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University of Chester

Coordinates: 53°12′01″N 2°53′53″W / 53.200326°N 2.898073°W / 53.200326; -2.898073
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University of Chester
File:University of Chester coat of arms.png
Coat of arms of the University of Chester
Former names
List
  • Chester Diocesan Training College (1839–1963)
    Chester College of Education (1963–1974)
    Chester College of Higher Education (1974–1996)
    University College Chester (1996–1999)
    Chester, a College of the University of Liverpool (1999–2003)
    University College Chester (2003–2005)
MottoTemplate:Lang-la
Motto in English
"He that teacheth, on teaching"
TypePublic
Established2005 – gained University status
1839 – Chester Diocesan Training College
Endowment£2,000,000[1]
ChancellorVacant
Vice-ChancellorTim Wheeler
Academic staff
870[2]
Students19,500
Undergraduates13,700
Postgraduates5,800
Location
Chester, Ellesmere Port and Warrington
,
Cheshire
,
UK

53°12′01″N 2°53′53″W / 53.200326°N 2.898073°W / 53.200326; -2.898073
CampusUrban
ColoursBurgundy[3]  
AffiliationsACU, NWUA, Cathedrals Group
Websitewww.chester.ac.uk
Logo of the University of Chester

The University of Chester is a public university located in the historic city of Chester, England. The university, based on three campuses in Chester and one in Warrington, offers a range of foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as well as undertaking academic research.

The university is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Cathedrals Group, the North West Universities Association and Universities UK.

History

1839 to 2000

The university was founded as Chester Diocesan Training College in 1839 by a distinguished group of local leading figures in the Church of England, including future Prime Ministers William Ewart Gladstone and the 14th Earl of Derby.[4] It was the UK's first purpose-built teacher training college,[5] which makes it one of the longest established higher education institutions in the country.[6] In 1842, Gladstone opened the College's original buildings for its first intake of ten male student teachers on the Parkgate Road site, just outside the City Walls, that the University occupies today.[7]

In 1921, Chester formally became an affiliated college of the University of Liverpool,[4] which meant that 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.[8] From then on, the College continued to grow steadily. By the 1960s, as the UK was massively expanding its higher education capacity in reaction to the Robbins Report, the College was considered as a possible candidate for university status. These proposals, however, weren't followed through.

The College continued to expand and women were first admitted in 1961. In 1963, the government renamed teacher training colleges to colleges of education, so Chester's name became Chester College of Education. In 1974, the number of courses was expanded beyond teacher education 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.[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 embarked on a £10 million campus improvement programme. By 1996, Chester had earned the right to call itself University College Chester.[9][10] 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]

2000 to present

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] Due to its long (and well-advertised) association with the University of Liverpool, Chester continued to award Liverpool degrees until the 2005 intake of students.[11]

In 2005, University College Chester was awarded full university status and became the University of Chester.[12] This was followed by the right to award its own research degrees in 2007, ending Chester's last validation arrangement with Liverpool.

Following the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, some of the university's research was declared to be of international quality, with a proportion of 'World Leading' research in History (15% of submitted research), English, Sports Studies, and Drama (each 5% of submitted research).[13][14][15]

In 2010, the Centre for Work Related Studies received a commendation by the UK quality body, for its radically flexible and high quality negotiated work based learning framework - enabling professionals to customise their own qualifications, 'learn through work', and enable rapid accreditation of commercial training provision. At the same time, the funding body showcased CWRS's flexible approach to accrediting workplace learning.[16][17]

Expansion

The University has begun to expand massively in recent years, purchasing buildings in and around the city. In 2013 the University took over the Shell Technology Centre in Thornton, near Ellesmere Port, creating the Thornton Science Park[18] which has allowed a host of new engineering-related degree programmes to be offered by the University. The Faculty of Science and Engineering, at Thornton Science Park, also delivers the following programmes:- BSc Natural Sciences, BSc Computer Science, BSc Games Development, BSc Cybersecurity and BSc Mathematics. The programmes are continually updated and added to. Up to date information is on the corporate website: www.chester.ac.uk.

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 has six campuses. The 32-acre (130,000 m2) Parkgate Road campus, Chester,[12] is located on Parkgate Road, just north of the City Walls. It has a mixture of Victorian buildings (such as Old College, right, which includes a chapel built by some of the original students) and modern buildings (such as the Students' Union). The campus also features a fitness centre, sports hall, swimming pool, science and language laboratories, bar, bookshop and bank.

Some departments are housed offsite at locations within walking distance of the main campus, for example, the Department of English is located in a Grade II-listed former Victorian vicarage, while the Law School is based at 67 Liverpool Road.

