lampeter difference

The

LAMPETERDifference

EXPLORE DISCOVER THRIVE

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THE LAMPETER DIFFERENCE I 3

CONTENTS

LAMPETER: TO US YOU ARE A NAME, NOT A NUMBER 4

LAMPETER: BE INSPIRED 6

TRADITION IN A MODERN SETTING 8

UNIVERSITY, TOWN AND COMMUNITY: ‘TOWN AND GOWN’ 10

CAMPUS LIFE 12

LAMPETER: AN ISLAND OF LEARNING 14

SUPPORTING STUDENTS 16

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES: THE RODERIC BOWEN LIBRARY 18AND ARCHIVE

MAKING THE MOST OF LAMPETER: STUDY, TRAVEL AND WORK 24

LEARNING AT LAMPETER 26

CLASSICS AND ANCIENT HISTORY 28

HISTORY & MEDIEVAL STUDIES 30

PHILOSOPHY 32

CHINESE STUDIES 34

ARCHAEOLOGY 36

ANTHROPOLOGY 38

THEOLOGY, RELIGIOUS AND ISLAMIC STUDIES 40

ENGLISH & CREATIVE WRITING 42

A VIBRANT RESEARCH COMMUNITY 44

4 I UNIVERSITY OF WALES TRINITY SAINT DAVID LAMPETER THE LAMPETER DIFFERENCE I 5

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CHOICES YOU WILL MAKE IN LIFE IS

NOT JUST WHERE YOU GO TO UNIVERSITY, BUT WHAT SORT OF

EDUCATION YOU GET WHILE YOU’RE THERE. HOWEVER WHEN

WORKING YOUR WAY THROUGH THE HIGHER EDUCATION ADMISSIONS

PROCEDURE, IT’S EASY FOR YOU TO FEEL OVERWHELMED.

Every institution offers a fractionally different experience from the others. After a

while, and with the best will in the world, colleges and universities sometimes seem

to blend together in a swirl of courses and campuses. What makes Lampeter a

different kind of University is our small, friendly and supportive environment. We

know everyone by their name and we offer an outstanding student experience that

can be found nowhere else. We want to make a difference to your life. For us you are

a name and never a number.

Over the next few pages, we want to introduce you to the

things that make Lampeter unlike any other University by

showing you the opportunities an education at Lampeter

offers you, not only for your time here as an

undergraduate but for your whole life. Through

conversations with the people who make Lampeter unique

we want to show you how we can help you fulfil your

potential while transforming your understanding of the

world.

Lampeter is a unique experience. It blends the new with

traditional educational values. We were founded in 1822

making us the oldest degree awarding University in

England and Wales outside of Oxford and Cambridge. Today Lampeter forms a Liberal

Arts campus as part of a larger University known as the University of Wales Trinity Saint

David. We gain strength from such scale but we also have distinction from remaining a

small college community of some 1000 UG students, situated in picturesque mid-Wales,

near to both the coast and the Cambrian hills.

Lampeter specialises in the Humanities, ranging from Archaeology to English or from

Ancient History to Chinese Studies, with an awful lot in between. Some students choose

to study two subject areas (a joint honours), so perhaps Theology and Classical Studies or

Philosophy and Medieval Studies. Yet others choose to take Humanities as a major

alongside a ‘minor’ subject. So, for example, a major in Religious Studies with a minor in

Education Studies, or a major in Anthropology with a minor in Psychology or even a

major in History and a minor in Heritage Management. It’s your degree, you choose the

mix.

Every student is heavily involved in their own education. There are no passive ears;

students and academic staff work together. Learning is collaborative rather than

competitive; values are central; there is a strong sense of community. At Lampeter

academic staff members know their students and it’s impossible to fade into the

woodwork.

Though we are small, we cast a wide net. For learning in Lampeter has an international

flavour. Our students and lecturers come from different countries and diverse backgrounds

and our students have options abound to live and study in other places around the world.

Diversity and mutual respect are the foundation of the green jewel of Lampeter.

LAMPETER: TO US YOU AREA NAME, NOT A NUMBER

LEARNING ISCOLLABORATIVERATHER THANCOMPETITIVE; VALUES ARE CENTRAL;THERE IS A STRONGSENSE OFCOMMUNITY.


DEVOTION TO THELEARNINGEXPERIENCE OFEACH STUDENTISN’T THEEXCEPTION BUTTHE RULE T

HE HUMANITIES ARE ABOUT THINKING AND ABOUT PEOPLE;

AT LAMPETER YOU’LL BE TRAINED TO THINK CRITICALLY,

TO THINK CREATIVELY AND THINK INDEPENDENTLY.

Over your three years of study, we can offer you academic expertise, international scholarship and a

collegial, supportive environment within which you will thrive. We encourage your passion for subject

by offering insights into the wider world; we explore a world of ideas and theories, of diverse cultures

and related communities and of imagined pasts and constructed pasts. We encourage you to analyse

texts, be they Egyptian Hieroglyphs, medieval love poems or a speech by President Obama; to appraise

artefacts, be they pre-historic bones or modern rubbish, and to decode visual representations, from

ancient cave paintings to paramilitary wall murals in Belfast. In the process we learn collaboratively about

ourselves and our community, about where we are in the world, where we have come from and where

we want to go.

Our emphasis is on individualised instruction. Our tutors are dedicated to teaching and developing a

passion for learning. Here, the student voice doesn’t just matter, it is the bedrock for learning. Our

students master their fields of interest, learn to communicate effectively, succeed as part of teams, and

develop a sense of social responsibility while giving back to the community. We believe that learning is

best developed in an environment where students participate fully in the life of the campus. We believe

everyone should have the opportunity to undertake a higher degree, on a subject they love and in

surroundings that are as beautiful as they are unique.

In our personalised learning environments, academics, students and staff work closely together in a

community of discussion and opportunity. Our outdoor areas are alive with the exchange of ideas, of the

occasional clash of swords, and of students having fun together as they learn. At Lampeter you’ll learn in

small classes and find an emphasis on individualised instruction from a dedicated staff whose devotion to

the learning experience of each student isn’t the exception but the rule.

Our classes are intimate and interactive. In the process of which we enhance your personal and social

skills, necessary for a range of careers. The skills you learn in Lampeter will equip you for long-term

career development and will always be in demand. We challenge students to become their best because

we know each of them, what they care about and what they can achieve. Embracing a distinctive style

of undergraduate education in which the individual and the place matter, we prepare students for life

after graduation.

LAMPETER: BE INSPIRED


LAMPETER HAS LONGBEEN A PERFECTENVIRONMENT INWHICH TO UNLOCKAND INDULGE YOURACADEMICINTERESTS

LAMPETER IS AN OXFORD COLLEGE REPLICATED IN THE BEAUTIFUL

SETTING OF WEST WALES. ITS ORIGINAL FOUNDATION BACK IN 1822

WAS AS AN ANGLICAN COLLEGE TO BRING TRAINING FOR THE

CHURCH WITHIN REACH OF A WIDE SPECTRUM OF STUDENTS FOR WHOM

OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE WAS EITHER TOO EXPENSIVE OR TOO FAR.

From the 1860s and 1870s the College broadened its base and appeal to the Humanities as a whole

and it is the Humanities that, in one form or another, have been core to what Lampeter is ever

since. This long tradition provides the academic foundation for an ethos and sense of place that

looks to develop in every one of its students an intellectual curiosity and personal confidence.

A tradition that will help realise everybody’s potential and which seeks to build upon and encourage

the deep and lasting passion for subject which our students have. We share your passion. The high

quality of our lecturing staff testifies to this. All are specialists in their chosen fields, experienced as

researchers and published academics, who in research assessment exercises hold an internationally

recognised reputation for scholarship. So whether your passion is Philosophy or English, Classical

Studies or Theology, History or Archaeology, Creative Writing or Anthropology, Lampeter has long

been a perfect environment in which to unlock and indulge your academic interests.

