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Birmingham City University

Coordinates: 52°31′2″N 1°53′53″W / 52.51722°N 1.89806°W / 52.51722; -1.89806
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Birmingham City University
File:Birmingham City University logo 2007.png
TypePublic
Established1971 (as City of Birmingham Polytechnic)
ChancellorLord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Chauhdry Rashid[1]
Vice-ChancellorDavid Tidmarsh
Students24,460[2]
Undergraduates19,470[2]
Postgraduates4,390[2]
Other students
600 FE[2]
Location
Birmingham
,
England
,
UK

52°31′2″N 1°53′53″W / 52.51722°N 1.89806°W / 52.51722; -1.89806
Websitehttp://www.bcu.ac.uk/

Birmingham City University (formerly Birmingham Polytechnic and the University of Central England in Birmingham) is a University in the city of Birmingham, England. It is one of three Universities in the city, the other two being the University of Birmingham and Aston University.

History

Birmingham Polytechnic

Before it became a university, by statute on 6 March 1992, it was a polytechnic. The City of Birmingham Polytechnic was run by Birmingham City Council. Although Birmingham had first had a Polytechnic from 1843 to 1853, this one was created in 1971 from five different colleges with more colleges being added in the mid-1970s.[3]

On 1 April 1989, the Education Reform Act made this, and all, polytechnics independent corporations with charitable status.

University status

The Further and Higher Education Act 1992 allowed all polytechnics to adopt the title of "university". The name University of Central England in Birmingham was approved by the Privy Council on 16 June 1992.

In 1995, two more colleges were absorbed:

  • Birmingham and Solihull College of Nursing and Midwifery
  • West Midlands School of Radiography

In August 2005, the University rebranded itself as UCE Birmingham for marketing and promotional purposes though the original name remained for official use. This decision was reversed in March 2007, following the arrival of a new Vice-Chancellor, and the fuller title "University of Central England in Birmingham" was resurrected for all purposes.

Mapplethorpe controversy

In 1998, the University was involved in a controversy over the inclusion of books by Robert Mapplethorpe in its library.[4]

Merger proposals

In November 2003, the University asked neighbouring Aston University to consider a merger. This was rejected by Aston University, as was a separate proposal to merge with the University of Birmingham.[5]

Name change

In June 2007, it was announced that the University would be renamed,[6] with three possible names being proposed; Birmingham City University, Birmingham Chamberlain University and Birmingham Metropolitan University.[7] Staff and students (both current and alumni) were asked to complete a survey on what they wish the name to be changed to. On October 1, 2007, Vice Chancellor Prof David Tidmarsh unveiled the name change from UCE Birmingham to Birmingham City University.[8] 48.2% of those who voted on the survey voted for the name to be changed to Birmingham City University.[9]

The proposed name change was met with mixed reaction from students and student union officials,[10] arguing benefits and drawbacks. A common argument was this money should be spend on facilities and building repair work and some students felt ignored by the establishment. The rationale for the name change was a perceived confusion of the location of the University and to give a "shorter, more powerful name".[11] The rebranding of the university cost £200,000, which includes changing signage and stationery.[12]

The new logo of the University is based on the tiger in the crest originally used by the University when it changed from being a Polytechnic.[13] This crest itself originally came from the Birmingham College of Commerce, one of the original institutions which formed the Polytechnic. Birmingham-based BHMG Marketing designed the new logo.[12]

Future developments

Previously, a sports centre was located behind The Coppice, a student accommodation block next to City North (Perry Barr) Campus, and included tennis courts, bowls, football and rugby pitches, running track and a social club. The University announced a £7 million sports complex would be built on the site, formerly the Ansells Sports Club, with construction to start in mid 2008 for completion in 2009.[14]

The University is planning a new "flagship" campus in Birmingham City Centre, next to the existing facilities at Millennium Point. The City Centre campus will be a £150 million development as part of Birmingham's Eastside development, and will include "35,000 and 45,000 square metres of accommodation" and be the new home for media, arts and engineering learning.[15]

Existing facilities at the Gosta Green and Bournville Campuses will be moved to the new facilities as the University seeks to reduce the number of campuses it occupies. Margaret Street was also intended to be closed, but now could be retained,[16] along with Vittoria Street and City North Campus.

A major reorganisation of the faculties was to be in place for the new term in September 2008.

