University of Bolton

Last updated

University of Bolton
legal name: The University of Bolton Higher Education Corporation [1]
Shield of the University of Bolton.svg
Motto: "SAPIENTIA SUPERAT MORAS" ‘Wisdom Overcomes Difficulty'
Motto Latin: Sapientia Superat Moras
Type Public
Established1824 – Bolton Mechanics' Institute
1982 – Bolton Institute of Higher Education
2004 – gained university status
Endowment £160,000 (2009) [2]
Chancellor George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews
Vice-Chancellor George Holmes
Administrative staff
700+ [3]
Students10,845 (2022/23) [4]
Undergraduates 7,950 (2022/23) [4]
Postgraduates 2,895 (2022/23) [4]
Location
Bolton
,
Greater Manchester
,
England, UK

53°34′25″N2°26′9″W / 53.57361°N 2.43583°W / 53.57361; -2.43583
CampusUrban
Colours Gold, navy blue   
Affiliations Million+
North West Universities Association
Universities UK
Website bolton.ac.uk
University of Bolton Logo.png

The University of Bolton, Bolton University or UoB (legally: The University of Bolton Higher Education Corporation) is a public university in Bolton, Greater Manchester in England. The university is commonly referred to as a 'post-92' institution, which is a reference to the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. It has approximately 11,000 students and more than 900 academic and professional staff.

Contents

It is a member of Universities UK, Million+, and the All-Party Parliamentary University Group.

History

Chancellor's Building, October 2010 Eagle Entrance University of Bolton.jpg
Chancellor's Building, October 2010

The University of Bolton traces its origins back to 1824 [5] with the founding of 'Bolton Mechanics' Institute. In 1887, the Committee of the Mechanics' Institute decided that the town's apprentices required technical instruction for the rapidly expanding engineering advances being made at the turn of the 19th century. That resulted in the creation of the new Technical School with student numbers rising to more than 1,500.

In 1926, Bolton Technical School became a college. Fifteen years later, a new building was opened offering a wide range of technical education choices, with engineering the most popular. In 1964, Bolton Technical College and the Bolton Institute of Technology were divided into two separate organisations. A. J. Jenkinson was principal of the Technical College, Bolton College of Education (Technical), and then the first principal of Bolton Institute of Technology.

Bolton Institute of Higher Education (BIHE) was formed in 1982 by the merger of the Bolton Institute of Technology and Bolton College of Education. The first principal of BIHE was John McKenzie, who was succeeded by Bob Oxtoby. Oxtoby began the campaign for university status. The university gained its degree awarding powers in 1990. [6] An £8.3 million extension project began in 1991 with the purchase of the former Eagle Factory. Bolton Institute was awarded the right to award taught degrees in 1992, with the powers to award research degrees in 1996. [5] In 1998, Mollie Temple became the third principal and successfully led the institution to achieve university status in 2004. [5] [7]

In November 2014, it became the first university in the North West to become a Living Wage employer. [8] In 2023, the University of Bolton applied to change its name to the University of Greater Manchester, pending a consultation period. [6] The current Vice-Chancellor has claimed that potential employers of graduates are prejudiced because Bolton was not widely known of. [9]

Campus

The university is primarily situated on an urban campus between Deane Road and Derby Street in Bolton. [10] There are two halls of residence, although the university intends to relocate all services on to a single site in the centre of Bolton. There is an academic centre in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.

Facilities

The Eagle library, September 2010 Eagle Library Aisle Bolton.jpg
The Eagle library, September 2010

Senate House

Formally known as Deane Tower, Senate House underwent refurbishment in 2004 to become a centre for design disciplines, research, and consultancy services.

The Chancellor's Building

After the remodelling and centralisation of the university campus in 2007, a new £2.5 million Social Learning Zone for student study and Students' Union bar was built. The building also houses the university library, student services and coffee shop. [10]

Eagle Tower

The five-storey building houses academic offices and subject areas including art & design, photography, graphics, media studies, special & visual effects, and psychology. [10]

Bolton One

The Bolton One building on the university campus, May 2012 Bolton One.jpg
The Bolton One building on the university campus, May 2012

The Bolton One facility is a £31 million, three-way partnership with Bolton Council and NHS Bolton situated on the university's campus. The university contributed around £7 million to the development. The purpose-built centre houses new health, science and sports teaching and research facilities – as well as a sports complex. [11] [10]

Halls of residence

The university has approved and recommends Orlando Village halls of residence, which is owned by McComb Bolton Limited. [12]

Other accommodation is provided by private landlords. The "Cube" on Bradshawgate was one such building; it was seriously damaged by fire in November 2019. [13] [14] Eyewitnesses say that the cladding on the building encouraged the spread of the fire. The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham said, "It does have a type of cladding which does cause concern. There will be many people living in buildings with this cladding today who will be very worried." [15]

University Collegiate School

UTC Bolton, a university technical college sponsored by the University of Bolton, was established at the university campus in September 2015. In November 2015, the UTC was officially opened by Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and named the 'Stoller Building' after the philanthropist Sir Norman Stoller. [16] In September 2020, the school was renamed University Collegiate School. It is now a full secondary school sponsored by the university.

