University of Stirling

Stirling is a University of distinction, home to leading researchers and scholars attracted by the unique learning environment, exceptional facilities and student-centred approach, where ability, not background, is recognised and valued.

The essence of the University of Stirling is its people: graduates, staff and students are helping to shape the world by making a direct and positive contribution to the development of prosperous, healthy and sustainable communities around the globe.

The University population has grown from 164 undergraduate students and 31 postgraduates in 1967 to 8,800 undergraduates and 3,500 postgraduates in 2012. With over 100 nationalities represented at Stirling, around one in five students come from overseas.

A truly Scottish university, Stirling’s reach extends to campuses in the Highland capital of Inverness and to Stornoway, gateway to the Western Isles.

Stirling’s main campus is located at the historic heart of Scotland, with convenient links to the rest of the UK and beyond. The University is within easy reach of Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh, and its largest city, Glasgow. Scotland’s two main international airports are less than an hour away, with direct flights to Europe and beyond.

About Us

The School of Applied Social Science (SASS) is an integrated multi-disciplinary grouping of over 50 academic staff. Within the School, flexibility is key to undergraduate study. Our undergraduate courses offer students the chance to try a whole range of diverse modules, not just within Applied Social Science. We are a large inter-disciplinary unit, combining teaching and research interests in

Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology, Social Work, Dementia and Housing Studies and a number of specialist centres. As well as achieving impressive results in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, SASS was also given the highest possible ratings for Sociology and Social Work in the most recent teaching quality exercises. We are an Economic and Social Research Council-recognised postgraduate research training centre, as part of the Scottish Graduate School.

The DSDC http://www.dementia.stir.ac.uk exists to extend and improve services for people with dementia and their carers. It provides education, change management, information, training, publications and design consultancy to any planner or provider of services to the statutory, voluntary and private sector in the UK and internationally. The head office is at the Iris Murdoch Building on the University of Stirling campus, an example of a public building designed on dementia-friendly principles and there has been a base in Belfast for five years. The Centre is supported by a charitable Trust, and has a wide range of sources of funding. The director of the Centre is Professor June Andrews. The dedicated DSDC team includes staff from health care, local authority, and independent sector backgrounds, and employs a wide range of associates from those sectors including architects, engineers, nurses, doctors, social workers and others. The DSDC Organisational objectives are: • To make available information on research and practice on all areas of dementia care, including emerging problems, issues and populations • To assist in the development of a confident and competent workforce in working with people with dementia and carers • To support research, evaluation and the development of evidence based practice in the delivery of services • To support the development of innovation in services with people with dementia and carers and providers of services • To promote the improvement of quality and standards of service jointly with people with dementia, their advocates and carers and those agencies charged with quality improvement and ensuring standard