With tradition also comes collegial pride and academic rigour. Students are trained in the

appropriate academic skills and approaches with which to undertake individual study. These skills

include a critical approach to study, an ability to interrogate and appraise arguments and source

materials, and an ability to balance up opinions to craft a clear line of argument. These are skills that

we look to hone and polish in our students over three years of study and in a supportive

environment where tutors are here to assist and encourage. In this way we will train and equip you

for life after Lampeter, and so you’ll enter the modern world of work with a 21st century skill set.

Employers today are not looking for the finished article in their new employees; they are seeking

people who can think for themselves, who can question and challenge, who can work through a

problem and who can act in collaboration with others in pursuit of a common goal. This is what

Lampeter can do for you. It can give you the opportunities to flourish and the skills to carve for

yourself whatever career path you choose to take.

TRADITION IN AMODERN SETTING

LAMPETER IS A UNIVERSITY TOWN WHERE STUDENTS AND STAFF

ARE INTEGRAL TO ITS CULTURAL, ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY

LIFE, AND WHERE THE TOWN - ITS PEOPLE, SHOPS, PUBS AND

GROUPS - ARE WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF THE UNIVERSITY. THE TWO

WORK TOGETHER TO MUTUALLY ENRICH AND ENLIVEN THE

EXPERIENCE OF LAMPETER. HOW DOES THIS REALLY WORK?

One example would be the Lampeter museum, a joint venture between the University and the Local

History Society, run jointly by society members and volunteer students, who are able to acquire first

hand experience of museum and heritage work, curatorship, running exhibitions and constructing

public displays, while gaining insights into the history and culture of their adopted home. Second, the

University Rugby club plays on the town’s rugby pitch, it trains with the town team mid-week and

even turns out for them at weekends. Not bad for one of the oldest Rugby clubs in Wales, indeed it

was at Lampeter that rugby was first played in Wales.

Lampeter is not a place where you will find a multiplex, a

shopping mall or a night life comparable with Rio di Janeiro at

Carnival time. But it is a place of vibrancy and energy where

you will find a variety of shops covering everything from

clothes to camping equipment, and from fresh fish (Smiths’ fish

wagon) to fine dining at the Falcondale. The town boasts three

supermarkets, two Chemists, two electrical shops, an Outward

Bounds’ retailers, a small theatre, and several stationery and art

shops. A wide range of food options are available. There are

three bakeries which amongst everything else sell freshly made

Welsh cakes and pancakes (before 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday

mornings they are still warm!). The town has eight pubs - some

even shut occasionally - two Fish and Chip shops, two Chinese restaurants, an Indian

Take-away, and the organic option at the Mulberry Bush. To pick out just three student

haunts, the first would be the world-famous Conti’s cafe which still makes its own

ice-cream. Second would be Hags the music and DVD shop, a real treasure trove and a

rival to Amazon for the breadth of its catalogue, and lastly the second-hand bookshop,

equally as broad in its range and where you might find the latest Dan Brown nestling

side by side with Dante’s Divine Comedy.

It’s people that make the place and Lampeter’s people have welcomed Lampeter

students into their communities for almost two centuries. Lampeter students respond

through volunteerism, civic engagement, and a lifelong affinity for the area - many

simply never leave. With numerous student organisations, countless leadership

opportunities, and an active, civic-minded community, Lampeter students learn to

embrace opportunities both on campus and in the wider community. This engagement

fits our values. As a Faculty we believe strongly in sustainable communities, social

justice and respect for the breadth and diversity of the world around. That world is

Lampeter but it’s also something bigger. Uniquely for its size, Lampeter has a distinct

international feel - in its outlook, in its student body and Faculty, in its curriculum, in its

extraordinary study-abroad opportunities, and in the impact of its graduates; its reach,

impact and reputation are global.

UNIVERSITY, TOWN ANDCOMMUNITY: ‘TOWN AND GOWN’

AS A FACULTY WEBELIEVE STRONGLY INSUSTAINABLECOMMUNITIES, SOCIALJUSTICE AND RESPECTFOR THE BREADTHAND DIVERSITY OF THEWORLD AROUND US



YOU WILL GROWINTELLECTUALLYBUT YOU WILLALSO THRIVE AT APERSONAL ANDSOCIAL LEVEL L

IFE AT LAMPETER IS RICH, VARIED AND UNIQUE. THE ETHOS OF THE CAMPUS

IS FRIENDLY, INCLUSIVE AND SUPPORTIVE. WHOEVER YOU ARE AND

WHEREVER YOU COME FROM, AT LAMPETER YOUR VOICE WILL BE RESPECTED,

YOUR CONTRIBUTION RECOGNISED AND YOUR PARTICIPATION REWARDED.

Though you will join one of the four academic Schools, you will always feel part of something bigger, part

of a genuine College community, that works (and plays) together. You will grow intellectually but you will

also thrive at a personal and social level, and the friends you make will remain friends for life. That is a key

part of the unique Lampeter experience.

When not in tutorials, or seminars or lectures, students might be found studying quietly in the library or

chatting over coffee in the 1822 ‘Starbucks’ cafe or discussing in the bar an academic controversy following

a recent seminar. Alternatively they might have gone shopping in town or taken a short bus ride to the

coast for honey-flavoured ice-cream in the fishing village of Aberaeron. One of the more popular afternoon

activities (excluding all the sports events held on Wednesday afternoons) is the medieval re-enactment

society whose twice weekly ‘staged’ battles in the middle of the campus provide huge enjoyment for

participants and a great viewing spectacle for everyone else. In the summer, the banks of the river Dulas

that runs through the campus becomes a patchwork of barbeques, picnics, quiet reading and reflection, and

games of Rounders or Frisbee.

Other students might decide to head indoors to the Roderic Bowen Archives to finish off their on-line

exhibition of ancient Egyptian artefacts. In the evening students might be found in the Students’ Union

(with its multiple attractions) or in the Sports Hall (five-a-side football was all the rage last year) or in the

new dance studio or weights room, or with an assignment coming up, studying hard in the library. Perhaps

students might be attending a society meeting of some sort (the Pudding club has been popular in recent

years) or simply sitting around, chatting with friends, before they stroll into town to one of the (many)

pubs. Perhaps that evening they dared take on the ‘Lion tamer’ dinner at the Black Lion pub, a plate so

heaving with food that if ever cleared would not require payment. You can make of Lampeter what you

want and that can be as busy or as quiet as you wish. Whatever your choice, you will love the experience.

Abbie Carrington is the current Students’ Union President: ‘We have an amazingly engaged student body -

and this is rare. The NUS have just done some research on student engagement with voting turn-out (for its

elections etc) and what proportion of its student body voted. We came top of all Universities in the UK in

terms of turn out - that’s amazing. The average for other Universities was 19%, ours was 56%. That says

bucket-loads about us as a campus, as a Students’ Union and as a University’.

CAMPUS LIFE

14 I UNIVERSITY OF WALES TRINITY SAINT DAVID LAMPETER

IMAGINE GOING SOMEWHERE AWAY FROM THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF THE

CITY. AN ISLAND OF LEARNING NESTLING ON THE EDGES OF AN AREA

THAT, DUE TO ITS LACK OF HUMAN HABITATION, WAS KNOWN TO 19TH

CENTURY ENGLISH TRAVEL WRITERS AS A FOREIGN COUNTRY.

Think of a place where open countryside is no more than a ten minute walk away; a place where you

can walk, cycle and explore. A place where in the morning you can trek on ponies and by early

afternoon you can be surfing off the Cardigan coast.

From the high ground in the Cambrian Mountains there are views of the whole of upland Wales.

Hidden within its folds are lakes, waterfalls, deserted valleys, and high escarpments. This is the

environment that helped preserve the iconic red kite, which you will see wheeling above the campus

and the valleys toward Llanybydder to the west. North of Tregaron, you will find the isolated

splendour of Cors Caron. Spanning 2,000, acres it is an internationally important wildlife and wetland

reserve. A peat bog, stranded 170 metres above sea level, where the still pools mirror the endless sky.

Westward, you have the rugged and beautiful Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion coastal paths, part of the

All Wales network that goes (more or less) around the whole of the Welsh coast. You can dolphin spot

at New Quay, climb cliffs at St Govan’s, or you can sit on a secluded beach - and there are a lot of

those - and watch the sun go down, or come up.