There are a number of significant additions to the institution's estate. The former County Hall, which is located in the city centre near the racecourse, houses the Faculty of Education and Children's Services and the Faculty of Health and Social Care and is known as the Riverside Campus.

The University has also developed the Kingsway Campus in Newton with the addition of a three-storey teaching block, ground floor exhibition space and art gallery, learning resource centre and changing rooms. The site features a number of green innovations, such as ground source heating.

The University-owned student accommodation is primarily reserved for first year and overseas students. This consists of halls of residence and houses nearby.

The smaller Warrington campus originally hosted a camp for Canadian officers in World War II and is located in the Padgate area of Warrington. This campus includes the North West Media Centre, which has close ties to Granada Television, The Warrington School of Management, Social Sciences and Health and Social Care.[19] The Warrington Campus is also the training ground for the rugby league team The Warrington Wolves, and Warrington town was the host for the Rugby League World Cup 2013, with the Campus hosting the Samoan players.

In 2014 Chancellor George Osborne opened the University's new Science Park in Thornton, based at the site previously used by Shell UK for research and development. The Campus is used for a variety of science and engineering based courses and allows students to be involved in high level research using the Campus's industry-standard facilities gifted by Shell.

Also in 2014, Dr Loyd Grossman, who holds an honorary degree from the University, officially opened the North West Food Research Development (NoWFOOD) Centre. In 2015, the University acquired Capital House for its Faculty of Business and Management. This later became the Queen's Park Campus in Handbridge, providing a dedicated library and learning zones, student development rooms and lecture theatres.

The University also has a number of bases at NHS sites across Cheshire and the Wirral.

  • Parkgate Road Campus, Chester
    Parkgate Road Campus, Chester
  • Grosvenor House, Parkgate Road Campus, Chester
    Grosvenor House, Parkgate Road Campus, Chester
  • Parkgate Road Campus, Chester Alumni Garden
    Parkgate Road Campus, Chester Alumni Garden
  • Cheshire County Hall, now the Riverside Campus
    Cheshire County Hall, now the Riverside Campus
  • Senate House, Parkgate Road Campus, Chester
    Senate House, Parkgate Road Campus, Chester
  • University of Chester Law School, Liverpool Road
    University of Chester Law School, Liverpool Road
  • Students' Union building, Parkgate Road Campus, Chester
    Students' Union building, Parkgate Road Campus, Chester
  • Cloisters, Parkgate Road Campus, Chester
    Cloisters, Parkgate Road Campus, Chester
  • Chester Cathedral, site of the graduation ceremonies
    Chester Cathedral, site of the graduation ceremonies

Organisation and structure

The University is organised into eight faculties of study. Seven of these are also subdivided into academic departments.[20] The Faculties and departments are:

Faculty of Business and Management

  • Department of Business and Finance
  • Department of Marketing, Tourism and Events Management
  • Centre for Work Related Studies
  • University of Chester Business School
  • Warrington School of Management
  • Work Based Learning office
  • Department of Corporate Business and Enterprise

Faculty of Arts and Media

  • Department of Art and Design
  • Department of Media
  • Department of Performing Arts
  • Chester Centre for Research in Arts and Media

Faculty of Humanities

  • Department of English
  • Department of History and Archaeology
  • Department of Modern Languages
  • Department of Theology and Religious Studies

Faculty of Social Science

  • Department of Geography and International Development
  • University of Chester Law School
  • Department of Psychology
  • Department of Social and Political Science

Faculty of Science and Engineering

  • Department of Computer Science and Information Systems
  • The Informatics Centre
  • New Technology Initiative
  • Department of Biological Sciences
  • Department of Mathematics
  • Department of Natural Sciences
  • Department of Chemical Engineering
  • Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering
  • Department of Mechanical Engineering

Faculty of Education and Children's Services

Faculty of Health and Social Care

  • Department of Community Health and Wellbeing
  • Department of Mental Health and Learning Disability
  • Department of Midwifery, Child and Reproductive Health
  • Department of Interprofessional Education
  • Department of Acute Adult and Child Care
  • Department of Social Work

Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Clinical Sciences

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

From 2015 to 2020 the University of Chester provides validation for PhD programmes offered by Glyndŵr University.

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 the Earldom of 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", an extract from Saint Paul's epistle to the Romans and translates as "he that teacheth, on teaching" or "let the teacher teach".[21]

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. The coat of arms returned to the College's logo in 2002 when a simplified version became part of the logo. The university's current logo, introduced in 2005, features the shield and scroll from the coat of arms.

