In the
UK, a post-1992 university, synonymous with new university or modern university, is a former
polytechnic
Polytechnic is most commonly used to refer to schools, colleges, or universities that qualify as an institute of technology or vocational university also sometimes called universities of applied sciences.
Polytechnic may also refer to:
Educat ...
or
central institution that was given
university status through the
Further and Higher Education Act 1992
The Further and Higher Education Act 1992 made changes in the funding and administration of further education and higher education within England and Wales, with consequential effects on associated matters in Scotland which had previously been ...
, or an institution that has been granted university status since 1992 without receiving a
royal charter.
This is used in contrast to
"pre-1992" universities.
Prior to its use in its current sense, the term "new universities" had been used historically to refer to universities that were at the time new. For instance, in the mid-19th century, the term "new universities" was used in England to distinguish the recently established universities of
Durham and
London from the "old universities" of
Oxford and
Cambridge. In the early 20th century, the term was used to describe the civic universities that had recently gained university status, such as
Bristol and others (now known as
red brick universities). The term was later used to refer to universities gaining their status in the 1960s, such as the former
colleges of advanced technology, which were converted to universities following the 1963
Robbins Report
The Robbins Report (the report of the Committee on Higher Education, chaired by Lord Robbins) was commissioned by the British government and published in 1963. The committee met from 1961 to 1963. After the report's publication, its conclusions wer ...
on higher education, and the
plate glass universities, which were already in the process of being established at the time of the report.
Formation
Following the 1992 Act, 33 polytechnics in England, the
Derbyshire College of Higher Education, the Polytechnic of Wales and three Scottish central institutions were the first to be granted university status, alongside another trio of central institutions in the years following.
Many of these Polytechnics had roots in the middle 19th Century.
All the categories of university award their own
academic degree
An academic degree is a qualification awarded to students upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions commonly offer degrees at various levels, usually including unde ...
s, but universities created in England and Wales since 2004 may only have the power to award taught degrees, because the power to award research degrees has been removed from the criteria for university title. The Cheltenham & Gloucester College of Higher Education, which became the
University of Gloucestershire in 2001, was the only institute to become a university in England between the polytechnics in 1992 and the relaxation of the criteria in 2004. Two new universities have subsequently been established in Scotland, where the old criteria still apply:
Queen Margaret University (2007), another former central institution, and the
University of the Highlands and Islands (2011).
Post-1992 universities with polytechnic roots
*
Anglia Ruskin University – formerly Anglia Higher Education College, Anglia Polytechnic then Anglia Polytechnic University.
*
Birmingham City University – formerly the University of Central England in Birmingham and before that, Birmingham Polytechnic.
*
Bournemouth University – formerly Bournemouth Municipal College, Bournemouth College of Technology, Dorset Institute of Higher Education then Bournemouth Polytechnic.
*
University of Brighton – formerly Brighton Polytechnic.
*
University of Central Lancashire
, mottoeng = "From the Earth to the Sun"
, established = as Institution for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledgere-established 1992 (University status granted)
, type = Public
, chancellor ...
– formerly Lancashire Polytechnic.
*
Coventry University – formerly Lanchester Polytechnic then Coventry Polytechnic.
*
De Montfort University – formerly Leicester School of Art and later City of Leicester Polytechnic.
*
University of East London – formerly the West Ham College of Technology, before being the North East London Polytechnic, and then finally the Polytechnic of East London.
*
University of Greenwich – formerly Thames Polytechnic.
*
University of Hertfordshire – formerly Hatfield Technical College then Hatfield Polytechnic.
*
University of Huddersfield – formerly Huddersfield Polytechnic.
*
Kingston University – formerly the Kingston Technical Institute then Kingston Polytechnic.
*
Leeds Beckett University – formerly Leeds Polytechnic, then Leeds Metropolitan.
*
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 †...
– formerly
University of Humberside
, mottoeng = Freedom through wisdom
, established = 1861 – Hull School of Art1905 – Endsleigh College1976 – Hull College1992 – University of Humberside1996 – University of Lincolnshire and Humberside2001 †...
and then
University of Lincolnshire and Humberside.
*
Liverpool John Moores University
, mottoeng = Fortune favours the bold
, established = 1823 – Liverpool Mechanics' School of Arts1992 – Liverpool John Moores University
, type = Public
, endowment =
, coor ...
– formerly Liverpool Polytechnic.
*
London Metropolitan University – merger of
London Guildhall University, formerly the City of London Polytechnic, and
University of North London, formerly the Polytechnic of North London.
*
London South Bank University – formerly South Bank Polytechnic.
*
Manchester Metropolitan University – formerly Manchester Polytechnic.
*
Middlesex University
Middlesex University London (legally Middlesex University and abbreviated MDX) is a public research university in Hendon, northwest London, England. The name of the university is taken from its location within the historic county boundaries ...
– formerly Middlesex Polytechnic.
