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University of Chester

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University College Chester

Logo of University College Chester

Motto: Qui docet in doctrina

Established 1839
Religious affliation None (though some historical links to the Church of England remain)
Chair of governors Rt Rev Dr Peter Forster
Principal Prof Timothy Wheeler
Locations Chester and Warrington, Cheshire, UK
Enrollment 7,954 undergraduate; 1,626 postgraduate
Teaching staff 249
Campuses Urban
Sports teams BUSA League
Homepage www.chester.ac.uk

Logo © University College Chester

University College Chester is a university college based in the city of Chester in the United Kingdom. It currently has almost 10,000 students.

History

University College Chester was founded as Chester Diocesan Teacher Training College by a group of leading figures in the Church of England (including future Prime Ministers William Gladstone and Lord Derby) in 1839 as the UK's first dedicated teacher training college and one of the oldest higher education institutions in the country. Its first purpose-built buildings were opened in 1842 just outside Chester's city walls on the Parkgate Road site the institution still occupies today.

In 1910, Chester began its association with the University of Liverpool and formally became an affliated college of the university in 1930. Thus, Liverpool awarded Chester's qualifications and Chester's students were able to use Liverpool's facilities (as is still the case today).

The College grew steadily until the 1960s and 1970s when Chester underwent its first major period of change. Women were first admitted in the 1960s and the number of courses was expanded beyond teaching to include Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in the early 1970s. To reflect these changes, the institution was renamed to Chester College of Higher Education in 1963.

Development continued and, in the early 1990s, the School of Nursing and Midwifery was established. At the same time the College began to offer a Bachelor of Theology degree, HNDs and postgraduate courses, such as master's and PhDs, as well as well as embarking on a £10,000,000 campus improvement programme. By 1995, Chester had earned the right to call itself University College Chester. However, this name 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 became known as Chester, a College of the University of Liverpool.

The College expanded in 2002 by buying the higher education faculty (and campus) of the neighbouring Warrington Collegiate Institute (the rest of Warrington and its other campuses remained independent).

In 2003, Chester was granted its own degree-awarding powers, allowing it to revert to the title of University College Chester. The institution is expected to be granted full university status in the near future and will use the title University of Chester.

Campuses

University College Chester is a medium-sized institution with two campuses. The twelve hectare (23 acre) main campus is located on Parkgate Road, just north of Chester's famous city walls. It houses most of the institution's academic and non-academic departments. The campus is a mixture of old, Victorian buildings (such as Old College, which includes a chapel) and more modern buildings (like the Binks Building, opened in 2003). The campus also features all the normal facilities, such as a fitness centre, swimming pool and various shops.

Chester has outgrown its campus a bit and some departments have moved off-site (though all to locations within walking distance of the main campus). The Department of English, for example, is located in the Grade II listed Old Vicarage, while Chester Business School is housed in what was once a hotel.

There is a substantial amount of College-owned student accomodation (primarily reserved for first year and foreign students), either in the form of halls of residence on the campus, or houses just off it.

Additionally, there is the smaller Warrington Campus, located on the outskirts of Warrington town centre. There are also a number of even smaller bases (at, for example, hospitals for nursing students) dotted around Cheshire and The Wirral.

Organisation

Chester is organised into four schools. Of these, the School of Arts and Humanities and the School of Science and Health are subdivided into academic departments. The schools and departments are:

  • 1 Based at the Warrington Campus
  • 2 Based at both the Main and Warrington Campuses

Students and faculty

Most of Chester's 10,000 students are from the UK, with a quarter being mature students. There are also a small number of foreign students, primarily from an active exchange policy.

The students are represented by Chester Students' Union (CSU), which also runs two bars and two shops (one on each campus).

All of the 250 teaching staff take part in research, often publishing through the institution's own publishing house, Chester Academic Press.

Reputation

University College Chester generally enjoys a good reputation, with its teacher training, nursing and sports science courses being particularly recognised. Its strong links with nearby businesses and involvement with external events, such as the Chester Literature Festival, means that the College is also well-reguarded within its local area.

Notable alumni

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