University of Salford

The University of Salford is a public research university located in Salford, England, approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Manchester city centre. Its origins come from the Royal Technical Institute, Salford which was opened in 1896. This later became a College of Advanced Technology in 1956 and gained university status, following the Robbins Report into higher education, becoming the University of Salford in 1967.

It has around 20,000 students and is situated in 60 acres (240,000 m²) of parkland on the banks of the River Irwell.

History

Origins of the Royal Technical Institute

The university's origins can be traced to 1896 with the opening of the Royal Technical Institute, Salford, a merger of Salford Working Men's College founded in 1858 and Pendleton Mechanics' Institute founded in 1850. The Royal Technical Institute, Salford, received royal letters, after the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George V and Queen Mary) officiated at its opening ceremony, an event commemorated in the university's Redbrick Peel Building and which allowed 'Royal' to be appended to name of the institute.

At the start of the 20th century, mechanical engineering, chemical works, textiles and construction dominated the industrial scene in Salford. This heavily influenced the choice of subjects offered in the nine departments initially opened. These were Engineering, Electrical Engineering & Applied Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Building, Dyeing, Spinning & Weaving, Domestic, and Art. Some 1,240 students registered for the first session in these departments. There were originally 19 members of staff.

In 1921 the Institute was renamed the Royal Technical College, Salford. In 1958 the institution split into two organisations, one remaining as the Royal Technical College, and a break away college, the Peel Park Technical College which changed its name first in 1961 to the Salford Technical College, before becoming the Salford College of Technology in 1970, and finally the University College Salford in 1992.

Royal College of Advanced Technology

In 1956 the Royal Technical College became a CAT, known as the Royal College of Advanced Technology. In 1963, the government completed an inquiry into the state of higher education in the United Kingdom and produced the Robbins Report which paved the way for the Royal College of Advanced Technology (and other Colleges of Advanced Technology) to assume university status by Royal Charter.

University status

The Royal College of Advanced Technology, became the University of Salford on 10 February 1967 when Her Majesty The Queen handed over the institution's Royal Charter. The first Vice-Chancellor was Clifford Whitworth, after whom the university's main library is named. The first chancellor was HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who remained the university's chancellor until 1991. Prince Philip took a keen interest in the university whilst in office which has continued since and he visited the university's award winning acoustics laboratories in 2008.

In 1996, the break-away University College Salford merged with the University of Salford to form a single institution.

In 2012, the University of Salford announced a partnership with the UK's biggest arms company, (BAE Systems), and four other North-Western universities (Liverpool, Manchester, UCLAN and Lancaster) in order to work on the Gamma Programme which aims to develop "autonomous systems". According to the University of Liverpool, "autonomous systems are technology based solutions that replace humans in tasks that are mundane, dangerous and dirty, or detailed and precise, across sectors, including aerospace, nuclear, automotive and petrochemicals". As has been pointed out by Campaign Against the Arms Trade, military drones come under this definition of autonomous systems, which the University of Liverpool calls "a new and emerging sector".

Governance

Chancellors

• Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1967â€"1991)
• Sarah, Duchess of York (1991â€"1995)
• Sir Walter Bodmer (1995-2005)
• Sir Martin Harris (2005â€"2009)
• Irene Zubaida Khan (2009â€"present)

Vice-Chancellors

• Clifford Whitworth (1967â€"74)
• John Harold Horlock (1974â€"81)
• Sir John Michael Ashworth (1981â€"90)
• Thomas Mutrie Husband (1990â€"97)
• Michael Harloe (1997â€"2009)
• Martin Hall (2009â€"2014)
• Vacant

Campus and facilities

The main Peel Park campus is less than 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres) from Manchester city centre on the banks of the River Irwell, adjacent to Peel Park, possibly the first public park in the world which opened on 22 August 1846. A former president of the Students' Union described Salford in 2007 as "a relaxed campus close to Manchester, but cheaper and greener." Salford Crescent railway station is adjacent to the campus, and high frequency bus services operate to Manchester, Salford and Bolton and Liverpool. There are other university facilities within a mile of the main campus, namely the Frederick Road and Adelphi campuses. Most of the university administration is located along Salford Crescent, opposite the Peel Campus. The Salford Museum and Art Gallery, said to be the first unconditionally free public library in England. is located on the Peel Park Campus.

