[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL] Formerly Derbyshire College of Higher Education[EBOLD][PARA]At the southern tip of the beautiful Derbyshire Peak District is the[PARA][ITAL]eminently less beautiful[EITAL] city of Derby. For those for whom the [PARA]exact position of the Peak District has always remained a [PARA]mystery, this places Derby in the north of the Midlands. The [PARA]university is based at 4 sites around this city, the main one being [PARA]the Kedleston Road campus just outside town to the north-west [PARA]amidst [ITAL]rather pleasant[EITAL] open countryside. But descriptions of the [PARA]University are somewhat difficult right now, since, having taken [PARA]the step from a College of Higher Education to university in 1992, [PARA]it is still undergoing tremendous changes. By the turn of the [PARA]century, if work goes to plan, an complete face-changing building [PARA]programme will have been finished.[HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]The Kedleston campus bustles for most of the day (with building [PARA]work if nothing else) and has to be friendly, intimate even, for [PARA]sheer lack of space. The University says, 'Hang on in there, [PARA]we're building', and a ú2.7million development should offer an [PARA]extra 3,600 square feet by the end of 1994. The large fashion [PARA]department polarises students into those who look cool and those[PARA]who wear anoraks, but even among those who still think [PARA]corduroy is trendy, there's a generally good buzz. Quite a few [PARA]students arrive here through the clearing system. Not originally [PARA]choosing the place doesn't mean they aren't pleased to have at [PARA]least found somewhere, although many are more than willing to [PARA]cite a grievance (usually accommodation-related). A recent Rag [PARA]Mag claimed that the most popular phrase amongst students is 'I [PARA]should have worked harder at A Level', and there's a bit of an [PARA]exodus back to the parental homestead at weekends.[EITAL][PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]THE SITES:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][ITAL]There is little exchange between sites, not least because they [PARA]represent departmental divisions and buses between them are [PARA]expensive.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Kedleston: [EBOLD](main site) This site, 2 miles from the Green Lane site [PARA]in the city centre, is where most of the new building is planned. [PARA]But, for the moment, it is comprised of 3 interlocking compact [PARA]office blocks, [ITAL]which, from a distance, look like they were [PARA]designed by the guy who invented 'Connect 4'. Inside, it's clean [PARA]and well laid out, which is necessary given the lack of space.[EITAL] [PARA]New buildings are being completed all the time.[PARA][BOLD]Mickleover: [EBOLD](2,000 students - Institute of Health and Community [PARA]Studies, education, social sciences, occupational therapy) This [ITAL][PARA]isolated [EITAL]concrete site, 2 miles to the west of the city centre, has [PARA]some halls of residence as well as departments. It used to be the[PARA]Bishop Lonsdale College for Teacher Training.[PARA][BOLD]Green Lane: [EBOLD](120 students - fine art, art and design, fashion) Right[PARA]in the city centre is this listed Georgian building - a purpose-built [PARA]art college. There's also a new development at Britannia Building, [PARA]which will house the artists.[PARA][PARA][PARA][HDNG]THE CITY:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Population: 220,681 [BULL] London: 120miles [BULL] Birmingham: [PARA]37miles [BULL] Nottingham: 14miles[ESTAT][PARA][ITAL]Those who dismiss Derby as being as ugly as a warthog with [PARA]acne are missing the historical significance of the place. [EITAL] After all,[PARA]Derby played an important role in the Jacobite Rebellion and a [PARA]crucial part in the Industrial Revolution. It has got 600 listed [PARA]buildings, a good number of parks and lots of useful shops and [PARA]amenities, including a number of bookshops (not least a Dillons at[PARA]the Kedleston campus). Derby also has 3 museums - the Derby [PARA]Museum, Industrial Museum and Pickford House - and other [PARA]attractions like the Arboretum Park and, outside town, Elvaston [PARA]Castle and Chatsworth House.[HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Trains:[EBOLD] Derby BR Station is 21/2 miles from Kedleston Road. [PARA]Services to London (ú16.50, 1:45hrs, 1/hr), Birmingham (ú5.35), [PARA]Bristol (ú28.40), Edinburgh (ú15.85) and other places.[PARA][BOLD]Coaches:[EBOLD] National Express and other services operate to London[PARA](ú13, 3:10hrs, 6/day) and Birmingham (ú3.25, 1hr, every 2hrs), [PARA]amongst other places.[PARA][BOLD]Car:[EBOLD] Derby is 8 miles from the M1, and also on the A6, A38, A50 [PARA]and A52.[PARA][BOLD]Air:[EBOLD] East Midlands is the closest airport, 8 miles south east of [PARA]town, with flights inland and to Europe.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Kindly motorists on long hauls on the main roads.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Local:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Usually reliable[EITAL] buses run every 15 minutes to the town [PARA]centre from the main campus at a cost of 55p.[PARA][BOLD]Taxis:[EBOLD][ITAL] ú2-3 between sites and city centre; several companies [PARA]offer 10% student discounts[EITAL].[PARA][BOLD]Bicycles:[EBOLD] [ITAL]Roads are busy. Sites are too far apart. There are [PARA]insufficient bike sheds and theft is a problem. Apart from that, [PARA]no problems.[EITAL][HDNG]FACULTIES and STUDENT NOS:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Art and Design[EBOLD] 846[BOLD][PARA]Business[EBOLD] 1,831[BOLD][PARA]Humanities[EBOLD] 709[BOLD][PARA]Health[EBOLD] 570[BOLD][PARA]Science[EBOLD] 1,304[BOLD][HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][EBOLD][PARA][BOLD][STAT][BULL] Books: 240,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 3,000 [BULL] Study places: 600 [PARA]Computer workstations: 600[ESTAT][EBOLD][PARA]There are 4 libraries, 1 at each site and an art library at Kedleston [PARA]Rd. However, there is very little study space and the libraries are[ITAL] [PARA]quite noisy[EITAL]. Building plans do include a brand new library, though.[PARA]Most computer services are based at the Kedleston Road [PARA]Computer Centre, but there are other PCs elsewhere around the [PARA]university. Laser printers, however, are rare.[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Careers Service [BULL] No of staff: 4full/3part [BULL] Unemployed [PARA]after 6mths (1992): 33%[ESTAT][HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL]50% of Derby students are local to the area[HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]John Blakemore (photographer); Barry Evans (England rugby [PARA]player); Russell Harty (not that one, but a lecturer at the [PARA]Mickleover site).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses for undergrads and part timers. Also course [PARA]leaflets for some departments.[PARA][PARA]
