University of Salford

University of Salford
Motto Altiora Petamus
"Let us seek higher things"
Established 1850 - Pendleton Mechanics Institute
1896 – Royal Technical Institute, Salford
1967 – gained University status by Royal charter
Type Public
Endowment £0.41 m (2013)[1]
Chancellor Irene Zubaida Khan
Vice-Chancellor Martin Hall
Administrative staff
 2,781
Students 19,890[2]
Undergraduates 15,505[2]
Postgraduates 4,385[2]
Location Salford, Greater Manchester, UK
Campus Urban, Parkland
Colours Red, Black and White
Affiliations University Alliance
Association of Commonwealth Universities
North West Universities Association
Northern Consortium
Website www.salford.ac.uk

The University of Salford is a public research university located in Salford, England, approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Manchester city centre. Its origins come from the Royal Technical Institute, Salford which was opened in 1896. This later became a College of Advanced Technology in 1956 and gained university status, following the Robbins Report into higher education, becoming the University of Salford in 1967.

It has around 20,000 students and is situated in 60 acres (240,000 m2) of parkland on the banks of the River Irwell.

History

Origins of the Royal Technical Institute

The university's origins can be traced to 1896 with the opening of the Royal Technical Institute, Salford, a merger of Salford Working Men's College founded in 1858 and Pendleton Mechanics' Institute founded in 1850.[3] The Royal Technical Institute, Salford, received royal letters, after the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George V and Queen Mary) officiated at its opening ceremony, an event commemorated in the university's Redbrick Peel Building and which allowed 'Royal' to be appended to name of the institute.

At the start of the 20th century, mechanical engineering, chemical works, textiles and construction dominated the industrial scene in Salford. This heavily influenced the choice of subjects offered in the nine departments initially opened. These were Engineering, Electrical Engineering & Applied Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Building, Dyeing, Spinning & Weaving, Domestic, and Art. Some 1,240 students registered for the first session in these departments. There were originally 19 members of staff.

In 1921 the Institute was renamed the Royal Technical College, Salford. In 1958 the institution split into two organisations, one remaining as the Royal Technical College, and a break away college, the Peel Park Technical College which changed its name first in 1961 to the Salford Technical College, before becoming the Salford College of Technology in 1970, and finally the University College Salford in 1992.

Royal College of Advanced Technology

In 1956 the Royal Technical College became a CAT, known as the Royal College of Advanced Technology. In 1963, the government completed an inquiry into the state of higher education in the United Kingdom and produced the Robbins Report which paved the way for the Royal College of Advanced Technology (and other Colleges of Advanced Technology) to assume university status by Royal Charter.

University status

The Royal College of Advanced Technology, became the University of Salford on 10 February 1967 when Her Majesty The Queen handed over the institution's Royal Charter. The first Vice-Chancellor was Clifford Whitworth, after whom the university's main library is named. The first chancellor was HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who remained the university's chancellor until 1991. Prince Philip took a keen interest in the university whilst in office which has continued since and he visited the university's award winning acoustics laboratories in 2008.[4]

Aerial photograph of the campus in 2011, with proposed new buildings added digitally.

In 1996, the break-away University College Salford merged with the University of Salford to form a single institution.

In 2012, the University of Salford announced a partnership with the UK's biggest arms company, (BAE Systems), and four other North-Western universities (Liverpool, Manchester, UCLAN and Lancaster) in order to work on the Gamma Programme which aims to develop "autonomous systems". According to the University of Liverpool, "autonomous systems are technology based solutions that replace humans in tasks that are mundane, dangerous and dirty, or detailed and precise, across sectors, including aerospace, nuclear, automotive and petrochemicals".[5] As has been pointed out by Campaign Against the Arms Trade, military drones come under this definition of autonomous systems, which the University of Liverpool calls "a new and emerging sector".[5]

Martin Hall

Governance

Chancellors

Vice-Chancellors

Campus and facilities

The Maxwell Building on the edge of the Peel Park Campus
MediaCityUK at night
Clifford Whitworth Library

