The College of Yggsburgh

Knowledge Cannot Be Denied
Yggsburgh pg 42.

The College of Yggsburgh (see map) is a major centre of learning.  Founded less than a century ago in 4 Y.Y. by the lavish endowment of an unknown patron (some whisper Zagyg) in the aftermath of the War of Independence against Redfort and Easmoor (-1 to 1 Y.Y.), its reputation for fearless independence and intellectual enquiry has proven very successful in attracting the best and brightest amongst both students and academics, in all the Realm it is rivalled only by the Royal College at Dunfalcon.  Unlike the Royal College, the College of Yggsburgh admits female students, and presently around 50% of the student body is female.
Yggsburgh academics commonly regard the Royal College as insufferably hidebound and conservative; in turn the dons of the Royal College regard Yggsburgh academia as a dangerous bunch of cranks and radicals.  The College of Yggsburgh is a favoured destination for the children of Palatine nobles who seek education for their female offspring, or do not wish to see their male children become potential hostages to the King in Dunfalcon.  It also attracts aristocratic students from far-off Neria (especially female - male Nerians more commonly study in Dunfalcon at the Royal College), and even the occasional Northman Jarl has sent his barbaric offspring here to learn the arts of civilisation.

The College comprises four Academies, each with a Dean: Arts (200 students), Music (150 students), Learning (550 students) and Magic (100 students), around 900 in all, and is associated with the Children's, Middle, and High Schools, which cover education to age 18.  Subjects covered at the Academy of Learning includes Religion, Philosophy, History, Politics, and Geography.  The Academy of Arts covers such subjects as Painting, Dance, Sculpture, Creative Writing, Speechifying, Etiquette, Foreign Languages, and Debate.
Students normally begin College study at age 18 or 19 for a Bachelor's Degree, a minimum 3 year course of study.  Postgraduate Masters (1-2 years) and Doctorates (3-5 years+) are also available.

The College Teaching Year is divided into 3 Terms, each of 2.5 months:

Spring Term:     15th of M1 to 30th M3 (2.5 months)
(Spring Break, Festival of Son's Return)
Summer Term:  15th of M4 to 30th M6 (2.5 months)
(Exam Period, Summer Break)
Autumn Term: 1st of M10 to 16th M12 (2.5 months)
(Exam Period, Winter Break, Festival of Son's Birth)

Uniform
Uniform for students of both sexes comprises a short academic cape and tasseled mortarboard, both in black.  Male students wear white collared blouson and cravatte with black trews and black buckled shoes, female students a scoop-neck blouson, short black skirt cut to mid thigh, and black buckled shoes likewise.
Academics wear a more ornate mortarboard and longer gown, either black (for teaching) or on ceremonial occasions such as graduation, multicoloured as befits their qualifications, and civilian attire of their choice, typically sombre.  The majority of Academic Staff are male, however since 91 Y.Y.  female staff have been admissable to the Academic role, and there are now several such.

Personnel
Notable Personnel of the College of Yggsburgh include the Right Honorable Hector Markle (55), President  of the College, Secretary Counselor of Yggsburgh, and member of Yggsburgh's ruling Council of Eight.  The Markles are an old-established family; their mansion is on College Street, across West Way from the Academy of Magic.  His motto is Mark Words of Wisdom.  He also has use of the President's Manse, which is College property. He is a friend of Sir Ulrich Hawkes. He is married to Madam Agatha Markle (47), daughter of Brandon Proctor (dec'd), the previous College President.
Their glamorous daughter, Miss Victoria Markle (YY 69-) was kidnapped in the Albert Rasch Haberdasher, held naked in a cell beneath the store until rescued by Opa-Loca, Duvader & co (30/4/96). Victoria is a friend of the Striker twins, and of Miss Candice Wright the shipping heiress. Hector's son Howard (YY 74-) is a graduate student.
Ferrety-faced mage student Radley Proctor (YY 74-) is the nephew of Madam Agatha Markle and grandson of previous college President, and Mayor, Brandon Proctor. Radley's parents Hugh Radley (YY 46-) & Emily Proctor (YY 47-) have a small estate in the West Fields; Emily's health is not good and she disfavours the city air.

Miss Isabel Chalmers, playing Radley Proctor's games

College Teaching staff include Junior Professor Miss Isabel Chalmers, strangely besotted with mage-student Radley Proctor, grandson of former President and Lord Mayor Brandon Proctor, though any 'charm' must surely have long worn off by now. When not teaching she can usually be found in his room; the Dean of Learning turns a blind eye.

The Academy of Magic has four professional non-combatant Sage-Professors (3m 1f), mostly greybeards, assisted by several graduate Teaching Assistants.
The Wizard Stanton Aldwark, also a Councillor, whose residence is on Westend Way, is an Associate Professor and teaches occasional classes in Advanced Magical Theory at the College. Unlike his academic peers, Stanton is rumoured to have a keen interest in such Battle Magic as may aid the defense of Yggsburgh.

