Northumbria University

Northumbria University
Motto	Aetas Discendi ("a lifetime of learning")[1]
Established	1992 - gained University status 1969 - Newcastle Polytechnic 1894 - Rutherford College of Technology
Type	Public
Chancellor	Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington
Vice-Chancellor	Professor Andrew Wathey FRHistS FSA FRSA[2]
Students	29,850[3]
Undergraduates	22,825[3]
Postgraduates	6,805[3]
Other students	220 FE[3]
Location	Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, UK
Campus	Urban and Suburban
Website	http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/

Northumbria University is an academic institution located in Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England. It is a member of the University Alliance^[4].

In terms of student numbers the University is the 7th biggest in the UK ^{[5][self-published source?]} and the largest in the North East.^{[citation needed]} It also includes the North East’s largest community of taught postgraduate students, ranking in the top 10 biggest providers of taught Postgraduate degrees in the UK.^{[6][self-published source?]}

History

Northumbria University has its origins in three regional colleges: Rutherford College of Technology, which was established by Dr John Hunter Rutherford in 1880 and opened formally by HRH The Duke of York in 1894, the College of Art & Industrial Design and the Municipal College of Commerce.

Newcastle Polytechnic

In 1969, these three institutions were amalgamated to form Newcastle Polytechnic. The Polytechnic became the major regional centre for the training of teachers with the incorporation of the City College of Education in 1974, and the Northern Counties College of Education in 1976.

University status

In 1992, Newcastle Polytechnic was inaugurated as the new Northumbria University as part of the UK-wide process in which polytechnics became new universities. It was originally styled, and its official name still is, the University of Northumbria at Newcastle (see the Articles of Government^[7]) but the trading name was simplified to Northumbria University in 2002. In 1995, it was awarded responsibility for the education of healthcare professionals, which was transferred from the National Health Service.

Campuses

City Campus East

The University has two large campuses. City Campus, located in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, is divided into City Campus East and City Campus West by the city's Central Motorway and linked by a £4million bridge which in 2006 was officially opened by the former Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Lord Digby Jones.

City Campus East is home to the Schools of Law, Design and the Newcastle Business School (NBS). NBS and Law are housed in one building, and the School of Design is across a courtyard. City Campus East has become a Newcastle landmark since opening in September 2007, winning awards from The Journal newspaper and the Low Carbon New Build Project of the Year accolade.

City Campus West is home to the Schools of Arts & Social Sciences, Built & Natural Environment, Computing, Engineering & Information Sciences and Life Sciences. Also located on this campus is the University Library, Students' Union building and Sports Central, a £30m sports facility for students, staff and the community which opened in 2010.

Sandyford Road site, opposite Newcastle Civic Centre

Sutherland Building, formerly the Medical School of Durham University (1887-38), which was a naval warehouse during World War II, and the Dental School of Durham University (1945–78) is the home of Administrative Departments including Finance & Planning and Human Resources, using the space vacated when the School of Law moved to City Campus East.

The Students' Union building, at City Campus West, underwent a multi-million pound makeover with new lobby and recreational facilities, and a refurbished bar and cafe space, in summer 2010.

A second campus^[8] is located 2.6 miles (4 km) outside of Newcastle, on Coach Lane, and is known as the Coach Lane Campus at Cochrane Park near the A188 (Benton Road). It is in the Dene ward near Longbenton and round the corner from Tyneview Park; a large Department for Work and Pensions office, accessible via the Four Lane Ends Interchange. The Coach Lane Campus is home to School of Health, Community and Education Studies. A free shuttle bus runs between the two campuses.

Organisation and structure

Northumbria describes itself is a comprehensive university, offering 30 of Britain's 32 most frequently chosen academic disciplines. It specialises in business, arts and design, computing, environmental science, built environment, applied healthcare, sports science and psychology, and teacher education.

Northumbria also offers 'clinical' courses in law accredited by the Law Society and Bar Council. These allow graduates direct entry to the profession. The institution's Student Law Centre is a unique clinical legal education enterprise,^[9] where law students participate in a legal advice and representation scheme on behalf of real clients, as part of their academic and professional development. The service is run as a full legal service, just like any other firm of solicitors. Practising lawyers closely supervise the students' work and have overall responsibility for ensuring that clients receive a professional service.

