The History of Keynes College

(Image courtesy of University of Kent)

6th July 2021

By Elle Summers

As the academic year finishes, we find ourselves reflecting on our individual time here at UKC and how our experiences add to our legacy. I’m sure we can all agree that the last academic year has been like no other, and as we move forward from this year, it’s interesting to look back into the past and reflect on our collective history. As this legacy series has so far covered the origin of both Eliot and Rutherford Colleges, it’s time to delve into the history of Keynes College.

The rapid expansion of the University led to the establishment of Keynes College, the third oldest college, three years after the opening of UKC in 1968. It was named, following much debate, after the economist John Maynard Keynes. Keynes was an English economist, originally trained in mathematics. During his lifetime, he expanded and refined earlier work on the causes of business cycles. One of the most influential economists of the 20th century, his ideas are the basis for the Keynesian school of thought and its various offshoots.

(Image courtesy of University of Kent)

The college was designed by different architects from Eliot and Rutherford and consequently has a very different design from the rest of the buildings. With limited funds, the initial study bedrooms lacked individual washbasins, instead having communal facilities. Yet, positively, this led to the communal areas being more inclusive, a move away from the Eliot and Rutherford corridors. Despite differing from the previous designs quite dramatically, it means that there was an increase of areas where students could congregate. This echoes an often modern complaint from students now-a-days, as those in Eliot and Rutherford struggle to gather to pre-drink before hitting the club. This has also resulted in Keynes having a much clearer separation between the residential and non-residential areas compared to the other colleges, with the teaching rooms and the old dining hall clustered at the front and east of the college.

1968 was somewhat of a busy year for the University’s development. As well as Keynes College, the first part of the Templeman Library, the Cornwallis building and the Sports Hall opened to the public. This increase paralleled the influx of students flocking to the UKC campus as its popularity skyrocketed.

2011 was a pivotal year for Keynes College, with the bedroom spaces expanding. This led to Keynes becoming one of the biggest colleges on campus, housing catered and self-catered students, and boasting the restaurant area Dolche Vita. Later on in 2014, a competition was held for the re-design of the Keynes Duck Pond. Architect student Edward Powe won this competition, highlighting ‘the site’s importance as a space for social interaction, but more importantly as a place of tranquillity amidst nature away from a frenetic daily student life’. When asked to reflect upon this space, current UKC students said they appreciated that the space allowed for nature, but that with the pond being in such a close proximity to Dolche Vita, it appears as an extension of their outdoor seating area, making it seem rude to relax here without purchasing a food item.

(Image courtesy of University of Kent)

The introduction of Keynes College sparked the long-lasting debate, regarding the pronunciation of the college’s name: is it KEynes? Is it KAynes? With the current consensus seeming to be KEynes, can we argue that we are dishonouring the very namesake that we attribute our third college to?

I hope you’ve enjoyed this small snippet of Keynes College’s history, reflecting on how the space has altered over time, representing how your time at UKC is part of a bigger picture than just the years you spend here as an individual.