Campuses

Baker building, City North Campus, showing the new name/logo
Dawson building (left) and tree-lined avenue through City North Campus
Steps up to front entrance of William Kenrick library, City North Campus
Bar 42, the Student Union bar at City North Campus
Seacole Building, Faculty of Health at Edgbaston Campus
Hamstead campus halls of residence, the campus includes a Grade II listed Hall built in 1881
Inside view of Vittoria Street, School of Jewellery in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter
BIAD Fine Art Department on Margaret Street, formerly the Birmingham School of Art

Throughout its history the university has been spread across a number of different sites across Birmingham. As of 2008, the university is at the following campuses:

Faculties

The University re-organised around six faculties in September 2008. The faculties are:

  • Faculty of Health, one of the largest faculties within the university with nearly 7,000 full and part-time students studying each year and one of the UK's largest higher education centres for health and social care. The faculty includes the Defence School of Health Care which is part of the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM).[18]
  • Birmingham City University Business School, a major centre for business, computing and management education. With over 4,000 students studying on full- and part-time courses, it is one of the largest business schools in the UK.[19]
  • Faculty of Performance, Media and English - this new faculty includes
  • Faculty of Technology, Innovation and Development which includes the Technology Innovation Centre (TIC), a national centre of excellence for learning, innovation and technology transfer.[23]
  • Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD), one of the largest faculties of art and design education in the United Kingdom. BIAD provides education for nearly 4,000 students on five major campuses located in the centre and to the north and south of the centre of Birmingham.[24]
  • Faculty of Education, Law and Social Sciences, including elements of the former faculties of LHDS and Education. The latter provides courses for intending teachers, serving teachers or those simply interested in education issues covering the entire range of school phases from infant to continuing education, at every study level from full-time undergraduate to postgraduate level and PhD.[25]

Former faculties include:

  • Built Environment - closed in 2005. Course provision moved to BIAD and LHDS
  • Computing Information Systems - closed in 2005. Computing courses moved to the Business School
  • Law, Humanities, Development and Society (LHDS) offered courses in law, social studies, English (literature, language and cultural studies) and property, construction and planning. Closed in 2008.

Reputation

The university is one of seventeen Skillset Media Academies in the United Kingdom (the only such Academy in the Midlands), a status awarded to recognise "centres of excellence in television and interactive media".[26] This stems from its courses at the TIC and the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design,[27] which is the largest such Institute outside London.[28] (In 2008, Birmingham School of Media and the Skillset Academy moved to the newly formed Faculty of Performance, Media & English.) With regard to post-production, the university also has Avid Mentor status,[29] and is the Midlands' accredited training centre for Apple Inc.'s Final Cut editing software.[30]

For health and social care, Birmingham City University was awarded national recognition as a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.[31] The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, in its institutional audit and major review of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions, gave the university excellent outcomes.[32] The university's Faculty of Health has an on-site virtual operating suite, the first at a university in England.[33] In the Smithers-Robinson League Table, for initial teacher training, Birmingham City University and three other institutions are consistently ranked top ten.[32] Ofsted inspection scores for teacher education courses are frequently among the best.[28]

For 2009, The Guardian University Guide ranked the university fifty-sixth in the UK,[34] The Times Good University Guide ranked it seventy-first,[35] and The Complete University Guide ranked it sixty-ninth.[36]

Research

The university has five Centres of Research Excellence which are the main focus of its research activity.[37] Following the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise conducted by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Birmingham Post reported that more than 70 per cent of research work submitted by Birmingham City University—including in business and management studies, education, English, social work and social policy, and town and country planning—was "officially recognised as of an international standard", and 15 per cent of that work was "rated as world leading". Its art and design submission was among the ten highest ranked in the country, and Birmingham Conservatoire was rated one of the top three conservatoires, and the best outside London.[38] The university was ranked sixty-third based on average assessment scores.[39][40]

Students

The Students' Union of Birmingham City University, located at City North Campus, is affiliated with the National Union of Students. Student media comprises a magazine, Spaghetti Junction (also known as SJ magazine), and a television station, Tiger TV; the Students' Union also has close ties with the student and community radio station Scratch Radio,[41] housed in the main Students' Union building.

