University of Bolton

University of Bolton

Motto: "SAPIENTIA SUPERAT MORAS" ~ 'Wisdom overcomes difficulty'
Motto Latin: Sapientia Superat Moras
Type Public
Established 2004 - gained University Status
1982 - Bolton Institute of Higher Education
Endowment £160,000[1]
Chancellor Ernest Ryder
Vice-Chancellor George Holmes
Administrative staff
 700+[2]
Students 6,385 (2014/15)[3]
Undergraduates 5,295 (2014/15)[3]
Postgraduates 1,090 (2014/15)[3]
Location Bolton, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom
Coordinates: 53°34′25″N 2°26′9″W / 53.57361°N 2.43583°W / 53.57361; -2.43583
Campus Urban
Colours Gold, navy blue
Affiliations Million+
Website www.bolton.ac.uk

The University of Bolton (formerly Bolton Institute of Higher Education or simply Bolton Institute) is a public university in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It has approximately 14,000 students across all sites and courses, with 700 academic and professional staff. Around 70% of its students come from Bolton and the North West region. It has climbed to 105th place out of 119 institutions in 2016.[4]

The Times newspaper profile states: ‘The university sees itself as a regional institution, with around three quarters of the students coming from the North West, many through partner colleges.’[5]

The university is a member of the North West Universities Association, Universities UK and Million+.

History

Chancellor's Building

Bolton Mechanics’ Institute

The University of Bolton traces its origins back to 1825 with the founding of Bolton Mechanics’ Institute.

Bolton Technical School

In 1887 the Committee of the Mechanics’ Institute decided that the town’s apprentices required technical instruction for the rapidly expanding engineering advances being made at the turn of the nineteenth century. This resulted in the creation of the new Technical School with student numbers rising to more than 1,500.

Bolton Municipal Technical College

In 1926 Bolton Technical School became a college. Fifteen years later a new building was opened offering a wide range of technical education choices, with engineering the most popular. Numbers rose to 5,750 students attending more than 1,000 classes.

Bolton Institute of Technology

In 1964 Bolton Technical College and Bolton Institute of Technology were divided into two separate organisations. A J Jenkinson, known as Jack, was Principal of the Technical College, Bolton College of Education (Technical) and then the first Principal of Bolton Institute of Technology.

Bolton Institute of Higher Education

Bolton Institute of Higher Education was formed in 1982 by the merger of the Bolton Institute of Technology (or simply Bolton Institute) and Bolton College of Education (Technical). The first principal of BIHE was Mr John McKenzie who was succeeded by Professor Bob Oxtoby who began the campaign for university status. An £8.3 million extension project began in 1991 with the purchase of the former Eagle Factory. Bolton Institute was awarded the right to award taught degrees in 1992, with the powers to award research degrees in 1995. In 1998 Mollie Temple became the third principal and successfully led the institution to achieve university status in 2004.

Campus

The university is primarily situated on an urban campus between Deane Road and Derby Street in Bolton. There are two halls of residence, although the university intends to relocate all services on to a single site in the centre of Bolton. There is an academic centre in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.

Facilities

Senate House

Formally known as Deane Tower, Senate House underwent refurbishment in 2004 to become a centre for design disciplines, research and consultancy services.

The Chancellor’s Building

Following the remodelling and centralization of the University campus in 2007, a new £2.5 million Social Learning Zone for student study and Students’ Union bar was built. The building also houses the university library, student services and coffee shop.

Eagle Tower

The five storey building houses the majority of the University's subjects including the Faculty of Wellbeing and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Arts and Media Studies.

Bolton One

Bolton One building on University campus

The Bolton One facility is a £31 million, three-way partnership with Bolton Council and NHS Bolton situated on the university's campus. The university contributed around £7 million to the development. The purpose built centre houses new health, science and sports teaching and research facilities - as well as a sports complex.[6]

Halls of Residence

The University owns and manages two Halls of Residence, Orlando Village and The Hollins, which provide 700 single study bedrooms.

The University and Bolton Council announced plans for a new £40 million student village in February 2015, which is set to accommodate up to 850 students in the heart of Bolton town centre, facing the iconic Le Mans Crescent.[7]

UTC Bolton

UTC Bolton, a university technical college sponsored by the University of Bolton was established at the university campus in September 2015. In November 2015 the UTC was officially opened by Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and named the ‘Stoller Building’ after Norman Stoller.[8]

Growth and future plans

The university has also announced plans for a new £10m facility for Science and Engineering which will house its Centre for Advanced Performance Engineering. Construction will begin following the completion of the UTC building in September 2015.[9]

There will also be a renovation and expansion of the current campus through to 2017.[10]

The University and Bolton Council announced plans for a new £40 million student village in February 2015, which is set to accommodate up to 850 students in the heart of Bolton town centre, facing the iconic Le Mans Crescent.[11]

International presence

The University has an academic centre in Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates and established international links with a number of overseas academic establishments in Germany, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Malawi and Greece. [12]


Since 2009 the University of Bolton has had a partnership with Western International College Ras Al Khaimah with programmes available at Undergraduate and Postgraduate level.[13] In December 2011, the University of Bolton launched its academic centre in Colombo, Sri Lanka,[14] in partnership with the KES Group of Institutions.

