University of Bedfordshire

Short description: University in Luton, UK

University of Bedfordshire

Type| Public
Established| 1882 - Bedford Teacher Training College
1993 - University of Luton gained University Status
2006 - renamed to University of Bedfordshire after merging with the Bedford campus of De Montfort University
Vice-Chancellor| Professor Rebecca Bunting
Location|

Bedford, Luton, Aylesbury and Milton Keynes

Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire

England , United Kingdom

[ ⚑ ] : 51°52′40″N 0°24′41″W﻿ / ﻿51.87778°N 0.41139°W﻿ / 51.87778; -0.41139
Campus| Urban
Website| {{{1}}}

The University of Bedfordshire is a public research university with campuses in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, England. The University has roots in further and higher education from 1882: it gained university status in 1993 as the University of Luton. The University changed its name to the University of Bedfordshire in 2006, following the merger of the University of Luton with the Bedford campus of De Montfort University.

It is spread across five campuses: there are three in Bedfordshire, in Bedford and Luton; and two in Buckinghamshire, in Aylesbury (for students studying Nursing and Midwifery), and in Milton Keynes. It is also active in London and Birmingham, as well as globally, with a growing portfolio of international partnerships as far afield as Trinidad and Tobago, Egypt, Vietnam, Oman and Mauritius.

The University entered the Research Assessment Exercise in 2014 and achieved an improvement of 22 places in the REF Power Ranking – the fourth largest improvement in the sector with nearly half of its research considered to be world leading or internationally excellent.[1][needs update]

In 2012, it achieved FairTrade status.[2] The University has also come eighth in the UK in the People and Planet University Green League in 2019 and received the Eco Campus Platinum award in 2020.[3]

The University of Bedfordshire has around 20,000 students from over 100 countries, with around 40 academic partners, both in the UK and overseas, to deliver a range of course from foundation degrees to doctorates. More than 40% of its student population come from families with no history of participation in higher education. Around 70% are mature returners to education and over half are from black or ethnic minority backgrounds.[4]

Appointed in 2020, the current Vice Chancellor is Professor Rebecca Bunting.[5] The most recent Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire was John Bercow, the former Speaker of the House of Commons.[6][needs update]

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Campuses
* 2.1 Luton Campus
* 2.2 Bedford Campus
* 2.3 Mary Seacole, Aylesbury Campus
* 2.4 Milton Keynes Campus
* 3 Organisation and structure
* 4 Academic profile
* 4.1 Teaching quality
* 4.2 Awards
* 4.3 Educational partner institutions
* 5 Student life
* 6 Notable alumni
* 7 Photo gallery
* 8 See also
* 9 References
* 10 External links

## History

The University of Luton had its roots in the Luton Modern School, which was established in 1908 and the Luton Modern School and Technical Institute which opened in 1937. This became Luton College of Higher Education following the merger of Luton College of Technology and Putteridge Bury College of Education, in 1976. It obtained university status in 1993.

The Bedford campus of De Montfort University was originally part of the Bedford College of Higher Education, which stemmed from Bedford Teacher Training College, founded in 1882, and Bedford Physical Training College, founded in 1903. The University was created by the merger of the University of Luton and the Bedford campus of De Montfort University in August 2006, following approval by the Privy Council.[7]

## Campuses

The University's two main campuses are in Luton and Bedford.In Buckinghamshire, the dedicated Mary Seacole Aylesbury campus for Healthcare students opened in February 2020 at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, in partnership with Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT). A smaller fourth campus at Milton Keynes became part of the university in 2012, offering a variety of degree courses as well as Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes.[8]

On the outskirts of Luton, is the University’s Putteridge Bury campus. The campus is situated in approximately 30 acres of landscaped gardens. The current building was completed in 1911 and was designed by architects Sir Ernest George and Alfred Yeats in the style of Chequers, having had various redesigns and rebuilds over the years.[9][10]

The site is utilised for University events including graduations, academic research symposia and seminars, The University of Bedfordshire Business School's postgraduate programmes, as well as a wide variety of public and private events including conferences, weddings, funeral receptions and public holiday functions.