In all of these places there are reminders of the past: abandoned settlements, standing stones, castles,

churches, kilns, mines, and quarries. Many paths follow the line of the railway tracks that once

brought resources from north and mid Wales down to the great factories and ports of the south.

Today these provide unique learning experiences, offering venues for Church historians, castles for

Historians and Heritage Practice students, multiple locations for Anthropological fieldwork, the local

Roman gold mines for regular Classics field trips, and countless Archaeological digs (Strata Florida, a

ruined medieval abbey is now in its 10th year of excavation by University students; and in Tregaron

our students are still searching for the skeleton of a 19th century elephant).

It is in this setting that in August 1822, to coincide with the birthday of King George IV, the

foundation stone for the original university buildings at Lampeter were laid. It merited a brief mention

in The Cambrian newspaper at the time. It is also the setting that helps explain the Faculty’s

commitment to sustainable living through its INSPIRE initiative.

THE LAMPETER DIFFERENCE I 15

LAMPETER: AN ISLAND OF LEARNING

THINK OF A PLACEWHERE OPENCOUNTRYSIDE IS NOMORE THAN A TENMINUTE WALK AWAY; APLACE WHERE YOU CANWALK, CYCLE ANDEXPLORE.


‘When lecturing my goal is to get the most out of students in a class. As Welfare officer my concern is not onlyfor their academic progress, but for their broader well-being. That fits into a holistic approach to teaching. You wantto push students to achieve their potential but provide them with someone to fall back on when they struggle;someone who can guide them to appropriate services within the University, if they cannot resolve their issuesthemselves. The fact that that every School on the Lampeter campus has someone dedicated to that role makes iteasier to see how a student is coping, not only with their coursework but also with the rest of their life.

‘Looking at it from an American angle, Lampeter has the positive qualities of an American Liberal Arts College;students engage with university, there are clear degree goals, academics know their students by name. That closepersonal contact, between teachers and the student means that we can take proactive as well as reactive steps if wedetect a problem.

‘Lampeter has a dedicated and caring community that is small enough to take care of people but large enoughto allow you to have time to yourself.

‘Importantly, Lampeter is a secure place. You don’t have the hubbub of a large city or crowds jostling you inthe street. Plus it’s quite pretty. There are plenty of opportunities to walk and see the countryside and that, in itself,allows students to find their own space and cope with the stresses of student life.’

TRISTAN NASH is sitting in the coffee shop. A tap on the shoulder. Looking up, I see a smiling and quizzical face;‘Hello, I’m Tristan.’ Introductions over, Tristan perches on a seat.

‘I am a lecturer in Philosophy. My main area of teaching is moral philosophy. I am also the admissions tutor andstudent Welfare officer for Philosophy.’

‘What attracted me to Lampeter was its very friendly environment. Class sizes are small enough to allowdiscussion of the ideas. Lecturers get to know students as individuals and those individual relationships underpinstudy here.’

‘We don’t just look at your academic record. We look at you. We look at your experiences and the passion youhave for your subject.’

‘A by-product of those processes is that Lampeter provides such a supportive and collegiate environment. Eachstudent has a personal tutor who gives them as much academic support as they need while encouraging independentthought and study.’

A quick sip of his drink and Tristan is ready to continue, ‘I want students to know that you don’t have tostruggle by yourself’. Support is there as and when you need it. There is a real ‘open door’ policy. We have regularoffice hours when students can drop in without appointment.’

‘A lot of my welfare role is bridging the divide between the academic School and Student Services. We can see ifand when problems arise: it is why getting to know students as individuals is so important. We do not only respondto problems, we identify them and place appropriate support in place.

Tristan develops his point, ‘You see, the support you can get as a Lampeter student is part and parcel of yourlearning process. In my subject it is important to see the development of the student’s individual ideas. It is equallyimportant to know students as individuals. That dual approach means that we work actively with our students, toengage them fully in the learning process.

‘In some respects, the support we offer is facilitated by the surroundings in which we offer it. The campus andtown are friendly. The location is peaceful. There is great walking to be done around Lampeter. Go two miles downthe road and you’re in the middle of open countryside. There is a relaxed pace to life. You are close to the coast andnot the more ‘touristy’ bits.

One last smile as he thinks of something, ‘I suppose that is one of the reasons why so many former studentsremain close to Lampeter. It is hardly going to be a surprise when I say that Lampeter is a very nice place to live.After all, I did both my undergraduate and PhD study here and now I teach here.’

AT LAMPETER WE RECOGNISE THAT THREE YEARS OF STUDY WILL

REQUIRE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUPPORT AND

ENCOURAGEMENT.

To meet this, the Faculty has recently concentrated all its student support and student-facing services into

one place, the newly refurbished Canterbury building, where everything a student might need is now

based; from financial advice to additional help with study skills, from accommodation matters to the

international study abroad unit. Again, the best insight into how this all operates will come from the

people who access the support and the people who provide the services.

KYLE ERICKSON, recently Welfare officer for the School of Classics, speaks quickly and precisely. ‘The student Welfareofficer is the point of contact for students who have non-academic concerns or issues that impact on their academic lives.We are not counsellors, but perform a sort of link point between the academic schools and the professional counselling,mentoring and other Student Services.’

‘From an academic perspective, it is useful for students to have someone they can talk to as an intermediary and evenif the Welfare Officer teaches the students who come to see them, it gives a different point of view.’

SUPPORTING STUDENTS

BEYOND A DOUBT ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE ASPECTS OF STUDY

AT LAMPETER IS THE ACCESS STUDENTS HAVE TO THE TREASURES

STORED WITHIN THE RODERIC BOWEN LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES.

It houses the Special Collections of some 35,000 printed works from before 1850, including a

small collection of Medieval manuscripts (the oldest being c.1200), around 100 manuscripts from

the Early Modern period and a host of other written treasures. What is utterly unique is that our

students can browse, read, handle, research and investigate the collection - some even write

their final year dissertation on something from the Special Collections. And it’s not just us that

think this is impressive. The Welsh Assembly government, in providing funding for a purpose-

built, high-tech archive to house these treasures, has recognised it as a unique National cultural

asset.

Peter Hopkins, the Archivist, is animated and impassioned about his subject; his enthusiasm is

almost like a stream of consciousness narrative on the Roderic Bowen Library and Archives, the

heart of Lampeter’s academic research experience.

‘From the outset, Lampeter had international links that extended way beyond Wales, the British

Isles and even Europe. The first student to enrol in 1827 at Lampeter, his father was a sailor.

At the very first step there is a connection with the wider world.’

‘At Lampeter I have chance to work in a treasure house, one of the most important collections

of its type anywhere. We are small enough to manage in detail and build up an understanding

of the material we have. We can answer the questions. We can directly and immediately help

people. It is fantastic because students get the chance to involve themselves directly with the

archive and its materials. Other institutions cannot compete because they are just too big.’

‘Students have the chance to study in the archives. We have boxes of documents, mostly from

the nineteenth century that are unknown, un-catalogued; we offer students the chance to be the

first to open these boxes, find out what is in them, catalogue them, and curate an on-line

exhibition.’


UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES: THE RODERIC BOWEN LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES

‘We have also established a museum on campus, a truly innovative project, in which we have converted the

porter’s lodge into a museum for the University. We can give our students the chance to curate so that they

can develop skills that are transferable to other careers after graduation.’

Sarah Roberts, who specialises in conservation for the Archive, is equally empassioned about the Collections.

‘I came here to do my MA in Landscape Management and Environmental Archaeology. I got a job in the

library, worked in Registry and then about a year ago started working in the Roderic Bowen.’

Sara looks out of the window and across the old hockey pitch below, ‘It is varied work: I get to work with

students, academics, former students who return, families of former students. There is an enormous variety

of queries and no two days are really the same.’

‘The most interesting opportunity for students is that it is very hands-on work. Students get to touch the

manuscripts and in many ways they are going to the source of all the things we do here.’

‘For example, in the mid-nineteenth century an English travel writer visited Lampeter and wrote about the

Monk’s Blood manuscript. The story of the manuscript is that it came from one of the great early seminaries

of the Celtic Church at Bangor-on-Dee. The invading Saxons pillaged the monastery, killed all the monks, and

on this manuscript is the blood of one of them.’