The main Peel Park campus is less than 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres) from Manchester city centre on the banks of the River Irwell, adjacent to Peel Park, possibly the first public park in the world which opened on 22 August 1846.[8] A former president of the Students' Union described Salford in 2007 as "a relaxed campus close to Manchester, but cheaper and greener."[9] Salford Crescent railway station is adjacent to the campus, and high frequency bus services operate to Manchester, Salford and Bolton and Liverpool. There are other university facilities within a mile of the main campus, namely the Frederick Road and Adelphi campuses. Most of the university administration is located along Salford Crescent, opposite the Peel Campus. The Salford Museum and Art Gallery, said to be the first unconditionally free public library in England.[10][11] is located on the Peel Park Campus.

MediaCityUK

In October 2011, the university opened a learning, teaching and research space at MediaCityUK. Over 1,500 students will have opportunities to work near media professionals using the latest industry specified equipment, studios and laboratories.[12] They will study on 39 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.[13]

Major investment projects

The university embarked on a £150 million programme of investment in 2004, to deliver new buildings and carry out major refurbishment projects. These included:

Research and development centres

The United National Institute for Prosthetics & Orthotics Development [16] is located in the University's Prosthetics & Orthotics division of its School of Health, Sport & Rehabilitation Sciences. It is the only prosthetics and orthotics higher education provider in England.

The KidsCan Children's Cancer Research Centre is located in the University's John Armstrong Welsh Laboratories at the Centre for Biochemistry, Drug Design and Cancer Research.[17] It was established in 2002 to develop treatments with fewer side effects for children and young adults.[18]

Facilities

Peel Hall has seating for nearly 400 people, hosts many musical performances and is the main venue for the midday recitals. The hall is housed in the Peel Building, a red brick and terracotta Victorian building located on the Peel Park Campus.

The university's Robert Powell Theatre, named after the Salford actor, mostly stages live performances of modern works and participatory work for younger audiences.

Situated in the heart of the Peel Park Campus, the Chapman Gallery hosts a wide range of modern and contemporary art exhibitions which showcase the work of up and coming artists, university staff, students and the community of Salford.

The Tom Husband Leisure Centre is situated on the Peel Park Campus and adjacent to the Students' Union. It contains a gym, 25m swimming pool, sauna and spa, squash courts, climbing wall, and a multi-use sports hall.

The Adelphi Studio Theatre is a small theatre venue based in the School of Music, Media and Performance's Adelphi Building.

Organisation

The Peel Building

The university is organised into three colleges, each of which is sub-divided into schools:

International students come from China, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, Greece, Nigeria, the Republic of Ireland, Romania, Malaysia and Bulgaria. With its three colleges, 12 schools, nearly 20,000 students, and over 2,500 staff, Salford had a turnover of some £156m in 2006/07.

The university is a founding member of the Northern Consortium of universities.

In October 2008 it was announced that compulsory redundancies are likely at the university as part of a plan to save £12.5 million over three years. A notice by the university registrar said that Salford needed to invest £300 million in university estate and £40 million in moving the arts and media faculty to the "MediaCityUK" site at Salford Quays, where the BBC is to establish its northern headquarters. The notice went on to say that that these additional costs came in the context of a number of pressures: salary bills that had "exceeded the university's expectations"; a "serious problem" with student retention; the "credit crunch"; and three "seriously underperforming" schools. Affected schools include the School of Nursing, Salford Business School and the School of Community Health Sciences and Social Care .[19]

Teaching quality and rankings

Rankings
QS[20]
(2014/15, world) 		651-700
Complete[21]
(2016, national)		 78
The Guardian[22]
(2015, national)		 85
Times/Sunday Times[23]
(2015, national)		 105

The Times newspaper ranked Salford 105th out of 123 UK institutions in 2015, from 84th of 114 in 2010.[24][25] In the Guardian's University Guide 2015, Salford ranked 94th out of 116 in the overall league table, down from 85th in the previous year.[26]

Student life

Students' Union

University House on the Peel Park Campus is home to the University of Salford Students' Union (USSU). As well as representing students, the union plays host to a number of services, including shops and a bar

The Two Cities Boat Race is an annual boat race which has been running since 1972. It is now an established event in the sporting and social calendar of Salford and Manchester. The event is also significant for the amount of work put in by volunteers from both universities, to help with event set-up, stewarding, and programme selling, raising money for many different charities. In 2007 the recipient of the proceeds was SPARKS, a charity which supports medical research for children.