Growth and future plans

The university has also announced plans for a new £10 million facility for Science and Engineering, which will house its Centre for Advanced Performance Engineering. Construction was set to begin following the completion of the UTC building in September 2015. [17] There was also to be a renovation and expansion of the current campus through to 2017. [18]

In 2015, the university and Bolton Council announced plans for a new £40 million student village, which was planned to accommodate up to 850 students in the heart of Bolton town centre, facing the iconic Le Mans Crescent. [19]

International presence

The university has an academic centre in Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates and established international links with a number of overseas academic establishments in China, Germany, Greece, Malawi, Malaysia, and Singapore. [20]

Since 2009, the University of Bolton has had a partnership with Western International College Ras Al Khaimah with programmes available at Undergraduate and Postgraduate level. [21] In December 2011, the University of Bolton launched its academic centre in Colombo, Sri Lanka, [22] in partnership with the KES Group of Institutions. The university has a memorandum of understanding with the University of the Republic of San Marino, which promotes cooperation between the two institutions. [23]

Steam hammer on Deane Campus

The hammer at the university, September 2009 Hammer at the University - geograph.org.uk - 1521865.jpg
The hammer at the university, September 2009

The University of Bolton's Deane Campus hosts a 50-ton steam hammer, a significant artefact representing Bolton's industrial heritage, used at Thomas Walmsley's Atlas Forge.

The steam hammer was originally stationed at the Atlas Forge, located at the intersection of Bridgeman Street and Fletcher Street. It played a role in the forge's manufacturing processes, primarily reshaping white-hot iron billets into materials prepared for further refinement through rollers. During the 1960s and early 1970s, it was operated by a former steam train driver who transitioned to the steam hammer operator role after the closure of the nearby railway line connecting Bolton to Daubhill railway station which is now closed as well. [24] [10]

Organisation and administration

Chancellors

On 11 July 2016, the board of governors announced the appointment of Lord St. Andrews as chancellor. The Earl commenced his responsibilities in January 2017. [25]

Vice-chancellors

Academic profile

Reputation and rankings

Rankings
National rankings
Complete (2025) [27] 111
Guardian (2025) [28] 32
Times / Sunday Times (2025) [29] 119

The Times said in 2008 that "the university is not research-driven, but engineering, architecture and the built environment, social work and social policy all contained some 'world-leading' research in the 2008 assessments". [30] The Guardian ranked the University of Bolton as #38 in the United Kingdom in 2023 and #6 based on students' satisfaction with teaching. [31]

Student life

The University of Bolton has a diverse student population. About 13% of home students are from ethnic minority communities, with about 7% of its students being classed as international. That portion of students come from 70 countries outside the UK. [32] The university also has a chaplaincy accommodating several different faiths.

Cycling

In June 2020, the University of Bolton launched a bike offer scheme in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The university purchased one thousand bicycles and loaned them to students for commuting during the pandemic.

The university also organised cycling "refresher" sessions for interested students, aiming to promote safety and physical activity. The university's vice-chancellor posited that in addition to cycling's environmental impact, the scheme would help address students' concerns about public transport during the pandemic and foster physical well-being. [33]

Students' Union

The main Students' Union (SU) building is on Deane Road at the centre of the University Campus. As well as being home to the SU bar (The Vista) and the hub of many social events, the union provides numerous other roles such as student support and advice (The Advice Unit), representation and sports societies. [34]

Sport

Bolton has many different sports teams competing in the BUCS leagues. Teams include: basketball, netball, football, hockey, rugby league, and rugby union.

Bolton One also offers students an eight-lane, 25-metre competition swimming pool, 50 foot climbing wall and sports hall. [35]

Sponsorship

On 17 February 2016, it was announced that the University of Bolton would become the principal shirt sponsors of the Manchester Giants basketball team for the 2016 season. On 2 April 2016, the University again became the sponsors of Bolton Wanderers in an agreement which was initially planned to last until Summer 2016. [36] Bolton Wanderers' stadium remained The University of Bolton Stadium until 2023 when it became the Toughsheet Community Stadium. [37]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchester Metropolitan University</span> Public university in Manchester, England

Manchester Metropolitan University is located in the centre of Manchester, England. The university has 40,000 students and over 4,000 members of staff. It is home to four faculties and is one of the largest universities in the UK, measured by the size of its student population in 2020/21.