MediaCityUK

In October 2011, the university opened a learning, teaching and research space at MediaCityUK. Over 1,500 students will have opportunities to work near media professionals using the latest industry specified equipment, studios and laboratories. They will study on 39 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

Major investment projects

The university embarked on a £150 million programme of investment in 2004, to deliver new buildings and carry out major refurbishment projects. These included:

• £22m Mary Seacole Building, opened in 2006, the purpose-built five storey facility for the College of Health & Social Care.
• £10m Lady Hale Building for the Salford Law School which opened in February 2008. The whole building acts as its own night storage heating and cooling system thanks to a "Termodeck" system.
• £10m Innovation Forum Building
• Joule Physics Laboratory provides a suite of new, purpose-built physics teaching laboratories and is named after James Prescott Joule, whose former home is situated opposite the Peel Building.
• Opened in October 2011 - A new building for the university's College of Arts, Media & Social Sciences designed by 3XN Architects on the MediaCityUK site in Salford Quays - which will be home to five BBC departments.

Research and development centres

The United National Institute for Prosthetics & Orthotics Development is located in the University's Prosthetics & Orthotics division of its School of Health, Sport & Rehabilitation Sciences. It is the only prosthetics and orthotics higher education provider in England.

The KidsCan Children's Cancer Research Centre is located in the University's John Armstrong Welsh Laboratories at the Centre for Biochemistry, Drug Design and Cancer Research. It was established in 2002 to develop treatments with fewer side effects for children and young adults.

Facilities

Peel Hall has seating for nearly 400 people, hosts many musical performances and is the main venue for the midday recitals. The hall is housed in the Peel Building, a red brick and terracotta Victorian building located on the Peel Park Campus.

The university's Robert Powell Theatre, named after the Salford actor, mostly stages live performances of modern works and participatory work for younger audiences.

Situated in the heart of the Peel Park Campus, the Chapman Gallery hosts a wide range of modern and contemporary art exhibitions which showcase the work of up and coming artists, university staff, students and the community of Salford.

The Tom Husband Leisure Centre is situated on the Peel Park Campus and adjacent to the Students' Union. It contains a gym, 25m swimming pool, sauna and spa, squash courts, climbing wall, and a multi-use sports hall.

The Adelphi Studio Theatre is a small theatre venue based in the School of Music, Media and Performance's Adelphi Building.

Organisation

The university is organised into three colleges, each of which is sub-divided into schools:

• College of Arts & Social Sciences
  • School of Art & Design
  • School of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences
  • Salford Law School
  • School of Media, Music & Performance
  • Salford Business School

• College of Health & Social Care
  • School of Social Work, Psychology & Public Health
  • School of Health, Sport & Rehabilitation Sciences
  • School of Nursing & Midwifery
    • NB â€" The University's Faculty of Health & Social Care has strong links with teaching NHS hospitals in the north west of England and maintains a presence at the Salford Royal Hospital.

• College of Science & Technology
  • School of Computing, Science & Engineering
  • School of Environment & Life Sciences
  • School of the Built Environment

International students come from China, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Cyprus, Greece, Nigeria, the Republic of Ireland, Romania, Malaysia and Bulgaria. With its three colleges, 12 schools, nearly 20,000 students, and over 2,500 staff, Salford had a turnover of some £156m in 2006/07.

The university is a founding member of the Northern Consortium of universities.

