University of Worcester

Last updated
University of Worcester
University of Worcester coat of arms.png
Coat of Arms
University of Worcester
Motto
Latin: Ad Inspirandum Aspiramus
Motto in English
Aspire to Inspire
Type Public
Established1946 – Worcester Emergency Teacher Training College
1948 – Worcester Teacher Training College
1976 – Worcester College of Higher Education
1997 – University College Worcester (Given degree awarding powers)
2005 – University Status
Chancellor Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester [1]
Vice-Chancellor David Green [2]
Academic staff
300
Administrative staff
700 [3]
Students9,565 (2022/23) [4]
Undergraduates 6,890 (2022/23) [4]
Postgraduates 2,680 (2022/23) [4]
Up to 30 at any time
Location
Worcester, England, UK

52°11′53″N02°14′37″W / 52.19806°N 2.24361°W / 52.19806; -2.24361
CampusUrban
Colours Blue and White   
Website worcester.ac.uk OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
University of Worcester - Logo.jpg

The University of Worcester is a public research university, based in Worcester, England. With a history dating back to 1946, the university began awarding degrees in 1997 and was granted full university status in 2005. [5]

Contents

History

The Hive houses the university's academic library The Hive - University of Worcester - footbridge and The site of the City Wall (19859498694).jpg
The Hive houses the university's academic library

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. [6] 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 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 Queen Elizabeth II. [5]

In 2021, the university decided to close its archaeology department, with the change to come into effect the end of the 2021/22 academic year; this led to a petition being started, asking the vice-chancellor and executive board to reconsider the decision. [7]

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 872 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 John's, 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. [8] 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. A latter addition is the Art House, which sits opposite City Campus on Castle Street and is the hub of the School of Arts. Created from a former Carpet Warehouse (and before that a 1930's Art Deco garage known as Austin House) and refurbished by GWP Architects. [9] The building is only the third building in the whole of the UK to earn a Gold standard for environmental sustainability. [10] The Jenny Lind Chapel has been refurbished to its original state [11] 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. [12] Phase 2 has had to be reviewed due to deep cuts in government funding and caps on student numbers, and is no longer considered feasible due to current budget deficits.

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 (20 ha) site includes watersports lake, grass pitches, woodlands and an activity centre

The Hive (library and study facility)

The Hive, a joint venture between the University of Worcester and Worcestershire County Council, was officially opened by 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 (19 km) 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 47-acre (190,000 m2) piece of land 1 mi (1.6 km) 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. [13] Parts of the site will also develop the university's work in healthcare and wellbeing, again in partnership with local providers. [14]

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. [15] 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. [15]

Environmental standing

The institution has been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard. [16] 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. [17] 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. [18] [19]

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 (including the Duke of Gloucester Lecture Series) [20] 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. [21] 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. [22]

Academic profile

Reputation and rankings

Rankings
National rankings
Complete (2025) [23] 88=
Guardian (2025) [24] 112
Times / Sunday Times (2025) [25] 99
Global rankings
THE (2025) [26] 1201–1500

An Ofsted report for the overall standard of the Institute of Education's teaching programme rated the university as "Excellent". [27] The training of teachers was rated ‘Outstanding’ by OFSTED in June 2010. [28] 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. [29]

In March 2010, the university was ranked 54th of the top public sector places to work. [30]

Research

In August 2010 the university was granted research degree-awarding powers, enabling it to confer the awards of MPhil and PhD. [31] Before this Coventry University assisted in the academic awarding of these degrees. The university includes eight national research centres:

Student life

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. [37] The union is led by a team of elected officers the president, a vice-president (education), a vice-president (student activities), 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. [38]

The university also have a multi-year partnership with local Premier 15s side Worcester Warriors Women who have been renamed 'University of Worcester Warriors' as part of the deal. [39]

Notable alumni

See also

Related Research Articles

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

The University of Warwick is a public research university on the outskirts of Coventry between the West Midlands and Warwickshire, England. The university was founded in 1965 as part of a government initiative to expand higher education. The Warwick Business School was established in 1967, the Warwick Law School in 1968, Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) in 1980, and Warwick Medical School in 2000. Warwick incorporated Coventry College of Education in 1979 and Horticulture Research International in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imperial College London</span> Public university in England

Imperial College London (Imperial) is a public research university in London, England. Its history began with Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, who envisioned a cultural area in South Kensington that included museums, colleges, and the Royal Albert Hall. In 1907, these colleges – the Royal College of Science, the Royal School of Mines, and the City and Guilds of London Institute – merged to form the Imperial College of Science and Technology.