### Luton Campus

The University’s Luton campus is located in the town centre and is home to a purpose built STEM building, seven-storey library, a Postgraduate & CPD Centre, as well as facilities to support each of the courses on offer. These include the Media Arts Centre, a Moot Court, Business Pods, Healthcare Simulation Suites, a Campus Gym and a three-storey art studio with designated fashion and photography studios.

The University's Campus Centre, at Luton, opened in October 2010. It houses a 240-seat lecture theatre, an exhibition area for displaying student work, a Student Information Desk and Students' Union support services.

The Postgraduate and Continuing Professional Development Centre was completed in early 2013

The dedicated STEM building opened in 2019 and is set out over four storeys of teaching space including four computer laboratories and workshops for subjects such as automotive engineering, cyber-security and robotics, along with three large teaching labs, and four specialist containment labs.[11]

### Bedford Campus

The Bedford campus includes a Physical Education and Sport Science Centre used to train athletes in the 2012 Olympic Games, and a Bedford Campus Centre boasting a 280-seat theatre, dance studios, a restaurant and social spaces for students. Liberty Park, on-site accommodation, offers 500 en-suite study bedrooms.

The Library was designed by van Heyningen and Haward Architects as a gateway to the campus. The building was completed in 2001 and provides approximately 360 individual study spaces, teaching space, staff work areas and traditional library services.[12] There is also the Gateway building which offers teaching and informal learning spaces, lecture theatres and a student service centre over three storeys.

### Mary Seacole, Aylesbury Campus

The University’s Mary Seacole Campus opened in February 2020 at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury and in partnership with Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT).

The three-storey building, located on the hospital site, provides a specialist skills lab, set out as a hospital ward with state-of-the-art audio visual technology. There are also a suite of classrooms, a library, social learning spaces and computer study facilities.[13]

### Milton Keynes Campus

The Milton Keynes campus was originally established with the long term aim of becoming a new, independent university in Milton Keynes.[14]

The original University Centre Milton Keynes building at 200 Silbury Boulevard.

The institution began as 'the University Centre Milton Keynes' (UCMK), part of Milton Keynes College and supported by the University of Bedfordshire, the University of Northampton and the Open University. It was opened on 29 September 2008, with start-up funding provided by the Milton Keynes Partnership, which purchased the initial building (a former office block) in Central Milton Keynes.

In October 2009, the University of Bedfordshire (acting as lead academic partner) made a successful bid to the Higher Education Funding Council for England to expand provision at UCMK, one of just six such centres to have achieved this.[15]

In September 2012 the centre ceased to be part of MK College and became a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Bedfordshire.[16] The university announced plans for a new campus in the city, with the new name of the institution being 'University Campus Milton Keynes', and this was opened at Saxon Court on Avebury Boulevard in September 2013.[17][18]

Since March 2017, the brand 'UCMK' is no longer in use and the campus now operates as University of Bedfordshire Milton Keynes Campus.

Today, under the operation of the University of Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes campus offers foundation degrees, bachelor's degrees and master's degrees.[19]

## Organisation and structure

The University has four faculties: Creative Arts, Technologies and Science; Education and Sport; Health and Social Sciences; and the University of Bedfordshire Business School.

## Academic profile

In 2000, the University of Luton was ranked 83 out of 93 British universities by The Times[20] in their annual university ranking, rising to 72 out of 101 two years later.[21]

The Sunday Times awarded the University of Luton the title of Best New University in 2004 (prior to the purchase of the Bedford campus and rebranding).[22] The QAA conducted a thorough institutional audit of the university as a whole in 2005 (prior to the merger of the University), which resulted in the audit team's questioning of the academic standards of its awards and its lack of confidence in the university's quality standards.[23] However, after the audit was taken, the QAA was provided with information that indicates that appropriate action was taken by the university in response to the findings of this report. As a result, the audit was signed off in July 2007.[24] The University was subsequently commended by the QAA for the high quality and standards of our higher education provision in 2015.[25]

The University appears in Times Higher Education World University rankings, is ranked as one of the top 300 universities in the world under 50 years old in the Young University rankings, and was awarded Silver in the first ever Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) in 2017.[4]