The School of Design in Newcastle upon Tyne also has a satellite campus in Islington, London.

Northumbria University employs more than 3,200 people and offers approximately 500 study programmes through eight Schools:

Burt Hall

• Arts and Social Sciences
• The Built and Natural Environment
• Design - based in Newcastle upon Tyne and Islington, London
• Health, Community and Education Studies
• Computing, Engineering and Information Sciences
• Law
• Life Sciences ^[10]
• Newcastle Business School

Northumbria University is international in its operations and reach, with programmes delivered in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, London and worldwide. Northumbria University recruits in Asia, with numbers of students studying degrees at partner institutions in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Seoul and elsewhere.

Academic profile

In 2010, it had the highest employment rate out of all the North East England universities. Northumbria University has been praised for its innovative degree programmes. Entry standards are relatively high. It has links with large organisations and many degree programmes involve industrial placements. Northumbria has also been praised for its more practical approach to education, notably in business and law.

Northumbria University is often chosen over more traditional universities, especially for subjects such as law, architecture, business, and design. Northumbria also has excellent links with major employers.

Northumbria School of Law

Northumbria Law School has the reputation of being one of the most innovative law schools in the country. It has the highest employment rate in the country, after the University of Oxford (as of 2010) . Its practical approach to Law education has attracted many students from universities such as Durham, Oxford, and Cambridge on its postgraduate programmes.

It has an excellent reputation with regional and national firms.

Its programmes are innovative and practical. Students have the opportunity to work in the 'Student Law Office' where they will give legal advice to real clients for free. This is not only a rewarding experience, but also provides practical skills. The Student Law Office won the prestigious ‘excellence in Community Investment’ at the Law Society Excellence Awards which recognises best practice and innovation in community investment including fundraising and charitable giving, pro-bono and non-legal volunteering. Northumbria University School of Law beat off stiff competition from Magic Circle law firms to win the prestigious award.

Newcastle Business School

Not to be confused with Newcastle University Business School, Newcastle Business School has an excellent reputation of delivering some of the best management education in the UK. It is internationally recognised as one of the UK's leading business schools. Entry standards are relatively high with the highest entry offer being AAA (for BA Corporate Management). Newcastle Business School has the reputation of being the North East of England's Business school. It was ranked 6th for Employability in the Sunday Times and has consistently been in the TOP 10 for employability. Newcastle Business School is located in the award winning City Campus East.

Programmes are fully accredited by professional agencies, so tend to be academically demanding. In 2010, Newcastle Business School installed Bloomberg Financial Services Terminals, an innovative new system used by professional financiers throughout the world. Newcastle Business School is the only business school in the North East to have such excellent facilities. Such facilities enhance students' knowledge of the real financial world making them more employable. Newcastle Business School is still growing and still has an extremely exciting future. It attracts bright students from all around the globe. Demand for a business degree from Newcastle Business School is very high.

Globalisation is emphasised largely in the business programmes. Students are given the opportunities to apply for travel bursaries. Teaching standards have been rated "excellent" by the QAA.

Research

Former Dame Allan's School

In the Research Assessment Exercise 2008 a small amount of research in nine of twelve areas submitted was described as "world leading".^[11]

Notable research awards in 2009/10 included funding from the Department of Health’s Policy Research Programme for a Northumbria-led national assessment of dementia care, in collaboration with the Universities of Edinburgh, Newcastle and Glamorgan. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council awarded £1.4 million to a Northumbria University research team working alongside the Universities of Birmingham, Central Lancashire, Swansea and London (Birkbeck) on energy consumption. RTC North and a private company, Nonlinear Dynamics - a world leader in its field – announced a research collaboration with Northumbria University which could lead to a major breakthrough in the production of bio-fuels. The three year project will bring together traditional scientific laboratory analysis techniques and some of the world’s most advanced data analysis software. A new company established by the University in 2010 will give manufacturers the chance to use computational chemistry to create “designer molecules” for the first time in an industrial setting. The process, Quantum Directed Genetic Algorithms™ (QDGA™), is a unique solution for identifying new catalysts and reactants.