In October 2008 it was announced that compulsory redundancies are likely at the university as part of a plan to save £12.5 million over three years. A notice by the university registrar said that Salford needed to invest £300 million in university estate and £40 million in moving the arts and media faculty to the "MediaCityUK" site at Salford Quays, where the BBC is to establish its northern headquarters. The notice went on to say that that these additional costs came in the context of a number of pressures: salary bills that had "exceeded the university's expectations"; a "serious problem" with student retention; the "credit crunch"; and three "seriously underperforming" schools. Affected schools include the School of Nursing, Salford Business School and the School of Community Health Sciences and Social Care .

Teaching quality and rankings

The Times newspaper ranked Salford 105th out of 123 UK institutions in 2015, from 84th of 114 in 2010. The Complete University Guide ranked Salford 64th out of 114 institutions in 2008. In the Guardian's University Guide 2013, Salford ranked 84th in the overall league table, up from 100th in the previous year.

As of 2012 the university ranks in the top ten for Town & Country Planning and Landscape, Building, and Middle Eastern and African Studies.

The University ranked in the 551 - 600 range of the world's top 600 universities in the QS World University Rankings in the 2012-13 figures.

Student life

Students' Union

University House on the Peel Park Campus is home to the University of Salford Students' Union (USSU). As well as representing students, the union plays host to a number of services, including shops and a bar

The Two Cities Boat Race is an annual boat race which has been running since 1972. It is now an established event in the sporting and social calendar of Salford and Manchester. The event is also significant for the amount of work put in by volunteers from both universities, to help with event set-up, stewarding, and programme selling, raising money for many different charities. In 2007 the recipient of the proceeds was SPARKS, a charity which supports medical research for children.

In the season 1971â€"72 the University Rugby League club won the UAU Championship beating Sheffield University in the final at The Willows, the then home of Salford Rugby League Club.

Accommodation

There are five self-catered halls of residence:

• Eddie Colman and John Lester Courts
• Horlock and Constantine Courts
• Bramall and Matthias Courts
• Castle Irwell Student Village
• Seaford Road iQ Student Quarter

Eddie Colman and John Lester Courts are two blocks of flats containing 755 rooms in total, and each flat is shared between two, three or four people. The flats are the closest accommodation to Salford Shopping City in Pendleton â€" colloquially referred to as 'the Precinct'. Eddie Colman and John Lester Courts were sold by the University of Salford to Campus Living Villages in December 2008.These became CLV's first (United Kingdom) properties. Eddie Colman was a resident of nearby Archie Street, the model for the television series 'Coronation Street' and was a player for Manchester United. He was killed in the Munich Disaster of 6 February 1958 along with seven other players.

Constantine Court is the only en suite university-owned accommodation, consisting of 80 rooms in seven houses. This accommodation is located in the centre of the main university campus, and is situated close to the Students' Union shop, a bank and Salford Crescent railway station. Adjacent Horlock Court comprises 168 rooms in 14 houses.

Bramall and Matthias Courts are flats close to the Adelphi Campus. Bramall is typically occupied by undergraduates, whereas Matthias tends to be postgraduates. Matthias flats are usually shared between two or three people, and Bramall flats are shared between two, three or four. Bramall and Mathias Courts are now owned by Campus Living Villages.

Castle Irwell Student Village is the largest area of accommodation, housing up to 1,600 students, and is situated on the site of the old Manchester Racecourse. There are both houses (shared between 10-12 people) and flats (six people). Castle Irwell is a popular choice for first years, due to the cheap rent. There are also grass rugby and football pitches and several floodlit AstroTurf pitches used in society meetings and varsity rags. This accommodation is the furthest from the main university campus but is served by a free university bus, running every half an hour. A taxi rank is situated outside Castle Irwell and it is near to various amenities in Lower Broughton, including takeaways and local shops.

