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{{NGO|NGO name=Aulë University|NGO native name=Aulë Universitetet|logo link=|logo=aule_LOGO.png|Motto="Knowledge Through Inquiry"|Headquarters=Auluðab, [[Aedeland]]|Leader=Lordkansler Jámarr av Hamaltún|Main focus=Higher Education and Research|Founded=Before 6649|Founders=|Activities=Undergraduate and postgraduate education and research|Funding=|Goals=Advance knowledge and provide a comprehensive education|Organization Type=University}}'''Aulë University''' (/OW-leh/) is a university located in Auluðab, [[Aedeland]]. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 6649. In post-nominals, Aulë University is abbreviated as AUL. Students and alumni are informally referred to as Aulëmenn.

After philosophical disputes in 6692, some academics fled to Lūštra, where they established what became the Akademiet ved Lūštra. Most undergraduate teaching is organized around weekly tutorials at self-governing colleges and halls, supported by classes, lectures, and laboratory work organized by university faculties and departments.

== Etymology ==
The etymology of Aulë is uncertain.  It is likely derived from the village of Auluðab. Auluðab (/OW-luth-ahb/) is popularly translated as "prosperous thought" or "wealth of mind" and is likely derived from Old Aedelish ''auln'', meaning wealth or prosperity, ''uðr'', meaning mind, thought, or joy, and ''abn'', meaining inheritance or legacy.  Aulë closely resembles and is near homophone of ''auli'' (/OW-lee/) which means "fool" or "simpleton" in Old Aedelish. 

== Organization ==
Aulë is a collegiate university comprising self-governing colleges and halls along with a central administration headed by the Lordkansler.  The current Lordkansler is Jámarr av Hamaltún.  The academic departments are located centrally within this structure; they are not affiliated with any particular college. Departments provide facilities for teaching and research, determine the syllabi and guidelines for teaching students, perform research, and deliver lectures and seminars. Colleges arrange the tutorial teaching for their undergraduates. Facilities such as libraries are provided on all these levels by the central university, by the departments, and by colleges.

Officials are selected by election. The collection of university professors is called the Akademi and forms the pool from which officials, including the Lordkansler, are elected. A proctor, elected annually on a rotating basis from one of the colleges, acts as the internal ombudsman to ensure that the university and its members adhere to its statutes.  The current proctor is Gorðr av Haugr

The various academic faculties, departments, and institutes are organized into four divisions, each with its own head and elected board: the Humanities Division, the 'Social Sciences Division, the Mathematical, Physical, and Life Sciences Division', and the Medical Sciences Division. Aulë University is a private university in the sense that it is entirely self-governing and receives no public funding.

== Colleges and Halls ==
Aulë University's collegiate system arose because the university came into existence through the gradual agglomeration of independent institutions in the city of Auluðab. Originally, these were divinity colleges and monastic halls. Later, colleges were added as the university expanded.

* '''Hǿyt Hǿgskolen''' (High College) - Founded during the Aldsay Golden Age, it was one of the earliest centers of the faith. Its emblem is the black cross, and its colors are black and white. Theology remains its focus to this day.
* '''Veien College''' - Founded during the Aldsay Golden Age, it brought forth the faith's earliest proselytes and was once known for intense religious fervor. Its emblem is the white cross, and its color is white.
* '''Áel Hall''' - Founded during the Aldsay Golden Age as the first monastic hall in Aedeland. Originally, it served to board the monastic scribes of the faith, and its members are known as Aularians. The Aularians have a history of independent thought and were temporarily disbanded under the rule of the Orkanan Fürst. Their emblem is an open book, and their color is white and blue.
* '''Antients Hall''' - Founded during the Aldsay Golden Age as an early monastic hall. Facing disbandment under the Orkanan Fürst, the hall adopted a secular organization and has since been known for the study of law. Its emblem is an open eye, and its color is black.
* '''Avicenna Hall''' - Founded during the Aldsay Golden Age as an early monastic hall. It too adopted a secular organization under the Orkanan Fürst and has since been known for the study of medicine. Its emblem is a serpent, and its color is light blue.
* '''Tilhengere av Trúa (TiTrúa)''' - Founded during the Aldsay Golden Age, it had an early religious fervor surpassed only by the Veien. Within the last century, the TiTrúa has become the literary center of Aedeland. Its emblem is vertical lines fanning out toward the bottom, and its color is royal blue.
* '''Anuric Hall''' - Founded during the Aldsay Golden Age by Ithrien scholars living in Aedeland. Originally the center of medieval theological studies attempting to accommodate the Anuric pantheon within the Aldsay faith, the hall was forced to adopt a secular organization under the Orkanan Fürst and has since been known for the study of architecture and medicine. Anuric has been retaken by pluralist faithful theologians since the foundation of the Aedelant Republic. Its emblem is the lamp of creative fire, and its colors are red and gold.
* '''Draken College''' - Founded in 6649 by James Ambrose, it is well known for applied sciences. Draken has a reputation as a progressive college, and its professors have been accused of Haʽverism on several occasions. Its emblem was historically the lit torch but was recently replaced with the Veidt coil. Its color is red.
* '''Balliol College''' - Founded by Guy Balliol in 6666, it was the first secular college at Aulë. It is known for economic theory and has given the world the Aulë School of Economic Theory. Its emblem is the saltire, and its colors are purple and black.
* '''Gray's Hall''' - Founded in 6672, it is an interdisciplinary hall known for the study of law and applied science. Its emblem is the compass, and its color is striped blue and white.
* '''Grǿnn Hall''' - Founded in 6927, it was the first Orkanan college at Aulë. It was instrumental in the foundation of Aedeland's first school of forestry to support religious sanctuary forests. Its emblem is the cedar, and its color is dark green.
* '''Bengt Hall''' - Founded by followers of Bengt Algotson, it has a reputation for animal husbandry studies. Its emblem is the trunkbull, and its colors are yellow and black.
* '''Frigjorte Hall''' - Founded in 6985 as a crypto-religious college during the rule of the Orkanan Fürst. As the Aldsay religion was outlawed, the scholars at Fri Hall focused on the unique political philosophies of their culture, and its graduates were instrumental in the writing of the Aedelant Constitution. Its emblem is the wolf, and its colors are black and red.
* '''Selvsten Hall''' - Founded in 7156 to train political officers, it is known for the study of politics. Its emblem is the laurel, and its color is light blue.
* '''Meridian College''' - Founded in honor of Antaran political philosopher Gaius Decimus Meridius, it is known for the study of philosophy. Its emblem is the lion, and its color is red.
* '''Kunst College''' - Founded in 7212 to instruct music, its emblem is three horns, and its color is pink.
* '''Vaixellan College''' - Founded in 7524 to support foreign students and is interdisciplinary. Its emblem is the sea lion, and its colors are red and blue.
* '''Werner College''' - Founded in 7536 and named in honor of Hellishmann Erich Werner, it focuses on the study of engineering. Its emblem is the iron ring, and its color is gold.