*
Northumbria University
, mottoeng = A lifetime of learning
, established = 1877 - Rutherford College of Technology1969 - Newcastle Polytechnic1992 - gained university status
, type = Public
, budget = Â ...
– formerly Newcastle Polytechnic, formed from the merger of Rutherford College of Technology, the College of Art & Industrial Design and the Municipal College of Commerce.
*
Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is a public research university in Nottingham, England. It was founded as a new university in 1992, although its roots go back to 1843 with the establishment of the Nottingham Government School of Design, w ...
– formerly Trent Polytechnic then Nottingham Polytechnic.
*
Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University (formerly known as Oxford Polytechnic (United Kingdom), Polytechnic) is a public university, public university in Oxford, England. It is a new university, having received university status through the Further and High ...
– formerly Oxford School of Art then Oxford Polytechnic.
*
University of Plymouth – formerly Polytechnic South West, formed from Plymouth Polytechnic,
Exeter College of Art and Design
Exeter College of Art and Design was an art college based in Exeter, Devon. Founded in 1854, it amalgamated with what would become Plymouth University in 1989.
The main building was located at Earl Richards Road North Exeter from the 1970s w ...
,
Rolle College
Rolle College was a teacher training college in Exmouth, Devon, England, which formed the Exmouth campus of the University of Plymouth until its closure in 2009. The university moved its taught courses from the site to new facilities at its main P ...
,
Seale-Hayne College and Plymouth School of Maritime Studies.
*
University of Portsmouth
The University of Portsmouth is a public university in Portsmouth, England. It is one of only four universities in the South East England, South East of England rated as Gold in the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework. With approximately 28 ...
– formerly Portsmouth Polytechnic.
*
Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) is a public research university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The university is based on two sites; the City Campus is located in the city centre near Sheffield railway station, while the Collegiate Cr ...
– formerly Sheffield Polytechnic then Sheffield City Polytechnic.
*
University of South Wales – formed in April 2013 from the merger of the
University of Glamorgan, formerly Glamorgan Polytechnic then the Polytechnic of Wales, and the University of Wales, Newport, formerly Gwent College of Higher Education then University of Wales College, Newport.
*
Staffordshire University – formerly Staffordshire Polytechnic (originally North Staffordshire Polytechnic) and previously the separate Staffordshire College of Technology, the Stoke-on-Trent College of Art and the North Staffordshire College of Technology.
*
University of Sunderland – formerly Sunderland Technical College then Sunderland Polytechnic.
*
Teesside University – formerly Teesside Polytechnic.
*
University of the West of England – formerly Bristol Polytechnic.
*
University of West London – formerly Thames Valley University, previously the Polytechnic of West London.
*
University of Westminster – formerly the Polytechnic of Central London, founded as the Royal Polytechnic Institution at Regent Street (1838).
*
University of Wolverhampton – formerly Wolverhampton Polytechnic.
Post-1992 universities with central institution roots
*
University of Abertay Dundee – formerly Dundee Institute of Technology
*
Edinburgh Napier University – formerly Napier Technical College, Napier College of Commerce and Technology then Napier Polytechnic
*
Glasgow Caledonian University – formed from the merger of Glasgow Polytechnic and The Queen's College, Glasgow
*
The Robert Gordon University – based in Aberdeen, formerly Robert Gordon's Technical College then The Robert Gordon Institute of Technology
*
University of the West of Scotland – formerly
University of Paisley (itself formerly Paisley College of Technology)
Post-1992 universities that are not former polytechnics or central institutions
*
Arden University - formerly RDI
*
University of the Arts London
University of the Arts London is a collegiate university in London, England, specialising in arts, design, fashion and the performing arts. It is a federation of six arts colleges: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea Coll ...
– formerly London Institute
*
The Arts University Bournemouth – formerly The Arts University College at Bournemouth and before that The Arts Institute at Bournemouth
*
Bath Spa University – formerly Bath Spa University College and before that Bath College of Higher Education
*
University of Bedfordshire – formerly
University of Luton, created by the merger of the University of Luton and De Montfort University's Bedford campus
*
University College Birmingham - kept its name on gaining university status
*
Bishop Grosseteste University
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) is one of two public universities in the city of Lincoln, England (the other being the University of Lincoln). BGU was established as a teacher training college for the Diocese of Lincoln in 1862. It gained t ...
– formerly Bishop Grosseteste College, and Bishop Grosseteste University College
*
University of Bolton – formerly Bolton Institute of Higher Education
*
BPP University – formerly BPP University College, and before that BPP College, and earlier
BPP Law School
BPP University Law School is a private, for-profit provider of professional and academic legal education in the United Kingdom and one of the founding schools of BPP University.
History
BPP Law School has degree awarding powers through its pare ...
*
Buckinghamshire New University – formerly Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, and before that Buckinghamshire College of Higher Education, and earlier the High Wycombe College of Art and Technology
*
Canterbury Christ Church University
, mottoeng = The truth shall set you free
, established = 2005 – gained University status 1962 – teacher training college
, type = Public
, religious_affiliation = Church of England
, city ...