The University hosts the National Centre for Cyberstalking Research, opened in 2012,[26] which carried out the first British study of cyberstalking and other forms of harassment online.[27] In 2012, it established a UNESCO chair in New Media Forms of the Book to analyse trends in the use of electronic media, mobile media, and Internet technologies[28] through research and practice.[29]

### Teaching quality

RankingsNational rankings

Complete (2021)[30]| 123
Guardian (2021)[31]| 121
Times / Sunday Times (2021)[32]| 131
Global rankings
THE (2021)[33]| 801–1000
British Government assessment
Teaching Excellence Framework[34]| Silver

In 2004 The Sunday Times awarded the University the title of 'Best New University'[35] and in 2007 it was short-listed for the Times Higher Education Supplement's University of the Year 2007.[36]

### Awards

* Awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise: International Trade in 2011.[37]
* Outstanding Finance Team winners in the Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards 2011.[38]

### Educational partner institutions

The University works together with a number of partner institutions to offer a range of courses:[39]

* Buckinghamshire College Group (Aylesbury)
* Barnfield College
* Bedford College
* Frontline
* Global Banking School
* Institute of Family Therapy
* London School of Commerce
* Milton Keynes College
* New Stamford College
* Pen Green Leadership Centre
* Emil Dale Academy
* Holmes Institute
* London Studio Centre
* Colombo International Nautical and Engineering College
* CTS College of Business and Computer Science, Trinidad
* Executive Business and Computational Institute, Mauritius
* Foreign Trade University, Vietnam
* Kaplan Higher Education, Hong Kong
* Majan College, Oman
* MAPS College, Maldives
* Marbella Design Academy, Spain
* Modern Sciences and Arts University, Egypt
* Music Production and Dance Academy, Italy
* Middle East University, Jordan
* Nations School of Business and Management, Guyana
* Oxford College of Business, Sri Lanka
* Patan College for Professional Studies, Nepal
* SITAL College of Tertiary Education Limited, Trinidad and Tobago
* SHEL School of Higher Education Limited, Trinidad and Tobago
* SLIIT Academy, Sri Lanka
* STI Myanmar
* Westminster International College, Malaysia
* Asian Centre for Management and Technology Ltd (LSC Dhaka), Bangladesh
* Hong Bang University, Vietnam
* Roots IVY International Schools, Pakistan

The University was a co-sponsor of UTC Central Bedfordshire, a university technical college which operated in Houghton Regis from 2012 to 2016.

## Student life

The University of Bedfordshire Students' Union is affiliated to the National Union of Students, which represents students nationwide.[40]

In 2020, Radio LaB 97.1FM—the University's affiliated community radio station—won two Community Radio Awards.[41][42]

## Notable alumni

* Zema Abbey[43]
* Rickie Haywood Williams[44]
* Rachel Hopkins
* Gemma Hunt[45]
* Becky Jago[46]
* Stephen Kelman[47]
* Ben Myers[48]
* Melvin Odoom[49]
* Dami Olonisakin[50]

## Photo gallery

## See also

* Armorial of UK universities
* College of Education
* List of universities in the UK
* University of Bedfordshire Theatre