‘You might have early material regarding endowments with estate plans on vellum to photos of a rag

week from 1960s. It’s not all dry and dusty stuff; you get an insight into student life from the beer

books and disciplinary records: who drank what, how much of it they drank, whether they paid for it(!)

and who got disciplined for making away with a local girl. Students can make real discoveries while

finding out more about the world. You get up close and personal to the material and can make of it

what you want.’

Peter pauses for a moment, ‘A lot of that is down to the people who were the benefactors behind

Lampeter’s original foundation.’ Warming to his theme, he gazes around the library, ‘Thomas Phillips

was so important. Born in the age of sail, he died in the age of steam. A man of action, he served in the

British Navy during the American Revolution; travelled to the early colony in New South Wales; saw

action in Nepal and Java.’

‘He made a lot of money trading and he retired to London in 1817.

He lived in Bloomsbury, which was the centre for reform -

especially of education. He was forward thinking and believed in a

broad useful education to help people get better lives and better

jobs.’

‘Phillips provided the University with about 25,000 books and

manuscripts between 1834 and his death in 1851; in fact the last

consignment of material from him arrived after his death.’

‘He gave Lampeter an enormous range of material: from medieval

manuscripts to an early western novel. Some are unique, many are

very scarce. We have books that belonged to kings, cardinals,

philosophers, including ones from John Locke and Thomas Cranmer. The material is diverse and

visually very rich.’

‘One of the things I like to say to students is not to be restricted by your course. This is a once in a

lifetime chance to handle original materials. If you were interested in railways, for example, we have

original material from the time they were being built. It doesn’t matter what your field of study is, you

can come and see and touch things for yourself. It is a really eclectic collection, full of surprises. The

great thing about Lampeter is that, due to its quiet location, a lot of the material has not been mined by

researchers.’

‘For example, we have in our collection 8 wooden boxes made to look like books collated by a man

called Alexander Dalrymple. When you open them, inside are descriptions of how to sail round the

world - compiled from the 1760s to 1807. These books show the beginning of the British trading

networks that encompassed the globe. We have a full set of plans, charts and descriptions of how to sail

trade routes. These materials - basically a blueprint for how to exploit trade - are largely uncatalogued.’

STUDENTS GET TOTOUCH THEMANUSCRIPTS AND INMANY WAYS THEY AREGOING TO THESOURCE OF ALL THETHINGS WE DO HERE.


Smiling, Sara continues, ‘It is a nice story. George Borrow certainly thought so. He included it in his

book Wild Wales. It is a nice story - apart from the fact that the manuscript dates from long after the

destruction of the monastery. But it is the same manuscript in the library today, you can come and

see it, examine it, form your own opinion.’

‘Students get hands-on experience with archival material and printed material. If you select the right

modules you learn about preventative conservation and digitisation of material.’

Reflecting on the range of material, Sara expands her point, ‘There is the chance for truly original

research and thought. It ties into every field of study here. You can compare translations of Homer

through 400 years or so, study the Tract Collection - an important collection of ephemeral religious

publications - and deal first hand with original philosophical and religious works.’

‘Coming up, there is the centenary of the events of World War One. Here, we have university

magazines of the period, minutes, letters, personal diaries, paperwork to do with the impact of WWI

on Lampeter life and student life. The Archive is an excellent resource for that and represents yet

another opportunity for truly personal, relevant and original research.’

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STUDY ABROADENRICHES THELEARNING EXPERIENCEAND ENHANCES ASTUDENT’SCONFIDENCE INDEPENDENCE AND SELF RELIANCE

LAMPETER IS A RICH AND DIVERSE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT MADE UP

OF STUDENTS FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, COMMUNITIES AND

COUNTRIES. THIS DIVERSITY MAKES IT PARTICULARLY APPEALING TO

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS WHO COME TO LAMPETER TO STUDY FOR A

SEMESTER OR IN SOME CASES A WHOLE YEAR.

Our International students find a very friendly welcome in Lampeter and absolutely love the place; its

students, its tutors and its atmosphere. Many hate returning to their home institution; some have even

stayed on to finish their degree with us. International students join in the rich and diverse rhythm of

Lampeter life: indeed it was an International student who established the Lampeter Quidditch society.

Lampeter students also have the opportunity of going abroad to study for a semester at another

University, usually in their second year. This is a marvellous opportunity for students to travel and

experience a wholly new HE environment, based upon our strong connections with various

Universities in Europe and particularly in North America. Study abroad enriches the learning

experience, and in terms of enhancing a student’s confidence, independence and self reliance equips

them with a set of personal and social skills held in high standing by future employers.

Of course study abroad is not the only way of enhancing your social and personal skills. Lampeter has

a long tradition of volunteering and voluntary work, now recognised under the TSD Plus award. Help

in the Students’ Union or run a student society or group or work as one of our student ambassadors,

who help support students when they first arrive, take parents on campus tours or even go into

schools to talk to local children and teachers about their experiences. All our courses place an emphasis

on linking the world of academia with the world outside. Hence we focus upon fieldwork whether our

Archaeological dig just 20 minutes north of Lampeter, Anthropological fieldwork at a local Monastery

or a Classics trip to Rome, Pompeii or Athens. We also support those students keen to have a career in

teaching or in the Heritage sector with additional ‘vocational’ modules in Educational Studies and

Heritage Management. Our third years also have the opportunity to have a week-long observation

placement in a local school. So whilst we want you to have a great experience at Lampeter indulging

your passion for subject, we also make sure we prepare you for the world of work.

MAKING THE MOST OF LAMPETER:STUDY, TRAVEL AND WORK

LEARNING AT LAMPETER



The ancient world continues to fascinate the modern mind. Greece and Rome are distant

in time, and yet still close to us. The classical world underpins many of the values and

ideas which shape the ways in which twenty-first century humans react to the modern

world. Exploring the ancient worlds of Greece and Rome, we learn something about

ourselves.

What makes studying Classics a unique experience at Lampeter is that the course develops

the type of skills and abilities valuable to future careers and sought by employers.

CLASSICS AND ANCIENT HISTORY Potential & Passion: ERRIETTA BISSA

Errietta Bissa, Senior Lecturer in the School, takes up the story

of Classics at Lampeter, ‘I am Senior Lecturer in Ancient

History and Admissions Officer for the School of Classics. I

have been teaching at Lampeter for six years and it is a unique

place. There are lots of things that make Lampeter special but

what makes it unique is that we look at your potential.

Potential is terribly important.’

‘In a subject that in some respects is still perceived as elitist,

our goal is to help every student achieve everything they can

achieve. No matter where you are from or how much

recognition you have had before, our greatest success stories

are in many respects the students with unrecognized potential.

There is no one size fits all solution.’

‘As a School, we dismiss the notion that a C at A Level means

you are stuck with no more than a 2:2 for your degree.

Someone comes in and they are a student. We offer equality of

opportunity to everyone. It is up to them to grasp it. I like to

communicate enthusiasm and give students the opportunity to

find out what they find interesting. You don’t do Ancient

History unless you have a passion for the subject and you

cannot regulate passion’.

Dr Bissa leans back in her chair, ‘My interest is in learning and

teaching innovation, an umbrella term. We do a lot of work

that improves our graduates’ future employability. You don’t

just sit in a classroom or lecture theatre taking notes. Our

students do group working, oral presentations, reflective

reports and responses to others’ work. We focus on giving

students relevant skills, appropriate to their future careers.

Learning to work with others, building confidence and

independent learning skills are important to that. Lampeter

gives students the opportunity to do all of those things and get

better at them. A Lampeter education gives students an

opportunity they might not previously have had.’

‘A big thing is the relationship between lecturers and students.

I missed individual engagement with students when I was

teaching elsewhere. At Lampeter, you get to know students.

Students are more than a face in the crowd here; they are

individuals and real people with whom you can talk. The most

rewarding thing is to see individuals becoming more confident,

more knowledgeable. This time of year is the pinnacle. When

you see a student you first met at an open day three years before

wearing a cap and gown – graduating - it is a great feeling.’