Dean of Magic Ygram Proctor

Dean of Magic, the Senior Sage-Professor Ygram Proctor: Younger brother of former Lord Mayor (71-80) Brandon Proctor, and great uncle to Radley Proctor, Ygram is an ancient greybeard who some say is growing senile.
Sage-Professor Horatio Vile: tutor to Fabian (PC), a man of early middle age (in 97 YY), prematurely 
bald with a club foot and sweaty palms. He lectures in Arcane Language so most pupils come into daily contact with him though the prettier female ones feel uncomfortable doing so. He has a habit of licking his lips as he speaks to you which can be quite unnerving. Horatio has an aviary of crows, rumoured to be able to talk.

Isabelle Wyll

Sage-Professor Miss Isabelle Wyll: A talented arcanist - some say 'witch' - and the first female Professor at the Academy of Magic, Isabelle comes from a minor merchant family and studied under Stanton Aldwark. She is rumoured to have some knowledge of conjuration and the darker arts.  Isabelle is popular with her students, of whom she has a loyal cabal. She has come into conflict with Horatio Vile, rumoured to have behaved lecherously towards female students. Unkind rumour is that Miss Wyll merely wishes to keep the girls for herself.

Degree Fees - payable Annually upon Enrolment
Bachelor's Degree (Arts, Music or Learning): 100gp/year for 3 years.
Master's Degree:  200gp for 1 year full time, 100gp/year for 2 years part time.
Doctorate (3-5 years): 200gp/year.

Accommodation
Public Dormitory Student Accommodation is +60gp/year per person, in 10 monthly tranches of 6gp. Dormitory places are allocated at random. Dormitories are shared between the four Academies.

Shared (2-person) Room Student Accommodation is +100gp/year per person, payable in 10 monthly tranches of 10gp. Students can request to be placed with a particular room-mate upon enrolment, otherwise room-mates are allocated by the Administration at random.
Where space allows, a student can also have a private (2-bed) room to him/her self for +200gp/year, in 10 tranches of 20gp, although this is frowned upon as 'not character building'.

The aristocratic College Fraternity House and College Sorority House (1 of each) are internally administered student organisations, they typically have private or shared rooms offered at lower prices than College accommodation (60-80gp shared, 120-140gp private). However they have humiliating and/or dangerous initiation rites, and many applicants are rejected for insufficient social status.

All Dormitory & Room fees include breakfast, lunch, and High Table (supper) with the Dean & President in the Dining Hall.  They also include use of the College's public bath and shower facilities, and regular laundry.  The unisex nature of the College's bathing facilities is the frequent subject of ribald comment amongst 'Townies' -Yggsburgh's non-College residents; however there are set periods when only female students may use the open shower rooms.

Students may rent (typically less than salubrious) private rooms in town for around 5gp/month, no food, drink, baths, laundry or cleaning included.  This option will typically cost a student around 12gp/month total, or 120gp for a 10-month year, 144gp for 12 months in Yggsburgh.  These students are often referred to as 'grubs' for their frequently soiled appearance.  Some students of course stay with relatives in town.

Princess Aole, daughter of Prince Zahv of Neria

Students currently attending the College include:

Genevieve Hawkes (nee Cliswell), at Hawkes Estate, Sorority member (class of 98, suspended studies for childbirth)
Barnaby Hawkes, at Hawkes Estate, Fraternity member
Howard Markle, at Markle Estate, Fraternity member (class of 99)

Radley Proctor, mage student, in Shared Room (#32 in Dormitory K) - usually found with Miss Isabel Chalmers, and/or seeking other entertainment (class of 96-103)
Sylvia Caldwell (class of 97-100), daughter of Erin Caldwell.

Graduands, Class of YY 97
Alicia Hawkes, at Hawkes Estate, ex Sorority Head
Judith Burdock, impoverished aristocrat, at Burdock Estate, ex Sorority member

Drop-Outs

Tabitha Kallent, wife of Sir Garrick, initially at Hawkes Estate, ex Sorority member (enrolled m4 96) - dropped out m9 97 to rejoin her husband Sir Garrick.

Princess Aole of Neria, previously in shared room with Radley Proctor, now in public dormitory. A Cleric, Aole hopes to become a lecturer upon graduation, but is taking a year out from M9 97 as a 'crusader' in Kallent. Aole hides an 'S' brand on her left thigh from her time as a slavegirl at the Welcome Wench tavern, New Padstock. (enrolled 96) - vanished from Proctor bathing pool M4 99 YY.

The Schools
Unlike the Academies, the three Schools have always accepted female teachers, and there are many such.
Teachers at the Children's School include
Miss Erin Caldwell (37 in 96), attractive brunette, mother of rescuee Sylvia Caldwell (YY 78-) (was high school student) - both at apt 2A, 17 Crosstown.
Mr Jacob Burnly (42 in 96) - burly male, affable, smokes pipe.