University of North London

University of North London
Former names
 Northern Polytechnic Institute, North-Western Polytechnic, Polytechnic of North London
Established 1896 (1992 as UNL)
Vice-Chancellor Brian A. Roper BSc Econ (Hons) MA (Econ) D.Univ (Hon)
Location London Borough of Islington, United Kingdom
Campus 166–220 Holloway Road N7 8DB
Affiliations Coalition of Modern Universities

The University of North London was a university in London, England, from 1992 to 2002, when it merged with London Guildhall University to form London Metropolitan University. Its former premises are now the university's north campus, on Holloway Road and Highbury Grove, Islington. In 1996, the university celebrated its centenary year.

Structure

Under the board of governors, the university was arranged into four faculties each led by a dean and pro vice-chancellor:—

Tower Building, Holloway Road. Originally the Northern Polytechnic; the Technology Tower was added in 2000.
Faculty of Environmental and Social Studies
Faculty of Humanities and Teacher Education
Faculty of Science, Computing and Engineering
The Business School

Faculties organised undergraduate and postgraduate schemes within a university modular framework. An interdisciplinary undergraduate scheme for inter-faculty combined honours degrees was managed centrally by the Academic Registry.

In 1994, the Learning Centre library opened on the site of a former mirror factory. In 1996, the Trades Union Congress library collections, which had been established in 1922, were transferred there.[1]

The Rocket

In 1897, the Great Hall was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of London. It originally served as a social and academic events space, catering for spectacular dances and recitals attended by over a thousand guests. By 1929, a proscenium arch and stage were installed and the space renamed the Theatre, as it played host to operas and lavish theatrical productions. In its next incarnation as a music venue, the hall was a solid fixture on the capitals gig circuit, an essential stop for touring bands throughout the 1980s. When electronic dance music and the club scene took hold at the turn of the decade, the space was relaunched as the Rocket complex and quickly became one of London's leading all-nighter venues. The 1990s also saw the building divided vertically, creating its two separate floors. In 2015, the Great Hall had its name and grandeur restored, with the Rocket now referring exclusively to the ground floor venue and adjacent courtyard garden.

Vice-chancellors

The vice-chancellor and chief executive was supported by the deputy vice-chancellor (academic) and the deputy vice-chancellor (research and development).

Name Tenure Note
Prof. Leslie Wagner CBE 1992–1994 Director of the Polytechnic of North London from 1987[2]
Brian A. Roper 1994–2002 Vice chancellor of London Metropolitan University to 2009[3]

In 2000, the university awarded and honorary degree to The Most Reverend Desmond Tutu, Archbishop of Cape Town and primate of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.

Following the merger with London Guildhall (formerly the City of London Polytechnic), London Metropolitan is the largest unitary university in London.

History

Northern Polytechnic Institute

Northern Polytechnic

The Northern Polytechnic opened in Holloway with aid from the City Parochial Foundation and substantial donations from the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers in 1896. Under the terms of its Royal Charter, its objective was "to promote the industrial skill, general knowledge, health and well-being of young men and women belonging to the poorer classes of Islington [and] to provide for the inhabitants of Islington and the neighbouring parts of north London, and especially for the Industrial Classes, the means of acquiring a sound General, Scientific, Technical and Commercial Education at small cost."[4] By 1911, five-year University of London evening degrees were available. The modernist Cecil Stephenson was appointed Head of Art in 1923 and, from 1925, courses were recognised by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

North-Western Polytechnic

North-Western Polytechnic

The North-Western Polytechnic was eventually opened by HRH The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) at Prince of Wales Road, Kentish Town in 1929. The Polytechnic later acquired premises at St. Pancras, Highbury (Ladbroke House) and Nos. 207–225 Essex Road. Concentrating on social sciences, humanities and arts, by 1967, when the printing department transferred to the London College of Printing (a founding member of the London Institute),[5] the North-Western was the largest polytechnic in London.

