Blackburn University Centre (or BUC) is a higher education institute based in

Blackburn, Lancashire Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, east of Preston and north- ...

, England as part of

Blackburn College Blackburn College may refer to: * Blackburn College (Blackburn with Darwen), United Kingdom * Blackburn College (Illinois) Blackburn College is a private college in Carlinville, Illinois. It was established in 1837 and named for the Gideon Blac ...

. University Centre offers degrees, HNC/HNDs and postgraduate courses, each validated by the

University of South Wales The University of South Wales ( cy, Prifysgol De Cymru) is a public university in Wales, with campuses in Cardiff, Newport and Pontypridd. It was formed on 11 April 2013 from the merger of the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wal ...

, the

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 ...

Lancaster University Lancaster University (legally The University of Lancaster) is a public university, public research university in Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established in 1964 by royal charter, as one of several pla ...

History

Formerly known as the East Lancashire Institute of Higher Education (ELIHE), the institution was formed in 1993 with the purchase of the old seven-floor former

British Telecom BT Group plc (trade name, trading as BT and formerly British Telecom) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered in London, England. It has operations in around 180 countries and is th ...

building for £2.5 million and formally named as the ELIHE in 2003. Each floor was given over to one of the various schools of education within the university structure but the condition of the building meant that a new location for the institute would have to be found by the late 2000s. Construction began on the new University Centre building near the main College campus in 2008 with a total investment cost of £13 million, the work was completed for the start of the 2009 academic year in 2009 when the building was opened by local MP

Jack Straw John Whitaker Straw (born 3 August 1946) is a British politician who served in the Cabinet from 1997 to 2010 under the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He held two of the traditional Great Offices of State, as Home Secretary ...

and the then manager of

Blackburn Rovers Football Club Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. Th ...

Sam Allardyce Samuel Allardyce (; born 19 October 1954), colloquially referred to as Big Sam, is an English association football, football manager and former professional player. Allardyce made 578 league and cup appearances in a 21-year career spent most ...

. In 2010, a further investment of £500,000 saw the canteen area, known as the Curve, expanded to improve student study and social space after an increase in student numbers during the buildings second year of existence. In 2011, further expansion plans were revealed as University Centre looked to create places for a further 600 students. The planned extension will house facilities to focus on degree courses in sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics and would bring the total number of degree level students to almost 3,000. Also in 2011, the institute has begun the process of applying for the rights to validate its own degree programmes, The college applied to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in 2011 for Foundation Degree Awarding Powers (FDAP), the decision of this application is expected in July 2016. The outcome of the FDAP application has been communicated to the governing body on 8 July, the FDAP application has been unsuccessful. The college are currently running degree courses that are validated externally by the

and

University structure

The university contains the following schools: * University Centre Business School * School of Arts, Humanities and Social Science * School of Law, Justice and Community Studies * School of Education and Professional Studies * School of Science and Technology

Student life

Students' Union

The UCBC

Students' Union A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, ...

has been active at the college since 2009 and during the final years of the ELIHE. The institution has also appointed a designated SU Liaison Officer to work with the Union. As well as representing students, the Union also engages in campaigning on issues relevant to the student body, event organisation and has its own bar located near the SU Office.

References

External links

University Centre at Blackburn College Website

UCBC Students' Union website
{{DEFAULTSORT:University Centre at Blackburn College Buildings and structures in Blackburn Education in Blackburn with Darwen Educational institutions established in 2009 Higher education colleges in England 2009 establishments in England