 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 universitys estate department, whilst a new memorial garden was also created outside the library.

The agricultural depression of the 1920s onwards leg 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, 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 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. The [CNAA] granted Harper Adams the authority to validate its own courses. In 1985, the science building was opened by The Princess Margaret.

Student numbers passed 1000 for the first time in 1991. In 1994, three new student residences were opened. Professor 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 £2.1 million in funding to develop its work with rural businesses. Harper Adams gain 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 facility.

Harper Adams is a lead academic sponsor of the JCB Academy which opened in 2010. JCB Academy was the first university technical college to be established in England.

In 2012, Harper Adams had the title university conferred upon it. This ended the institutions long history of being a college and consequently, Harper Adams became Shropshires first university.

The university is in advanced discussions with Keele University for the creation of a joint veterinary school Keeles on-campus (with teaching split between the two universities) with its first student intake expected in 2019. The development will comprise a veterinary hospital, a clinical skills centre, and the Keele campus-based Veterinary School hub facilities. Developed by CVS on the Keele University Science and Innovation Park, the facilities will be ready for the first student intake in autumn 2020.

The campus is in parkland on the outskirts of Edgmond near Newport, Shropshire. Since 2000, the college has expanded existing facilities and introduced new ones.

Undergraduate students reside on campus in one of 15 halls:

Undergraduate courses are offered via 11 academic departments:

Notable awards:

In 2014 Harper Adams University was 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 and animal welfare.

Research facilities

The SU provides entertainment in the student bar including comedy nights and live music. The university holds four themed balls throughout the year; Freshers Ball (September), Christmas Ball (December), Paddys Ball (March) and the Summer Ball (June).

The university has a number of student social facilities including; Graze Café, Kaldi Café, Costa Coffee, Pams Pantry, The Feed Store, The Welly Inn, Main Bar and the Conference Dining Hall.

Harper Adams has a variety of sports clubs, including rugby, shooting, football, hockey, fencing, netball, polo, 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.

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