Grapevine Autumn 2007 Including a special College Life supplement Development News Projects funded by you University Radio York 40 years on 26074_Autumn07.indd 1 1/8/07 12:59:39 Professor Janet Ford, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Estates and Strategic Projects, contemplates the challenges that lie ahead now that the University’s plans for expansion have been approved York thoughts Many of n 26 May this year, the University was lake are planned for 2009. The Departments of the features granted planning permission to double Computer Science, Electronics, and Theatre, Film which have made the the physical size of the campus, allowing and Television will be the fi rst occupants of the site; current O student numbers to grow from around the 10,000 they will also be associated with the fi rst college. campus so successful will we have currently to about 15,400 over the next By developing a transit system and good cycle and be echoed ten years. It has taken fi ve years to develop the pedestrian links, we will have one longer, but still in the new development plans and gain the necessary permissions, but the integrated, campus and do not intend to duplicate decision secures the future of the University for facilities such as the Library. Later, the Law School, the long term. Some people see the open parkland York Management School and the Departments of on the current campus and cannot believe that Economics, Politics and Philosophy will move to the University is full, but it is. This is because in new buildings on Heslington East. By 2017, there order to preserve the wonderful landscaped setting could be as many as six new colleges, a new sports that characterises York, we may only develop 23 complex with a swimming pool, a performing per cent of the site, and cannot build above the arts centre and a student venue, all in a maturing tree canopy. At the same time, demand for places landscape. Only 20 per cent of the site will be in well-established departments at York remains developed so that the setting echoes the current very strong. We have also established two new campus, parts of which will also be reconsidered departments – The York Law School and the for development. Department of Theatre, Film and Television – We have a strong commitment to sustainable which we hope will grow quickly. development. All buildings will be south-facing Those of us who have been planning the and naturally ventilated; rain water will be expansion have been mindful of the ideas and harvested and grey water recycled. Where we can principles that have made York a special place: the source materials locally we will, and spoil from the college system, the landscape, the human-scale new lake will be used to enhance the landscape. buildings, the lake, the quirky twists and turns, the I came to York in 1996 as the Joseph Rowntree odd shaped gardens and courtyards, how easily Professor of Housing Policy. So it came as quite a one can bump into people and – what most people surprise when, in 2003, I was asked to help plan a remark on – the University’s informality and campus expansion. I now know something about friendliness. It has been quite a challenge to think planning law, planning conditions, sustainable through how we can continue to express these drainage, and archaeological remains plans, and ideas in developing a new, 21st century campus. I I can convert acres to hectares without thinking. would like to draw your attention to the enclosed Most of all, I have worked with great staff and College Life supplement which will give you an students, all committed to helping York expand but update on your college and its plans for the future. keeping the best of what York is. Over the next ten The expansion will be on land to the east of years there is a lot for you to watch as it happens, Heslington village, known as Heslington East. and we will let you know when the web cam is up The college system will continue and the fi rst and running! college and fi rst academic buildings as well as a For more about the campus expansion programme visit www.york.ac.uk/heslingtoneast Page 2 • Autumn 2007 26074_Autumn07.indd 2 1/8/07 15:37:17 Contents News and research Grapevine 4 Development and Alumni Relations Office University University of York Heslington Christmas Card 6 York YO10 5DD www.york.ac.uk/alumni General enquiries: Obituaries 8 T: 01904 434467 E: [email protected] Fax: 01904 434464 The far away Susie Fothergill Falklands Fundraising Programmes 9 Manager York alumni meet up on the other side T: 01904 434794 of the world E: [email protected] Lisa Hawkins-Weeks York rules the waves Alumni Co-ordinator 10 T: 01904 432097 Celebrating 40 years of URY E: [email protected] Brian Porter Director of Development and Keeping in touch Alumni Relations Office 12 T: 01904 432090 Win a weekend for two in York! E: [email protected] Jing Wood Alumni Assistant T: 01904 434467 Development news 13 E: [email protected] Showcasing projects funded by alumni and friends Grapevine is produced by the University of York Development and Alumni Relations Office and the Communications Office. It is designed and typeset by Campus Grad Hunt Copy and Print and printed by 17 Wyke Printers, Hull. On the trail of York’s missing alumni Grapevine is distributed free to over 41,000 alumni. Each copy costs around 30p to produce. The views represented in this The Grapevine 21 publication do not necessarily Who’s doing what, why and where reflect those of the University. 25th anniversary reunion – 1980s alumni gathering in May Cover photo by Georgi Mabee Events and reunions 26 Annual Race Day and Morning Reception For a large print version of the text in this publication telephone (01904) 434467 Autumn 2007 • Page 3 26074_Autumn07.indd 3 1/8/07 12:59:45 news Campus developments The Government has approved also appreciate the opportunity to The Institute was proposals for the University’s increase our capacity for world- established at the £500 million 117-hectare leading research and welcome a University thanks to an greater diversity of students to £11 million donation expansion plans. York.” from the Bowland Charitable Trust. Its The site, to the east of the current For more details visit strategy board is campus, will release new space for www.york.ac.uk/heslingtoneast chaired by former research, teaching, student colleges, Secretary of State for sport, cultural facilities and spin-out Education, Estelle companies. Many of the proposed York-based institute Morris. facilities will be open to the local Professor Robert Slavin community. The new campus will to transform education feature many elements of the A striking purpose-built facility at the heart existing one, including a high quality A leading American educational of the campus on the former site of the parkland setting and a naturalistic psychologist is to be the founding Language Teaching Centre will house the new Institute. lake with signifi cant areas of Director of York’s new Institute wetlands. for Effective Education, which will welcome researchers from across the Welcoming the decision, the world to develop, test and evaluate Vice-Chancellor, Professor Brian ideas on how to improve education. Cantor, said, “York is one of the best universities in Britain and it Professor Robert Slavin, Director of needs to grow in order to maintain the Centre for Research and Reform this position. This will enable the in Education (CRRE) at Johns Hopkins University to play an important University in Maryland and Chair of role in the future prosperity of the Success for All Foundation, will York and the UK as a whole. We head the Institute. Entrepreneur Dr Simon Best Mellon Foundation grant will help (Music, Goodricke, 1977) has been elected a Fellow of the unlock the secrets of church court papers Royal Society of Edinburgh. Simon is a member of the University’s Development Board and is also Chairman of bioscience company Ardana plc and the UK BioIndustry Association Margot Livesey (English and Philosophy, 1974) has been appointed writer-in-residence at the nationally-renowned Bowdoin College, Maine, USA. Margot has published several award-winning novels, including Eva Moves One of most extensive collections A basic index for the collection, The Furniture and Banishing of ecclesiastical papers in Europe, which numbers over two million, Verona, as well as collections of which occupies more than 540 was created in the 1940s by the short stories. metres of shelf space in the former head of the Borthwick Borthwick Institute for Archives, will Institute, Canon John Purvis. Much Graham Swift’s (Honorary be compiled into an online database of the work was done while he was Graduate, 1998) latest novel, thanks to a US $744,000 grant by the on fi re watch duty in the Second Tomorrow, was published Andrew W Mellon Foundation. World War. earlier this year to critical acclaim. He describes the story as being inspired by ‘the idea The papers, dating from 1300 to 1858 The new database, which will be of a couple as a kind of unit, from courts in the York Diocese, compiled jointly by the Borthwick which will one day lose one of contain a wealth of information Institute and the Department of its halves’. His previous works valuable to social, economic and History, will make information include the Booker prize- legal historians and include marriage more accessible across the full winning Last Orders, published and defamation cases.