## References

1. ↑ "University praised for REF 2014 results - beds.ac.uk | University of Bedfordshire". https://www.beds.ac.uk/news/2014/december/university-praised-for-ref-2014-results/.
2. ↑ "People & Planet Green League 2012 – University Profile – People & Planet". http://peopleandplanet.org/green-league-2012/tables?ggl12profile=8787&test=71a5bb.
3. ↑ "University awarded EcoCampus Platinum standard | University of Bedfordshire". https://www.beds.ac.uk/news/2021/january/university-awarded-ecocampus-platinum-standard/.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Our University | University of Bedfordshire". https://www.beds.ac.uk/about-us/our-university/.
5. ↑ "University of Bedfordshire appoints new Vice Chancellor | University of Bedfordshire". https://www.beds.ac.uk/news/2020/october/university-of-bedfordshire-appoints-new-vice-chancellor/.
6. ↑ "University Court". https://www.beds.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/chancellor.
7. ↑ "Luton University: Taking on a new identity" (in en). 2006-08-03. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/higher/luton-university-taking-on-a-new-identity-410287.html.
8. ↑ "'University College Milton Keynes' to open in 2012 – beds.ac.uk". https://www.beds.ac.uk/news/2012/april/university-college-milton-keynes-to-open-in-2012.
9. ↑ James Dyer, The Stopsley Book, Book Castle, 1998, ISBN 1-871199-04-2, pp. 56–64.
10. ↑ Good Stuff. "Putteridge Bury (Luton College of Higher Education) – Offley – Hertfordshire – England – British Listed Buildings". http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-163103-putteridge-bury-luton-college-of-higher-.
11. ↑ "Luton campus | University of Bedfordshire". https://www.beds.ac.uk/about-us/campuses/luton/.
12. ↑ "De Montfort University, Pollhill Information Centre – van Heyningen and Haward Architects". http://www.vhh.co.uk/projects/poll.htm.
13. ↑ "Aylesbury campus – beds.ac.uk | University of Bedfordshire". https://www.beds.ac.uk/about-us/campuses/aylesbury/.
14. ↑ "University ambitions in Milton Keynes" – The Guardian
15. ↑ "Milton Keynes University plans progress" – Business Weekly
16. ↑ 'University College Milton Keynes' to open in 2012
17. ↑ New £25m university campus planned for Milton Keynes – BBC
18. ↑ UCMK celebrates first birthday
19. ↑ https://www.beds.ac.uk/milton-keynes [|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
20. ↑ "Times University Ranking 2000 – Good University Ranking Guide". http://whichuniversitybest.blogspot.co.uk/2008/07/times-university-ranking-2000.html.
21. ↑ "Times University Ranking 2002 – Good University Ranking Guide". http://whichuniversitybest.blogspot.co.uk/2008/07/times-university-ranking-2002.html.
22. ↑ "Untitled Document". http://www.icknield.beds.sch.uk/bbc school report/Articles.html.
23. ↑ University of Luton – APRIL 2005
24. ↑ "Institutional audit – University of Luton". http://www.qaa.ac.uk/reviews/reports/institutional/Luton1105/summary.asp.
25. ↑ "University of Bedfordshire awarded Quality Mark for higher education – beds.ac.uk | University of Bedfordshire". https://www.beds.ac.uk/news/2015/august/university-of-bedfordshire-awarded-quality-mark-for-higher-education/.
26. ↑ "The National Centre for Cyberstalking Research - beds.ac.uk". http://www.beds.ac.uk/research/irac/nccr.
27. ↑ "Social networks 'should do more' on cyberstalking". The Daily Telegraph (London). 11 July 2011. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/social-media/8630244/Social-networks-should-do-more-on-cyberstalking.html.
28. ↑ "UK National Commission for UNESCO". http://www.unesco.org.uk/unesco_chair_in_new_media_forms_of_the_book,_university_of_bedfordshire_(2012).
29. ↑ emplod. "augmentedwonder". http://augmentedwonder.blogspot.co.uk/.
30. ↑ "University League Table 2021". The Complete University Guide. 1 June 2020. http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings.
31. ↑ "University league tables 2021". The Guardian. 5 September 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2020/sep/05/the-best-uk-universities-2021-league-table.
32. ↑ "The Times and Sunday Times University Good University Guide 2021". Times Newspapers. http://nuk-tnl-editorial-prod-staticassets.s3.amazonaws.com/2016/bespoke/university-guide/index.html.
33. ↑ "World University Rankings 2021". Times Higher Education. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2021/world-ranking#!/page/0/length/-1/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats.
34. ↑ "Teaching Excellence Framework outcomes". Higher Education Funding Council for England. https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/teaching/tef-outcomes/.
35. ↑ "Studying at the University of Bedfordshire – beds.ac.uk". http://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/eu/studying.
36. ↑ "Times Higher Education". http://www.thes.co.uk/upload/2038492/AwardsShortlist2007.pdf. [yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
37. ↑ "University of Bedfordshire «". http://www.queensawardsmagazine.com/awardwinners/university-of-bedfordshire.
38. ↑ "Search". https://www.timeshighereducation.com/search.
39. ↑ "Academic Partners | University of Bedfordshire". https://www.beds.ac.uk/centre-for-academic-partnerships/academic-partners/.
40. ↑ Bed SU. "ISSUU – The Blend Summer edition by Bed SU". Issuu. http://issuu.com/theblend/docs/blenddone/1?mode=a_p.
41. ↑ "Radio LaB are Winners at Community Radio Awards 2020". https://radiolab.beds.ac.uk/winnerscras2020/.
42. ↑ "Community Radio Awards 2020 shortlist revealed" (in en-GB). 2020-11-15. https://radiotoday.co.uk/2020/11/community-radio-awards-2020-shortlist-revealed/.
43. ↑ "Abbey makes up for lost time | Nationwide 1 | Football | Sport | Telegraph". 24 May 2007. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2001/01/21/sfgnor22.xml.
44. ↑ "Media student success stories – beds.ac.uk | University of Bedfordshire". https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/departments/media-and-performance/student-experiences/media.
45. ↑ "Gemma Hunt: BA Hons Media Performance – beds.ac.uk". 22 October 2013. http://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/departments/bim/studentprofiles/gemma-hunt.
46. ↑ "Becky Jago: BA Hons Media Performance - University of Bedfordshire". 27 September 2007. http://www.beds.ac.uk/departments/mediaartdesign/studentprofiles/becky-jago.
47. ↑ "Graduation season at Bedfordshire comes to an end in Luton - beds.ac.uk | University of Bedfordshire". https://www.beds.ac.uk/news/2017/july/graduation-season-at-bedfordshire-comes-to-an-end-in-luton.
48. ↑ "3am Interview: FUCKING THE BOOKS - AN INTERVIEW WITH BEN MYERS". http://www.3ammagazine.com/musicarchives/2004/aug/interview_ben_myers.html.
49. ↑ "Melvin Odoom – beds.ac.uk | University of Bedfordshire". https://www.beds.ac.uk/news/case-studies/melvin-odoom.
50. ↑ "Dami Olonisakin – beds.ac.uk | University of Bedfordshire". https://www.beds.ac.uk/news/case-studies/dami-olonisakin.