A Student VoiceJON COLES, is a second year student in Classics. ‘I cameto Lampeter as a mature student.’‘There were a couple of reasons I chose Lampeter, but I would belying if I told you that access to study support was one of them.After all, I had been out of education for many (many!) years. Ihad worked all of that time in some fairly demanding roles andwas pretty sure that I was up to the demands of the course.’‘I enjoy the back and forth exchange of ideas and the discussion ofthemes and concepts. In the School of Classics you certainly getthe opportunity to encounter and take on some vigorouslyexpressed views and opinions. My advice would be not to sitthere like a nodding dog, or with your pen in hand desperatelyscribbling notes as though you are taking dictation.’‘Students at Lampeter are free to engage in truly independentstudy and find out what really interests them. Your interests willchange and evolve over your time at University; mine certainlydid. If something captures your imagination, your tutors will helpand guide you. Ultimately, however, you choose your own path.’‘The importance of the personal tutor, who in my case was thenalso the departmental welfare officer, is central to learning atLampeter. Your personal tutor is your guide to your academicprogress. There are different approaches, but my tutor has beensupportive and considerate. He has provided a sounding-board formy own ideas and then offered his own observations as to howgood (or bad) they are. We don’t always agree. That is, I think, agood thing.’‘It is good to study in a place where you feel that you are amongpeople who know your name, know you as an individual andlook out for you when times are good and when they are not sogood. I have been given individual attention and individualsupport that is, I think, a model of pastoral care.’‘I don’t think you can ask for more than that.’


Humanity’s thirst for knowledge reaches into the past, even when one is focused on

solving contemporary problems. The search for solutions often requires an

understanding of how problems developed. We study both our collective pasts and our

individual pasts to gain a better understanding of who we are today and where we are

going in the future. Lessons learned from the past can influence - hopefully for the better -

the social, political, and environmental actions we take today.

What makes our programmes in History and Medieval Studies unique is that our students

get close to genuine manuscripts and sources. You are not kept at a distance from the

fragmentary survivals of the past; rather you’ll get close to them in order to analyse meaning

and construct interpretations whether that be for a medieval manuscript or a ships’

travel-log of 1853.

HISTORY & MEDIEVAL STUDIES Reading the Past: JANET BURTON

Janet Burton, Professor of Medieval History, her room dotted

with papers and books, posters and prints on the wall, sits

close by.

‘I am a medieval historian, my main research interests are into

medieval monastic and religious orders. That sounds a little bit

off the main stream, but it isn’t. When I introduce students to

medieval history, one of things I have to get over is how

fundamental ecclesiastical history is to the study of the period.’

‘I work a lot with people outside Lampeter for research. For

example, I co-direct the Monastic Wales Project with a colleague

at the University of Lleida in Catalonia; so even though we are a

small campus in west Wales, we have international links.

Lampeter scholars work on an international scale.’

‘In larger universities departments can be bastion-like so that

there is less cross-fertilisation between departments. In the

School of Archaeology, History and Anthropology, offices are

not rigidly divided by discipline and that makes it easier to

work in an interdisciplinary way. In the course in Medieval

Studies, for example, I draw on the expertise and input of

colleagues from English, History, Archaeology, Anthropology,

and Religious Studies. Lampeter’s small size makes it is easy

for academics to work with colleagues from other disciplines.’

‘For students what this means is that, from the start of the first

year, they get tuned in to working in an interdisciplinary way

and get the benefit of different perspectives on the same

subject. It is up to the student to make up their own mind

which approach to a subject they want to follow as they

narrow their focus on their particular areas of interest over their

time at Lampeter.’

‘The University’s involvement at Strata Florida, the University’s

archaeological dig of a ruined medieval abbey, is a good

example of the way in which archaeology and history come

together. My colleagues David Austin and Jemma Bezant are

involved in a major research project at Strata Florida. That

research makes medieval history alive and tangible for

Lampeter students. It gives students the opportunity to see

things in context, to get firsthand experience.’

She rocks back in her seat, reflects and then leans eagerly

forward, ‘One of the very distinctive features of study at

Lampeter is that it is research-led. This means that students are

aware, especially by the third year, that they are taught by

people who write books, and sometimes the people who write

the books they are using to study their courses.’

‘In the Roderic Bowen Archives we have medieval manuscripts

and a collection of early printed books from before 1500 of a

number that some Oxford colleges do not have. At other

universities you would not be able to get your hands on them,

at least not without letters of introduction and a good

explanation as to why you want to see them - not to touch -

just to look. Here they are used. Undergraduates are allowed,

under supervision, to have access to the material in the archive.’

Pressing forward to make her point clear, ‘In a very real way,

our students can touch the past and connect with it in a way

you cannot anywhere else.’

‘We encourage direct participation. In all sorts of ways you have

to be aware that you are talking to people with different levels

of interest and knowledge and somehow bring it all together.’

She stands and points to a poster showing a medieval knight,

‘The visual is as good a way in as any. I might show an image

and ask what it means, what it tells us about the past. I want

students to respond, to react; to engage with the subject. You

can do that with a smaller class in a way you cannot in a

lecture theatre with 200+ students, which you get elsewhere.’

‘I think small group teaching and the personal tutor

relationship is vitally important. We want to enable students to

gain confidence and get as much as they can out of their

university career. We make an effort to meet tutees once a

week in the first year to encourage team-work, which is good

for confidence building and employability skills. This level of

personal contact means that, without making a big deal of it,

we can gently develop skills important in later life.’

‘I like the fact that I know my students by name. Teaching is

not a mechanical experience, it is a personal one. It is not

about putting on a performance, it is about interacting with

people. I am passionate about my subject and I want to

communicate and encourage that.’


Philosophy - the love of wisdom - is the critical examination of the most fundamental

questions humans ask: What is the nature of reality? How should people treat one

another? Why do we value what we value? What is knowledge and how do we know

whether we have it? How do we decide between competing theories on such issues?

These questions, and others like them, are basic to serious study in any field. While

everyone has beliefs about these matters, the goal of philosophy is to help students improve

their consideration of issues by examining the reasons they and others have for thinking as

they do. By increasing the care with which they reconsider ideas, philosophy students

deepen their understanding of themselves, others, and the questions and answers they

formulate.

PHILOSOPHY Thinking about the World: REBEKAH HUMPHREYS

‘I completed my PhD at Cardiff University,’ Rebekah

Humphreys tells us. ‘Before I worked here I worked as a tutor

at Cardiff, and as a visiting lecturer at Newport University.’

‘One of the benefits of coming to Lampeter to study, and

compared with my experience of working at other Universities,

is that there is truly a collegial feel. Students benefit from small

group teaching. Lecturers are accessible - friendly, too - and

these are extra benefits for the students.’

‘Lampeter is a beautiful area in beautiful countryside. The

Faculty at Lampeter has a heavy interest in environmental

issues. My research interests fit incredibly well with the

themes of the university regarding heritage and sustainability.’

Rebekah speaks passionately about her field, ‘Some of the

modules I teach include Philosophy of Mind, Ancient

Philosophy, Environmental Ethics and Philosophy, and those

very much tie in with the overriding ethos of academic life at

Lampeter. Here there is a strong focus on sustainability - the

University is deeply involved in the INSPIRE programme - and

all students get the opportunity to study the links between

their academic discipline and how it links to questions about

issues concerning the environment and sustainability.’

‘Students of Philosophy have the chance to reflect upon the

ethical issues surrounding climate change and conservation;

they can for example study issues relating to the conflicts

between ideas put forward by animal and environmental

ethicists. That thread runs through the programme from

undergraduate to advanced postgraduate study.’

‘It’s not all environmental philosophy of course, even though

that is very important to me (and indeed a lot of our students).

We also cater for pretty much all philosophical tastes, so our

teaching ranges from ancient Greek philosophy to the modern

European philosophers such as Nietzsche. We also explore a

variety of contemporary issues and debates whether it be

about the nature of life and death, the ethics of killing or the

ethics of the food industry, currently very big - I have a

colleague over in Anthropology writing on exactly this area at

the moment. So we look to explore with students as broad a

field of philosophical inquiry as possible. For example, we

recently had Sulak Sivaraksa visit the campus. He is one of the

leading Buddhist political activists in the world today, chair of

the Asian Cultural Development Forum, close to the Dalai

Lama and who in 1994 was nominated for the Nobel Peace

Prize - though he didn’t win it. He is also an old boy of

Lampeter who was a student here in the late 1950s who came

from Thailand on an international exchange. He led a seminar

with our students - about 10 of them in all - and it was

fantastic. He was really impressed by their ideas, enthusiasm

and willingness to discuss and engage; I was so proud of them.’

