University Campus Suffolk

University Campus Suffolk
Established 1 August 2007
Students 5,060 (2014/15)[1]
Undergraduates 4,685 (2014/15)[1]
Postgraduates 375 (2014/15)[1]
Location Suffolk, England
Campus Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft
Affiliations University of East Anglia, University of Essex, West Suffolk College, Great Yarmouth College, Lowestoft College, Ipswich Borough Council, Suffolk County Council
Website

University Campus Suffolk
West Suffolk College
Lowestoft College
Great Yarmouth College
Suffolk New College

University Campus Suffolk (UCS) is an educational institution located in the English county of Suffolk. UCS is a collaboration between the University of Essex and the University of East Anglia which sponsor its formation and validate its degrees.[2][3] UCS accepted its first students in September 2007. Until then Suffolk was one of only four counties in England which did not have a University campus.[2]

UCS operates at five sites with its central hub in Ipswich. Other sites are centred on pre-existing Higher Education centres in Ipswich, Lowestoft, Bury St. Edmunds, and Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.[4] UCS operates two academic faculties and in 2014/15 had 5,060 students. Some 30% of the student body are classed as mature students and 68% of UCS students are female.[5]

History

In 2003, Suffolk County Council established a "stakeholder group" made up of representatives from the University of East Anglia, the University of Essex, Suffolk College, the East of England Development Agency, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, Suffolk Learning and Skills Council, Suffolk County Council, Ipswich Borough Council, Suffolk Chief Executive's Group and the Suffolk Development Agency. The aim of the group was to investigate the possibility of establishing a university in the county. Following funding pledges from Ipswich Borough Council and Suffolk County Council in 2004, UCS was backed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) with £15m worth of funding in 2005 and attracted a £12.5m grant from the East of England Development Agency in 2006[6]

UCS was officially launched on 1 August 2007[2][7] and welcomed its first students in September of the same year.[8]

Faculties

University Campus Suffolk's teaching is split into two faculties: Arts, Business and Applied Social Sciences; and Health and Science. The faculties work across the UCS network with degrees validated by the University of Essex and the University of East Anglia.[9]

Sites

UCS Ipswich

Waterfront location of the Ipswich campus

Based around the Ipswich waterfront redevelopment, UCS Ipswich is the main hub of the network.[2] It was developed from the former Higher Education section of Suffolk College. The Waterfront building, designed by RMJM Architects,[10] is the centre of the hub, opening in September 2008 and costing £35 million.[11][12] It has three lecture theatres, and 34 smaller teaching rooms.[9] The six-storey James Hehir Building was officially opened in March 2011 at a cost of £21 million[13] It is named after the former chief executive of Ipswich Borough Council and includes Cult Cafe. Part of the old Suffolk College site, now known as "Campus North", was redeveloped at a cost of £2.5 million. This houses the UCS Ipswich library facility or "Learning Resource Centre".[9] Onsite student accommodation is provided in the 600-place Athena Hall, located adjacent to the James Hehir building.[3]

A range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses are offered at UCS Ipswich, including Art and Design, Business and Management, Computing, Education, Film and Media Studies, Health, Nursing and Midwifery, Humanities, Social Sciences and Initial Teacher Training.[2]

UCS at Suffolk New College

Suffolk New College is located next to the UCS Ipswich campus and was developed from the Further Education centre of Suffolk College.[2] It is a centre for civil engineering degrees and initial teacher training.[2]

UCS at Bury St Edmunds

The Bury St Edmunds Centre is located at the site of West Suffolk College. A range of foundation degrees in subjects including Art, Engineering and Logistics and Transport and Management are taught at the site as well as degrees in Business Management, Education, English and History, CIOB accredited Construction Management and initial teacher training.[2] Over 700 students follow degree and foundation degree courses at the site.[14] The site, which was remodelled in 2011,[14] has an industry-standard recording studio.[9]

UCS Lowestoft

The Lowestoft Centre is located at the site of Lowestoft College. UCS Lowestoft offers degrees in Children's Care, Learning and Development, Design, Inclusive Practice and Integrated Working, Operations Engineering, Supporting Inclusive Learning and Practice, and Social Science.

UCS Great Yarmouth

UCS Great Yarmouth is located at the Southtown site of Great Yarmouth College in neighbouring Norfolk.[2] Subjects such as Computing, Counselling, Engineering, Fashion, Music, and Photography are available at the centre, which has a modern recording studio.[2][9]

Accommodation

The Ipswich Campus has a 600-room hall of residence.[3]

Sustainability

University Campus Suffolk operates as a "Centre for Applied Sustainability". An example of UCSs work with sustainability is the Phase 1 campus development which was assessed as BREEAM Excellent. This signifies that the development is setting the "best practice in sustainable development".[15]

UCS is also actively engaged in the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership Green Economy Pathfinder.

UCS Union

UCS Union was formed on 1 August 2007, the same day UCS was officially launched. It provides support for its students and looks after their well-being during their studies.[3]

The union is the representative of the student body at the management level of the university and as such its positions are manned by paid and unpaid students who are based at the Union office in the heart of the campus' East building. The Union also looks after the university social calendar, with multiple events run during the academic weeks and special Freshers weeks at the beginning of each academic year.

The President and Vice-President of the Union are, subject to a sufficient number of votes, elected every April, and take office for 12 months from July - July overseeing the totality of one academic year. The candidates come from the student body and must compete in the election campaigns in March/April. There is a current two-year maximum term for the positions. The current President is Jordan Bambridge and the Vice-President is Megan King, both newly elected for 2015.

Academic Year President Vice-President
2008-09 Howard Smith -
2010-11 Andy Speed Ben Tuck
2011-12 Jonathan Wright Sam Bennett
2012-13 Jonathan Wright Sam Bennett
2013-14 Benjamin Adofo Christopher Mitchell
2014-2015 Benjamin Adofo Christopher Mitchell
2015–present Jordan Bambridge Megan King

References

  1. 1 2 3 "2014/15 Students by HE provider, level, mode and domicile" (XLSX). Higher Education Statistics Agency. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 University Campus Suffolk, University of Essex. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  3. 1 2 3 4 University Campus Suffolk guide, Daily Telegraph, 2011-06-21. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  4. ↑ University Campus Suffolk, University of East Anglia. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  5. ↑ http://university.which.co.uk/university-campus-suffolk-s82
  6. ↑ University plan wins £12.5m grant, BBC news website, 2006-03-20. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  7. ↑ New university officially opened, BBC news website, 2007-08-01. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  8. ↑ University open to first students, BBC news website, 2007-09-10. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 University guide 2013 University Campus Suffolk, The Guardian, 2012-05-31. Retrieved 2012-09-29.
  10. ↑ New views of dockside campus plan, BBC news website, 2006-08-03. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  11. ↑ University Campus Suffolk (UCS), The Independent Freshers Guide, 2012, 2012-08-03. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  12. ↑ Flagship university building open, BBC news website, 2008-09-29. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  13. ↑ UCS opens £21m James Hehir Building in Ipswich, BBC news website, 2011-01-27. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  14. 1 2 West Suffolk College unveils £1.2m facelift, BBC Suffolk news, 2011-11-21. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  15. ↑ News story, 2008

External links

Coordinates: 52°03′09″N 1°09′49″E / 52.0525°N 1.1635°E / 52.0525; 1.1635

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