Alumni

Polytechnic of North London

Polytechnic of North London

The Polytechnic of North London was founded by the 1971 merger of the Northern and North-Western polytechnics. Its first Director was Terence Miller, former principal of the University of Rhodesia.[6] Until the passing of the Education Reform Act 1988, it came under the control of the Inner London Education Authority, part of the then Greater London Council. Degree awarding authority resided with the former Council for National Academic Awards until the polytechnic, a pioneer of widening participation and access to higher education, was granted university status under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992.

After leaving Oxford in 1964, the renowned historian A. J. P. Taylor lectured at the Polytechnic until his death in 1990.[7]

The Harrington affair

In 1984, Patrick Harrington, a prominent member of the National Front and deputy editor of NF News, was the subject of protests by fellow students who picketed and boycotted his lectures, arguing that his presence made life intolerable for ethnic minority students.[8] Disputing this, Harrington obtained an injunction which the protesters, backed by the students' union, ignored.[9] At one stage the President of the National Union of Students, Phil Woolas, reported that the Polytechnic was "simply not functioning any more," with lecturers defying the courts by refusing to give names of students on demonstrations.[10] Two student leaders were sent to prison for 16 days for contempt of the court order preventing them from barring Harrington and the Secretary of State for Education, Sir Keith Joseph, threatened to close the Polytechnic down.[11]

In December, David MacDowall, then Director, resigned after pressure from the Inner London Education Authority to make a complaint against Harrington for remarks he made in a radio interview. ILEA said the remarks were racist, which Harrington denied.[12] In his resignation letter, Dr. MacDowall admitted that he had acted "in a totally fascistic manner" over the issue and wished "all the picketing students the best of luck with their campaign."[13] Harrington subsequently faced a disciplinary hearing for a television interview in which, in line with NF policy, he questioned the right of black people to citizenship.[14] In January 1985, with a new Director, John Beishon, in post and final examinations approaching, the Polytechnic, students' union and Harrington agreed a deal in which his classes would be taught separately in another building.[15] He eventually graduated with a degree in philosophy.[16] Dr. Beishon remained at PNL for three years.[17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Trades Union Congress Library Collections London Metropolitan University (retrieved 1 March 2010)
  2. ↑ Utley, Alison In the news: Leslie Wagner Times Higher Education Supplement, 9 May 2003
  3. ↑ Curtis, Polly Vice-chancellor of London Metropolitan quits The Guardian, 19 March 2009. Chief executive 2002–2004; vice chancellor and chief executive 2004–2009
  4. ↑ Floud, Roderick and Glynn, Sean (eds.) London Higher: The Establishment of Higher Education in London (pp. 204 and 212) London: The Athlone Press, 1998
  5. ↑ History of London College of Communication University of the Arts, London (retrieved 21 February 2010)
  6. ↑ Shotgun Marriage: A Profile of the North London Polytechnic Education + Training Vol. 13, No. 5 (pp. 150–152) May 1971
  7. ↑ Hughes-Warrington, Marnie Fifty Key Thinkers on History (p. 305) London: Routledge, 2000
  8. ↑ Kirkwood, Richard "Changing Audiences, Changing Contexts – Reflections on 37 years with students looking at ‘Race’ issues" in Farrar, Max and Todd, Malcolm (eds.) Teaching 'race' in social sciences – new contexts, new approaches (cap. 1) The Higher Education Academy subject network for Sociology, Anthropology and Politics, 2006
  9. ↑ Searchlight magazine, June 1984
  10. ↑ Beckett, Francis BNP student faces boycott The Guardian, 21 May 2002
  11. ↑ The Times, 29 November 1984
  12. ↑ The Times, 8 December 1984
  13. ↑ Copsey, Nigel Anti-Fascism in Britain (p. 156) London: Macmillan, 2000
  14. ↑ The Times, 15 and 19 December 1984
  15. ↑ The Times, 8 and 12 January 1985
  16. ↑ Milman, David Educational Conflict and the Law (pp. 114–116) Beckenham:Croom Helm, 1986
  17. ↑ Price, Christopher John Beishon: Managing change in a turbulent student world The Guardian, 1 May 2001

Further reading

External links

Coordinates: 51°33′06″N 0°06′38″W / 51.5518°N 0.1106°W / 51.5518; -0.1106

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