Notable alumni

Further information: Category:Alumni of Birmingham City University

Graduates of the University and its predecessor institutions:

Notable staff

Further information: Category:Academics of Birmingham City University

Current and former staff of the University and its former entities include:

References

  1. ^ "Birmingham City University welcomes new Chancellor". Birmingham City University. 2008-03-03. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
  2. ^ a b c d "Table 0a - All students by institution, mode of study, level of study, gender and domicile 2006/07" (Microsoft Excel spreadsheet). Higher Education Statistics Agency. Retrieved 2008-04-05.
  3. ^ The Times, Friday, January 01, 1971; pg. 4; Issue 58061; col A
  4. ^ "After a year out on loan Mapplethorpe book is set to return to library shelves". Internet Archive. Way Back Machine. 1999-08-10. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
  5. ^ "Universities consider merger". BBC News. 2003-11-27. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
  6. ^ "University of Central England no more; we are now Birmingham City University". Birmingham City University. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
  7. ^ "University of Birmingham Council: [[4 July]] [[2007]] Unconfirmed Minutes" (PDF). University of Birmingham. 2007-07-04. pp. p.4. Retrieved 2007-09-20. {{cite web}}: |pages= has extra text (help); URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  8. ^ BCU site regarding name change
  9. ^ "New name for city university". BBC Birmingham. 2007-10-01. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
  10. ^ "Birmingham City Students' Union".
  11. ^ "Birmingham City University name change". Birmingham City University. 2007-09-17. Retrieved 2007-10-01.
  12. ^ a b Shahid Naqvi (2007-10-01). "UCE announces name change". Birmingham Post. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
  13. ^ Tony Collins (2007-10-01). "New name for Brum's UCE". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
  14. ^ http://www.bcu.ac.uk/news/releases08/sports_centre.html
  15. ^ http://www.bcu.ac.uk/news/releases08/5074.html
  16. ^ http://www.createdinbirmingham.com/2007/12/19/margaret-street-not-closing/
  17. ^ http://www.bcu.ac.uk/accommodation/hamstead.html
  18. ^ "Birmingham City University Faculty of Health". Birmingham City University. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
  19. ^ "Birmingham City University Business School". Birmingham City University. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
  20. ^ "Birmingham Conservatoire". Birmingham City University. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
  21. ^ "Birmingham School of Acting merges with UCE Birmingham". Birmingham School of Acting. 2005-05-30. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
  22. ^ http://www.lhds.bcu.ac.uk/
  23. ^ "Technology Innovation Centre". Birmingham City University. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
  24. ^ "Birmingham Institute of Art & Design (BIAD)". Birmingham City University. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
  25. ^ "Birmingham City University Faculty of Education". Birmingham City University. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
  26. ^ http://www.skillset.org/training/san/midlands/
  27. ^ http://www.skillset.org/uk/westmids/further/article_4923_1.asp
  28. ^ a b http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/good_university_guide/article2166784.ece
  29. ^ http://www.avid.com/products/AvidMentorProgram.asp
  30. ^ http://www.skillset.org/training/san/midlands/article_6391_1.asp
  31. ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/good_university_guide/article2166784.ece
  32. ^ a b http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/single.htm?ipg=6491
  33. ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/student/into-university/az-uni-colleges/birmingham-city-university-877469.html
  34. ^ http://browse.guardian.co.uk/education?SearchBySubject=&FirstRow=47&SortOrderDirection=&SortOrderColumn=GuardianTeachingScore&Subject=University+ranking&Institution=Birmingham+City
  35. ^ http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/tol_gug/gooduniversityguide.php
  36. ^ http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/single.htm?ipg=6524
  37. ^ "Research". Birmingham City University. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
  38. ^ http://www.birminghampost.net/news/west-midlands-education-news/2008/12/18/warwick-is-top-university-for-research-in-midlands-65233-22509480/
  39. ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article5361712.ece
  40. ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00450/results_450712a.xls
  41. ^ http://www.birminghamcitysu.com/yourunion/getinvolved/
  42. ^ a b http://www.bcu.ac.uk/news/releases08/5116.html
  43. ^ "Novelist Crace to unveil 'fabulous' £3m library revamp". Birmingham City University. 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
  44. ^ http://www.alexhughescartoons.co.uk/Published/Background/Background.htm
  45. ^ http://www.bcu.ac.uk/news/releases07/4235.html
  46. ^ "Don't get rid of X Factor Rhydian, says Birmingham lecturer". Birmingham City University. 2007-10-15. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
  47. ^ Warwick,K, Q & A at Seminar in Birmingham City University, February 20, 2008
  48. ^ "TV child protection and crime expert gains degree". Birmingham City University. 2008-02-12. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
  49. ^ "Journalism degree lecturer Paul Bradshaw has been named the UKs 4th most visible person online". Birmingham City University. 2008-25-11. Retrieved 2009-08-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

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