
Lancaster University - UK
Lancaster University is noted for its innovative curriculu, and has pioneered a number of subjects and interdisciplinary courses in Britain.
With a population of over 9,000 students, including over 2,000 postgraduates, Lancaster is large enough to offer a full range of teaching, research, laboratory, computer, library, cultural and sports facilities, yet small enough to be congenial and manageable for the visiting student.
Students will find it easy to get to know other students and faculty members, and to be fully integrated and involved in the academic, cultural, sporting and social life at Lancaster, living in the same colleges (residence halls) as British students and participating fully in campus activities.
Location
The City and University of Lancaster present a striking blend of old and new. While the University was built in 1964 and has distinctive modernity, the city's roots go back as far as the Roman occupation of Britain in the first century AD, and its buildings boast a wide variety of styles of the periods since. The University's parkland campus is near the sea and only three hours rail travel to London and Edinburough and less than an hour away from the famous Lake District.
Approximate Term Dates
Fall (Michaelmas Term): | Early October - Mid December |
Winter (Lent/Summer Term): | Early January - Late June |
Schulich students must go to Lancaster for either a full academic year or Schulich’s Winter term, which is Lancaster’s Spring Term (Lent and Summer). It is not possible to go on exchange for the Lent term alone.
Academic Information
Most Lancaster courses include lectures, but a large share of classroom time is spent in tutorial and seminar groups consisting of 4 – 15 students.
Credit Equivalency
20 credits = 15 SSB
Schulich students should choose 4-credit courses offered in the (LS) term.
Language
English
Facilities
The library, in Alexandra Square at the heart of the Lancaster campus has recently been extended. It houses over 900,000 items including books, pamphlets, journals, reports, audio-visual materials and microfilms. The University subscribes to 3,000 journals. There is also access to the inter-library loan system which makes available any book or article kept by the copyright libraries. The library has places for 800 readers including carrels and open tables. A printed guide is available and an extensive orientation to the library facilities is provided.
Each exchange student automatically becomes a member of the Lancaster Student Union which determines student policy on a wide range of issues, concerns itself with student welfare, and organizes major political and social functions, including concerts in the Great Hall. The Union funds the Athletic Union and non-sporting societies, and subsidizes the frequent film showings on campus. As an exchange student you will also be enrolled in the National Union of Students which entitles you to numerous benefits such as a student discount card for British Rail, enabling you to travel at substantially reduced rates anywhere in the UK.
The Student Union runs its own local radio station, with participation by students interested in everything from sound engineering and program production to disc jockey, feature and interview presentation. There is also a fortnightly student newspaper, SCAN.
Exchange students play an active role in all aspects of the sporting life of the University. Lancaster has excellent indoor and outdoor facilities on campus, enabling students to take part in a wide range of sport and recreational activities. The University offers a varied program of activities, including aerobics and circuit training, for students wanting to keep fit or participate in a sport on a casual basis. Lancaster has multi-purpose indoor sports center.
The University provides a large number of networked PCs with Microsoft Word and Excel in public areas for student use. Departments also have mini and microcomputers for teaching purposes.
Clubs and Societies
There are over 80 non-sporting societies at Lancaster. These may be related to an academic department (geography, history, French, music societies, for example), have a religious, political or cultural affiliation (Justice and Peace Group, Christian Association, Jewish Society, Green Action, Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Society, Literary Society, to name a few) or provide opportunities to pursue a hobby or have fun doing something new (alternative music, backpacking, ballroom dancing, chess, hiking, martial arts, photography, Pooh Bear Society, orienteering, theater and even parachuting, to give some examples). Many clubs organize day and weekend trips. Some societies, such as the Community Action Group, do volunteer work in the wider Lancaster community, becoming involved with such groups as children and the elderly, or with local environmental causes. An opportunity to find out about the societies is provided by the Societies' Bazaar which takes place after course registration in October; January arrivals will receive information about societies at orientation. If there isn't a society to suit your interests, then the Students' Union can advise you on how to start your own! The full list of clubs and societies is available from the Student's Union website.
Lancaster offers a full and diverse arts program. The International Concert Series brings to the campus major orchestras and solo artists (of the standing of, for instance, Elly Ameling) and the University has its own resident string quartet (the Medici Quartet) and pianist. There is also a variety of music societies: the University orchestra, the choral society, the madrigal choir, the Gilbert and Sullivan Society and numerous instrumental groups. The Hans Ferdinant Redlich collection forms the basis of a distinctive musical library accessible to students.
Type/Availability of Accommodation
All exchange students are normally guaranteed on-campus accommodation and are randomly assigned to the various colleges. In each college there is a mix of British undergraduates and foreign students who come from different parts of the world. While there is a variety of rooms, most are singles with washbasins. All are grouped around communal lounge and kitchen areas where students gather and prepare snacks and meals. Telephones are available in all student rooms. Rooms are assigned in the order in which confirmation of a student's intention to attend Lancaster is received, so early application and confirmation are recommended. All students have the option of living off campus, but few exchange students choose to do so.
Health Insurance
Students will qualify for free health care if they are to study in the UK for at least six months. Students attending for less than six months will be covered for emergency treatment only, and must have additional coverage.
Visa
For visa information, please contact:
British Consulate-General
777 Bay Street, Suite 2800
Toronto, Ontario M5G 2G2
Tel.: 416 593 1290
Fax: 416 593 1229
Email: toronto@britainincanada.org
Web site: http://www.britainincanada.org/Contact/toronto.htm
Cost of Living
(Exchange Rate Link http://www.bank-banque-canada.ca/english/exchform.htm)
Further Research:
The official Web site for Lancaster University is:
http://www.lancs.ac.uk
*For more information about Lancaster University, please visit the Resource Library in Room W263.