University of Otago
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Motto | Sapere aude (Dare to be wise) |
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| Established | 1869 |
| Type | Public |
| Chancellor | Lindsay Brown |
| Vice-Chancellor | David Skegg |
| Students | 20,000 total |
| Location | Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Website | www.otago.ac.nz |
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 20,000 students enrolled during 2006. It is the South Island's largest employer and claims to have the world's 2nd longest continuously running annual student revue (the Capping Show) and New Zealand's oldest ballet company (the Selwyn Ballet).
Founded in 1869, the university opened in July 1871. Its motto is "Sapere aude" ("Dare to be wise"). (The University of New Zealand subsequently adopted the same motto.) The University of Otago Students' Association answers this with its own motto, "Audeamus" ("let us dare").
Between 1874 and 1961 the University of Otago was a part of the University of New Zealand, and issued degrees in its name. The University is known throughout the country for its unique student lifestyle and particularly its flatting culture, where students generally share semi-dilapidated housing units with a unique name and "character building" domestic life.
Otago graduates are known to be among the most dispersed alumni in the world, with many graduates ultimately settling in Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, United States, China, India, Sri Lanka, Japan or elsewhere in New Zealand.
The University's well-known Registry Building was modelled on the main building of Glasgow University in Scotland. Some of the University's many diverse buildings appear in the following panorama:
180° view of Dunedin shot from the hills on the west. The university can be seen in front of the large hill to the left. (Enlarge!)
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[edit] Faculties
Administratively, the university is divided into four divisions: Commerce, Health Sciences, Humanities, and Sciences. For external and marketing purposes, the Division of Commerce is known as the School of Business, as that is the term commonly used for its equivalent in North America. Historically, there were a number of Schools and Faculties, which have now been grouped with standalone departments to form these divisions.
In addition to relatively usual university disciplines, the Otago Medical School (founded 1875) remains one of only two in New Zealand (with constituent branches in Christchurch and Wellington). Other professional schools and faculties not found in all New Zealand universities include Pharmacy, Physical Education, Physiotherapy, Medical Laboratory Science, and Surveying. It is also the only university to offer training in Dentistry. It was also home to the School of Mines, until this was transferred to the University of Auckland in 1987. Theology is also offered, traditionally in conjunction with the School of Ministry, Knox College, and Holy Cross, Mosgiel.
[edit] Distinctions
Many Fellowships add to the diversity of the people associated with "Otago". They include:
- Robert Burns Fellowship (literature)
- Caroline Plummer Fellowship in Community Dance
- Charles Hercus Fellowship
- Claude McCarthy Fellowship
- Foxley Fellowship
- Frances Hodgkins Fellowship (art)
- Henry Lang Fellowship
- Hocken Fellowship
- James Cook Fellowship
- Mozart Fellowship (music)
- THB Symons Fellowship
- William Evans Visiting Fellowship
In 1998, the physics department gained some fame for making the first Bose-Einstein condensate in the Southern Hemisphere.
The 2004 Government investigation into research quality (to serve as a basis for future funding) ranked Otago in fourth place in New Zealand.
Journal "Science" has recommended worldwide study of Otago's Biochemistry database "Transterm", which has genetic code data on 40,000 species.
Otago was recently ranked 79th from a listing of top 200 institutions in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings [1] and within 201-300 in the Shanghai Jiaotong rankings of world top 500 universities. (PDF)
[edit] Residential Colleges
The vast majority of first year ('fresher') students at the University of Otago stay in one of the many Residential Colleges. These provide food, accommodation, social and welfare services.
Some of the colleges have developed a strong institutional personality over the years. This becomes self-perpetuating as applicants choose the college most suited to their own personality. Quiet, conservative St Margaret's is next to the large, generic Unicol in the heart of the campus. Aquinas College, being the smallest and perhaps farthest of the halls, has developed a more tight-knit community than many of the others. City College is influenced by two-thirds of its students coming from the Dunedin College of Education or the Otago Polytechnic, and Toroa International House is almost exclusively filled by international students.
Residential Colleges affiliated with the University of Otago select students based on their marks, extracurricular activities and high school testimonials. However, some colleges are more selective than others. Although their order varies from year to year, the most selective colleges are consistently Knox College, Selwyn College and Carrington Hall. Arana College received the most placement request for 2007. Unsuccessful applicants are referred to other colleges.
St Margaret's has similar entry standards, but the reputation of the college as quiet, religious and hard-working tends to attract a self-selected small group of highly-qualified applicants.
