Glasgow Caledonian University

Glasgow Caledonian University (informally GCU, Caledonian or Caley) is a public university in Glasgow, Scotland. It was formed in 1993 by the merger of The Queen's College, Glasgow (founded in 1875) and Glasgow Polytechnic (founded in 1971).

In June 2017, the university's New York partner institution, which was founded in 2013, was granted permission to award degrees in the state, the first higher education institution founded by a foreign university to achieve this status.

Campuses

GCU's main campus is in Glasgow city-center. A second campus in London is home to the British School of Fashion. In September 2013 the university founded Glasgow Caledonian New York College, which is an independent partner institution whose Wooster Street campus is based in the city's SoHo district.

Academic schools

Computing, Engineering and Built Environment

GCU's IT, engineering and construction experience is housed within the School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment. The School is composed of 8 departments:

• Applied Science (Control, Instrumentation and Forensics)
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Construction and Surveying
• Civil Engineering and Environmental Management
• Applied Computer Games
• Computing
• Cyber Security and Networks

The School's links with industry include the £1.2m Doble Innovation Centre for On-Line Systems, which works on diagnostic test instruments and expert consulting and knowledge exchange services for the electric power industry. GCU is also a partner in five of the Scottish Government-funded collaborative Innovation Centres which bring knowledge from higher education institutions to solve real-world business challenges – these are DataLab, the Digital Health and Care Institute, Construction Scotland Innovation Centre, Oil and Gas Innovation Centre and CENSIS (sensors and imaging systems).

The School performs research into built environment and connections with industry leaders in growing markets such as games design. The School also has a Centre for Climate Justice, which is involved in policy relevant research for development, teaching and learning, and broadening knowledge in the area of climate justice.

The Glasgow School for Business and Society

The Glasgow School for Business and Society brings together disciplines in business, law and social sciences, teaching and research in Fashion, Tourism, Risk Management, Finance and Multimedia Journalism.

The School leads the University-wide delivery of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRiME), a United Nations Global Compact-backed initiative which places social responsibility, ethics and sustainability at the top of the agenda for training future leaders. GCU became a PRiME signatory in January 2012 and is a founding member of the UK and Ireland PRiME Chapter.

GCU is a member of Business in the Community (BITC) Scotland and school students and staff manage the Work Ready Action Program (WRAP), which sees students mentor school pupils from the Glasgow area.

In 2015, the School's 10 BA Business Program Set and its MSc International Fashion Marketing Programs achieved the EPAS accreditation, becoming the first institution in Scotland and one of only 69 recognized worldwide.

It is designated a Centre of Excellence by the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment and is the only business school to offer triple-accredited degrees in financial services. The school is also home to the Moffat Centre, one of the world's university research centers in tourism and travel.

Health and Life Sciences

The School of Health and Life Sciences is one of Scotland's largest research and teaching centres in health care and life sciences; Scotland's only provider of optometry training; and home to an eye clinic, based on campus. GCU is ranked in the Top 20 in the UK for allied health research at world-leading and internationally excellent standards. The School is, since 1993, Scotland's only designated World Health Organization Collaborating Centre (WHOCC) for Nursing and Midwifery Education, Research, and Practice. It is also home to the Scottish Ambulance Academy; the only educational establishment in the UK to be formally endorsed by the College of Paramedics and certified by the Health and Care Professions Council, providing professional training for Paramedics on behalf of the Scottish Ambulance Service. September 2017 seen the first intake of the BSc Paramedic Science course, the first (and at present only) direct-entry Paramedic course available in Scotland. The School is composed of the following three departments:

• Department of Nursing and Community Health
• Department of Psychology, Social Work and Allied Health Sciences
• Department of Life Sciences

Students' Association

Glasgow Caledonian University Students' Association (GCUSA) is the students' association of Glasgow Caledonian University. It represents and enables Glasgow Caledonian University students to enhance all aspects of their student experience. It is located in the Students' Association Building on the Glasgow Campus and has an office at GCU London. All Glasgow Caledonian University students are automatically admitted to its membership upon matriculation.

In 2011, the Association was awarded the coveted title of Students' Union of the Year by NUS Scotland.

The Students' Association runs sports clubs, societies, student magazine (The EDIT), radio station (Radio Caley), active lifestyles program and an events program. At a national level the Students' Association is affiliated to the National Union of Students (NUS) which lobbies and campaigns for students at a Scottish and UK level.

Rankings

• GCU is the top modern university in Scotland for research power (REF 2014 rankings).
• According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) UK Performance Indicators in Higher Education, GCU has a completion rate of 80.9 per cent, above the sector average of 80.6 per cent for Scotland.
• 97% of GCU graduates are in work or further student six months after graduation, according to HESA.
• The Times Higher Education 2018 UK Student Experience survey named GCU as the second most improved university in the UK for student experience, up from 99th to joint 67th.

It is also a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the European University Association, Universities UK, Universities Scotland, the Florence Network, the Talloires Network, the Erasmus+ Program, and the Santander Universities Network.