Today marks an historic chapter in the 500-year history of the 黑料网 as it merges with the city鈥檚 Northern College.
The merger of the Northern College鈥檚 Aberdeen and Dundee campuses with the universities of both cities follows years of negotiations between the institutions and will bring together the distinctive strengths and experience of all three.
The new Faculty of Education will become the University鈥檚 fifth faculty and will create a wider and richer intellectual and professional environment for the development of teaching and related professions.
Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Wendy Alexander approved the planned merger earlier this year. She said: 鈥淪tudents will benefit from access to a greater range of courses and the opportunity to participate in the wider academic and social communities within the universities.
鈥淭he strong research ethos of the two universities will offer development possibilities to the staff, and in return the universities will benefit from the College鈥檚 strong links with schools and other educational bodies.
鈥淏y combining their resources and expertise, the merged institutions will demonstrate high levels of academic quality, diversity and flexibility.鈥�
Professor Rice described the addition of teacher training to the University鈥檚 portfolio as 鈥榚xtraordinarily exciting鈥�.
鈥淭here is a very strong case for adding teacher education and training to the University鈥檚 portfolio. We take great pride in our tradition of educating doctors, lawyers, ministers and other professionals and this is a very exciting opportunity to restore teachers to that tradition.
鈥淚t is important that the professional development of teachers goes hand-in-hand with their personal intellectual development and a full spectrum university can, by its very nature, provide the stimulating academic environment in which both elements can be provided.鈥�
Ms Cathy Macaslan will be Acting Dean for the new Faculty of Education. One of the main benefits of the merger, according to Ms Macaslan, is the fact that students will now be taught along with other professionals following many other programmes.
鈥淎t the moment, our students are really quite isolated from other students, but this merger will allow them to benefit from a wider range of opportunities on offer from a much larger institution,鈥� she said.
鈥淔or example, the evolving agenda in schools at the moment is the integration of services for children and families around schools as teachers are now expected to work with social workers, health professionals and community workers. This policy of inter-professional collaboration can only be enhanced by cross-disciplinary access to students and researchers of other professions.
鈥淭he fact that the University has a strong portfolio of Government-related research will help to inform our thinking on the development of our own curriculum and priorities for teacher education.鈥�
The new Faculty of Education will continue to be located at Hilton Place, with a view to relocating at Old Aberdeen within the next four years.
For further information contact: Angela Begg, Media Relations, on: (01224) 272960.
Issued by Public Relations Office, External Relations, 黑料网, King's College, Aberdeen. Tel: (01224) 272014 Fax: (01224) 272086.
University Press Office on telephone +44 (0)1224-273778 or email a.ramsay@admin.abdn.ac.uk.