Buckinghamshire New University

Coordinates: 51°37′41″N 0°45′07″W / 51.628°N 0.752°W / 51.628; -0.752

Buckinghamshire New University
Motto	Latin: Arte et industria
Motto in English	"By Art and Industry"
Established	2007 - gained University Status 1893 - Science and Art School
Type	Public
Vice-Chancellor	Ruth Farwell
Students	9,045[1]
Undergraduates	8,295[1]
Postgraduates	620[1]
Other students	125 FE[1]
Location	High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
Website	http://www.bucks.ac.uk/

Buckinghamshire New University (formerly Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College) is a university in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. The Vice-Chancellor is Prof Ruth Farwell. The Institution was a university college between 1999 and 2007, when it announced that its application for university status had been accepted, after having failed in its previous two attempts.

History

High Wycombe campus.

Brook Street halls.

Buckinghamshire New University owes its existence, at least in part, to a tax imposed on beer and spirits towards the end of the nineteenth century. A fund was created to compensate owners of licensed premises which were forced to close, but it eventually became so large that Parliament agreed to make it available for educational purposes.^{[citation needed]} With additional money from the local County Council, a Science and Art School was established in 1893.

Hughenden halls, Due to be completed Summer 2009.

After the First World War, the School began to give special tuition to disabled ex-soldiers and sailors. Veterans were trained in a range of traditional skills including cabinet making, carving and polishing to help them find work in local factories. By 1920, daytime technical classes in metalwork and woodwork had been introduced. The School was then renamed "Wycombe Technical Institute".

Following the Second World War, increased demand for technical education to rehabilitate returning servicemen required immediate additional classroom space and it was proposed to site a new College of Further Education on Queen Alexandra Road. These facilities were built over a period of ten years and officially opened by Minister of Education Sir Edward Boyle on 6 May 1963.

Growth of the "High Wycombe College of Art and Technology", as it was then known, continued. In 1975, it merged with Newland Park College of Education in Chalfont St Giles (a former Teacher Training College) to form Buckinghamshire College of Higher Education.

The most recent addition to the Institution's sites is the Missenden Abbey Management Centre. The Abbey, which dates back to 1133, was officially opened as a management centre by the Duke of Gloucester in May 1988, having been restored after a fire in 1985.

Recent history

The Institution changed its name from "Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College" to its current name of "Buckinghamshire New University" ("Bucks") when its application for university status was approved in 2007 by the Privy Council. Proposed names such as "University of Wycombe", "University of High Wycombe", "High Wycombe University", "University of Buckinghamshire" and "Buckingham Chilterns University" were rejected. The chosen name was swiftly attacked by the University of Buckingham for using the county name.^[2]

Bucks had ambitious plans to consolidate its divided campuses into a purpose-built site near to Hughenden Park in High Wycombe on land previously owned by CompAir. While these plans fell through, the university changed plans to renovate and enlarge the main campus as well as consolidate both the Wellesbourne and Chalfont campuses onto the High Wycombe site. Additionally two new halls of residence will be built at the Hughenden Park site.

The University has started a major development of the High Wycombe campus with a large structure being built onto the front of the existing building, the building itself is based on a study of its contexts and the irregular urban gain of the town centre.

Campuses

The University currently consists of two campuses: High Wycombe campus (previously belonging to the High Wycombe College of Art and Technology), and a recently acquired site in Uxbridge, West London, which is to become the base for its Nursing students from September 2009. The University recently disposed of two existing campuses; the Newland Park Campus (also known as the Chalfont Campus, near Little Chalfont) and the Wellesbourne Campus (near Hazlemere). Off-site student accommodation exists in High Wycombe town centre (Brook Street Halls) and (Hugenden Ave). The University also owns Missenden Abbey. The Fine Art Department operates within rented space above the Octagon Shopping Centre within High Wycombe town centre.

The university have a share in the sports ground Adams Park and also sponsor Wycombe Wanderers F.C. And London Wasps who play there, this agreement intitles all players of the teams to education from the university if they so wish .^[3]

Departments and academics

Cabair at Denham international.

Several courses run at the university are rarities in British universities. Courses like Airline and Airport Management, Music Management and Video Production, as well as the extensive Furniture Design and Restoration and Textiles departments are the University's main attractions.^{[citation needed]}

The University is one of very few that has created a BSc(Hons) degree in Policing. The degree includes modules such as Police, Crime and the Media during which the relationship between the police and the media is examined. There are also modules in relation to the Criminal Law and Justice, Investigating Identity, Law, Discrimination and Human Rights amongst other interesting modules in relation to policing. In the first year of the degree the students are encouraged to apply to become a Police Community Safety Officer (PCSO) or a Special Constable with Thames Valley Police. This is included as one of the optional modules during the students second and third year. During the 3rd year of study the student would be expected to write a dissertation on a work related topic within the police. It should be pointed out at this early stage that although the student may be successful in graduating with a BSc (Hons) in Policing it is no guarantee that they will be accepted in the police as a full time officer.

The University also offers a degree course in bed sales management, in partnership with bed manufacturer Dreams.^[4]

Trevor Baylis is a frequent guest lecturer within the Technology Department, and was present at the 2004 graduating ceremony and graduate degree show.

Rugby player Matt Dawson was given an honorary degree in 2007 and writer Terry Pratchett was given an honorary degree at a 2008 graduation ceremony.

League tables

In the 2008/2009 year Bucks was ranked

• 87 out of 113 on the complete university guide
• 108 out of 113 on the The Times Good University Guide rankings
• 109 out of 133 on the Guardian university guide

Alumni

• Alex Hughes, wildlife documentary photographer
• Noel Fielding- Actor and Comedian
• Mohamed Mohamed- Big Brother 9 contestant
• Dave Brown (comedian)- Comedian
• Veronica Carlson- Model and Actress
• Philip Koomen- Furniture designer
• Rebecca Stephens- Singer
• Fans of Kate- Band
• Otto Decker- English-U.S. soccer player
• Lucian Ercolani- Furniture Designer
• John Bolam- Artist

See also

• List of forestry universities and colleges

External links

• Buckinghamshire New University – official website
• Bucks Students' Union

References