Seaford Road iQ Village is owned and run by CRM Ltd in partnership with the university. This is the newest accommodation site, consisting of a square of houses around a central reception, lounge and laundry building. Each house contains six flats, which are typically shared by six people with en suite bathrooms. The site also has 'deluxe' rooms available for an extra cost. This accommodation is very close to Castle Irwell. The site includes a purpose built SPAR, Subway, and two takeaways. The halls are also served by the free university bus.

Academic staff

• Allan Boardman: Physicist
• Ralph Darlington: Employment relations
• Trevor Cox: Acoustic engineer and broadcaster
• Garry Crawford: Cultural sociologist
• David Forrest: Economist; specialist in gambling studies
• Peter Graham: Professor of Composition
• Sarah Moore: Broadcast technology
• Dr M Wishah: Bio Engineering Education reformist
• Duncan Steel: world-renowned expert in space science

Notable alumni

Academia

• Michael Atchia: Mauritian academician, former Chief and Programme Director with the United Nations Environment Programme
• Sydney Chapman: British mathematician and geophysicist
• Robert Garner: Professor of political theory at the University of Leicester
• Robert Lomas: writer, business studies and science academic, Freemasonry researcher
• Susan Price: Vice-Chancellor of Leeds Metropolitan University

Business

• Andrew James Bond: Former Chief Executive of Asda
• Howard Graham: accountant, entrepreneur, and businessman
• Keith Ludeman: Chief Executive of the Go-Ahead Group
• Chris Moyes: Former Chief Executive of the Go-Ahead Group
• Richard Parry-Jones former group vice president-Global Product Development, and Chief Technical Officer, Ford Motor Company
• Mohammad Hashem Pesaran: British-Iranian economist.

Media, entertainment & design

• Benjamin Murphy: Artist
• Sophie Abelson: Actress
• Ross Adams; Actor on BBC3 TV series The Gemma Factor
• Emma Atkins: Actress
• Chris Bisson: Actor
• Wes Butters: Writer and radio broadcaster
• Nigel Clarke: Associate Composer to the Band of HM Grenadier Guards
• Trisha Cooper: Radio trainer, producer and broadcaster
• Rudi Dharmalingam: Actor
• Sophia Di Martino: Actress
• Andrew Diey: Electronic musician, sound designer and record producer
• Jay Diggins: Singer songwriter
• Jason Done: Actor
• Christopher Eccleston: Actor
• Steve Edge: Comedian and actor
• Albert Finney: Honorary degree July 13, 1979. (Born and raised in Salford)
• Stephen Fretwell: Musician (studied at the university, but didn't complete)
• James Gourlay: conductor and internationally renowned tuba soloist
• John Hammond: BBC weather presenter
• Matt Healy: Actor
• Joanna Higson: Actress
• Rob James-Collier: Actor
• Sara Jones: Actress, promoter and Miss Manchester 2009

• Peter Kay: Comedian
• Sir Ben Kingsley: Actor
• Frances Lennon MBE: Artist
• John Vernon Lord: Illustrator & author
• L. S. Lowry: Artist, studied at the Salford Royal Technical College, was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters in 1975
• Karl Lucas: Comedian, writer, actor
• Conor McNamara: Football commentator for the BBC

• Jason Manford: Manchester comedian and Perrier nominee
• Sarfraz Manzoor: Writer, journalist and documentary maker
• Johnny Marr: Former guitarist with The Smiths
• Kristyna Myles: Singer-songwriter (studied Popular Music and Recording)
• Gitau wa Njenga: Journalist and founder of Jambo Magazine
• Jon Ormerod: Punk rock singer
• Maxine Peake: Actress
• Robert Powell: Actor
• Nigel Pivaro: Former actor, Edinburgh Fringe First winner, producer, journalist
• Jen Pringle: TV presenter on Channel 5 children's show Milkshake!
• Caroline Redman Lusher: Singer/songwriter, founder and Director of Rock Choir
• John Robb: Musician and journalist
• Samantha Siddall: Actress
• Richard Smith: Scottish screenwriter and film director
• Rosie Smith: Former keyboardist in Cradle of Filth
• Ash Soan: Drummer
• Jim Sturgess: Actor
• Jonathan Thompson: TV presenter
• André Walker: British political journalist
• Kaye Wragg: Actress
• Neil Yates: Jazz and folk musician

Military

• Major General William Moore CBE 1976-79.

