The Department Library
The Engineering Department has approximately 1000 undergraduates and 400 graduate students and forms about 10% of the University. Students are drawn from all over the country as well as abroad, from every type of background, and from both state and independent schools. There are about 200 teaching and research staff, supported by a similar number of technicians and secretaries. In addition in a typical year there are some 30 visitors, from universities and industry in the UK. and overseas, working in the Department.
The Department is a leading international centre for research and gained the highest possible ranking in the latest UGC assessment of research achievements in British Universities. In a typical year, more than 3M is earned in research contracts which enhance even further the Department's reputation for meeting the needs of industry and government.
The Engineering Department prides itself on the quality of its teaching, which is concentrated on the main Site in Trumpington Street, just south of the City centre. the Manufacturing Engineering Group is nearby in Mill Lane. The Whittle Turbomachinery Laboratory and the Geotechnical Centrifuge, both mainly research laboratories, are out on the University's West Cambridge Site. All laboratories are easily reached by bicycle.
The facilities within the Department are excellent. There is a large Design and project Office equipped with more than eighty powerful workstations, each linked to other machines within the Department and to the university's mainframe computer. colleges also provide their students with access to PC-based computing facilities, and many of these are also connected to the Department's computers. The Departmental Library has some 30,000 books, which are increasing at the rate of about 800 per year. In addition, about 350 current journals are taken. There is a reference section of books recommended for the courses and these books are also stocked in most College libraries gives students good access to books which may be taken out on limited-period loan. The Department has extensive mechanical and electrical workshops for servicing the needs of teaching, undergraduate projects and research. Students may use the workshop facilities under supervision, through arrangements made by the Engineering Society. There are, however, no formal workshop courses and the industrial experience requirements must be fulfilled outside the Department.
Students participate in the running of the Department through membership of the Faculty Board (which is concerned with policy) and through the Staff-Student Joint Committee, discussing matters such as teaching, safety and the library. The Engineering Society arranges meetings with outside speakers and organises social events and technical visits both in this country and overseas. Some Colleges have their own Engineering Societies.