University of Chester

University of Chester
Coat of arms of the University of Chester
Motto	Latin: Qui docet in doctrina
Motto in English	"He that teacheth, on teaching"
Established	1839
Type	Public
Chancellor	The Duke of Westminster
Vice-Chancellor	Prof. Tim Wheeler
Staff	1,242[1]
Students	15,095[2]
Undergraduates	11,655[2]
Postgraduates	3,445[2]
Location	Chester and Warrington, Cheshire, UK 53°12′01″N 2°53′53″W / 53.200326°N 2.898073°W / 53.200326; -2.898073Coordinates: 53°12′01″N 2°53′53″W / 53.200326°N 2.898073°W / 53.200326; -2.898073
Campus	Urban
Colours	Burgundy[3]
Affiliations	ACU and NWUA
Website	www.chester.ac.uk

The University of Chester is a university based in the city of Chester in the United Kingdom. The university, based on a main campus in Chester and a smaller campus in Warrington, offers a range of foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as well as undertaking academic research.

History

The University was founded as Chester Diocesan Training College in 1839 by a group of local leading figures in the Church of England, including future Prime Ministers William Ewart Gladstone and Lord Derby.^[4] It was the UK's first purpose-built teacher training college,^[5] which makes it one of the oldest higher education institutions in the country.^[6] Its first intake consisted of forty male student teachers. In 1842, Gladstone opened the College's original buildings just outside the city walls on the Parkgate Road site the University occupies today.^[7]

In 1910, Chester began its association with the University of Liverpool and in 1930 formally became an affiliated college of the university.^[8] Thus, the University of Liverpool awarded Chester's qualifications and Chester's students were able to use Liverpool's facilities.

The institution was threatened with closure in the 1930s, but its future was secured by the Bishop of Chester in 1933.^[9] From then on, the College continued to grow steadily. By the 1960s, the situation had turned around completely and, as the UK was massively expanding its higher education capacity in reaction to the Robbins Report, the college was touted as a possible candidate for university status. These proposals, however, weren't followed through.

Nevertheless, the College continued to expand. Women were first admitted in 1962 and the college's name was changed to Chester College of Education in 1963. In 1974, the number of courses was expanded beyond teaching to include Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. To reflect its wider remit, the College was renamed Chester College of Higher Education.

In the early 1990s, The School of Nursing and Midwifery (now the Faculty of Health and Social Care) was established in the 90's also.^[4] The college also began to offer a Bachelor of Theology degree, HNDs and more postgraduate courses, such as master's degrees and PhDs.^[4] It also embarking on a £10,000,000 campus improvement programme. By 1995, Chester had earned the right to call itself University College Chester. This name, however, was short-lived as the government changed the requirements for university colleges in 1999 to include only those that had their own degree-awarding powers. Thus, Chester had to drop the University College tag and reverted to the title Chester College of Higher Education, though the more descriptive Chester, a College of the University of Liverpool was frequently used in publicity material^[6].

The College expanded in 2002 through the acquisition of the higher education faculty and campus of Warrington Collegiate Institute.^[4] The further and adult education campuses of Warrington remained independent and are now known as Warrington Collegiate.

In 2003 Chester was granted its own degree-awarding powers, allowing it to be known as University College Chester once again.^[6]

In 2005, University College Chester was awarded full university status and became the University of Chester.^[10] This was followed by the right to award its own research degrees in 2007.^[11]

Campuses

The original College building (still in use and now known as Old College) in 1843, a year after it opened

The University of Chester is a medium-sized institution with two campuses. The 32-acre (130,000 m²) main campus^[10] is located on Parkgate Road, just north of the city walls. It houses most of the University's academic and non-academic departments. The campus has a mixture of Victorian buildings (such as Old College, right, which includes a chapel) and modern buildings (like the Binks Building, opened in 2003). The campus also features a fitness centre, swimming pool, bar and various shops.

The University has now outgrown the main campus site and some departments have moved off-site to locations within walking distance of the main campus. The Department of English, for example, is located in a Grade II-listed former Victorian vicarage, while the Department of History is split across the Grade II-listed eighteenth-century Blue Coat School and the Cheshire Military Museum in Chester Castle, which is open to the public. Chester Business School is housed the more contemporary buildings of the former Plantation Inn hotel.

The University-owned student accommodation is primarily reserved for first year and foreign students. This consists of halls of residence, a student village on campus and houses just off campus.

The smaller Warrington campus, which was constructed as a camp for Canadian officers in World War II, is located in the Padgate area of Warrington. This campus includes the North West Media Centre, which has close ties to Granada Television.^{[citation needed]}

The University also has a number of smaller bases, for example, at hospitals for nursing students dotted around Cheshire and The Wirral.

