The University College Plymouth St Mark & St John, commonly referred to as Marjon, is a higher education campus based university college on the edge of Plymouth, England. Marjon' s history in higher education goes back to the foundation by the National Society (now National Society for Promoting Religious Education) of the constituent colleges of St John’s Battersea (1840) and St Mark’s College, Chelsea (1841) a contender for Third oldest university in England debate. The College of St Mark was founded on the belief of Derwent Coleridge, its first Principal, that the primary purpose of the College must be to widen the educational horizons of its students. Sir James Kay-Shuttleworth established St. John's to provide teacher training to meet the social and economic needs of industrialisation based on the concept of education as self realisation. Both Colleges stressed the importance of interchange between academic study and broader experience; and the role of an enlightened teaching profession in furthering social and economic development. Both Colleges were among the first to open access to degree level study outside the universities.