Stranmillis University College

Stranmillis University College was established in 1922 'to provide teacher training for Northern Ireland'. In 2015 Teacher Education remains its core mission; however, in recognition of the multi-professional approach that is critical to the education of children, the expanded undergraduate portfolio offers a wider range of professionally related academic programmes - the BA in Early Childhood Studies and BSc in Health, Physical Activity and Sport. These professional degree programmes complement and support core elements of the BEd programme and the PGCE in Early Years Education and ensure that students coming to Stranmillis have the opportunity to learn and develop competences in a multi-professional environment.

The College's mission now extends beyond Northern Ireland. The University College works with an extensive range of partners in Europe, America, Africa, China and Malaysia. This involves a commitment to international work through student and staff mobility programmes. On average some 90 international students from Europe, the United States of America, Africa and China come to study at Stranmillis each academic year. The University College continues to priortise the ongoing development of teachers and other professionals by offering a range of postgraduate opportunities through its Master's programmes - the MEd, MTeach and MA (Early Childhood Studies). The focus is on developing Master's modules which are relevant to current issues within the professional practice and policy contexts.

To sustain a vibrant, inclusive learning community, educating, shaping and enriching society through excellence in teaching, scholarship and research.' We are committed to developing policies and programmes which aim to continuously improve our teaching and scholarship activities for the benefit of children and young people in our society and further afield. The following values underpin everything we do:

• We pursue excellence
• We embrace diversity
• We champion collaboration
• We promote social responsibility
• We practise good governance.

The College has undertaken a recent review of its Education Strategy. It is based on the following principles:

• Effective and enriched engagement between staff and students is central to the delivery of a high quality educational experience;
• Academic excellence underpins all – the students, the curriculum, the staff, the facilities - and is available to a diverse body of students on the basis of their ability and potential to succeed within the learning environment that Stranmillis offers;
• The student experience is aligned in a continuum from school to university, undergraduate to postgraduate, and towards employment and modern day citizenship, taking account of where the student has come from and where he or she is going to;
• Student experience should be differentiated to reflect the diverse needs and expectations of undergraduate and postgraduate taught students;
• Innovative teaching and assessment, making optimum use of technological developments, underpins the delivery of the curriculum and the active engagement of students in their learning;
• Curriculum development must be actively responsive to changing student demand and employer and societal need, both in terms of what is delivered and how it is delivered;
• Graduate attributes are developed through the curriculum and co-curricular activities, enabling students to fulfil their role as citizens of a modern day global society and to achieve graduate employment both nationally and globally.

Stranmillis University College is committed to the vision of developing a research culture which supports teaching and learning and influences policy and practice. The College considers research as fundamental to the development of open and critical minds, fostered by students working with staff at the forefront of subject knowledge and professional practice. The University College’s main areas of activity are:

• The initial undergraduate and post-graduate education of teachers for nursery, primary and special schools in all sectors;
• The initial undergraduate education of teachers for certain subject areas in secondary schools and colleges in all sectors;
• The professional development of serving teachers from all types of schools and of other education professionals;
• The vocational undergraduate education of professionals to work across the whole spectrum of the Early Years sector;
• The vocational undergraduate education of professionals to work in organisations involved in health promotion, fitness and leisure;
• The operation of a conference centre on both a residential and a non-residential basis.