The Polytechnic, Wolverhampton

The Polytechnic, Wolverhampton, is a large institution in the West Midlands and provides Higher Education for thousands of students from the United Kingdom and beyond. There are only thirty polytechnics altogether in England and Wales and Wolverhampton was one of the first to be designated. The Polytechnic was originally created in 1969 by uniting the College of Art with the College of Technology. In September 1977 the Dudley College of Education, the Wolverhampton Teachers’ College for Day Students and the Wolverhampton Technical Teachers’ College merged to form a Faculty of Education within the Polytechnic.

The Polytechnic thus is made up of six faculties: Art and Design, Engineering, Humanities, Science, Social Science and Education. Five of these faculties are located on the main campus in the centre of Wolverhampton; the sixth, the faculty of Education, is located at Dudley.

A wide range of degree, postgraduate, diploma and professional courses are offered at all six faculties. All faculties undertake research and all are served by the Polytechnical library. Nearly 4,000 students are on courses for three or four years, ranging from engineering and computer studies to social work courses. These courses are full-time, part-time and sandwich.

The teaching on the courses is partly by lectures but much of time is spent in smaller group work, in seminars and tutorials.

In addition to the higher degrees of MPhil (Master of Philosophy), PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) and MSc(Master of Science) the courses lead to a wide range of first degrees and diplomas.

A high proportion of students live away from home; over 1,300 being accommodated in Polytechnic residential units. The main campus has hostel places for 600 students.

The Polytechnic Students’ Union represents students on various Polytechnic Committees. It operates a number of national services for local students (such as accommodation, medical, financial, legal and other problems).The Students’ Union organizes and supports a wide range of social, recreational and cultural activities. A large number of clubs and societies are organized by it, which arrange entertainment. There are film, music, drama, poetry, blues and folk societies; rugby, judo, crosscountry running, badminton and horse riding clubs. In addition, there are academic, political and other societies at the Polytechnic.

 

 

Higher Education in the United States

There are more than two thousand institutions of higher education in the United States with the number of students ranging from fewer than a hundred to 40,000.

Young people who want to enter higher education must meet some requirements. They must have attended a high school for four years. No student is admitted to a college or university without having completed a four-year course in high school. This means that a student who wants to study at the university or college must begin by doing good work in high school. If his grades in high school are satisfactory, he is admitted to a university or college, where he may take a Bachelor’s degree after a four-year course of study. About fifty three per cent of pupils who complete their high school course go on to a college or university.

The first two years in an American college or university differ somewhat from a similar period in a European one. These years in American college are a continuation of secondary education. During this time certain courses in English, social sciences, natural sciences and so on must be completed before a student may begin an intensive study of this special field.

Nearly all of colleges and universities in the United States are coeducational. This means both men and women attend the same university. It is common for students to leave home to study, and only about 15% of all university students live at home while they study. Students may live either on the university campus in one of the dormitories or in private homes in the city in which the University is located.

University life provides a wide variety of recreational activities. Although a great deal of time must necessarily be devoted to study, students find time for recreation. There are football, basketball, and baseball games, teas and dances, concerts, debates, club programs and plays, to mention only a few of the many activities. Most recreational activities are not expensive for the student.

 

 

US Academia: Some Explanations

The American academic year usually runs from some time in September to the end of May. Most, although not all, scools run on a semester system. Achievement is measured by grades which are given on papers and tests during the course of the semester and a final examination at the end of the semester. The final grade is based on all of the work done for the course. At the university level, grades are usually given in the form of letters that correspond to numbers 1-4, with 4 indicating excellence. A grade point average (GPA) is determined at the end of a term to show overall achievement.

The degree programs contain several major courses and a certain number of credit hours is given for every course. A student must take a predetermined number of credit hours in order to graduate. One can drop or add a course in the beginning of the term but not in the middle of the semester. Withdrawing from a course midsemester will be noted on grade records. Students are ecouraged to discuss any academic problems or questions they may have with their academic adviser.

In the classroom, Americans are encouraged to ask questions and to voice their opinions, even if they differ from those of the professor. Also, professors expect papers to be typed and not handwritten.

 

 

American and European Systems Compared

Education in America is largely the business of the individual State, not of the Federal Government. Each of fifty states has its own system of education. There is no Minister of Education such as exists in many other countries, no national system of education. In addition to public schools, academies, colleges and universities, there is a great number of private institutions of education. The Federal Government of the United States doesn’t interfere in any way with public education within the States.

Americans tend to study a larger number of subjects than Europeans, in schools, and particularly at the university. Seven subjects are required for a first degree (Bachelor’s degree) in many colleges. In the USA wide, and sometimes superficial, knowledge is often valued more than specialization.

The aim of American education is to create a good citizen, rather than a scholar. That is why great emphasis is placed on social duties and obligations, on communicating with other people, and obtaining varied information, which will be of practical use in life.

 

 

The Engineering Profession

Engineering is one of the most ancient occupations in history. Without the skills included in the broad field of engineering, our present-day civilization never could have evolved. The first toolmakers who chipped arrows and spears from rock were the forerunners of modern mechanical engineers. The craftsmen who discovered metals in the earth and found ways to refine and use them were the ancestors of mining and metallurgical engineers. And the skilled technicians who devised irrigation systems and erected the marvellous buildings of the ancient world were the civil engineers of their time.

Engineering is often defined as making practical application of theoretical sciences such as physics and mathematics. Many of the early branches of engineering were based not on science but on empirical information that depended on observation and experience.

The great engineering works of ancient times were constructed and operated largely by means of slave labor. During the Middle Ages people began to seek devices and methods of work that were more efficient than human. Wind, water, and animals were used to provide energy for some of these new devices. This led to the Industrial Revolution which began in the eighteenth century. First steam engines and then other kinds of machines took over more of the work that had previously been done by human beings or by animals. James Watt, one of the key figures in the concept of horsepower to make his customers understand the amount of work his machines could perform.

Since the nineteenth century both scientific research and practical application of its results have escalated. The mechanical engineer now has the mathematical ability to calculate the mechanical advantage that results from the complex interaction of many different mechanisms. He or she also has new and stronger materials to work with and enormous new sources of power. The Industrial Revolution began by putting water and steam to work; since then machines using electricity, gasoline, and other energy sources have become so widespread that they now do a very large proportion of the work of the world.