Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) is one of two

public universities A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national university ...

in the city of

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

, England (the other being the

University of Lincoln , mottoeng = Freedom through wisdom , established = 1861 – Hull School of Art1905 – Endsleigh College1976 – Hull College1992 – University of Humberside1996 – University of Lincolnshire and Humberside2001 � ...

). BGU was established as a

teacher training college A normal school or normal college is an institution created to train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high school level, turni ...

for the Diocese of Lincoln in 1862. It gained taught degree awarding powers in 2012, applied for full university status, and was granted on 3 December 2012. It has around 2,300 full-time students enrolled on a variety of programmes and courses.''Bishop Grosseteste University Launched'' Accessed 16 December 2012
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History

Bishop Robert Grosseteste, 1896 (3x4crop)

Lincoln Diocesan Training School for Mistresses was founded in 1862. It occupied the premises of an earlier, unsuccessful

training Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance. I ...

establishment for male teachers, which had been built in 1842 with a chapel, lecture rooms and a school for teaching practice. It was later renamed Lincoln Diocesan Training College and, to mark the centenary in 1962, was renamed Bishop Grosseteste College. The college took its name from

Robert Grosseteste Robert Grosseteste, ', ', or ') or the gallicised Robert Grosstête ( ; la, Robertus Grossetesta or '). Also known as Robert of Lincoln ( la, Robertus Lincolniensis, ', &c.) or Rupert of Lincoln ( la, Rubertus Lincolniensis, &c.). ( ; la, Rob ...

, a 13th-century statesman, scholastic philosopher, theologian, scientist and

Bishop of Lincoln The Bishop of Lincoln is the ordinary (diocesan bishop) of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury. The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and ...

. The college began awarding degrees of

Bachelor of Education A Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) is an undergraduate professional degree which prepares students for work as a teacher in schools. In some countries such as Tanzania and Kenya, additional tasks like field work and research are required in order fo ...

(BEd), originally validated by the

University of Nottingham , mottoeng = A city is built on wisdom , established = 1798 – teacher training college1881 – University College Nottingham1948 – university status , type = Public , chancellor ...

. From 1987, degrees were validated by the

University of Hull , mottoeng = Bearing the Torch f learning, established = 1927 – University College Hull1954 – university status , type = Public , endowment = £18.8 million (2016) , budget = £190 million ...

and BEd students spent one of the four years of their course reading their main subject at Hull. In 1991, the college stopped awarding BEd degrees and began instead to award the degree of

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

with

Honours Honour (British English) or honor (American English; see spelling differences) is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of social teaching and of personal ethos, that manifests itself as a ...

and Qualified Teacher Status (BA(Hons)QTS). In 2003, a Validation Agreement was signed with the

University of Leicester , mottoeng = So that they may have life , established = , type = public research university , endowment = £20.0 million , budget = £326 million , chancellor = David Willetts , vice_chancellor = Nishan Canagarajah , head_lab ...

. In 2006, the college was awarded

university college In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...

status. In 2008, Dame

Judith Mayhew Jonas Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas, (born 18 October 1948) is a New Zealand-born British solicitor, local government politician and academic. She is currently the Chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln, England, and has been the first woman ...

was named Chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University College. 2012 saw a change in legislation regarding the use of the title university, allowing higher education establishments with more than 1,000 students to apply for university status. BGUC applied for the University title in June 2012 and was renamed Bishop Grosseteste University in December 2013.

Campus

The university is on a single-site campus in uphill Lincoln, a short walk from the historic Bailgate area, the

Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

and Castle. The oldest buildings are on the Newport frontage, with the earliest, a building of 1841, in a

Tudor revival Tudor Revival architecture (also known as mock Tudor in the UK) first manifested itself in domestic architecture in the United Kingdom in the latter half of the 19th century. Based on revival of aspects that were perceived as Tudor architecture ...

(or "Tudorbethan") style. It is in brick with stone dressings and has gabled dormers. In 1861 an extension range, in a similar but plainer style, was placed at right angles away from the road. In 1862,

Sir Arthur Blomfield Sir Arthur William Blomfield (6 March 182930 October 1899) was an English architect. He became president of the Architectural Association in 1861; a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1867 and vice-president of the RIBA in ...

designed the simple and plainer chapel, which stands between these buildings and the road. In recent years the campus has seen many new developments and new facilities. Bishop_Grosseteste_University

An extension to the Sibthorp Library (the Cornerstone Building) was completed in 2012 and officially opened by

Anne, Princess Royal Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of ...

in 2013. The development doubled study space available to students and incorporated Student Support services within the same building. It also provided dedicated space for two unique library collections: the Teaching Resources Collection and the Lincolnshire Collection. The Library's Lincolnshire Collection was greatly augmented in 2014 with books donated by the

Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology The Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology or SLHA aims to create a greater awareness of the history of Lincolnshire, and works to discover and record its heritage. In its present form, the society came into being in 1974, but it has an ...

. In 2012 the on-campus Bishop Greaves Theatre was upgraded with state-of-the-art cinema equipment and became The Venue. It holds regular screenings of both popular Hollywood releases and more obscure independent films, and is also home to the Lincoln Film Society. The Venue is also in use as a theatre, particularly by the university's drama students and its own BG Touring Ltd. In 2013 the main entrance to the campus was moved from Newport to Longdales Road and, as a result, the main reception was relocated to the Robert Hardy Building. The space previously occupied by main reception was upgraded to a quiet study area for students and the previous external entrance was locked. Extensive development work took place on the university campus during 2013, refurbishing existing accommodation and providing a new £4.3m hall of residence.'Local building firms win BG accommodation contracts'.
bishopg.ac.uk. Retrieved 13 September 2013 A new dining facility was completed in 2013. Development of Constance Stewart Hall during 20162017 added teaching rooms in an extension designed by LK2 Architects.