Otago's Residential Colleges are not as significant in the life of the University when compared with the Colleges and Halls of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Some halls seek to imitate Oxbridge colleges (occasional tutorials, "fellows", chapels etc) but students' primary affiliation is to the University rather than the hall, and the bulk of formal education does not take place within the college.
| College | Founded | |
|---|---|---|
| Selwyn College | 1893 | Website |
| Knox College | 1909 | Website |
| St Margaret's College | 1911 | Website |
| Studholme College | 1915 | Website |
| Arana College | 1943 | Website |
| Carrington College | 1945 | Website |
| Aquinas College | 1952 | Website |
| University College | 1969 | Website |
| Salmond College | 1971 | Website |
| Hayward College | 1992 | Website |
| City College | 2000 | Website |
| Cumberland College | ? | Website |
| Toroa International House | ? | Website |
[edit] Arana College
Arana College was founded in 1943 by the Rev. William Turner and the Stuart Residence Halls Council, the name 'Arana' perpetuated the Māori transliterated form of the name of Sir James Allen, a prominent New Zealand statesman and the Vice Chancellor 1903-1909 and Chancellor of the University of Otago from 1909-1912. The main administration areas of Arana are based in what was once Sir James Allen’s Queen Anne-style mansion.
Originally, Arana was home to only a handful of male students in former World War II Nissen army huts. By the 1960s, however, the current main accommodation buildings were built - financed by public subscriptions and government funding - as part of the Colombo Plan to educate students from the poorer Commonwealth countries. It is principally to the Colombo scheme that Arana owes it strong tradition of participation by international students in all aspects of college life.
Among our more illustrious alumni, Arana housed New Zealand comedian Jon Gadsby(1960s), politician/spin doctor/writer/Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws (1970s) and satirical cartoonist Garrick Tremaine (1950s) during their student days.
Since the 1970s Arana has accepted female residents. The 1980s saw a downturn in numbers of new students at the university, and the College faced challenges in attracting sufficient residents. Downscaling and even the sale of properties were on the cards. Luckily, by the late 1980s the University of Otago was again in a growth phase, and Arana College truly began to develop into a residential village.
During the 1990s and the turn of the 21st century, Arana has undergone extensive expansion renovations and redecoration. Although preserving many pleasing original architectural features, as well as ensuring the continuation of positive college traditions (eg. the annual spring gala ball) Arana is now a thoroughly warm, progressive and family-like environment for its staff and residents. Over the past ten years the college has grown from 150 students to 250, putting pressure on some legacy infrastructures (eg. the kitchen), but increasing the levels of choice and diversity of service we can offer to resident and allowing more first year students to have the unique ‘Arana experience’.
In 2005-2006 Arana College went into construction to upgrade all the facilities and make more space for students. The current warden is Jamie Gilbertson.
[edit] Merger with Dunedin College of Education
The university and the Dunedin College of Education (a specialist teacher training institution) will merge on 1 January 2007. The "University of Otago College of Education" will be based on the College site, and include the College's campuses in Invercargill and Alexandra. Staff of the University's Faculty of Education will relocate to the College site. A merger had been considered before, however the present talks progressed further, and more amicably, than previously.
[edit] Notable alumni and alumnae
[edit] Internal Wikipedia links
(with Hall of Residence, if any, in parentheses where known)
- Arthur Henry Adams, journalist and writer
- Annette Baier, moral philosopher
- [[Barbara Anderson], novelist
- David Benson-Pope, Cabinet minister
- Dame Silvia Cartwright, former High Court judge and Governor-General
- Roderick Carr, former acting governor of the Reserve Bank
- David Cunliffe (Carrington), Minister for Communications
- Sir Thomas Davis, first Cook Islands medical graduate in New Zealand, former Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, High Commissioner to New Zealand, and research physiologist with NASA. M.B.Ch.B. (1945) LL.D. (2005).
- Marc Ellis (University), rugby and TV personality
- Bill English (Selwyn), Former National Party leader
- Janet Frame, author
- Ian Fraser, broadcaster, head of Television New Zealand
- Jon Gadsby, comedian and actor
- William Fyfe, Geochemist
- Tim Gibson, chief executive of NZ Trade & Enterprise
- Malcolm Grant, President and Provost, University College London, Environmental Law specialist.
- Julian Grimmond, co-producer of "The Amazing Race", which won two consecutive Primetime Emmys
- Jan Hellriegel, singer/songwriter
- Greg Henderson, world-champion track cyclist and road cyclist
- Fergus Hume
- David Kirk, Rhodes scholar, World Cup winning All Black captain and CEO Fairfax (Australia)
- Chris Laidlaw, All Black and politician
- Michael Laws, politician, broadcaster, Mayor of Wanganui
- John Edward "Jack" Lovelock, athlete
- Sir Kamisese Mara (Knox), Fijian politician
- Archibald McIndoe, plastic surgeon
- Arnold Nordmeyer, Opposition and Labour party Leader
- Lord Porritt (Selwyn), Governor-General of New Zealand and physician to the Queen.
- Robert Stout, Prime Minister & Chief Justice.