Physiotherapy

The University has held a link for Physiotherapy with the Professional Footballers' Association since 1991. As of 2007 over 70 former professional footballers have graduated from Salford. In 2009 the PFA reported that they had 33 members undertaking the programme at the University.

• Nigel Adkins: current manager of Southampton.
• Chris Banks, physiotherapist at Stoke City.
• Andy Barr: most recently Head Physiotherapist at Bolton Wanderers
• Matt Barrass
• Gregg Blundell: current Physiotherapist with Tranmere Rovers.
• Jon Bowden:
• Jeff Clarke
• Lee Collins
• Simon Farnworth
• Neil Foster: former England cricketer who played in 29 Tests and 48 ODIs from 1983 to 1993.
• Ashley Fickling
• Wayne Gill
• Rick Holden
• Phil Horner: physiotherapist with Blackpool F.C.
• Mark Kilty
• Paul Lake: currently on the medical staff with Bolton Wanderers.
• Steve Macauley
• Lee Martin: physiotherapist with Tranmere Rovers.
• David Moore: physiotherapist with Grimsby Town.
• Jamie Murphy; former Chief Physiotherapist with Manchester City
• Joe O'Neill
• Keith Oakes
• Les Parry: former manager of Tranmere Rovers.
• Richie Partridge
• Mel Pejic: physiotherapist at Bolton Wanderers
• Jamie Pipe: former Derbyshire professional cricketer.
• Jamie Pitman : currently Hereford United physiotherapist.
• Mick Rathbone: former Head of Sports Medicine at Everton.
• Nicky Reid: completed two degrees in Sports Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy.
• Phil Robinson
• Ian Rodgerson: physiotherapist for Hereford United.
• Derek Ryan: Irish former international squash player.
• Paul Showler
• Gary Stevens: former England international.
• Rob Swire: chief physiotherapist at Manchester United.
• Mark Taylor
• Paul Teather
• Stuart Walker: currently a physiotherapist at Aston Villa.
• Steve Whitehall
• Jon Whitney: club physiotherapist at Walsall
• Ian Wilkinson
• Rodger Wylde: physiotherapist for Stockport County.

Politics

• Anwar Choudhury: British diplomat, former British High Commissioner to Bangladesh
• David Clark, Baron Clark of Windermere
• Stuart Drummond: Three times elected mayor of Hartlepool
• Andrew Gwynne: Labour Member of Parliament for Denton and Reddish
• George Howarth: Labour Member of Parliament for Knowsley North and Sefton East
• Barbara Keeley: Labour Member of Parliament for Worsley and Eccles South
• Alok Sharma: British Conservative Party politician and Member of Parliament for Reading West.
• Ruth Turner: Labour political advisor; co-founder of The Big Issue in the North

Science

• Darwin Caldwell: Research Director, Italian Institute of Technology, key person in iCub project
• B. N. Suresh (Byrana Nagappa Suresh): Indian aerospace scientist; 2002 recipient of Padma Shri

Sports

• Nigel Adkins: former Wigan footballer who studied Physiotherapy
• Ieuan Evans: Former international rugby union player for Wales
• Su Maozhen: Assistant coach of the Chinese Olympic football team for Beijing Olympics, current head coach of U-20 national team
• Norman Whiteside: former Manchester United and Northern Ireland footballer who studied Podiatry

References

Bibliography

• Reel North http://www.rts.org.uk/awards.asp?sec_id=841&from=section

External links

• University of Salford â€" official website
• University of Salford Students' Union â€" official website

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