Staffordshire University

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Staffordshire University


Motto	Create the difference
Established	1971 (as North Staffordshire Polytechnic)
Type	Public
Chancellor	Baron Morris of Handsworth
Vice-Chancellor	Professor Christine King CBE, DL
Staff	1,375
Students	15,200 ^[1]
Undergraduates	11,830 ^[1]
Postgraduates	3,370 ^[1]
Location	Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK
Campus	Urban
Website	http://www.staffs.ac.uk/

Staffordshire University is a university based in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and also in Stafford & Lichfield. Up until the mid 80's the Physical Education department was at Madeley.

1 Accolades
2 Students' Union
3 Campuses
4 History
5 Famous alumni
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Accolades

The University is noted for its science departments; in 2002 Psychology was among the top ten in the country, while Molecular Biochemistry and Organismal Biosciences were rated as 'excellent' by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Forensic science has a purpose bought 'scene of crime' house.

Staffordshire University's Aerospace & Aeronautics research lab was, alongside both Birmingham and Manchester Universities, an official joint entry into the Ansari X Prize.

The School of Computing was originally situated at Blackheath Lane in GEC's former Nelson Research Laboratory. It offered one of the first BSc courses in the United Kingdom and its first major computer was a second hand DEUCE. The School of Computing has now moved to a purpose-built building on the Beaconside campus and the newly refurbished Brindley Building on the Stoke campus. Blackheath Lane is now part of the School of Medicine and trains manly nurses. Staffordshire University boasts one of the most prestigious and well respected computing degrees in the UK.

The University also excels in its Media Studies provision, with a new Media Centre opened by Greg Dyke in 2005, comprising radio studios, television news desk and broadcast journalist suite. The University was the first institution to introduce a single honours degree in Film, Television and Radio Studies in 1990.

Staffordshire Law School is also highly regarded, and runs one of only five Legal Practice Courses to be rated "Excellent" by The Law Society

In the early 1990s Staffordshire University had one of the largest and best respected dedicated department of International Relations in the United Kingdom. The 1992 UK government Research Assessment Exercise placed the International Relations Department as the highest rated in the University and amongst the top of any New Universities. Research and teaching in International Relations has been constant since the early 1970s, when it was amongst only a handful of third-level institutions in the UK to offer the subject as a dedicated degree.

In January 2007, Professor Christine King, Vice-Chancellor of Staffordshire University, was recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List and made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to higher education.

[edit] Students' Union

Staffordshire University Students' Union (SUSU) aims to represent students at Staffordshire University, England. SUSU is run by five Sabbatical Officers and four part time Executive Committee Officers, all of whom are held to account by a Union Council.

The student newspaper published each term is called GK News, formerly known as Get Knotted. The new radio station broadcasts on the internet and is called GK Radio.^[2]

For evening entertainment, a common activity of students, there are Legends and The Lounge (formerly Sleepers) at Stafford, and Ember Lounge (formerly Odyssey) and Leek Road Venue (LRV) at Stoke. The two campuses rarely mix.

The union provides plenty of weekly events, considering it has two campuses to keep happy. On Fridays, Stafford hosts Smashed, with DJ Chris Lauriello. At the LRV at Stoke, there is Gobble on Wednesdays, Super Friday on Friday, and Saturday Night.

[edit] Campuses

Staffordshire University consists of two primary campuses, one in Stoke-on-Trent, the other in Stafford. The main campus is in Stoke town, Stoke-on-Trent, and primarily offers law, business, sciences, applied computing, arts, design and media production courses. these are split into two areas, one on College Road, and the other (which is more modern looking) on Leek Road.

The University is seeking to develop in partnership with Stoke-on-Trent College and Stoke-on-Trent 6th Form College and with the co-operation of the local education authority and the city council, the concept, the vision and the reality of the "University Quarter" encompassing and regenerating the large urban area to the immediate north-east of Stoke-on-Trent railway station that is already home to the University and the two colleges. The vision is that the concept, through the promotion of excellence, in education, design, architecture and sustainable regeneration will attract both students and developers and become a gateway to the city and to the region.

Maps and further information on the Stoke-on-Trent University Quarter.

The Beaconside campus in the town of Stafford mainly offers engineering, technology and computing courses, together with the teaching of some business courses and also nursing on the campus. The Beaconside campus consists of the huge Octagon building, housing the Computing Sciences and extensive computer facilities, the JCB Schools Centre, The Beacon Building for Engineering, the new Ruxton Technologies Centre (named after the previous Dean of School, Professor Tom Ruxton) for design, music, film, automotive, aeronautic and sports technology and a new television studio centre opened by the H. M. The Queen on April 1st, 2006 as part of the University's commitment to media technology, in particular Film Production Technology and associated courses.

Nursing courses are taught just around the corner from Beaconside on Blackheath Lane following the integration into the University in 1995 of the Shropshire and Staffordshire College of Nursing and Midwifery, which also has bases in Shrewsbury, Telford and Oswestry.

In 1998, in partnership with Tamworth and Lichfield College, the University opened a newly built campus in Lichfield quite near Lichfield City railway station.

[edit] History

The Staffordshire College of Technology, Stoke-on-Trent College of Art and the North Staffordshire College of Technology merged to form North Staffordshire Polytechnic which in September 1988 became Staffordshire Polytechnic. In 1992 it became Staffordshire University.

[edit] Famous alumni

Borsum Ato, Athlete and olympian.
David Leach, Studio potter
Emma Jones, The Sun journalist and former editor of Smash Hits magazine.
Fatmir Besimi, Minister of the Economy of the Republic of Macedonia.
Ian McMillan, British poet, broadcaster, commentator and programme-maker.
Jim Davies, guitarist for The Prodigy and Pitchshifter.
Joanna Spear, Director of the Security Policy Studies Program at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.
John Mayock, Athlete and olympian.
Keri Maddox, Athlete and olympian.
Lemmy, bass player and lead singer for Motörhead.
Thomas Spawton, HDR Photographer.
Tom Smith, Lead Singer for Editors (who met and formed whilst studying Music Technology at Staffordshire University),.