‘We try to engage students in these important questions by

participation. Teaching is a more interactive experience at

Lampeter than elsewhere. Connections are made: not only

between different academic disciplines, but concerning the

relationship between those disciplines and the world around

us. So, Lampeter hosts lots of events regarding sustainability.

The global heritage of humankind is concerned with preserving

nature for the benefit of nature and humanity. No matter what

level of study you are at, studying Philosophy at Lampeter is a

way to gain access to and to contribute to these vital debates.’

A Student VoiceLILI HICKS, a second year Philosophy student, offers me achocolate cake from the tray she brought with her for her friendsin another Hall. ‘The big thing why I chose Lampeter was itsteaching style. It was the smallness of the classes and the waythey teach through discussion - that was so different to school.It’s all about learning how to present your ideas and explainthem rather than just repeating somebody else’s - that’s what Ireally enjoy.’‘I like the way I know all of my lecturers , even those whohaven’t taught me yet. They know me and I know them by theirfirst name. There’s a real sense of equality here; it’s not the caseof students versus lecturers; more a sense of all in it together.Often I just turn up at their office and say, ’I just don’t get this’,and they will talk me through it. They actually want to hearwhat I think. We don’t always agree - but I like that.’‘It’s great to be taught by lecturers whose books are in thelibrary. I’m able to sit in their lectures then go and look at theirbook. If I disagree with it I’m able to engage with them aboutthat. I think that’s brilliant. Lampeter is brilliant.’

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China’s long history - more than 5,000 years - and its splendid traditions in literature,

the arts, and cuisine make studying Chinese history and culture and learning to speak

the language an exploration and adventure. It is the most widely spoken first language in

the world.

There are many compelling reasons to study Chinese. While many people simply enjoy

studying foreign languages, Chinese is a different way of experiencing the world. Our

course at Lampeter recognises this duality and so, whilst we help you to acquire another

language we also insist you gain an understanding of Chinese culture. China is increasingly

important both to our present and future. Dialogue with China presents new economic,

political and social realities challenges. To position our students within this new reality we

offer them the fantastic opportunity to spend a semester in Beijing in their second year.

CHINESE STUDIES A Personal Approach: THOMAS JANSEN

‘Lampeter offers a more personal and therefore more intense

learning experience for the students.’ says Thomas Jansen,

admissions tutor for Chinese Studies.

‘It is more personal because it is smaller and because there is a

direct connection between academics and students. There are

no intermediaries. That makes the learning experience

simultaneously intense and - in my view - more professional.’

‘You are not sitting in a lecture being spoken at and then

having revision classes with a teaching assistant or a graduate

student. Tutorials take place with academics which creates a

proximity between learning and research. That is the appeal I

think for academically ambitious students: to learn directly

from experienced academics whose research subjects relate to

their teaching modules. That is what is special about

Lampeter.’

‘We actively encourage students to express themselves and

express their opinions. You are not lost in the masses. Students

engage directly with lecturers.’

‘We involve our students in practical tasks within the

Confucius Institute: in exhibitions and lectures for the public,

in workshops in schools. We have always involved our

students in those workshops and opportunities. It is important

that students can apply what they have learned as part of the

curriculum. In graduation week, for example, students were

asked to deliver lectures on their dissertation subjects.’

‘Reflecting on teaching Chinese to students in rural Wales

Thomas explained, ‘learning the Chinese language is a very

intense undertaking. In a rural environment you have the

space, time and peace to learn language. At Lampeter we are

big enough so that you can meet people to talk to in the

language you are studying. In addition, you are not

automatically trained as an historian or political scientist;

students can find their own direction. You need to find out

where you are going and what interests you and a smaller

institution gives you that chance.’

‘In a small university it is a more varied student experience; in

a sense, study here is a little less specialised. Working closely

with colleagues in other fields, makes the interdisciplinary

opportunities very interesting. Students are exposed to a wider

range of experiences, both academically and socially.’

‘Despite our small size, we are a truly international campus.

I am German. We have many lecturers from other countries.

In my subject, students study abroad. Six months in China can

prove a formative and challenging experience. As part of their

studies students are challenged to consider how cross-cultural

communications work, what are the pitfalls and challenges.

We want students to go out and get experience, not just

academic but personal too.’

‘This experience is really important and the students get so

much from it - it’s a priceless engagement with another society

and culture that you just don’t get from studying books and

on-line articles back in the UK. Not the least for when they

enter the world of work in a firm, whether it be finance,

management or whatever but which has partnerships and

business dealing with a Chinese firm. The understanding of

cultural context, heritage, social and political etiquette is a vital

ingredient in any business dealings with China, and that is

what we try to give our students. It’s that wider, rounder

picture that employers find so valuable. Getting that broader

perspective on Chinese society and culture enables us to

organise a range of cultural activities which students help

arrange and indeed participate in, from Chinese New Year

festivities to Chinese musical evenings involving such

traditional instruments as the Dizi, the Paixiao and the Guqin.’

Students also take a very active part in our extensive

engagements with schools, introducing students to Chinese

painting, dance or the basic elements of language. It’s great

fun. It also gives some of our students a taste of education

some of whom then go on into teaching.’


To be human is to be curious, questioning, and inquisitive. We know that our ancient

ancestors stared at the night sky with wonder, that they experienced fear as the sun

disappeared during solar eclipses and joy at its return, that they witnessed the cycles of

births and deaths, seasons and years, and that for all of these events they sought

explanation and meaning.

Human curiosity and ingenuity have allowed cultures to evolve and flourish in almost every

environmental niche on the earth. We study Archaeology to know who we were and to

know where we have come from. Archaeology at Lampeter is an internationally recognised

field of study where our tutors can introduce you to a range of subjects from nautical

archaeology to the archaeology of battlefields, from pre historic societies to medieval

castles. Its also where you will get first hand fieldwork experience from our own

archaeological dig just 20 minutes from Lampeter, the ruined medieval abbey site of

Strata Florida.

ARCHAEOLOGY The Importance of Context: LOUISE STEEL

I spoke to Dr Louise Steel, Senior Lecturer in the School of

Archaeology, History and Anthropology.

It is a sunny day in July and we are sitting outside 1822, the

campus coffee shop. Graduation took place the previous

Friday and the campus is quiet, populated by summer school

visitors, academic staff and a few graduate students. Having

found a shadier spot away from the afternoon heat, Dr Steel

nods toward the buildings around us and the green hills

surrounding them to the south and east. ‘This is - I think - a

beautiful campus. It’s seen at its best at this time of year.

Lampeter offers somewhere away from the city, there is a good

quality of life here and it is friendly and safe. It’s pretty cheap

to live here as well! We want students to flourish and the way

in which we teach is intended to nurture and support talent.

Achieving that goal is made easier when you are in a

community like Lampeter. It’s easier to live, easier to learn, in a

pleasant environment.’

‘At Lampeter it is not only what you learn that is important, it

is how you learn it.’ Louise Steel continues, ‘From year one, a

Lampeter student in Archaeology will be engaged in

experiencing artefacts and original materials firsthand. In the

first year we go to the Ashmolean Museum and students

choose to research an object from the collection.’

‘In the second and third year, there are field projects. In the

next academic year we are going to Athens. Past expeditions

have been to Tarragona and Pompeii. You don’t just sit in a

lecture theatre, you go out into the world and see the ancient

sites yourself and experience them firsthand.’

‘One of my colleagues is involved with a project at Cyfartha

Castle. There is an Egyptology collection there. Every year

some of those artefacts are brought to the Roderic Bowen

Archives to be catalogued. Students can see the objects, handle

them and in some cases will be among the very first people to

see them since they were brought from Egypt.’

‘It’s not only learning through essays. We encourage our

students to learn and engage with the materials they write

about in a more practical way.’