Student accommodation

There are 218 places in the on-campus

halls of residence A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...

and an additional 78 in the off-campus hall of residence, Crosstrend House. The on-campus halls of residence are available to first years and those with disabilities. Some second or third years live in halls as Senior Residents, providing guidance and a 24/7 on-call service to the first-year residents. All accommodation benefits from free wi-fi access, which is also available throughout the campus. Extensive work to the on-campus accommodation was carried out during 2013. Constance Stewart Hall (CSH), erected in the 1950s, was renovated and upgraded to provide self-catering accommodation and improved facilities for students. The existing Wickham Hall and Nelson Hall accommodation blocks were demolished. Wickham Hall was replaced with a larger accommodation building of the same name, and Nelson Hall was replaced with a new dining facility. Crosstrend House, situated a short walk from the university campus, was open to new students from September 2012 in a building that formerly housed the

Crown Prosecution Service The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the principal public agency for conducting criminal prosecutions in England and Wales. It is headed by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The main responsibilities of the CPS are to provide legal advi ...

. As there is a high proportion of

mature student An adult learner or, more commonly, a mature student, is a person who is older and is involved in forms of learning. Adult learners fall in a specific criterion of being experienced, and do not always have a high school diploma. Many of the adult ...

s and local students, few first years need to live in; most tend to board in private homes.

Statistics

Academic profile

Bishop Grosseteste University offers foundation and honours degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level. This includes multiple routes into teaching such as BA, BSc and

Postgraduate Certificate in Education The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE/PGCertEd) is a one- or two-year higher education course in England, Wales and Northern Ireland which provides training in order to allow graduates to become teachers within maintained schools. In ...

(PGCE). As well as joint honours options, many subjects can be studied as major/minor combinations. Teaching is through lectures, seminars, workshops, practicals and work-related placements. The university awards foundation degrees in education, childhood and youthwork, BA degrees in 17 subjects, including primary education, SEN and early childhood studies, and

BSc A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University ...

degrees in 4 subjects. As well as degrees with QTS, the university awards PGCEs, MA degrees in 8 subjects and

doctorates A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...

. Doctoral study (conducted in partnership with the

) leads to either a PhD or an

EdD Edd, or EDD may refer to: Fictional characters * Dolorous Edd, a character from ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' and its adaptation, ''Game of Thrones'' * Edd (''Ed, Edd n Eddy''), a character of the ''Ed, Edd n Eddy'' cartoon * Edd the Duck, a puppet ...

. The university is engaged with an Initial

Teacher Education Teacher education or teacher training refers to programs, policies, procedures, and provision designed to equip (prospective) teachers with the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, approaches, methodologies and skills they require to perform their t ...

partnership with

New College Stamford Stamford College is a further education college on Drift Road in Stamford, Lincolnshire, England. It opened as Stamford Technical College in 1967 and was later called New College Stamford, becoming Stamford College in 2020. It is now a genera ...

and Lincoln College, in which students are trained to teach whilst teaching in the maintained sector. The provision was branded ''Good'' by Ofsted in all four judgements (''Overall effectiveness''; ''Outcomes for trainees''; ''Quality of training''; ''Quality of leadership and management''.) As part of its five-year growth plan, BGU set out a number of interrelated ambitions in 2014. These include expanding its student base to around 4,500 students by 2019; developing its portfolio of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes (including the introduction of archaeology, business (team entrepreneurship), counselling, health and social care, psychology and sociology BA or BSc degrees), and widening access to its courses locally, nationally and internationally.

Student life

The University has an active Students' Union, commonly referred to as BGSU. There are two full-time

sabbatical officers In the United Kingdom a sabbatical officer is a full-time officer elected by the members of a students' union (or similar body such as students' association, students' representative council or guild of students), commonly at a higher education es ...

, a CEO, a part-time volunteer team of 15 students and 6 support staff focused on administration and communications. They provide academic and pastoral support, entertainment and activities throughout the year. A key function of the union is to provide representational services to the students of BGU with a Course Reps scheme, in which there is a representative from each course who provides feedback and shapes the development of the course structure. Bishop Grosseteste Students' Union represents the students in the

British Universities and Colleges Sport British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) is the governing body for higher education sport in the United Kingdom. BUCS was formed in June 2008 following a merger of British Universities Sports Association (BUSA) and University College Sport ...

leagues, as well as offering training for participation. All the current sport clubs compete in their respective BUCS leagues. The

netball Netball is a ball sport played on a court by two teams of seven players. It is among a rare number of sports which have been created exclusively for female competitors. The sport is played on indoor and outdoor netball courts and is specifical ...

team has won successive promotions since its inauguration, while the

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

and

badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players p ...

teams made their débuts in the 201213 season. The university has a sport and fitness centre, consisting of a non-standard dimension sports hall, a gym with cardio and resistance machines as well as a weights area, and a field with two football pitches. In 2019 the university ranked 1st in the UK for acceptance rates on a University review platform StudentCrowd.

Notable people

Notable alumni

* David Pugh: West End theatre producer *

Jade Etherington Jade Etherington (born 9 March 1991) is a British former alpine skier who, with her sighted guide Caroline Powell, won silver in the women's downhill skiing, combined and slalom, and bronze medals in the Super-G at the 2014 Winter Paralym ...

: Paralympic ski silver medallist

Notable academics

* Muriel Robinson, Principal 2003–2012, Vice-Chancellor 2012–2013

References

External links

Bishop Grosseteste University

Bishop Grosseteste University Students' Union
{{authority control 1862 establishments in England Educational institutions established in 1862 Universities UK