In the season 1971–72 the University Rugby League club won the UAU Championship beating Sheffield University in the final at The Willows, the then home of Salford Rugby League Club.

Accommodation

Horlock and Constantine Courts on the Peel Campus

There are five self-catered halls of residence:

Eddie Colman and John Lester Courts are two blocks of flats containing 755 rooms in total, and each flat is shared between two, three or four people. The flats are the closest accommodation to Salford Shopping City in Pendleton – colloquially referred to as 'the Precinct'. Eddie Colman and John Lester Courts were sold by the University of Salford to Campus Living Villages in December 2008.These became CLV's first (United Kingdom) properties. Eddie Colman was a resident of nearby Archie Street, the model for the television series 'Coronation Street' and was a player for Manchester United. He was killed in the Munich Disaster of 6 February 1958 along with seven other players.[27][28]

Constantine Court is the only en suite university-owned accommodation, consisting of 80 rooms in seven houses. This accommodation is located in the centre of the main university campus, and is situated close to the Students' Union shop, a bank and Salford Crescent railway station. Adjacent Horlock Court comprises 168 rooms in 14 houses.

Bramall and Matthias Courts are flats close to the Adelphi Campus. Bramall is typically occupied by undergraduates, whereas Matthias tends to be postgraduates. Matthias flats are usually shared between two or three people, and Bramall flats are shared between two, three or four. Bramall and Mathias Courts are now owned by Campus Living Villages.[29]

Castle Irwell Student Village is the largest area of accommodation, housing up to 1,600 students, and is situated on the site of the old Manchester Racecourse.[30] There are both houses (shared between 10-12 people) and flats (six people). Castle Irwell is a popular choice for first years, due to the cheap rent. There are also grass rugby and football pitches and several floodlit AstroTurf pitches used in society meetings and varsity rags. This accommodation is the furthest from the main university campus but is served by a free university bus, running every half an hour. A taxi rank is situated outside Castle Irwell and it is near to various amenities in Lower Broughton, including takeaways and local shops.

Seaford Road iQ Village is owned and run by CRM Ltd in partnership with the university. This is the newest accommodation site, consisting of a square of houses around a central reception, lounge and laundry building. Each house contains six flats, which are typically shared by six people with en suite bathrooms. The site also has 'deluxe' rooms available for an extra cost. This accommodation is very close to Castle Irwell. The site includes a purpose built SPAR, Subway, and two takeaways. The halls are also served by the free university bus.

Academic staff

Allan Boardman

Notable alumni

Academia

Business

Media, entertainment & design

Peter Kay
Jason Manford
Johnny Marr

Military

Physiotherapy

The University has held a link for Physiotherapy with the Professional Footballers' Association since 1991.[33] As of 2007 over 70 former professional footballers have graduated from Salford. In 2009 the PFA reported that they had 33 members undertaking the programme at the University.[34]