‘We put great emphasis on the practical. Our archaeological

excavation at Strata Florida is just 20 minutes up the road. It’s

the site of a ruined medieval abbey which during the early

Middle Ages played an absolutely central role in the political,

cultural and spiritual life of Wales. Every year we take students

for a three week intensive dig, and they love it; it’s what most

of them came into Archaeology for and a fantastic

opportunity which not many other Universities can offer.

However practical also means for us laboratory work. We have

dedicated bone and soil analysis labs where students will have

seminars and learn about the variety of ways for dating,

understanding and unlocking the secrets of the material culture

all around. It’s actually quite a hands-on programme; you

definitely are not sat around in hot stuffy lecture theatres. Our

advice to all incoming students is bring your hard boots and a

tough weatherproof coat.’

A Student VoiceHANNAH EPICHEFF is a student finishing off her MA inHeritage Practice who did her BA in Archaeology at Lampeter. ‘I loved my archaeology degree. It opened my eyes topossibilities and it’s why I’ve gone into further study in heritagewith the hope of getting a job in the sector when I leave. I canremember coming to an open day and just loved the place andthe tutors. I had a chat with Ros and then again on the phoneafterward. She was really nice. She gave me time, talked methrough the course, what I’d do and what was expected of me.So when I arrived I felt more comfortable, as if I knew someonealready, and that was really important. The tutors are nice;friendly and really approachable. Particularly Quentin whotaught me battlefield archaeology - he really knew his stuff andbrought the subject alive. He also helped me at Strata Floridawhich was definitely the highlight of my course. Before I arrivedat Lampeter I had never done any real archaeology - in the fieldso to speak, only what I’d read in books. It was great - reallyhands-on which I found is more me.’ ‘My first year went so fast but I remember that there were a lotof field trips. I enjoyed those, especially to Tenby and Haford. Itwas great, the way they weaved the archaeology, history andanthropology together into one narrative that made sense whenyou wandered around. It all seemed to put the world intoperspective. It was just great.’


Anthropology combines course work with practical ‘in-the-field’ training. The study of

“who we are and how we came to be that way” not only provides a well-rounded

education, it also engages students in the world around them and gives an understanding of

the tensions and dynamics underpinning the most fundamental of human behaviours.

At Lampeter you will learn to observe, to record and to describe complex social behaviour

as it happens. Study Anthropology at Lampeter and you will engage in hands-on research,

involving active participation in the community, be that in a local monastery or as part of

one of our established fieldwork projects in Kenya or in Canada. Such cross-cultural

experience is increasingly attractive to many employers, from social service organisations to

multinational corporations.

ANTHROPOLOGY Creative and Practical: LUCI ATTALA

Luci Attala’s office is a melange of flowers, books and objects

dotted on shelves that heave with books. But what it is most

filled with is Luci’s personality; a conversation with her is a

breathless, kinetic experience.

‘The key for me is questioning, rather than simply hearing,

listening and absorbing.’ She pauses. She does not do it often,

‘I want to inspire people to think differently about the world. I

want to make students think, make them question, make them

challenge and feel the world. I want to promote a different

way of learning.’

‘I draw upon my experiences in nursing, teaching and interest

in drama to encourage students to explore the material, roll

about with it, and find out if I am wrong. I want my students

to challenge me - ‘you said this, I found that.’

‘To learn is to question, to engage in dialogue. I want students

to feel able to speak out and question - that means lectures

sometimes get diverted - but the experience is better for that.

Lampeter students are encouraged to speak out and question:

there is a culture of doing things differently.’

‘There isn’t a stuffy sense of hierarchy, here. There is freedom

of expression between academic staff and that filters down to

students. Speak up. You will be heard. There is a sense that

lecturers and students work together toward something

dynamic, creative and inclusive. To me, creativity is so

important. You can get real magic from thinking creatively.’

‘My hope is that we get people coming out of Lampeter, who

are thinking about how humanity goes forward in a

sustainable way and are embedded in ideas of social justice

and equality.’

Luci stops, blinks and continues at speed as the ideas tumble

out. ‘I think that studying Anthropology at Lampeter is

genuinely unique. We focus on practice and not on theory. We

don’t ignore the theory. It is important. However, we do not

focus on second-hand experiences, we focus on getting

students out and doing and being Anthropologist, learning for

themselves.’

‘Going out into the world is an essential part of students’

learning, part of their degree. But it is an important part of their

life.’

‘Fieldwork, real experience, is central to study at Lampeter. In

the first term you do your first piece of fieldwork, your second

in your second term. That pattern continues. The University

offers support for students to carry out their own independent

research project.’

‘University should not be boring: it should be exciting and

dynamic. There is a wider world of which we are all part.

Looking at the prickly issues and exploring them is vital.’

‘I think there is quite a lot of misunderstanding about

sustainability. People tend to think it is all about having

recycling bins and organic food. That is a misrepresentation of

what it is. Anthropology is about human relationships, how

we relate to other humans and the world about us. So, when

teaching about sustainability, we are learning about human

activity and how humans relate to the planet to ensure a

workable future for all life forms. That is a really exciting thing,

something relevant to where we are now.’

Luci speaks more emphatically to hammer home her point,

‘Applied Anthropology looks specifically at how to use the

knowledge we gather. Part of that is looking at the relationship

between different cultures; for example, examining the

dynamics of interactions between big business and emerging

and less developed economies. Students who go out and

create relationships with different cultures and communities

gain a depth of understanding, an awareness, of the

complications in creating such relationships.’

‘At Lampeter we have connections with charities and

businesses. Our students can find out what it is like to live in

Kenya. My students go out to Africa to experience different

cultures. That is the beauty of Anthropology: you are put in a

place where you are being one of these people, you are being

part of their community, you are experiencing things directly.

These are transformative experiences.’

She smiles one more time, ‘I think we are ahead of the curve

on this one; happily, ahead of the curve. I think other

universities will follow our lead.’


Even in a supposedly secular society, religion plays a central role in social, political, and

economic events. As religion and spirituality continues as part of the lives of

communities and individuals, so there remains a need for reflection upon and understanding

of religious traditions, issues, questions, and values.

Studying in the School of TRSIS promotes such reflection through excellence in scholarship

and teaching in the field of religion. We want our students to be aware of the importance of

religion in the world and to apply the critical thinking and analytical skills they develop

through their study beyond their studies and into their future lives.

THEOLOGY, RELIGIOUS STUDIESAND ISLAMIC STUDIES

Widening the Field: CATRIN WILLIAMS

I am speaking with Dr Catrin Williams, who is the Head of

School and a widely recognised expert on the gospel of John.

‘Lampeter’s the kind of place that is of a size that allows strong

connections to be made. Students get individual attention of a

type that you are simply unlikely to get elsewhere. There is no

identikit student here and no identikit lecturers.’

‘We put a lot of effort into students developing important

skills: skills that will be important not only while they are

studying for a degree but those that will be valuable

throughout their lives.’

‘People work together. Every student is given a chance to

thrive and cross-fertilisation and an interdisciplinary approach

are important in achieving that. They make for stronger study

experiences. At Lampeter we do not separate the study of

Theology from Religious Studies, even though they are

followed as distinct and separate degrees. Theology does not

exist separately from people’s experience of lived religion.’

‘… We do not only study religion as contained in ancient texts.

We are not a School that considers individual and communal

religious experiences as belonging on a checklist of what each

religion professes by way of faith. In TRSIS we all look at

forms of religion today - how people do religion - how it is

relevant to their daily lives.’

‘That means that working across Schools is a large part of how

Theology and Religion are studied at Lampeter. For example,

we consider the relationship between Islam and the West or

religion and conflict. That is not possible in isolation, without

those things being based in a broad context, as opposed to a

narrow scholastic one. Our new degree programme on Religion,

Culture and Society is an extension of the same approach.’

‘Importantly, we do not limit ourselves to a study of the

Abrahamic faiths. My own area of expertise is in 1st Century

Christianity, the origins of Christian faith in the Jewish

tradition. I have colleagues who teach on modern Hinduism

and the Indian faith diaspora; other colleagues who look at

religion and conflict, on the interactions between Muslims and

Muslim communities around the world; other colleagues

research and teach about New Age religions, Voodoo and

shamanism.’