== Teaching and Degrees ==
Undergraduate teaching is centered on the tutorial system, where 1–3 students spend an hour with an academic discussing their week’s work, usually an essay (for humanities and most social sciences) or a problem sheet (for most mathematical, physical, and life sciences). Students usually have one or two tutorials a week and can be taught by academics at any other college—not just their own—as expertise and personnel require. These tutorials are complemented by lectures, classes, and seminars organized on a departmental basis.

Graduate students undertaking taught degrees are usually instructed through classes and seminars, though there is more focus upon individual research. The university is known for the Aulë Method, a dialectical method often involving an oppositional discussion in which the defense of one point of view is pitted against the defense of another; one participant may lead another to contradict himself in some way, thus strengthening the inquirer’s own point. In a typical class setting, the professor asks a question and calls on a student who may or may not have volunteered an answer. The professor then either continues to ask the student questions or moves on to another student.

The university itself is responsible for conducting examinations and conferring degrees. The passing of two sets of examinations is a prerequisite for a first degree. The first set of examinations, called either Honor Moderations ("Mods" and "Honor Mods") or Preliminary Examinations ("Prelims"), are usually held at the end of the first year. The second set of examinations, the Final Honor School ("Finals"), is held at the end of the undergraduate course. Successful candidates receive first, upper or lower second, or third-class honors based on their performance in Finals. An upper second is the most usual result, and a first is generally a prerequisite for graduate study.

== Traditions ==
Academic dress is required attire for all students and includes a gown, cap, and white bow tie. Students attend regular Formal Hall, a formal dinner, and religious services. Auluðab has had a longstanding rivalry with Lūštra. The annual boat race draws crowds in the thousands and is well known.

== Reputation ==
Aulë is a world-renowned university and is considered one of the best in the world. It has a reputation for pluralism and liberal thought that is in stark contrast with typical Aedelant xenophobia. In many ways, Aulë is regarded with a certain degree of suspicion among the common Aedelmann.

Aulë, due mostly to geography, was firmly under the authority of the [[Orkanan]] Fürst for centuries. Many professors were educated at [[University of Östervallen]], and some of its colleges were heavily influenced by the communal attitudes of northern Orkanan stims and sockens. These same Orkanan influences led professors of Draken College, inspired by the industrial technocratic culture of [[Häverist]] Helland, to create Werner College. To many conservative Aedelmann, the establishment of the controversial Werner College confirmed the undue eastern influence over Aulë.  These suspicions were later confirmed as Werner College alumni led the Haverist Bloodless Revolution of 7580 and later formed the intellectual core of the Control Secretariat.

Despite this progressive reputation, Aulë is home to a majority of traditionalist colleges that are held in respect by conservative Aedelmenn. In this sense, Aulë's reputation is somewhat exaggerated. Aulë is most highly regarded for liberal arts, theology, philosophy, literature, music, law, and political science. Although the engineering and applied sciences are very respectable, Aulë is considered second to Lūštra in the sciences. It is often observed that an Aulëmann cannot study physics without inserting his greater philosophy.

[[Category:Culture of Aedeland]] [[Category:Universities and colleges]]