Governance

Chancellors

Vice Chancellors


Reputation and rankings

Rankings
Complete[15]
(2017, national)		 121
The Guardian[16]
(2016, national)		 105
Times/Sunday Times[17]
(2016, national)		 119

As well as offering research opportunities, Masters and PhD degree, it is known for its vocationally focused and industry-relevant taught degree programmes. Its courses include Business and Media programmes. The Times states: ‘The university is not research-driven, but engineering, architecture and the built environment, social work and social policy all contained some ‘world-leading’ research in the 2008 assessments’.[5] The Times made this statement despite the University ranking so low.

In November 2014 it became the first University in the North West to become a Living Wage employer.[18] The University is also above average in closing the gender pay gap.[19]

The Eagle library

Student life

The University of Bolton has a diverse student population. Around 13% of home students are from ethnic minority communities, with about 8% of its students being classed as international. This portion of students come from 70 countries outside the UK.[20] The university also has a Chaplaincy that accommodates several different faiths.

Students' Union

The main Students' Union building is on Deane Road at the centre of the University Campus. As well as being home to the SU bar (Loft Bar) and the hub of many social events, the union provides numerous other roles, such as student support and advice (The Advice Unit), representation and sporting societies.

Sport

Bolton has many different sports teams competing in the BUCS leagues. Teams include: Basketball, Netball, Football, Hockey, Rugby League and Rugby Union.

Bolton One also offers students an eight-lane, 25-metre competition swimming pool, 50 foot climbing wall and sports hall.

Sponsorship

On 5 June 2013, University of Bolton sustainable energy company Fibrlec was announced as the new principal sponsor of Bolton Wanderers.[21] This agreement ran for two years up until the end of the 2014/15 season. However, on 2 April 2016, the University once again lent its name to the Bolton Wanderers jersey, in an agreement which will initially last until Summer 2016.[22]

On 17 February 2016, it was announced that the University of Bolton would become the principal shirt sponsors of the Manchester Giants basketball team for the 2016 season.[23]

Controversy surrounding management of the University

Bridging loan made to Vice Chancellor

On 21 February 2015[24] The Bolton News reported that the Vice Chancellor George Holmes had been provided with a bridging loan of £960,000 from University funds to assist him in moving home. Further coverage of the story was provided by The Daily Mail on 22 February 2015.[25]

Illegal expulsion of Students' Union President

Based on a complaint by a member of staff, in 2012 the University replaced the Students' Union President, Shana Begum, with the member of staff who had complained about her,[26] in breach of section 22(d) of the Education Act 1994.[27]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Financial Report Year Ended 31 July 2009" (PDF). University of Bolton. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  2. ↑ "Key Facts". University of Bolton. Archived from the original on October 13, 2006.
  3. 1 2 3 "2014/15 Students by HE provider, level, mode and domicile" (XLSX). Higher Education Statistics Agency. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  4. ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2015/may/25/university-league-tables-2016
  5. 1 2 "Profile: University of Bolton". The Times (London). Retrieved 27 May 2009. (subscription required)
  6. ↑ "Welcome to Bolton One". University of Bolton. Archived from the original on June 7, 2015.
  7. ↑ "New student village for Bolton town centre - University of Bolton". Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  8. ↑ "Royal visit 2015: Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, to visit Bolton School and University Technical College at the University of Bolton". Bolton News. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  9. ↑ "University Board approves further £25 million investment in student teaching facilities - University of Bolton". Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  10. ↑ "University Board approves further £25 million investment in student teaching facilities". University of Bolton. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  11. ↑ "New student village for Bolton town centre - University of Bolton". Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  12. ↑ "Off Campus Locations". University of Bolton. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  13. ↑ "University of Bolton Academic Centre: Ras Al Khaimah". University of Bolton. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  14. ↑ "UK university to launch centre here in Dec.". ITpro. 9 November 2011.
  15. ↑ "University League Table 2017". The Complete University Guide. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  16. ↑ "University league tables 2016". The Guardian. 25 May 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  17. ↑ "The Times and Sunday Times University Good University Guide 2016". Times Newspapers. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  18. ↑ "University a Living Wage leader - University of Bolton". Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  19. ↑ http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/features/times-higher-education-pay-survey-2015/3/2019360.article
  20. ↑ "Student Profile". University of Bolton.
  21. ↑ "Statement:Shirt sponsor announcement". Bolton Wanderers F.C. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  22. ↑ http://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/article/club-statement-university-of-bolton-new-shirt-sponsors-3037834.aspx
  23. ↑ http://www.theboltonnews.co/news/14281978.University_of_Bolton_to_become_shirt_sponsor_of_basketball_team_Manchester_Giants/
  24. ↑ "University of Bolton gives £1m 'bridging loan' to vice chancellor so he can move to town". The Bolton News. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  25. ↑ "Struggling university under fire for loaning its £200k-a-year vice-chancellor £1MILLION to buy Edwardian mansion so he didn't have to make 50-mile commute". Daily Mail. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  26. ↑ "Socialist Party :: Bolton Uni: Reinstate Shana Begum!". Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  27. ↑ "Education Act 1994". Retrieved 16 July 2015.

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