University of York

Coordinates: 53°56′48″N 1°03′09″W / 53.94659°N 1.0525°W / 53.94659; -1.0525

The University of York (abbreviated as Ebor. for post-nominals), is a research-intensive plate glass university located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects.

In 2012 York joined the Russell Group in recognition of the institution's world-leading research and outstanding teaching. In the 2014 Research Assessment Exercise, York was also named as the 14th best research institution in the United Kingdom. Along with the LSE, York is the only university in the UK to have displaced the University of Oxford to second place in league tables, second only to the University of Cambridge. The university also places among the top 20 in the country, top 50 universities in Europe, and ranked 120th in the world, according to the 2015 QS World University Rankings. York is described as a "genuinely world class" institution by the Times and Sunday Times. York was the Sunday Times university of the year in 2003 and Times Higher Education university of the year in 2010.

University

A university (Latin: universitas, "a whole") is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which grants academic degrees in various subjects and typically provides undergraduate education and postgraduate education. The word "university" is derived from the Latin universitas magistrorum et scholarium, which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars."

History

Definition

The original Latin word "universitas" refers in general to "a number of persons associated into one body, a society, company, community, guild, corporation, etc." At the time of the emergence of urban town life and medieval guilds, specialised "associations of students and teachers with collective legal rights usually guaranteed by charters issued by princes, prelates, or the towns in which they were located" came to be denominated by this general term. Like other guilds, they were self-regulating and determined the qualifications of their members.

In modern usage the word has come to mean "An institution of higher education offering tuition in mainly non-vocational subjects and typically having the power to confer degrees," with the earlier emphasis on its corporate organization considered as applying historically to Medieval universities.

York

York (ⁱ/ˈjɔːrk/) is a historic walled city at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England, and is the traditional county town of Yorkshire to which it gives its name. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events in England throughout much of its two millennia of existence. The city offers a wealth of historic attractions, of which York Minster is the most prominent, and a variety of cultural and sporting activities making it a popular tourist destination for millions.

The city was founded by the Romans as Eboracum in 71 AD. It became the capital of the Roman province of Britannia Inferior, and later of the kingdoms of Northumbria and Jórvík. In the Middle Ages, York grew as a major wool trading centre and became the capital of the northern ecclesiastical province of the Church of England, a role it has retained.

In the 19th century, York became a hub of the railway network and a confectionery manufacturing centre. In recent decades, the economy of York has moved from being dominated by its confectionery and railway-related industries to one that provides services. The University of York and health services have become major employers, whilst tourism has become an important element of the local economy.

York (group)

York is a German electronica music duo, founded in 1997 by musicians and brothers Torsten and Jörg Stenzel. Producing ambient, downtempo, chillout, house and trance, their productions are known for catchy guitar hooks, atmospheric soundscapes and delicate dance textures.

Career

Torsten Stenzel began his musical career early in his childhood, learning the piano from the age of five when he began his classical training. In the early 1990s his musical orientation changed, and he discovered the growing techno/house movement. He built his own recording studio. Torsten Stenzel is credited for several gold and platinum awards, an 'Echo' nomination and over three million record sales.

Jörg Stenzel has, since the age of eleven, been interested in stringed instruments, the guitar in particular. The two brothers combined their talents in 1997 and project 'York' was born.

York has released four successful UK singles. Their first single, "The Awakening", reached #11 in the UK Singles Chart in October 1999. Their second single, "On The Beach" (which sampled Chris Rea's song, "On The Beach") was their biggest hit, the 'CRW edit' helped the single to reach #4 in the UK chart in June 2000, and it sold over 200,000 copies. The next chart entry "Farewell To The Moon" reached #37 in November 2000. Their final UK hit single to date was "The Fields of Love" which featured ATB. It reached #16 in January 2001.

York (explorer)

York (1770–1822) was an African-American slave best known for his participation with the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Enslaved by William Clark, he performed hard manual labor without pay, but participated as a full member of the expedition. Like many other expedition members, his ultimate fate is unclear. There is evidence that after the expedition's return, Clark had difficulty compelling York to resume his former status, and York may have later escaped or been freed, but nothing is entirely clear on this.

Early and family life

York was born in Caroline County near Ladysmith, Virginia. He, his father, his mother (Rose) and younger sister and brother (Nancy and Juba), were enslaved by the Clark family. York was William Clark's servant from boyhood, and was left to William in his father's will. He had a wife whom he rarely saw, and likely lost contact with her after 1811 when she was sold/sent to Mississippi. It is not known if York fathered any children.

Lewis and Clark Expedition