The University of Brighton is a public university based in Brighton on the south coast of England. Its roots can be traced back to 1858 when the Brighton School of Art was opened in the Royal Pavilion. It achieved university status in 1992.

<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">Newcastle University</span> University in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom (established 1834)

Newcastle University is a public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is a red brick university and a member of the Russell Group, an association of research-intensive UK universities.

<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">Dublin City University</span> University in Ireland, founded 1975

Dublin City University is a university based on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. Created as the National Institute for Higher Education, Dublin in 1975, it enrolled its first students in 1980, and was elevated to university status in September 1989 by statute.

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

Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is a public research university located in Nottingham, England. Its origins date back to 1843 with the establishment of the Nottingham Government School of Design, which still operates within the university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology</span> Public university in Melbourne, Australia

The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology is a public research university located in the city of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. Established in 1887 by Francis Ormond, it is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in Australia, a founding member of the Australian Technology Network (ATN), and a member of Universities Australia (UA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Hull</span> University in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England

The University of Hull is a public research university in Kingston upon Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1927 as University College Hull. The main university campus is located in Hull and is home to the Hull York Medical School, a joint initiative with the University of York. Students are served by Hull University Union.

<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">University of Gloucestershire</span> Public university in Gloucestershire, England

The University of Gloucestershire is a public university based in Gloucestershire, England. It is located over three campuses, two in Cheltenham and one in Gloucester. In March 2021, the university purchased the former Debenhams store in Gloucester City Centre, with a new campus due to open there in 2023.

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

The University of Chester is a public university located in Chester, England. The university originated as the first purpose-built teacher training college in the UK. As a university, it now occupies five campus sites in and around Chester, one in Warrington, and a University Centre in Shrewsbury. It offers a range of foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as well as undertaking academic research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of the Highlands and Islands</span> University in northern Scotland

The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) is an integrated, tertiary institution encompassing both further and higher education. It is composed of 12 colleges and research institutions spread around the Highlands and Islands, Moray and Perthshire regions of Scotland. UHI offers further education, undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes which can be studied at a range of locations across the area and online. It has 31,000 students, including 19,779 further education students and 11,210 higher education students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WCG (college)</span> Further education college based in England

WCG is the managing body that administers several colleges of further education in the English West Midlands, namely in the counties of Warwickshire and Worcestershire. Its most recent acquisition concerned its August 2016 merger with South Worcestershire College of which the two campuses then reverted to their historical names of Evesham College in Evesham and Malvern Hills College in Great Malvern. The merger makes it the largest group of further and adult education institutions in the country and one of the five colleges in the United Kingdom empowered by the Privy Council with the authority to award Foundation Degrees

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Becker College</span> Private college in Worcester, Massachusetts, US

Becker College was a private college in Worcester and Leicester, Massachusetts. Becker College traced its history from the union of two Massachusetts educational institutions—one founded in 1784 and the other in 1887. The college closed at the end of the 2020–21 academic year.

Melbourne Polytechnic, formerly NMIT, is an institute of higher education and vocational education (TAFE) located in Melbourne, Australia that has been operating since around 1910.

Heart of Worcestershire College is an academic institution with campuses at Worcester, Malvern, Redditch and Bromsgrove. It was established in August 2014 on the merging of Worcester College of Technology and North East Worcestershire College.

Hanley Castle High School is a non-selective mixed secondary school and sixth form centre located in the village of Hanley Castle, 1.4 miles (2.2 km) from the small town of Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire. It was formerly known as Hanley Castle Grammar School, and was probably founded in 1326, making it one of the oldest schools 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.