Student life

City Campus East being built in May 2006

The Students' Union is run by students for students as a campaigning and representative organisation. It is a charity currently exempt from registration and is led by five Sabbatical Officers (President and 4 Vice-Presidents) and a 37 member Student Council.

The Students' Union offers a range of student activities such as Northumbria Student Community Action(NSCA), One Planet, Raise and Give (RAG), Give It A Go and Skills sessions. It represents students in academic and non-academic matters through a nationally recognised School Reps and Post Graduate Research Reps Systems, as well as newly introduced Community Reps and Caucus group chairs.

The university building contains several venues for students to socialise in a safe environment, chiefly at Habita (Formerly Bar One), Domain (formerly The Venue) and Reds.

In 2011, Northumbria Student's Union received the National Union of Student's award for best higher education students union.^[12]

Notable alumni

• Bibiana Aído Almagro Spanish politician, currently serving as Minister for Equality
• Vera Baird, former MP for Redcar
• Tunde Baiyewu, vocalist, lead singer of the Lighthouse Family
• Amanda Berry, Chief Executive of BAFTA
• Rodney Bickerstaffe, former General Secretary of UNISON.
• Timothy Brown, Chief Executive of IDEO
• Alan Campbell, MP for Tynemouth
• Chris Cook, GB Commonwealth & Olympic Swimmer
• Martin Corry, England rugby international, and Leicester Tigers
• Steve Cram, English athlete and television presenter
• Ali Dia, Senegalese footballer
• Rick Dickinson, designer of the ZX81 computer
• Robbie Elliott, footballer and coach
• Toby Flood, England rugby international, and Leicester Tigers
• Dimitris Theocharis, fashion photographer
• Gary McCormick, Shreveport United Soccer Club Manager; C.E. Byrd High School Manager
• Scott Henshall, fashion designer
• Louise Hopkins, artist
• Jonathan Ive, industrial designer, lead designer of the iMac and iPod
• Kevan Jones, MP for North Durham
• Duncan Lloyd, lead guitarist of Maxïmo Park
• Neil Marshall, film director
• Alexei Mordashov, Russian business oligarch
• Bob Murray, former chairman of Sunderland AFC
• Jamie Noon, England rugby international, and Newcastle Falcons
• Victoria Pendleton, Olympic cyclist
• Gerry Steinberg, former MP for City of Durham
• Sting, musician
• Paul Winsper, fitness expert
• Zak Waters, photographer
• Kevin Whately, actor
• Jonny Wilkinson, England rugby international, and Newcastle Falcons
• John Bynon, Associate Partner, Sanderson Weatherall LLP

See also

• Kingston Park (stadium)
• Bullocksteads Sports Ground
• Northumbria University Press
• JISC infoNet
• Sport Central

References

1. ^ http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/static/insightarchive/305587
2. ^ "Vice-Chancellor's Office". Northumbria University. 2008-02-13. http://northumbria.ac.uk/vc/. Retrieved 2008-04-11. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} "Table 0a - All students by institution, mode of study, level of study, gender and domicile 2006/07" (Microsoft Excel spreadsheet). Higher Education Statistics Agency. http://www.hesa.ac.uk/dox/dataTables/studentsAndQualifiers/download/institution0607.xls. Retrieved 2008-04-11. 
4. ^ University Alliance
5. ^ http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/sd/academic/ceis/about/ceisnews/1588825
6. ^ http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/browse/ne/uninews/PGTNorthumbria
7. ^ http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/static/5007/2008pdf/iag.pdf Northumbria University Instrument and Articles of Government
8. ^ http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/55505
9. ^ http://www.www.northumbria.ac.uk/sd/academic/law/slonew/?view=Standard
10. ^ http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/sd/academic/
11. ^ RAE 2008 quality profile for University of Northumbria at Newcastle, http://www.rae.ac.uk/results/qualityProfile.aspx?id=68&type=hei 
12. ^ http://www.nusconnect.org.uk/awards/2011/#festudentsunionoftheyear

External links

• Official website