From 2015, as part of the 175th Anniversary celebrations, the University's coat of arms includes griffins - one in in gold, and one in black - either side to represent Gerald Grosvenor who has served as Chancellor since the institution became a university, and ex-Prime Minister William Gladstone who was involved in establishing the institution in 1839.

Academic profile

Most of Chester's 19,500 students are from the UK.[22] A quarter of students are mature and there are twice as many female students as male (partially due to the number of nursing, midwifery and teaching students). The increasing number of foreign students are mainly participants in the university's active exchange policy.

There are approximately 2,090 members of staff, 870 of whom are academic. Many take part in research and often publish their work through the institution's own publishing house, the University of Chester Press. The 2014 Research Assessment Exercise resulted in Chester's research being declared world-leading in 14 areas of that submitted.

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams was, in 2011, bestowed a visiting professorship with the title Gladstone Professor of Literature and Theology. His inaugural lecture 'The Messiah and the novelist: approaches to Jesus in fiction' took place in Chester Cathedral.

Peter Blair and 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.[23]

Reputation and rankings

Rankings
National rankings
Complete (2025)[24]94
Guardian (2025)[25]65
Times / Sunday Times (2025)[26]87

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) 2010 audit praised the university for its good practice in ensuring standards and enhancing the quality of learning opportunities, the supportive relationships that underpin the learning and working in the institution and the strength of its partnership work.[27]

The Faculty of Education and Children's Services also celebrated an 'outstanding' outcome in its recent Ofsted inspection of Initial Teacher Training.[28]

The University was ranked 69th in The Guardian 2016 University Guide and 67th in The Times and Sunday Times University League Table 2015.

Chester is now the best performing university in the North West of England for employability, with 95.2% of its graduates in work or further study,[29] helped by the University's flagship 'work-based learning' module which allows students to take an industry placement related to their course of study as a module to gain experience, in conjunction with its five-star rated[29] Student Support and Guidance.

Student life

Chester Students' Union (CSU) offers services and provides facilities for students and is a member of the NUS. Four sabbatical officers are elected each year and serve a maximum of two years.

The Executive Committee are the trustees of the Union. Members are elected each year before the end of March, with a president and vice-president, and each with a different role, such as Education representative, Activities representative and a Warrington representative. The support staff for the Union 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 a bar 'CH1' on the main Parkgate Road Campus, Chester. The previously known 'Padgate Union Bar' on the Warrington campus was, in August 2010, taken over by the University, and is now known as 'Bar and Club 2010'. The Union also has three shops. Two are on the Parkgate Road Campus, Chester, consisting of a general shop and a Starbucks Coffee franchise, and one at Warrington.

The Union also runs over 110 sports clubs and societies; with each campus having its own teams, many of which compete in British Universities and Colleges Sport competitions. Once a year, the Union runs an inter-campus competition known as Varsity on campus where sporting societies, such as seven-a-side football, and non-sporting societies, such as poker, compete. Non-sporting societies include the Debating Society (which has hosted hustings events which have featured on 'BBC North West Tonight'), the Politics Forum, the Drama Society, the Amnesty International Society, the International Development Society and the People and Planet Society. A student radio station, The Cat Radio, is based on the Warrington campus and broadcasts daily, with presenters on air from September until July.

University of Chester Academies Trust

The university is the sponsor of a number of academies and free schools in Cheshire and Merseyside. The university provides its sponsorship through the University of Chester Academies Trust.[30] Schools within the trust include:

Notable people

Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, served as the Foundation Chancellor of the University of Chester

Chancellors

Vice-chancellors

Note that until university status was awarded in 2005, the vice-chancellor was known as the principal.

  • 1839–1869: Arthur Rigg[4]
  • 1869–1886: J. M. Chritchley[4]
  • 1886–1890: A. J. C. Allen[4]
  • 1890–1910: John Best[4]
  • 1910–1935: Richard Thomas[4]
  • 1935–1953: Stanley Astbury[4]
  • 1953–1965: Aubrey Price[4]
  • 1966–1971: Bernard de Bunsen[4]
  • 1971–1987: Malcolm Seaborne[4]
  • 1987–1998: Ned Binks[4]
  • 1998–present: Tim Wheeler[4]

