| University of Worcester | |
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University of Worcester Coat of Arms |
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| Motto | Ad Inspirandum Aspiramus ("Aspire to Inspire") |
| Established | 2005 - University Status 1997 - University College Worcester 1976 - Worcester College of Higher Education 1948 - Worcester Teacher Training College 1946 - Worcester Emergency Teacher Training College |
| Type | Public |
| Chancellor | HRH The Duke of Gloucester[1] |
| Vice-Chancellor | Professor David Green (2003 - ) |
| Academic staff | 300 |
| Admin. staff | 400+ |
| Students | 9,545[2] |
| Doctoral students | Up to 30 at any time |
| Location | Worcester, Worcestershire, United Kingdom |
| Campus | St Johns Campus; City Campus |
| Website | www.worcester.ac.uk |
The University of Worcester is a British university, based in Worcester, Worcestershire, England. It was granted university status in September 2005.
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In 1946 an Emergency Teacher Training College for the University of Birmingham was established in Worcester on the site of one of the former RAF bases used during the Second World War. In the 1970s the Council for National Academic Awards validated the degrees for the Worcester College of Higher Education. The Herefordshire and Worcestershire College of Nursing and Midwifery was absorbed in 1995. In 1997 the Privy Council affirmed the institution's degree-awarding powers and it subsequently became known as University College Worcester. In 2005 the Privy Council granted university status. The institution was renamed "University of Worcester" in September of that year.
Since 2005, the University has expanded greatly and acquired many new sites across the city of Worcester. Its long term strategy includes building joint community and University facilities, and expanding to a 3rd campus.
The university's main campus is known as St John's and is the main base for all courses, support departments and academic institutes, except those related to business, computing, marketing or management. The site contains Halls of Residence with over 800 rooms, a sports centre, sports pitches, facilities for training nurses and midwives, a commercial standard digital arts centre, motion performance centre and a university library, known as the "Pierson Library".
The university's second campus is known as City Campus, and is the home of the Worcester Business School. The campus opened in September 2010 on the site of the former Worcester Royal Infirmary in Infirmary Walk. Work began in January 2007, and cost approx £120 million. Phase 1 was completed in time for the 2010 academic year. As part of this, new Halls of Residence with accommodation for 250 students were completed on the site as well as the restoration of the main buildings. All Worcester Business School courses are run here including Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses. The Jenny Lind Chapel has been refurbished to its original state[3] as has the Boardroom in which the British Medical Association was founded in 1832. Phase 2 has had to be reviewed due to deep cuts in Government funding and caps on student numbers, but is still planned to be completed.
The University plans to develop a third campus on the disused Grove Farm, a 47-acre (190,000 m2) piece of land 1-mile (1.6 km) from St John's campus. This third site is expected to take fifteen years to complete and will form part of a Business and Enterprise Park alongside expanded science, business and sport institutes.[4]
In addition, the University occupies a large site adjacent to the River Severn, now known as "Riverside". This includes an Art Space & Exhibition building, and will soon have a 2000-seat Sports Arena built as a new facility for sports, events, a base for the Worcester Wolves basketball team, and as a further teaching and office space. The facility, to be called Worcester Arena, will be accessible to the local community. [13]
The university is working with Worcestershire County Council to create a new multi-million pound Library & History Centre called "The Hive", which will open to the public in 2012. The Library is adjacent to the City Campus site in the centre of Worcester.[5]
The building will bring a range of services under one roof:
The university also owns or operates various other halls and sports facilities across the city of Worcester, but these are not major university sites or campuses.
The university is one of the official venues to be included in the London 2012 Pre-Games Training Camp Guide.[14][6] The guide features facilities and venues across the UK suitable for use by international sporting teams as a training base in the run up to and during the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.[6]
The institution has been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard.[7][7] and it was the first university in England to receive a Gold EcoCampus Award for the whole organisation, just shortly after being awarded the Silver Eco-Campus status in 2008.[8] The Green League awarded the university 16th position out of 18, for the First Class award among a total number of 126 contenders for the First Class, Upper Second Class, Lower Second Class, and Third Class awards.[9][10]
On Thursday 10 April 2008, HRH The Duke of Gloucester, was installed as the founding chancellor of the university in a ceremony at Worcester Cathedral. The duke officiates at degree ceremonies, attends major events (including the Duke of Gloucester Lecture Series)[11] and promotes the University overseas.
The College of Fellows was established in 2008 to bring together high-profile "ambassadors" for the University. New Fellows are appointed at the annual Graduation Ceremonies in Worcester Cathedral.
The Board of Governors meets regularly and is composed of appointed governors, staff governors, student governors and co-opted governors from a wide range of business and community areas.
An Executive Management Board meets weekly, and this is the primary decision making body of the institution.
There are 6 Academic Institutes, including:
Each Academic Institute hosts an Academic Support Unit which assists both lecturers and students with administration issues directly relevant to the department.
The University of Worcester is the UK's fastest growing University.[12] Applications increased by 10.6% in 2009 and by 100% since 2004.[13] The University has consistently recorded the largest increases in applications of any UK University for 7 years in a row.
In March 2010 the University of Worcester was awarded the biggest increase in funding of any institution in the UK (13%), despite national trends of cuts.[14] This was accompanied by an approved rise in student numbers of 410, more than any other UK University.
Applications have risen 100 percent over the last 5 years, and the student population will be allowed to grow a further 1,500 places in 2010, despite national trends.[15]
As of April 2011, the University of Worcester has proposed to set its undergraduate Tuition Fees at £8,100 under the new regime announced by the Coalition Government.
The university guide of the Times newspaper rates the university at place 81 (shared with Teesside University) out of 114 institutions.[16]
An Ofsted report for the overall standard of the Institute of Education's teaching programme rated the University as "Excellent".[17] The training of teachers was rated ‘Outstanding’ by OFSTED in June 2010.[18] Results in the first four National Student Surveys have placed Worcester in the top 40 universities for student satisfaction in 2008, the most satisfied being in English, History and Teacher Training.[19]
In the National Student Survey students from the University rated their overall satisfaction at 80% in 2008/09. A number of subject areas received excellent levels of satisfaction, with an overall student satisfaction of 92% in Sports Science and 89% in Initial Teacher Training.[20]
In March 2010, the University was ranked 54th of the top public sector places to work.[21]
In August 2010 the University was granted Research Degree awarding powers, enabling it to confer the awards of MPhil and PhD.[22] Before this the University of Coventry assisted in the academic awarding of these degrees. The university includes eight national research centres:
Worcester Students' Union is the representative body for students studying at the University of Worcester, and a member of the National Union of Students. It is based in a building on the St Johns Campus. It provides a number of services and facilities.[28]
Worcester Students' Union is led by a team of elected officers the President, a Vice-President (Education), a Vice-President (Student Experience), and 7 non-sabbatical officers with varying portfolio responsibilities.
The University is home to the Worcester Wolves basketball team, the league winning Worcester Allstars Football team and the Worcester Royals, an American Football team.
The University has England Blind Footballers as some of its students.[29]
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