1 August 1995 Lincoln University – Brief Profile

School, college, university – Lincoln has evolved through all three stages in its 117-year history.

It was founded in 1878 as the School of Agriculture at Lincoln and accepted its first students in 1880. In 1896 it was reconstituted and renamed Canterbury Agricultural College, then in 1961 it was renamed again, Lincoln College. Until 1990 it was technically a constituent college of the University of Canterbury, but it had long enjoyed an independent identity in the public mind.

In 1990 it was granted autonomy and full university status. Today as Lincoln University it has 4000 students, an annual turnover of (NZ) $60 million, and permanent assets of (NZ) $70 million.

Small by comparison with New Zealand's six other universities, Lincoln values its size and believes that smallness is the key to delivering personalised and individual education. It is the University's claim that you are always a face and a name at Lincoln, never just a number.

Essential facts:

• Lincoln University is a State institution, governed by a Council of appointees and elected members responsible to the Minister of Education. The University's Chancellor, Mr Malcolm Cameron, chairs the Council, and the University's Chief Executive Office is the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bruce Ross.

• The campus covers 58 hectares with modern buildings and facilities positioned among attractive gardens and trees.

• The University operates seven farms totalling 3600 hectares and has a horticultural research area with orchards, vineyards and a biological husbandry area.

• The University employs 237 equivalent fulltime academic staff and 350 non-academic staff.

• It has six halls of residence for students plus 36 student flats.

• A total of 815 degrees, diplomas and certificates were awarded last year.

• The University owns two limited liability companies – Lincoln Ventures Ltd and Lincoln International Ltd – and operates student accommodation services, conference services, scientific testing and analytical services and research and consultancy services. Its total trading programme generated $18.5 million in 1994.

• In 1994 the University offered 448 undergraduate subjects as components of 18 undergraduate degrees and diplomas.

• The University offers a Bachelor of Commerce and Management degree programme in Malaysia at the training institute of Tenaga Nasional Berhad.

• The University is located 20 kilometres south of Christchurch which is the largest city (pop.300,000) in New Zealand's South Island. The village of Lincoln (pop. 1200) with shops and other services is located 1.5 kilometres from the University.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand.