People's Academy of Elwynn

The People's Academy of Elwynn, also known as the People's Academy or simply as the Academy, is a collegiate research university and the national institute of higher education in Elwynn. The Academy is, however, not the only university in Elwynn. It has branches across all of Elwynn.

The People's Academy is a corporation that may promulgate its own charter. Ever since its earliest days the Academy is wholly exempt from all kinds of taxation, whether nominal or actual, with regard to any monies or assets, whether nominal or actual, that it might accrue.

The Academy has played a major role in the intellectual life of the country since its early days. From its foundation in 1551 AN, it has been a centre for debate and controversy in science, religion and the arts.

The Academy claims to operate the world's oldest university museum, as well as the largest university press in the world and the largest academic library system in Benacia.

Its student union is well-known for its radical tendencies and student politics.

History

The Academy was founded in 1551 through a monetary donation by Rai Avon-El as "a place for all Elwynnese to come together, study, teach, be taught and learn about our diverse cultures, our common culture and traditions". Later in the same year it received a charter from Duke Jacobus Loki.

There are, however, various individual colleges of the People's Academy of Elwynn, like Michaelion People's College, which predate the Academy.

During the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the Academy added to its humanistic core a major new research capacity in the natural and applied sciences, including medicine.

During the first era of Elwynnese independence, in the year 1589, the People's Academy of Elwynn was restarted by order of the Regent of Elwynn, Senator Aurangzeb Osmani.

During the period of the Vanic State (1623–1651), the People's Academy, though receiving royal patronage from King Noah (including a coat of arms and massive monetary donations), remained a holdfast for academic debate. As such, it was one of the few public institutions in Elwynn where free debate was not only tolerated by encouraged. Consequently, the Academy has been credited with holding Elwynnese patriotism alive during that period of Elwynnese history.

Organization

As a collegiate university, the Academy's structure can be confusing to those unfamiliar with it. The People's Academy is a federation, consisting of a plethora of highly autonomous self-governing colleges - each with its own property and income - and various faculties, schools and departments, under the supremacy of the Board of Governance.

The Board of Governance of the People's Academy of Elwynn is a self-appointing and self-regulating body which operates in accordance with its own customs, procedure and charter.

The faculties, schools and departments are located centrally within the structure of the federation; they are not affiliated with any particular college. They provide facilities for teaching and research, determine the syllabi and guidelines for the teaching of students, perform research, and deliver lectures and seminars.

Colleges arrange the tutorial teaching for their students, and the members of a faculty, school or department are spread around many colleges. Most colleges have a broad mix of academics and students from a diverse range of subjects. Facilities such as libraries are provided on all these levels: by the central administration, by the faculties, schools and departments, and by colleges (each of which maintains a multi-discipline library for the use of its members).

Colleges

The colleges are self-governing institutions with their own endowments and property, founded or taken in as integral parts of the Academy. All students and most academics are attached to a college. Their importance lies in the housing, welfare, social functions, and teaching they provide. All faculties, departments, research centres, and laboratories belong to the Academy, which arranges lectures and awards degrees, but the Academy's students receive their tutorials - small-group teaching sessions and one-to-ones - within the colleges. Each college appoints its own teaching staff and fellows, who are also members of a department or faculty. The colleges also decide which students to admit to the Academy, in accordance with regulations issued by the Board of Governance. There is also a large open university system for the People's Academy, where online distance courses, both full time and part time, are offered.

Schools, Faculties, and Departments

In addition to the colleges, the People's Academy of Elwynn is made up of numerous departments, faculties, schools, syndicates and other institutions. Members of these are usually also members of one of the colleges and responsibility for running the entire academic programme of the university is divided amongst them. The Academy also includes the National Institute of Continuing Education, a center for part-time study.

Within the People's Academy of Elwynn "Schools" are broad administrative groupings of related faculties and other units. Each has an elected supervisory body - the "Council" of the school - composed of representatives of the constituent bodies. Presently there are six schools:

• Arts and Humanities;
• Biological Sciences;
• Medical and Behavioural Sciences;
• Humanities and Social Sciences;
• Physical Sciences;
• Technology.

Teaching and research in the Academy is organised by faculties. The faculties have different organisational sub-structures which partly reflect their history and partly their operational needs, which may include a number of departments and other institutions. In addition, a small number of bodies entitled "Syndicates" have responsibilities for teaching and research, such as People's Academy Assessment, the People's Academy Press, and the People's Academy Library.