Magee College

Coordinates: 55°00′22″N 7°19′23″W / 55.006°N 7.323°W / 55.006; -7.323

Magee College (UUM)
Ollscoil Uladh ag Coláiste Mhig Aoidh
Established	1865
Chancellor	Sir Richard Nichols
Provost	Prof Jim Allen
Vice-Chancellor	Prof Richard Barnett
Location	Derry, Northern Ireland
Affiliations	EUA, UUK, UI
Website	Magee campus

Magee College (Irish: Ollscoil Uladh ag Coláiste Mhig Aoidh) is a campus of the University of Ulster located in Derry, Northern Ireland. It opened in 1865 as a Presbyterian Christian arts and theological college. Today, it has no religious affiliation and provides a broad range of undergraduate and postgraduate academic degree programmes in a wide range of disciplines ranging from computer science, computer games and robotics to psychology and nursing.

Academics

Magee offers a large number of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes through the University of Ulster's six faculties: ^[1]

1. Arts
2. Art, Design & Built Environment
3. Computing and Engineering
4. Life and Health Sciences
5. Social Sciences
6. Ulster Business School

Within each faculty there are a number of schools offering programmes for their relative disciplines. The schools based on the Magee campus are:

1. Arts - School of Creative Arts
2. Computing and Engineering - School of Computing and Intelligent Systems
3. Life and Health Sciences - School of Nursing, School of Psychology
4. Social Sciences - School of Policy Studies, Graduate School of Professional Legal Education, School of Sociology and Applied Social Studies
5. Ulster Business School - Marketing and Business

Programmes taught at Magee include business studies, drama, education, computer science, computer games, robotics, electronics, modern languages, music, nursing, psychology, and social sciences.

Research

Research activities include several research centres.

Magee is the location for the Intelligent Systems Research Centre (ISRC) dedicated to the creation of intelligent computational systems through research in neural networks, fuzzy systems, artificial intelligence and cognitive robotics. Other research areas include ambient intelligence, wireless sensor networks, robot vision, brain computer interfacing and serious games. ^[2]

Magee is home to the Academy for Irish Cultural Heritages (AICH) which focuses on cultural studies related to Ireland and the Irish Diaspora. ^[3] and the Institute of Ulster Scots Studies, founded in 2001, which looks at the history and heritage of the Ulster-Scots. ^[4]

It also houses International Conflict Research (INCORE), a joint venture between the United Nations University and the University of Ulster. Established in 1993, it aims to address issues of the conflict in Northern Ireland and seek to promote conflict resolution internationally. ^[5]

History

Magee College gained its name from Martha Magee, the widow of a Presbyterian minister, who, in 1845, bequeathed £20,000 to the Presbyterian Church of Ireland to found a college for theology and the arts. ^{[6] [7] [8]} It opened in 1865 primarily as a theological college, but accepted students from all denominations to study a variety of subjects.^[6] It was a college of the Royal University of Ireland from 1880 and later became associated with the Trinity College, Dublin when the Royal University was dissolved in 1909 and replaced by the National University of Ireland.^{[6][citation needed]}.

In 1953, Magee Theological College separated from the remainder of the college, eventually moving to Belfast in a 1978 merger that formed Union Theological College. ^{[6] [7] [9]} Also in 1953, Magee College broke its links with Dublin and became Magee University College. It was hoped that this university college would become Northern Ireland's second university after Queen's University of Belfast, but in the 1960s, the Stormont Parliament, made a controversial decision to pass it over in favour of a new university in Coleraine, a decision which was one of the pivotal points in the history of The Troubles.^[6] Instead it was incorporated into the two-campus New University of Ulster in 1969.^[6] The next fourteen years saw the college halve in size, while development focused on the main Coleraine campus.^[6] In 1983, the New University merged with the Ulster Polytechnic, and Magee became the early focus of development of a new four-campus university, the University of Ulster.^[6] Student and faculty numbers recovered and grew rapidly over the next ten to fifteen years, accompanied by numerous construction projects ^[6]

The main building was built with Scottish freestone, and opened in 1865.

Timeline

• 1845 — Foundation endowment from Martha Magee.^[6]
• 1865 — Magee College opened.^[6]
• 1880 — Magee College joined the new Royal University of Ireland.^[6]
• 1909 — Royal University dissolved.^{[citation needed]}Government funding greatly reduced.^[6] Magee College became an autonomous university college, with students completing their degrees at Trinity College, Dublin.^[6]
• 1953 — Magee University College received major government grant funding for the first time.^[6]
• 1969 — Magee University College merged with the New University of Ulster.^[6]
• 1978 — Magee Theological College closed, merging with Assembly's College to form Union Theological College in Belfast.^[9]
• 1984 — New University merged with the Ulster Polytechnic, Jordanstown, to form the University of Ulster.

Professor Jim Allen replaced Professor Tom Fraser as Provost of Magee in 2006^[10]

Historical notes

• Florence Nightingale visited Magee College on 31 May 1867.^[11]
• The Magee College bequest is mentioned on the founder's graveyard memorial in Lurgan, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, where her husband was a minister.^[8]

Campus

The central feature of the campus is the original 1865 building. This is surrounded by Victorian red brick houses, and several modern buildings in red brick and glass, constructed since the formation of the University of Ulster.

