University of Worcester


The University of Worcester is a public research university, based in Worcester, England. Worcester is the only university based in the counties of Worcestershire and Herefordshire. With a history dating back to 1946, the university began awarding degrees in 1997 and was granted full university status in 2005.

History

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. Henry Hines came to Worcester from the Canterbury Technical Institute as the principal of the college. E.G. Peirson followed Hines's lead as the principal of the college from 1951 to 1978. During his time at the college, in the 1970s the Council for National Academic Awards validated the degrees for the Worcester College of Higher Education and the former Peirson Library, now The Peirson Study and Guidance Centre was opened. The third principal of the college, David Shadbolt, started his leadership in 1978 bringing a new system of organisation, based around three schools – Education and Teaching Studies, Arts and Sciences. In 1992, Dorma Urwin became the new principal and Coventry University agreed to validate the Institution's degree courses. 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 2003, David Green was appointed as Dorma Urwin's successor and later became the Vice Chancellor of the institution. In 2005 the Privy Council granted university status. The institution was renamed "University of Worcester" in September of that year. In 2010 the HM Privy Council conferred Research Degree Awarding Powers on the University. In the same year, the University opened the City campus in the renovated former Infirmary to create a home for the Business School. Two years later, in 2012, the University opened The Hive, a £60 million facility focused on learning resources, technology, social and study spaces. This facility is a joint venture between the University and Worcestershire County Council and was officially opened by Her Majesty The Queen.

Locations

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 4th campus.

St John's 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, midwives, and physician associates, a commercial standard digital arts centre and motion performance centre. The Peirson Centre provides study spaces, as well as ICT facilities, support and a Student Guidance Centre. The campus is located close to the local area of St Johns, Worcester.

City Campus

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. The buildings of the original infirmary, which remain, are the work of the noted eighteenth-century architect Anthony Keck. Work began in January 2007, and cost approximately £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 as has the Boardroom in which the British Medical Association was founded in 1832. The history of the building inspired the development of an interactive exhibition, The Infirmary, which opened on City Campus in 2012.
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.

Riverside and Worcester Arena

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 a 2,000-seat capacity Sports Arena built as a new facility for sports, events, a base for the Worcester Wolves basketball team, a national centre of excellence for disability sports and as a further teaching and office space. The facility, known as Worcester Arena is also accessible to the local community.

Lakeside Campus (Outdoor Education Centre)

Lakeside Campus is located in the worcestershire countryside, just a 10-minute drive from the main campus. The 50 acre site includes watersports lake, grass pitches, woodlands and an activity centre

The Hive (Library & Study Facility)

The Hive, a joint venture between the University of Worcester and Worcestershire County Council, was officially opened by Her Majesty The Queen in July 2012. The Library is adjacent to the City Campus site in the centre of Worcester and brings a range of services under one roof including a fully integrated public and university library with adult, children's and academic sections, the Worcestershire Archive and Record Office, the Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeology Service, the County Archive record store and the Worcestershire County Council Hub Customer Service Centre.
The Hive contains over a quarter of a million books and 12 miles of archive collections, together with meeting rooms, exhibition spaces and a studio theatre. Individual and group working areas are provided throughout the five floors together with over 500 desktop computers.

University Park

The University plans to develop a third campus on the disused Grove Farm, a piece of land from St John's campus. It is adjacent to the A44 and well connected to the city's transport network. 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. Parts of the site will also develop the University's work in healthcare and wellbeing, again in partnership with local providers.

Other locations

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. 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.

Environmental standing

The institution has been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard. 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. 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.

Organisation and structure

On Thursday 10 April 2008, 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 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.
The seven faculties include, Institute of Education, Institute of Health and Society, Institute of the Arts, Institute of Humanities, Institute of Science and the Environment, Institute of Sport and Exercise Science, and the Worcester Business School. Each Academic Institute hosts an Academic Support Unit which assists both lecturers and students with administration issues directly relevant to the department.
During 2018 the University began a restructuring process including the reorganisation of Institute faculties into academic Schools. The ten academic schools include: School of allied health & community, School of the arts, School of education, School of humanities, School of nursing & midwifery, School of psychology, School of science & the environment, School of sport & exercise science, Worcester business school and the University of Worcester international college.

Academic profile

The University of Worcester is the UK's fastest growing University. Applications increased by 10.6% in 2009 and by 100% since 2004. The University has consistently recorded the largest increases in applications of any UK University for 7 years in a row.
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.

Reputation and rankings

An Ofsted report for the overall standard of the Institute of Education's teaching programme rated the University as "Excellent". The training of teachers was rated ‘Outstanding’ by OFSTED in June 2010.
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.
In March 2010, the University was ranked 54th of the top public sector places to work.

Research

In August 2010 the University was granted Research Degree awarding powers, enabling it to confer the awards of MPhil and PhD. Before this Coventry University 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. The Union is led by a team of elected officers the President, a Vice-President, a Vice-President, and 7 non-sabbatical officers with varying portfolio responsibilities. The official Students' Union newspaper for the university is called The Voice.

Sports activities

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.

Notable alumni