The Port Astra University was a university in the city of Port Astra, Bao-Mou.

Structure

The university was based on the Cuprien Queen's Model. It was represented in executive matters by a director and his director's board, including two vice-directors. All administrative and financial matters of significance were decided by the university board, a collegium consisting of all the top professors.

It was additionally separated into departments, each headed by a dean, with decision-making lying in the hands of the department board (of all full professors). Departments had very large rein in deciding on their course programs and specializations, and their own finances.

Individuals with a sufficient academic career, requiring a doctor's degree and honors, could be employed as researchers or professors by the institution. There were various forms of shorter to permanent contracts, with only full tenure granting quasi-guaranteed lifetime employment as a researcher and teacher.

Most of the time, the university was primarily financed by state actors, being a public institution, with tuition fees covering 10-20% of the budget. There were also often significant private donations. The financiers had a strong influence on university policy, being able to dictate which department the funds could be allotted to, and even which programs would have to be offered.

Departments

The university was specialized in engineering, distinguishing it from the more liberal arts focused original Queen's Model universities. Its key departments were history, architecture, logic, math, physics, environmental science, and mechanical engineering. Theology was included until 237 OW, logic until 248. Chemistry, astronomy, and biology were added in 246 (as part of physics, fully separate from 287), 290 (splitting from environmental science), and 311.

History

The university was founded with shared financing from the imperial Exchequer, the City of Port Astra, and the Northern Fleet. In its founding precepts, it was dictated to be a public university enjoying academic freedom from external interference, to be open to individuals from any origin, and to award imperially recognized degrees.

The university had strong Fleet influence, as it enrolled naval officers in its very first year. From 216 onward, it had programs tailored specifically for officers, including statecraft courses hosted by semi-separate military professors, designed to be part of the naval college - basic training - higher degree pipeline for officers. The professorship was to a large part also employed directly by the Fleet rather than the university, despite its continued sizable financing by the Fleet rather than the Cuprien state; by 245, half of all full professors were on Fleet rolls. Many courses, even civilian ones, were also done in close cooperation with the Fleet, in part using its labs and other facilities.

Upon Korpeonic conquest, the university was placed under the prefect's authority, who assigned management to a militaristic board (replacing the director's board). Due to financial shortcomings, some programs were cut (with astronomy being fully frozen), but also many new ones - often with a military focus - being created. Rising local persons of authority, mostly in the industry and the officer-government corps, began to finance the university as part of their local prestige, and to push their ideas (particularly nationalism, for which the university had tensions with the prefecture).

The university became once again fully public under the Union, though it received extensive prescribed degree programs emitted by the University of Royal. There were also extensive scholarship programs, tying state-sponsored tuition to high performance in very specific programs.

A decline in state finances after the turn of the century led to massively higher tuition fees and a greater dependence on scholarships. Instead of national programs, these were now paid out by large corporations, the army, and the wealthy Fleet (which no longer had a strong foothold in the city). The government was also not particularly interested in supporting higher education.

The once again centralized financial resources of the State, particularly with the well-financed Education Office of the Ministry of the Interior aiming to finance and improve the top universities, enabled the university to considerably grow once again. It lowered tuition and proposed attractive study programs, supporting students in many respects including professional clubs. The period also saw a broadening of the competition sports which had become popular in previous decades, notably with the advent of scholarships tied to top sports performance over academic performance. The university became a major source of young athletes.

Greater budget restrictions from 445 onward caused another reduction in programs and especially free time activities. Scholarships also mostly stopped. The university entered a steady decline thereafter, though some engineering programs continued to be well attended.

The establishment was closed down by the new Dwarven authority. Its scientific facilities were in part removed, and in part used by a new dwarf-only educational establishment.