‘In TRSIS, each of those areas of study are linked into the way

in which people do religion now, how it is lived today and the

contexts from which those beliefs and faiths arise. We try to

break down assumptions, preconceptions, and show the

continuing relevance of faiths and religious heritage in modern

society. That underlines the importance of the interdisciplinary

links you can forge in a place like Lampeter.’

A Student VoicePAUL ROUSSELLE, a small, bearded bundle of enthusiasm. PaulRousselle, a recently graduated Lampeter student, walks into the barand says hello to everyone there. He looks thoughtful as we speak.‘It is a long time since I first came to Lampeter. I was about 13-14 yearsold and involved in a charity called Peace Mala. I sort of fell in lovewith the place there and then. The teacher involved with the charityinspired me to follow Religious Studies and some years later, I came tothe campus on an open day.’ ‘I remember, I handed my personal statement to one of the seniorlecturers and got a personal letter back. He met me again during afurther open day. They knew who I was. In fact, he knew all of us. Hespoke to us about the virtues of the studying at Lampeter. ‘It was thatwhich sold it to me, the personal experience and personal attention.‘The lecturers were all prepared to engage with the students andstudents were given the chance to direct their work so it was importantand relevant to us.’There is a long pause in our conversation as Paul thinks carefully abouthis words, ‘but if I had to choose one thing that has been most positiveabout my time in Lampeter it is personal development. This is notsomething I could have got anywhere else. You were never more thana few minutes away from someone you knew.’ ‘You were always pushed by your lecturers and friends. Lampeterpushes you to strive for greater and better, not only academically but interms of your personal development as well.’‘That meant that we learned more about ourselves, our own abilities -even our own shortcomings - than we would have done at a largerUniversity. There was never a chance to just fly under the radar orcoast by.’


Literature has the power to expand our minds and to teach us new ways of seeing the world.

The study of literature at degree level instils an understanding of the context in which

literature was produced and through what mechanisms it is transmitted and received. Literature

provides insights into human thought and the human condition that cold, hard facts cannot

convey.

Study Creative Writing at Lampeter and you will do more than just get tips and tricks on how to

work with texts on the page. You will have the chance to work in close co-operation with both

your fellow students and your lecturers in an inclusive and supportive environment. We want you

to develop practical writing skills that provide you with the tools for a successful future career.

The skills of close analysis and argumentation acquired in the study of English have wide and

attractive applications for employers after graduation. At Lampeter, those skills are developed on a

course that emphasizes the close relationship between literature and the way humans experience

the world around them.

ENGLISH & CREATIVE WRITING Independent and Inspired: PETER MITCHELL

The recent hot weather has been replaced by a leaden,

cloud-filled sky. In his office in the Rowland Williams building,

Peter Mitchell sits with his legs crossed in front of him while

the lamp on his desk illuminates the right side of his face. His

voice is quiet, his words considered. He occasionally steeples

his fingers when he is thinking of the next point he wants to

make.

‘I am a Senior Lecturer in early modern English literature: 16th

and 17th centuries. My research is more specifically within

literature of that period - literature dealing with medicine and

science. Even within the scientific literature there is an

awareness of its analogy of the body politic. Of literature’s

relevance to the whole: to it not being separate and remote.’

‘That research activity comes into my teaching and my

contribution to the programme offered within the School:

firstly, most of my teaching is within my period of research;

more broadly, and by necessity as it is part of the expectation

in English - I cover the major writers: Sidney, Spenser,

Shakespeare, Milton.’

‘So, Lampeter students get a very wide grounding on the

emergence of certain formulations of what it means to be a

person. Those formulations arguably emerge in later medieval

and early modern literature. We can trace those developments

from their developments in medieval literature through the

profound changes in the 16th and 17th centuries culminating

in the work of Milton which is, in many respects, an

apotheosis of some of those developments in English literary

culture.’

There is a brief nod and a smile. ‘Standard English degree

programmes cover from Shakespeare on. We have a strong

tradition of teaching about medieval and early modern

literature here. We are in competition with a very small

number of institutions that offer the chance to study medieval

literature and early literature. Perhaps most importantly you

will be taught by people whose research is directly applicable

to the courses they teach.’

Peter stops, and in the short pause I look at the crowded - and

in contrast to other offices I have visited - tidy, well-organized

shelves heaving with books on his area of expertise.

‘Lampeter is geographically, culturally and academically

distinctive.’ He begins again and soon pauses to gather his

train of thought, ‘there are tangible reasons for students to

enjoy their time here. You are so close to the community in

which you live. Friends, activities - academic and otherwise -

are a real focus. You make closer ties. A benefit of that is that

the students’ interaction with the university is more focused.

At a larger university, the relationship between the student and

the institution might be diffuse and distant.’

‘At Lampeter, a student is assigned a personal tutor at the

beginning of their degree programme. All things remaining

equal, the personal tutor is constant throughout undergraduate

study. In every case the individual student has a chance to

develop an ongoing academic relationship with a particular

member of staff, even if they are not taught by them for any

modules. The advantage of this is that the personal tutor gains

an understanding of what makes their students tick. You can

see what kind of strengths they have and help them with areas

on which they might need to work. That contact is vital. Over

three years, academics get to know students and students get

to know academics. That creates the possibility of an informed

approach to individual academic development.’

‘So, among other reasons I think Lampeter is a good place to

study English. Another reason is to do with research: we are

just a short drive from National Library - one of seven

copyright libraries in the UK - and the Roderic Bowen Library

and Archives is on campus.’

‘In terms of proximity to the materials that matter to ambitious

students wanting to carry out their own research, we are in an

excellent position. In one particular case, independent research

led to an unexpected outcome. A student carried out a

bibliographical exercise on early Milton. She went into her

final year, did her dissertation on one of the versions of

Paradise Lost. She shone. The experience of working with the

material in the Archives and Special Collection inspired her.

Lampeter gives its students those chances to be independent

and to be inspired.’


A VIBRANT RESEARCHCOMMUNITY

46 I UNIVERSITY OF WALES TRINITY SAINT DAVID LAMPETER

FACULTY OF HUMANITIES

UNIVERSITY OF WALES TRINITY SAINT DAVID

LAMPETER CAMPUS

CEREDIGION

SA48 7ED

Tel: 01570 422351

www.trinitysaintdavid.ac.uk

UNIQUEcollaborativeINTERNATIONALONE-ON-ONEEXPLOREDISCOVERSPLENDOURbeautifulLEARNINGTRADITIONCREATIVEWELCOMINGchallengingACADEMICpersonalCHALLENGINGTHEupliftingENLIGHTENING PROVOCATIVEdynamicLAMPETERFOCUSEDCONSCIENTIOUSCOMMITTEDIMPASSIONEDDIFFERENCEheartSpecialIMPORTANTeducationCOMMUNITYDISCUSSIONopportunityINDIVIDUALdedicatedCONNECTEDINDEPENDENCEKNOWLEDGEchallengingACADEMICpersonalENTHUSIASMlifetimeNETWORKSSKILLSFreedomEXPLOREpassionbunderstandingINQUISITIVEacquireRESEARCHbenefitPARTICIPATE

“I came to Lampeter because I’m a mature student and I wanted to study on a small

campus where I would not just be a number but I would be a face, and I could get to

know people. The classes have been fantastic. The lecturers have been so supportive and

the subjects that we’ve had have been interesting, I’ve absolutely loved what we’ve done

and I’ve found a real passion for Greek literature.

I’ve had so much support from everybody, the lecturers, the academic staff and the

support staff. It’s been a fantastic experience in a beautiful place.”

Lisa Thomkinson, Graduated 2013

“And finally there is Lampeter itself. It is a great place to live, as well as a great place towork. I like the fact I can walk to work. I like the fact that I see people I know while I

walk to the campus. I like smallness of scale, the beauty of the countryside, waking up inthe morning and seeing hills. I know it doesn’t suit everybody, but even if you don’t grow

up in an environment like this, you learn to appreciate and value it.”

Janet Burton, Medieval Historian and Lampeter Professor

lampeter difference

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