- Peter Tapsell, Cabinet minister
- Jeremy Waldron, legal philosopher
- Allan Wilson, biologist
[edit] Rhodes Scholars from the University of Otago
(College at Oxford in brackets)
- 1904 d James A Thomson (St John’s)
- 1906 d Robert A Farquharson (St John’s)
- 1907 d Colin Macdonald Gilray (University)
- 1913 d Prof. Frederick Fisher Miles (Balliol)
- 1921 d Rev. Hubert James Ryburn (Lincoln)
- 1923 d Rt Hon. Lord Arthur Espie Porritt (Magdalen)
- 1924 d Sir Robert Stevenson Aitken (Balliol)
- 1928 d Charles Andrew Sharp (St John’s)
- 1929 d Dr Wilton Ernest Henley (New)
- 1930 Prof. James Campbell Dakin (Trinity)
- 1931 d Dr John Edward (Jack) Lovelock (Exeter)
- 1932 Sir Geoffrey Sandford Cox (Oriel)
- 1934 d Norman Davis (Merton)
- 1935 d The Hon. Sir Lester Francis Moller (Brasenose)
- 1936 d Daniel Marcus Davin (Balliol)
- 1947 Dr Robert Owen Davies (Oriel )
- 1950 Dr John Derek Kingsley North (Magdalen), Peter Selwyn O’Connor (Balliol)
- 1952 Prof. Graham Harry Jeffries (Magdalen), The Hon. Hugh Campbell Templeton (Balliol)
- 1954 Dr Kenneth Alfred Kingsley North (Magdalen)
- 1956 Dr Colin Gordon Beer (Magdalen), Rev David George Simmers Victoria Balliol
- 1957 Em. Prof. Graeme Max Neutze (University)
- 1959 Graeme Francis Rea (Balliol)
- 1960 Dr James Julian Bennett Jack (Magdalen)
- 1966 John Stephen Baird (Merton)
- 1968 Christopher Robert Laidlaw (Merton)
- 1970 Dr Murray Grenfell Jamieson (Merton)
- 1972 Prof. David Christopher Graham Skegg (Balliol)
- 1973 Dr Anthony Evan Gerald Raine (Merton)
- 1975 Dr John Alexander Matheson (Worcester)
- 1976 Dr Derek Nigel John Hart (Brasenose)
- 1981 Christine Ruth French (Worcester)
- 1983 Dr Nancy Jennifer Sturman (New)
- 1985 Dr David Edward Kirk (Worcester)
- 1988 Dr Ceri Lee Evans (Worcester)
- 1990 Dr Prudence Anna Elizabeth Scott (Lincoln)
- 1992 Prof. John Navid Danesh (Balliol), Susan Reta Lamb (Balliol)
- 1993 Dr Jennifer Helen Martin (Lady Margaret Hall)
- 1995 Jennifer Sarah Cooper (Magdalen)
- 1995 Dr Simon John Watt (Oxford)
- 1996 Andrew Norman Benson Lonie (selected, not taken up)
- 1998 Jane Larkindale (New)
- 1999 Dr Damen Andrew Ward (University)
- 2000 Clare Beach (Merton), Sally Virginia McKechnie (Hertford)
- 2002 Rachel Sarah Carrell (Balliol), Christopher John Curran (Merton)
- 2003 Thomas Marcel Douglas (Balliol)
- 2004 Glenn Fraser Goldsmith (Balliol)
[edit] External links
- Tan Sri Dato' (Dr) Hj Ahmad Azizuddin Bin Hj Zainal Abidin (Dr Ahmad, former Speaker of the Perak State Legislative Assembly)
- Professor Murray Brennan of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York
- Sir Peter Buck (Te Rangi Hiroa), former visiting professor at Yale University then Director of the Bishop Museum of Hawaii
- Sir Geoffrey Cox, co-founder of World Wide Television (today one of the main television news agencies)
- George Griffiths, publisher, journalist, regional historian, and Hocken Fellow 1998
- Alison Holst (nee Payne)
- Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas, City and Business Adviser to the Mayor of London, sitting in the London cabinet, Board Member of the London Development Agency (chairing its Business Committee, and (inter alia) Chairman of the Board of Governors of Birkbeck College, University of London)
- Professor Datuk Dr Mazlan Othman, Director-General of Malaysia's National Space Agency
[edit] See also
- Otago University Debating Society
- Hocken Library
- University of Otago Registry Building
- OUSA Clubs and Societies Centre
- Otago University Tramping Club
- Otago University Rowing Club
- Christchurch School of Medicine
- Dunedin School of Medicine
- Wellington School of Medicine
- Capping Show
[edit] External links
- University of Otago homepage
- Otago University Students' Association
- OUSA Clubs and Societies Centre
- General outline of Burns, Hodgkins, and Mozart Fellowships
- About the Bose-Einstein Condensate
