Royal Agricultural University

The Royal Agricultural University (RAU) has been at the forefront of agricultural education and a key contributor to the land-based sector for 175 years. Today, the RAU has more than 1,100 students studying agriculture, business, environment, equine science, farm management, food, real estate and rural land management. The University, which is based in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, prides itself on its links with industry and all courses are designed to meet the demands of the employment market for land-based expertise, both in the UK and worldwide.Concerned by the lack of government support for education, Robert Jeffreys-Brown addressed the meeting on the ‘Advantages of a Specific Education for Agricultural Pursuits’. A prospectus was circulated, a general committee appointed and Earl Bathurst was elected President. Funds were raised by public subscription with much of the support coming from the wealthy landowners and farmers of the day; there was no Government support. Earl Bathurst leased a site to build the College and construction in the Victorian Gothic style began in April 1845. Queen Victoria granted the Royal Charter to the College in the same year and Sovereigns have been Patrons ever since, visiting in every reign. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales became President in 1982.The first 25 students were admitted in September 1845 and the following year student numbers increased to 108. Many of those early students went on to careers in Colonial Agricultural Administrations and the Diplomatic and Foreign Service. From its early days, the College was staffed with innovators and pioneers and made a considerable impact on farming practice and agricultural science. In 1931, Professor R ("Bobby") Boutflour, CBE, became Principal. Professor Boutflour was largely responsible for raising the prestige of the College to its present high standards. It was said of Boutflour, on his death in 1961, that he was "... the most capable, colourful and forceful character that ever adorned the fields of agriculture". Frank Garner, the next Principal, enhanced the educational standards and Sir Emrys Jones, his successor, was responsible for the Hosier Library and the Frank Parkinson Lecture Theatre.Vic Hughes, whose service to the College is one of the longest recorded, uplifted the teaching standards by the establishment of the many degree programmes that the University can now offer. The first modern degree programme, started in 1984, was in co-operation with Reading University - a BSc (Hons) degree in Rural Land Management. Subsequently, as the RAC, the University reclaimed its right to award degrees from the Privy Council. The RAC had been independent of government control since its foundation until 2001 when it first received funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), allowing it to widen access to its courses to students of all backgrounds.In 2013, the Privy Council awarded the College full University Status, in recognition of its provision as a higher education institution. The Royal Agricultural University will continue to lead the development of teaching and research in agriculture, agri-business, equine, food, and land & property management.The University motto is 'Arvorum Cultus Pecorumque'; a quote from Virgil's Georgics, it means 'Caring for the Fields and the Beasts'. What more appropriate maxim could there be for a University which, in every facet of its teachings, now incorporates a wider understanding of our countryside?The Royal Agricultural University was founded as the Royal Agricultural College in 1842, at a meeting of the Fairford and Cirencester Farmers’ Club. Concerned by the lack of government support for education, Robert Jeffreys-Brown addressed the meeting on "The Advantages of a Specific Education for Agricultural Pursuits".  A prospectus was circulated, a general committee was appointed and Henry Bathurst, 4th Earl Bathurst was elected president. Funds were raised by public subscription: much of the support came from the wealthy landowners and farmers of the day, and there was no government support. Construction of the main building, in Victorian Tudor style, began in April 1845 and was designed by S. W. Daukes and John R. Hamilton, and built by Thomas Bridges of Cirencester. The first 25 students were admitted to the college in September 1845.Queen Victoria granted a Royal Charter to the college in 1845 and sovereigns have been patrons ever since, visiting the college in every reign. His Royal Highness Prince Charles became president in 1982. The college gained full university status in 2013 and changed its name accordingly. It had 1,125 students in the 2019/20 academic year and saw a 49% rise in applications between 2008 and 2013. The Royal Agricultural University was named the safest university in the South West in 2013, and is ranked top in the UK for spending on facilities.Our vision is to become the leading specialist University providing a fresh perspective for the land agri-food and rural enterprise sectors.The four cornerstones of our strategy are:To grow and diversify our student community by providing an outstanding student experience and excellent employment outcomes. Our innovative programmes will be informed by the evolving needs of industry and designed for learners at all stages of life, delivered via traditional and online learning platformsTo establish a Knowledge Hub that will help industry navigate change and uncertainty making it possible to tackle big challenges more effectively delivering societal benefit and impact. The Hub will provide a focus to pioneer farmer-led innovation, act as an accelerator of rural enterprise and become a centre for thought leadership for the informed development of evidence-based policy and strategic thinkingTo become a sustainable, efficient, organisation that can fund a continuing investment in our physical, digital and human infrastructure ensuring a continually improving and excellent experience for both our students and our staffStrategic and sustainable partnership working - partnerships with land-based colleges and schools will diversify our student community and extend the reach of the learning opportunities we offer.Developing more sustainable partnerships with industry and research-leading institutions will provide a wider perspective, ensure that what we teach is relevant, improve student employment outcomes and enable sustainability-oriented innovation.

Courses

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