University College London is a public research university in London, England. It is a member institution of the federal University of London, and is the second-largest university in the United Kingdom by total enrolment and the largest by postgraduate enrolment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Stirling</span> University in Stirling, Scotland

The University of Stirling is a public university in Stirling, Scotland, founded by a royal charter in 1967. It is located in the Central Belt of Scotland, built within the walled Airthrey Castle estate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Manchester</span> Public university in Manchester, England

The University of Manchester is a public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester City Centre on Oxford Road. The university owns and operates major cultural assets such as the Manchester Museum, The Whitworth art gallery, the John Rylands Library, the Tabley House Collection and the Jodrell Bank Observatory – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The University of Manchester is considered a red brick university, a product of the civic university movement of the late 19th century. The current University of Manchester was formed in 2004 following the merger of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) and the Victoria University of Manchester. This followed a century of the two institutions working closely with one another.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Leeds</span> University in Leeds, United Kingdom

The University of Leeds is a public research university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was established in 1874 as the Yorkshire College of Science. In 1884, it merged with the Leeds School of Medicine and was renamed Yorkshire College. It became part of the federal Victoria University in 1887, joining Owens College and University College Liverpool. In 1904, a royal charter was granted to the University of Leeds by King Edward VII.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aston University</span> University in Birmingham, England

Aston University is a public university situated in the city centre of Birmingham, England. Aston began as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School in 1895, evolving into the UK's first college of advanced technology in 1956. Aston University received its royal charter from Queen Elizabeth II on 22 April 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middlesex University</span> Public university in Middlesex, London, England

Middlesex University London is a public research university based in Hendon, northwest London, England. The university also has campuses in Dubai and Mauritius. The name of the university is derived from its location within the historic county boundaries of Middlesex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Strathclyde</span> University in Glasgow, Scotland

The University of Strathclyde is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal charter in 1964 as the first technological university in the United Kingdom. Taking its name from the historic Kingdom of Strathclyde, its combined enrollment of 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students ranks it Scotland's third-largest university, drawn with its staff from over 100 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Salford</span> Public research university in Salford, England

The University of Salford is a public research university in Salford, Greater Manchester, England, 1 mile west of Manchester city centre. The Royal Technical Institute, Salford, which opened in 1896, became a College of Advanced Technology in 1956 and gained university status in 1967, following the Robbins Report into higher education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Plymouth</span> Public university in Plymouth, England

The University of Plymouth is a public research university based predominantly in Plymouth, England, where the main campus is located, but the university has campuses and affiliated colleges across South West England. With 18,410 students, it is the 57th largest in the United Kingdom by total number of students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Mary University of London</span> Public university in London, England

Queen Mary University of London is a public research university in Mile End, East London, England. It is a member institution of the federal University of London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Reading</span> University in Berkshire, England

The University of Reading is a public research university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as University College, Reading, a University of Oxford extension college. The institution received the power to grant its own degrees in 1926 by royal charter from King George V and was the only university to receive such a charter between the two world wars. The university is usually categorised as a red brick university, reflecting its original foundation in the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Hertfordshire</span> University in England

The University of Hertfordshire (UH) is a public university in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. The university is based largely in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Its antecedent institution, Hatfield Technical College, was founded in 1948 and was identified as one of 25 Colleges of Technology in the United Kingdom in 1959. In 1992, Hatfield Polytechnic was granted university status by the British government and subsequently renamed University of Hertfordshire. It is one of the post-1992 universities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Portsmouth</span> Public university in Portsmouth, England

The University of Portsmouth (UoP) is a public university in Portsmouth, England. Comprising five faculties, the university offers a wide range of academic disciplines. With around 28,280 students enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate programs, the university in 2022 was the 25th-largest higher education institution by student enrolments in the United Kingdom. The university employed approximately 3,500 staff in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Wolverhampton</span> University in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

The University of Wolverhampton is a public university in Wolverhampton, England, located on four campuses across the West Midlands, Shropshire and Staffordshire. Originally founded in 1827 as the Wolverhampton Tradesmen's and Mechanics' Institute, the university was subject to a series of merges, incorporations, and expansions with other local colleges, one of which occurred under the supervision of Prince George, Duke of Kent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coventry University</span> Public university in West Midlands, England

Coventry University is a public research university in Coventry, England. The origins of Coventry University can be linked to the founding of the Coventry School of Design in 1843. It was known as Lanchester Polytechnic from 1970 until 1987, and then as Coventry Polytechnic until the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 afforded its university status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Huddersfield</span> University in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England