References

  1. "Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester". University of Worcester. Archived from the original on 25 March 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  2. "Professor David Green". University of Worcester. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  3. "Facts and Figures". University of Worcester. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "Where do HE students study?". Higher Education Statistics Agency . Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  5. 1 2 University history – University of Worcester Archived 11 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine . Worcester.ac.uk. Retrieved on 8 March 2014.
  6. The University Of Worcester An Illustrated History.: Amazon.co.uk: Paul Cheeseright: Books Archived 26 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine . Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved on 8 March 2014.
  7. Harris, Gareth (18 August 2021). "Ancient history? Worcester University to close its archaeology department in another blow to heritage sector". www.theartnewspaper.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  8. Worcester Royal Infirmary Main Building and Chapel, Former Outpatients, Department and King Edward V – Worcester – Worcestershire – England Archived 20 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine . British Listed Buildings. Retrieved on 8 March 2014.
  9. T: +44 (0)1133 502864, Design & Developed by Teabag Studios W: http://teabagstudios com | E: hello@teabagstudios com |. "Art House, Worcester - GWP Architecture" . Retrieved 22 April 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. "The Art House - University Of Worcester". www.worcester.ac.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  11. "Appeal for £15,000 to remember nurses with stained glass window". Archived from the original on 30 March 2010. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  12. "History of Worcester Royal Infirmary to Be Brought Back to Life". Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  13. News – University of Worcester Archived 23 December 2012 at archive.today . Worcester.ac.uk (4 March 2014). Retrieved on 8 March 2014.
  14. University Park – University of Worcester Archived 15 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine . Worcester.ac.uk. Retrieved on 8 March 2014.
  15. 1 2 Podium News, 1 May 2009 Archived 4 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 14 January 2010
  16. Worcester University [ permanent dead link ] Retrieved 14 January 2010
  17. Worcester University Archived 13 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 14 January 2010
  18. Green league Archived 25 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 14 January 2010
  19. Green League test results for Worcester University Archived 22 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 14 January 2010
  20. The Duke of Gloucester Lecture Series: Flood Risk and the Built Environment. Flood Risk Management: Future Directions Archived 23 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine . RUSI (15 March 2010). Retrieved on 8 March 2014.
  21. "Academic Schools - University of Worcester". Archived from the original on 2 April 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  22. "Academic Schools - University of Worcester". Archived from the original on 26 February 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  23. "Complete University Guide 2025". The Complete University Guide. 14 May 2024.
  24. "Guardian University Guide 2025". The Guardian. 7 September 2024.
  25. "Good University Guide 2025". The Times. 20 September 2024.
  26. "THE World University Rankings 2025". Times Higher Education. 9 October 2024.
  27. Ofsted Archived 10 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 14 January 2010
  28. 13 July 2010 [ dead link ]
  29. "Profile University of Worcester". The Times. London. 19 June 2008. Archived from the original on 26 July 2008. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
  30. [ dead link ]
  31. [ dead link ]
  32. BBC News Archived 22 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 14 January 2010
  33. Pollen UK Archived 10 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine . Pollen UK. Retrieved on 8 March 2014.
  34. Centre for Rural Research – University of Worcester Archived 4 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine . Worc.ac.uk (22 November 2013). Retrieved on 8 March 2014.
  35. Motion & Performance Centre – University of Worcester Archived 23 December 2012 at archive.today . Worcester.ac.uk (22 November 2013). Retrieved on 8 March 2014.
  36. Archived 27 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  37. Home Archived 29 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine . Worcsu.com. Retrieved on 8 March 2014.
  38. University of Worcester students selected for GB blind football team – British Universities & Colleges Sport Archived 20 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine . Bucs.org.uk (29 June 2009). Retrieved on 8 March 2014.
  39. "Worcester Warriors | University of Worcester and Worcester Warriors agree landmark partnership". warriors.co.uk. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  40. Glittering prizes|General Archived 12 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine . Times Higher Education (2 November 2001). Retrieved on 8 March 2014.