The campus is used for education, but also as a convention centre. For example, Magee hosted the 2006 Tomo-Dachi convention.

Timeline of recent construction^[6]

• 1988 – Phase I building
• 1989 – Carrickmore House, extension of main building
• 1990 – Phase II library building
• 1991 – Refurbished main building
• 1992 – Extension of 3/4 College Avenue
• 1993 – Strand Road student residence
• 1995 – Phase III buildings (sports complex and informatics), Duncreggan Road student residences, floodlit all-weather sports ground

Tip O’Neill Chair

Based at Magee, the Tip O’Neill Chair in Peace Studies was established in commemoration of the former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Thomas "Tip" O'Neill, Jr. a well-known supporter of the Northern Ireland Peace Process. The chair was inaugurated by the former President of the United States, Bill Clinton in 1995. Currently funded by The Ireland Funds the chair has been held by the Nobel Peace Laureate, John Hume since 2003. Under the tenure of Professor Hume Magee has hosted a series of guest lectures involving key national and international policy-makers .

• Mitchell Reiss, United States Special Envoy to Northern Ireland, 2006
• John Kerry, United States Senator, 2006
• Garret Fitzgerald, former Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland, 2005
• Hillary Rodham Clinton, United States Senator, 2004
• Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General, 2004
• Romano Prodi, EU Commission President, 2004
• Pat Cox, MEP and President of the European Parliament, 2004
• Bertie Ahern, then Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland and President of the European Council, 2003
• Bill Clinton, former President of the United States, 2003
• Michel Rocard, former Prime Minister of France, 2003

Notable alumni

Year of matriculation is given, if known.

• Gregory Campbell (politician), 1982^[12]
• Mark Durkan, Deputy First Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive, c.1980s^[13]
• Brian Keenan (writer), c.1985^{[citation needed]}
• Dill Macky, 1866, founder of The Scots College school in Sydney^[14]

Honorary graduates

Notable figures have received honorary degrees in graduations hosted by Magee.

• Rt Hon Lord Ashdown (Paddy Ashdown), former Liberal Democrat Leader and former UN High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2006^[15]
• Hillary Rodham Clinton, United States Senator, 2004^[16]
• Fiona Shaw, actor, 2004^[17]
• Stephen Rea, actor, 2004^[18]
• Amanda Burton, actor, 2002^[19]
• Bill Clinton, then President of the United States, 1995^[6]

References

1. ^ UU Faculties [1]. Retrieved on 02 Jul 2009.
2. ^ ISRC Website The Intelligent Systems Research Centre About. Retrieved on 2 July 2009.
3. ^ Research Institutes Recruitment website Research Institutes - Academy for Cultural Hertitages. Retrieved on 21 November 2006.
4. ^ Institute of Ulster Scots Studies website The Institute of Ulster Scots Studies Introduction. Retrieved on 21 November 2006.
5. ^ INCORE Website INCORE: About. Retrieved on 21 November 2006.
6. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r} History of Magee College at UU Library website. Retrieved on 28 August 2006.
7. ^ ^{a b} Union Theological College website, History. Retrieved on 28 August 2006.
8. ^ ^{a b} Epitaph, 1845. Martha Magee's memorial at a cemetery in Lurgan reads, “The Rev Wm. Magee Minister of the Presbyterian Church Lurgan, died 9th June, 1800. At the demise of Mrs Martha Magee, about £60,000 to the Irish Presbyterian Church including £20,000 for the establishment of a college.” History from Headstones retrieved on 31 August 2006.
9. ^ ^{a b} Presbyterian Church in Ireland Press Release, 2003 Presbyterian College Celebrates 150 Years. Retrieved on 28 August 2006.
10. ^ http://www.ulster.ac.uk/international/pdf/ishandbook.pdf retrieved on 6 February 2008.
11. ^ UU website Magee Campus Guide. Retrieved on 28 August 2006.
12. ^ Northern Ireland Assembly Biography of Gregory Campbell. Retrieved on 31 August 2006.
13. ^ Mark Durkan's Biography at the Northern Ireland Assembly. Retrieved on 31 August 2006.
14. ^ Australian Dictionary of Biography Online, Dill Macky, William Marcus (1849–1913). Retrieved on 28 August 2006.
15. ^ UU Press Office, 2006. [2] 22nd March 2006. Retrieved on 22 November 2006.
16. ^ UU Press Office, 2004. "UU to Confer Honorary Degree on Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton" 23 August 2004. Retrieved on 31 August 2006.
17. ^ UU Press Office, 2004. [3] 15th December 2004. Retrieved on 22 November 2006.
18. ^ UU Press Office, 2004. [4] 15th December 2004. Retrieved on 22 November 2006.
19. ^ UU Press Office, 2002. "Derry-born Actress Amanda Burton Returns for UU Honour" 9th July 2002. Retrieved on 31 August 2006.

External links

• Magee College website
• School of Computing and Intelligent Systems website
• Intelligent Systems Research Centre website
• Academy for Irish Cultural Heritages website
• Institute of Ulster Scots Studies website
• International Research Conflict website