Politics

Science

Sports

References

  1. ↑ "Financial Statements for the year ending 31 July 2013" (PDF). University of Salford. p. 31. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Table 0a — All students by institution, mode of study, level of study, gender and domicile 2006/07" (MICROSOFT EXCEL SPREADSHEET). Higher Education Statistics Agency. Retrieved 12 April 2008.
  3. ↑ Baseline Retrieved on 19 March 2009
  4. ↑ "Royals visit Manchester". Manchester Evening News (M.E.N. Media). 28 February 2008. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1
  6. ↑ "Professor Sir Martin Harris CBE, DL: The Chancellor". University of Salford. Retrieved 29 April 2008.
  7. ↑ "Amnesty International's Secretary General becomes the University of Salford's new Chancellor". University of Salford. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  8. ↑ City of Salford's Parks. Date of page creation:6 August 2007. Retrieval Date: 1 October 2007.
  9. ↑ The Times Online, Review of the University of Salford. Date of page creation:21 September 2007. Retrieval Date: 1 November 2007.
  10. ↑ manchesteronline: Eye witness in Manchester Retrieved on 2008-09-05
  11. ↑ Report of the Lead Member for Planning to Council on 21st May 2008 Retrieved on 15 September 2008
  12. ↑ "University of Salford to move 39 courses to new MediaCityUK campus | Media news". Journalism.co.uk. 2010-08-05. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  13. ↑ "Programmes | University of Salford - A Greater Manchester University". Mcuk.salford.ac.uk. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  14. ↑ Physics at the University of Salford
  15. ↑ "2XWinners". arcspace.com. Retrieved 16 September 2009.
  16. ↑ UNIPOD
  17. ↑ Biomedical Sciences Research. Centre for Biochemistry, Drug Design and Cancer Research. University of Salford, p. 1
  18. ↑ KidsCan, 2002, p. 2
  19. ↑ Jobs threatened as Salford looks to save £12.5 million
  20. ↑ "QS World University Rankings 2014/15". Quacquarelli Symonds. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  21. ↑ "University League Table 2016". The Complete University Guide. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  22. ↑ "University league table 2015 - the complete list". The Guardian. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  23. ↑ "The Times and Sunday Times University League Tables 2015". Times Newspapers. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  24. ↑ "The Times and Sunday Times University League Tables". The Times and Sunday Times. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  25. ↑ Watson, Roland; Elliott, Francis; Foster, Patrick. "University Rankings League Table 2010". London: The Times. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
  26. ↑ Guide, University (2 June 2014). "League Tables". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  27. ↑ University of Salford Accommodation website
  28. ↑ Loo, Daryl. "Student homes shine amid Europe property gloom." Reuters. Friday 10 July 2009. Retrieved on 5 October 2011.
  29. ↑ CLV Salford website
  30. ↑ "Racecourse opponents hold meeting". BBC News. 5 December 2008.
  31. ↑ "Cranfield University Honours Key Industry and Business Professionals". Tmcnet.com. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  32. ↑ "Santa Monica Mirror - News, Sports, Arts, Schools, Video and More". Smmirror.com. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  33. ↑ "Careers after football: former players tell us how they made the grade!" Professional Footballers' Association
  34. ↑ "Premier League Learning News: Now is the time to plan for future", Premier League Learning
  35. ↑ Frost, Richard (10 October 2004). "Injury doesn't Barr Andy's career". Manchester Evening News (M.E.N. Media).
  36. ↑ "New Physio For Rovers". Tranmere Rovers FC. 21 June 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
  37. ↑ "Backroom Staff". Dundee United FC. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  38. ↑ "Footballers | Where Are They Now? | Sheffield United | F". Where-are-they-now.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  39. ↑ "City legend Paul Lake relishing life back in the top flight". Daily Mail (London). 30 November 2007.
  40. ↑ Guiseley AFC. "Forwards". Guiseley AFC. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  41. ↑ "Bolton Wanderers | Team | Backroom Staff Profiles | Backroom Staff Profiles | Mel Pejic". Bwfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  42. ↑ "Physio Pitman looks to inspire Hereford | The Football Ramble Blog". Thefootballramble.com. 2010-10-18. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  43. ↑ "Full circle for 'Baz'". TheFA.com. 2011-05-09. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  44. ↑ "Walsall | Team | Managerial Team Profiles | Managerial Team Profiles | JON WHITNEY". Saddlers.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  45. ↑ "Having a ball". Times Higher Education. 1995-11-24. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  46. ↑ "Ieuan Evans". BBC South West Wales. February 2009. Retrieved 19 January 2012.

Bibliography

External links

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Coordinates: 53°29′04″N 2°16′17″W / 53.48444°N 2.27139°W