Proposed expansion

The University is currently in the process of two major expansions to its main campus. It is currently in the process of purchasing Cheshire County Hall, which is located in thecity centre, for use by the Faculty of Education and Children’s Services and the Faculty of Health and Social Care, catering for up to 1,300 students. If the sale goes ahead, it will cost £29 million, with a refurbishment cost of £2 million, and due to open in 2011.^[12][13] The University is also planning to build 1,000 new student bedrooms in a student village on a field located next to the existing campus at a cost of around £30 million, which is due to open in 2012 ^[14]

Organisation

The University is organised into eight faculties of study. Five of these are also subdivided into academic departments.^[15] The Faculties and departments are:

• Faculty of Applied and Health Sciences
  • Department of Biological Sciences
  • Department of Computer Science and Information Systems
  • Department of Mathematics
  • Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences
• Faculty of Business, Management and Law (Chester Business School and the University of Chester School of Law)
  • Department of Business
  • Department of Law
  • Department of Leadership and Management
  • Department of Marketing, Tourism and Events Management
• Faculty of Arts and Media
  • Department of Fine Art
  • Department of Graphic Design
  • Department of Media
  • Department of Performing Arts
• Faculty of Education and Children's Services
• Faculty of Health and Social Care
• Faculty of Humanities
  • Department of English
  • Department of History and Archaeology
  • Department of Languages
  • Department of Theology and Religious Studies
• Faculty of Social Sciences
  • Department of Geography and Development Studies
  • Department of Psychology
  • Department of Social and Communication Studies
• Faculty of Life Long Learning
  • The Professional Development Unit
  • Department of Work Based Learning
  • Learning & Enterprise Centre

In addition, a number of research centres operate alongside the departments.

Students and staff

Most of Chester's 15,000 students are from the UK, with a quarter being mature students.^{[citation needed]} There are twice as many female students as male (partially due to the number of nursing, midwifery and teaching students).^{[citation needed]} The small number of foreign students are mainly participants in the university's active exchange policy. There are approximately 1500 members of staff 569 of whom are academic. Many of them take part in research and often publish their work through the institution's own publishing house, Chester Academic Press.^[16]

Dr Peter Blair and Dr Ashley Chantler edit Flash: The International Short-Short Story Magazine, a major literary periodical, which publishes stories and reviews of up to 360 words by writers from around the world^[17]. Contributors include: Ama Ata Aidoo, Roberta Allen, Beryl Bainbridge, Elleke Boehmer, Dave Eggers, David Gaffney, Rodge Glass, Michael Cawood Green, Allan Kolski Horwitz, Liesl Jobson, James Kelman, J. Robert Lennon, Kobus Moolman, Ewan Morrison, Dan Rhodes, Matt Thorne, Alan Wall, and Gee Williams.

Chester Students' Union

Chester Students' Union (CSU)^[18] offers services and provides facilities for students. The union is a member of the NUS. Three sabbatical officers are elected each year: the president; the vice-president for the main campus; and the vice-president for the Warrington campus. Sabbatical officers serve a maximum of two years. The Executive Committee are the trustees of the union. They are elected each year before the end of March and each member has a different role, such as entertainments representative, welfare and campaigns representative, publications representative and so on. The support staff for union operations consists of a number of full-time employees, part-time student staff and volunteers from the elected Executive Committee and the Union Council.

The union runs two bars (CH1 on the main campus and Padgates on the Warrington campus) as well as a food shope a clothing shop on the main campus and a comprehensive vending area on the Warrington campus. The union also runs over 75 sports clubs and societies; with each campus having its own teams, many of which compete in BUCS competitions. Once a year, the union runs an inter-campus competition known as Varsity on the Warrington campus where sporting societies, such as seven-a-side football, and non-sporting societies, such as poker, compete. Other non-sporting societies include the Drama society, the Amnesty International Society and the People and Planet Society. A student radio station, The Cat 125.1, is based on the Warrington campus and broadcasts every day of the year, with presenters on air from September until June.

Reputation

The University of Chester generally enjoys a good reputation, although it has slipped in The Times Good University Guide this year.^[19] and has come under fire from the local community recently due to the controversial purchase of Cheshire County Hall.^[20] The University's Geography and Development Studies degrees achieved 100% in the National Student Survey^[21] and the University has been described as 'building up a solid reputation in a number of subjects beyond education' by The Times. It is ranked as 7th best university in North West England.^[22]

Coat of arms

The University's coat of arms was granted by the College of Arms in 1954. The arms, pictured above, are made up of an argent shield featuring the St George's cross on which there is a golden wheatsheaf, representing Cheshire. In the first quarter of the shield is a clasped open book, symbolising learning. The crest features a mitre, signifying the institution's founding by the Church of England, in front of two crossed swords, which are taken from the County of Cheshire's coat of arms. The golden scroll contains the Latin motto, "qui docet in doctrina", which is taken from Saint Paul's epistle to the Romans and translates as "he that teacheth, on teaching" or "let the teacher teach".^[23]

The coat of arms was used as the college's logo until the early 1990s when a new logo, with a depiction of the old college building, was introduced. A simplified coat of arms was used as a logo again since 2002 and the university's current logo, introduced in 2005, features the shield, the crest and the scroll.