The University of Huddersfield is a public research university located in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It has been a University since 1992, but has its origins in a series of institutions dating back to the 19th century. It has made teaching quality a particular focus of its activities, winning the inaugural Higher Education Academy Global Teaching Excellence Award in 2017, and achieving a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Gold Award, in 2017 and 2023. The university has also put an increasing focus on research quality, and as of 2022 more than three quarters of its academic staff hold a doctorate, the third highest rate in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Nottingham</span> Public research university in England

The University of Nottingham is a public research university in Nottingham, England. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Higher Colleges of Technology</span>

The Higher Colleges of Technology(HCT) (Arabic: كليّات التقنيّة العليا) is a public institute of technology with 16 campuses and facilities throughout the United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1988 by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al-Nahyan, it is the largest applied higher educational institution in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi</span> Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah

Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi is the current ruler of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates. He became the chief of the ruler's Emiri court in 1979, the head of the Municipal Council in 1986, and the Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of the Emirate in June 2003. Then, he officially became the ruler of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in 2010 after his father's death.

References

  1. ↑ "Governance".
  2. ↑ "Financial Report Year Ended 31 July 2009". University of Bolton. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  3. ↑ "Key Facts". University of Bolton. Archived from the original on 13 October 2006.
  4. 1 2 3 "Where do HE students study?". Higher Education Statistics Agency . Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 MacLeod, Donald (27 April 2004). "Bolton Institute gets coveted university title". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  6. 1 2 "University of Bolton applies to become University of Greater Manchester". BBC News. 14 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  7. ↑ "Bolton gets a university". BBC News. 27 April 2004. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  8. ↑ "University a Living Wage leader – University of Bolton". bolton.ac.uk. University of Bolton. Archived from the original on 17 July 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  9. ↑ Adams, Richard (17 October 2023). "Bolton graduates miss out on top jobs because of prejudice, says vice-chancellor". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 "Campus Map" (PDF). bolton.ac.uk. University of Bolton. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  11. ↑ "Welcome to Bolton One". University of Bolton. Archived from the original on 7 June 2015.
  12. ↑ "University of Bolton's Student Accommodation Provider". Orlando Village. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  13. ↑ "Bolton fire: crews putting out 'last pockets of fire' at student housing building". The Guardian. 16 November 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  14. ↑ Williams, Rob (16 November 2019). "Kind bar staff helped desperate student get her emergency medication after Bolton fire". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  15. ↑ Wood, Vincent (16 November 2019). "Bolton fire: Government warned over laminate cladding risk before student flat block blaze". The Independent. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  16. ↑ "Royal visit 2015: Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, to visit Bolton School and University Technical College at the University of Bolton". theboltonnews.co.uk. Bolton News. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  17. ↑ "University Board approves further £25 million investment in student teaching facilities – University of Bolton" . Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  18. ↑ "University Board approves further £25 million investment in student teaching facilities". University of Bolton. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  19. ↑ "New student village for Bolton town centre – University of Bolton" . Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  20. ↑ "Off Campus Locations". University of Bolton. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  21. ↑ "University of Bolton Academic Centre: Ras Al Khaimah". University of Bolton. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  22. ↑ "UK university to launch centre here in Dec". ITpro. 9 November 2011. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012.
  23. ↑ "University of Bolton signs MOU with The University of the Republic of San Marino". University of Bolton.
  24. ↑ "Hammer reminded me of days at forge". theboltonnews.co.uk. The Bolton News. 7 November 2009. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  25. ↑ "University of Bolton: By Royal Appointment" . Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  26. ↑ "University Leadership". bolton.ac.uk. University of Bolton. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  27. ↑ "Complete University Guide 2025". The Complete University Guide. 14 May 2024.
  28. ↑ "Guardian University Guide 2025". The Guardian. 7 September 2024.
  29. ↑ "Good University Guide 2025". The Times. 20 September 2024.
  30. ↑ "Profile: University of Bolton". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 26 July 2008. Retrieved 27 May 2009.(subscription required)
  31. ↑ "The best UK universities 2023 – league table". The Guardian . Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  32. ↑ "Student Profile". University of Bolton. Archived from the original on 2 November 2010.
  33. ↑ "University of Bolton bike offer will help students 'avoid public transport'". BBC News. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  34. ↑ "Students' Union Home" . Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  35. ↑ "Sport & Wellness". bolton.ac.uk. University of Bolton. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  36. ↑ "Club statement: University of Bolton new shirt sponsors". Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  37. ↑ "Bolton Wanderers fans poke fun at stadium's new sponsorship name". BBC News. 20 February 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.