Staff

See also: Category:Academics of the University of Chester

Alumni

References

  1. ^ "2013 Annual Review". Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "Chester 2010/11" (webpage). Higher Education Statistics Agency. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  3. ^ http://chesterrep.openrepository.com/cdr/bitstream/10034/6440/7/IMAGE_MAKEOVER.pdf
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Ian Dunn, The University of Chester, 1839–2008: The Bright Star in the Present Prospect, 2nd edn (Chester: Chester Academic Press, 2008)
  5. ^ University of Chester: News and Events[dead link‍]
  6. ^ a b c University of Chester: News and Events[dead link‍]
  7. ^ "Statuette of W. E. Gladstone". Chester.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  8. ^ "Twentieth century Chester 1914-2000 - The economy, 1918–39 | British History Online". British-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  9. ^ "Principal's Foreword/University College Chester". Archived from the original on 24 February 1998. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  10. ^ https://www.qaa.ac.uk/reviews/reports/institutional/heqc/ChesterCollegeHE_QAG513.asp
  11. ^ "Reviews and reports". Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  12. ^ a b "Chester, University of". The Independent. London. 22 June 2009. Retrieved 27 May 2010.
  13. ^ "RAE 2008 : Quality profiles". Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  14. ^ a b c The Cestrian, 2008
  15. ^ University of Chester Annual Review 2009
  16. ^ "Report on the University of Chester".
  17. ^ "HEFCE report".
  18. ^ "- MP hails University of Chester's planned expansion". Chester First. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  19. ^ Elsie Newton, The Padgate Story, 1946–2006; University of Chester Annual Review 2009
  20. ^ "University of Chester: Departments". Chester.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  21. ^ Martin Goldstraw (5 July 1954). "A Cheshire Armorial - The Arms of The University of Chester". Cheshire-heraldry.org.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  22. ^ "Where do HE students study?". Higher Education Statistics Agency. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  23. ^ ""Flash Fiction Magazine" Accessed 18th September 2009". Chester.ac.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  24. ^ "Complete University Guide 2025". The Complete University Guide. 14 May 2024.
  25. ^ "Guardian University Guide 2025". The Guardian. 7 September 2024.
  26. ^ "Good University Guide 2025". The Times. 20 September 2024.
  27. ^ [1] Archived 28 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ "Find an inspection report" (PDF). Ofsted. 16 December 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  29. ^ a b Annual Review 2014
  30. ^ "University of Chester Academies Trust - Home". Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  31. ^ "William Crookes". Chem.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  32. ^ "Professor Elaine Graham". Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  33. ^ "Internet Archive Wayback Machine". Web.archive.org. 30 April 2008. Archived from the original on 30 April 2008. Retrieved 29 November 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  34. ^ "Ceremony One: Professor Anthony Thiselton". Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  35. ^ "Centre for Research and Education in Psychological Trauma | Social Studies and Counselling | University Of Chester". www.chester.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  36. ^ University of Chester: Department of English Archived 30 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  37. ^ University of Chester: Department of History and Archaeology Archived 15 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  38. ^ University of Chester: Department of History and Archaeology[dead link‍]
  39. ^ Jim Bowen, From a Bundle of Rags: The Autobiography of Jim Bowen (London: Robson Books, 1992)
  40. ^ http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/chester-news/local-chester-news/2008/11/03/olympic-hero-to-receive-honorary-chester-university-degree-59067-22173143/. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  41. ^ a b c d "Student News, Summer 2008 - Chester Chronicle". Issuu.com. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  42. ^ "Voice from heaven, family from hell ... The dangerous world that singer Duffy left behind – Mail Online". Daily Mail. London. [dead link‍]
  43. ^ Green Templeton Manager. "Alan Emery". Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  44. ^ a b http://www.chesteralumni.com/view.php?title_id=319
  45. ^ a b c "Alumni - Alumni Stories". Chesteralumni.com. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  46. ^ a b Glanville, Brian (18 February 2002). "Sir Walter Winterbottom". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 27 May 2010.
  47. ^ a b The Cestrian, 2009
  48. ^ "Nicola-Wilson-Team-GB". The Telegraph.
  49. ^ The Collegian, 1999

Further reading

  • White, Graeme J, On Chester On: A History of Chester College and the University of Chester (Chester: University of Chester Press, 2014) ISBN 978-1-908258-19-9
  • Dunn, Ian, The University of Chester, 1839–2008: The Bright Star in the Present Prospect 3rd edn (Chester: University of Chester Press, 2012)
  • Burek, Cynthia and Stilwell, Richard, Geodiversity Trail: Walking Through the Past on the University's Chester Campus (Chester: Chester Academic Press, 2007)
  • 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)
  • Bradbury, John Lewis, Chester College and the Training of Teachers, 1839–1975 (Chester: Chester College, 1975)
  • Astbury, Stanley, A History of Chester Diocesan Training College (Chester: Chester College, 1946)
  • Annual Review, www.chester.ac.uk/annual-review
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