Writtle University College Repository Information

Writtle University College (WUC) is a small and specialist institution established in 1893 to provide teaching and training for the land-based industries. It was incorporated as a Higher Education Institute (HEI) in 1994. WUC obtained Taught Degree Awarding Powers (TDAP) in 2015 and University College status in May 2016 through the Privy Council. The institution then launched itself as Writtle University College in August 2016.

This is the open access institutional repository for Writtle University College. The repository has been established to facilitate the dissemination and preservation of digital material created by the members of Writtle University College. The Research Repository is a showcase for the University College's research and an on-line archive to increase the visibility and impact of our pioneering work in all disciplines. The full-text of many items is available, and can be used free of charge for non-commercial, personal study.

About Us

WUC offers degree qualifications up to level 8, predominantly in the land-based subject areas e.g. Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal and Equine Sciences. While retaining its land based core, WUC’s provision has diversified, so that the University College now also offers degree programmes in subject areas such as Art and Design, Floristry, Landscape Architecture, Veterinary Physiotherapy, Bioveterinary Science and Sport. The mission of the University College is ‘Transforming lives and the environment through inspiring education’.

Historically, WUC has principally focussed on developing excellence in teaching. Since 2010, in order to underpin the curriculum, WUC has strategically invested in fostering a greater ethos of research and scholarship. As a result there has been a significant increase in both the volume and quality of research outputs. The number of PhD research-active qualified staff has increased significantly since 2010. Over the same period the University College has achieved significant growth in external research income with some noteworthy achievements. These developments led to the participation of WUC in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) for the first time. The University College intends to consolidate the progress achieved in the REF 2014 and make further improvements in research provision with the aim of participating again in the next REF in 2021.

WUC has an extensive estate (220 hectares) which includes an Equine Campus, well-equipped Sports and Science laboratory facilities, an Animal Unit which houses a range of specialist and exotic groups of animals (e.g., rodents, reptiles, birds etc.), Canine and Equine therapy and hydrotherapy units, extensive greenhouses and a working farm. The on-campus farm has both arable and animal husbandry operations, with a large commercial pig unit, a breeding herd of Red Poll beef cattle and a large flock of sheep. These facilities support teaching and help to underpin research and consultancy work.

Contact Information

Any correspondence concerning this specific repository should be sent to research@writtle.ac.uk.