– formerly Christ Church College
*
Cardiff Metropolitan University – formerly University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC), and before that Cardiff Institute of Higher Education,
and earlier the South Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education
*
University of Chester – formerly Chester College of Higher Education
*
University of Chichester – formerly West Sussex Institute of Higher Education, then Chichester Institute of Higher Education, then University College Chichester
*
University for the Creative Arts – formerly
Kent Institute of Art & Design and
Surrey Institute of Art & Design, University College
*
University of Cumbria – formed in January 2007 from the merger of St Martin's College, the Cumbria Institute of the Arts (CIA) and the Cumbrian campuses of the University of Central Lancashire
*
University of Derby – formerly the Derbyshire College of Higher Education
*
Edge Hill University – formerly Edge Hill College
*
Falmouth University – formerly Falmouth College of Arts
*
University of Gloucestershire – formerly Cheltenham & Gloucester College of Higher Education
*
Glyndŵr University – formerly the North East Wales Institute of Higher Education
*
Harper Adams University – formerly Harper Adams University College
*
University of the Highlands and Islands
*
University of Law - formerly the College of Law
*
Leeds Trinity University – formerly Trinity and All Saints College, when merged with Trinity College and All Saints College
*
Liverpool Hope University – formerly a fully accredited institution of the University of Liverpool, then Liverpool Hope University College
*
Newman University – formerly Newman College of Higher Education, then Newman University College
*
University of Northampton – formerly Northampton Technical College, Nene College then University College Northampton
*
Norwich University of the Arts – formerly Norwich University College of the Arts
*
Queen Margaret University – formerly Queen Margaret College then Queen Margaret University College
*
University of Roehampton – formerly Roehampton Institute, then University of Surrey Roehampton (as part of the
federal University of Surrey
The Federal University of Surrey was an English university body which existed from 2000 to 2004. It was a federation between two institutions; the University of Surrey (UniS), and the University of Surrey Roehampton (USR).
History
The University ...
)
*
Regent's University London - formerly Regent's College
*
Royal Agricultural University – formerly the Royal Agricultural College
*
Solent University – formerly Southampton Institute of Higher Education
*
University of St Mark & St John
Plymouth Marjon University, commonly referred to as Marjon, is the trading name of the University of St Mark and St John, a university based primarily on a single campus on the northern edge of Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom. Formerly named Uni ...
- formerly University College Plymouth St Mark & St John
*
St Mary's University, Twickenham – formerly St Mary's University College, Twickenham
*
University of Suffolk - formerly University Campus Suffolk
*
University of Winchester – formerly Winchester Diocesan Training School, renamed King Alfred's College then University College Winchester
*
University of Worcester – formerly part of the University of Birmingham Department of Education then Worcester College of Higher Education
*
York St John University – formerly the College of Ripon and York St John then York St John College
Mergers of post-1992 and pre-1992 universities
These may not meet a strict definition of new universities as being universities under the 1992 act, but have elements of common heritage with new universities.
*
University of Wales Trinity Saint David
, image = Crest of TSD.png
, image_size = 200px
, caption = Coat of armsUniversity of Wales Trinity Saint David
, established = 2010 ( Saint David's College, Lampeter founded 1822 and opened 1827; royal charter 1828)
...
– formed by the merger of
University of Wales, Lampeter,
Trinity University College, Carmarthen and
Swansea Metropolitan University
, students = 5,765
, undergrad = 4,520
, postgrad = 1,075
, other = 175 FE
, city = Swansea
, country = Wales, UK
, campus = Urban
, address = Mount PleasantSwansea SA1 6ED
, we ...
(formerly West Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education). University by royal charter rather than under the 1992 act.
Secondary issues
Most former polytechnics welcomed the new nomenclature of "university" as evidence of the abolition of the hierarchical binary system of universities and polytechnics. The new title also assisted recruitment of foreign students (a lucrative market sector which was not always sure what a "polytechnic" was). However, since most former polytechnics were established from locally funded technical colleges, polytechnics were, like their predecessors, controlled by and answerable to local government. The adoption of university status severed that link with the community, creating universities as semi-autonomous bodies answerable only to central government. As a result of their roots under local government, most employees of those polytechnic post-1992 universities are members of the
Teachers' Pension Scheme The Teachers' Pension Scheme is a guaranteed income pension for teachers in England and Wales. It gives a defined benefit to people upon reaching retirement age, for each year until death, depending on how many years the teacher has paid in.
In Sco ...
, rather than the
Universities Superannuation Scheme.
See also
*
Ancient universities
*
Armorial of UK universities
*
List of universities in the UK
This is a list of universities in the United Kingdom (alphabetical by substantive name). Below that are lists of university colleges and other recognised bodies (institutions with degree awarding powers), followed by a list of defunct institution ...
*
Plate glass university
*
Red brick university
References
{{authority control
Universities and colleges in the United Kingdom
Colloquial terms for groups of universities and colleges