Notable alumni

• Steph Atkinson, television writer and director (BA (Hons) Media Studies and Business Management, 1992-1995)^[24]
• Alan Bleasdale, screenwriter (Cert Ed, 1964-1967)
• Jim Bowen, Bullseye presenter (Cert Ed Physical Education, 1957-1959)^[25]
• Michael Campbell, drummer in The Courteeners (BA (Hons) Television Production, 2002-2005)^[26]
• John Carleton, international rugby union player
• Alina Chau, animator and artist (HNC Art Education, 1994-1995)^[24]
• Jim Clark, international rower (Cert Ed, 1968-1971)
• Lin Clark, international rower (Cert Ed, 1968-1971)
• Jon Clarke, international rugby league player (BSc(Hons) Sport and Exercise Sciences, 2006-present)^[11]
• Alwyn Cosgrove, fitness coach (BSc (Hons) Sports Science)^[27]
• George Courtney, MBE, international football referee (Cert Ed Geography, 1959-1961)^[26]
• Duffy, singer (BA (Hons) Popular Music, Drama and Theatre Studies, 2004-2006; dropped out)^[28]
• Susan Earl, actor and comedian (BA (Hons) Drama and Psychology, 1992-1995)^[11]
• Ruth Estevez, author and screenwriter (BA (Hons) English and Drama, 1980-1983)^[29]
• Jo Fletcher, international footballer (MSc Exercise and Nutrition Science, 2003-2005)^[30]
• Matt Greenhalgh, film director and screenwriter (BA (Hons) Media Studies with Business Management and Information Technology, 1992-1995)^[26]
• Dick Howard, international footballer (HND Physical Education, 1963-1965)^[24]
• Roderick Hunt MBE, children's author (Cert Ed Divinity and English, 1957-1959)^[24][30]
• Helen Jones MP, politician (PGCE)^[24]
• Eddie Lever, footballer and manager (Cert Ed, 1931-1933)^[31]
• J. Thomas Looney, devised the Oxfordian theory (Cert Ed, 1890-1891)^[29]
• James Moore, rugby union player (BSc Business Information Systems, 2004-2007)^[24]
• Tracey Neville, international netball player (BSc (Hons) Nutrition and Exercise Science, 2004-2007)^[11]
• Janice Phayre, actor and comedian (BA (Hons) Drama and Psychology, 1992-1995)^[24]
• Trevor Pountain, Olympic Committee member and basketball official (Cert Ed Physical Education and History, 1968-1971)^[24]
• Paul Salt, radio presenter (graduated 1997)^[29]
• Jon Sleightholme, international rugby union player (1991-1994)^[29]
• Matt Thombes, sports physiologist (BSc Sport Studies and Geography, 1996-1999; MSc Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1999-2000)^[24]
• David 'Comedy Dave' Vitty, radio presenter (BA (Hons) Media Studies and Business Management, 1992-1995)^[26]
• Peter Williams, international rugby union and rugby league player
• Sir Walter Winterbottom, footballer and first manager of the England football team (Cert Ed, 1931-1933)^[31]
• Rob Wotton, television and radio presenter (BA (Hons) Health and Community Studies, 1987-1990; Union President, 1990-1991)^[24][32]

Notable staff

• Sir William Crookes, chemist (1855-unknown)^[33]
• Prof. Ron Geaves, theologian (Department of Theology and Religious Studies, 2001-2007)
• Wendy Owen, international footballer (Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, 1987-present)^[11][34]
• Rev. Canon Anthony Thiselton, theologian (Department of Theology and Religious Studies, 2003-present)^[35]
• Alan Wall, novelist (Department of English, 2004-present)^[36]
• Dr. Howard Williams, archaeologist (Department of History and Archaeology, 2008-present)^[37]

References

Further reading

• Astbury, Stanley, A History of Chester Diocesan Training College (Chester: Chester College, 1946)
• Bradbury, John Lewis, Chester College and the Training of Teachers, 1839-1975 (Chester: Chester College, 1975)
• Dunn, Ian, The University of Chester, 1839-2005: The Bright Star in the Present Prospect (Chester: Chester Academic Press, 2005)
• Newton, Elsie, The Padgate Story 1946-2006 (Chester: Chester Academic Press, 2007)
• White, Graeme J (ed.), Perspectives of Chester College: 150th Anniversary Essays, 1839-1989 (Chester: Chester College, 1989)

External links

• University of Chester
• Chester Students' Union