## External links

* University of Bedfordshire Students' Union

* v
* t
* e

Universities in the United Kingdom

England|

| East Anglia|

* Anglia Ruskin
* Cambridge
* East Anglia
* Norwich University of the Arts
* Suffolk

|

London|

| University
of London|

* Birkbeck
* City
* Courtauld
* Goldsmiths
* Institute of Cancer Research
* King's
* London Business School
* LSE
* LSHTM
* Queen Mary
* Royal Academy of Music
* Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
* Royal Holloway
* Royal Veterinary College
* School of Advanced Study
* St George's
* SOAS
* UCL

|

Other|

* Brunel
* East London
* Greenwich
* Imperial
* Kingston
* London Met
* London South Bank
* Middlesex
* Ravensbourne
* Regent's University London
* Richmond, The American International University in London
* Royal College of Art
* Royal College of Music
* Roehampton
* St Mary's
* University of the Arts London
* Westminster
* West London

Midlands|

* Aston
* Birmingham
* Birmingham City
* Bishop Grosseteste
* Coventry
* De Montfort
* Derby
* Harper Adams
* Keele
* Leicester
* Lincoln
* Loughborough
* Newman
* Northampton
* Nottingham
* Nottingham Trent
* Staffordshire
* University College Birmingham
* Warwick
* Wolverhampton
* Worcester

North|

* Bolton
* Bradford
* Central Lancashire
* Chester
* Cumbria
* Durham
* Edge Hill
* Huddersfield
* Hull
* Lancaster
* Leeds
* Leeds Arts
* Leeds Beckett
* Leeds Trinity
* Liverpool
* Liverpool Hope
* Liverpool John Moores
* LSTM
* Manchester
* Manchester Metropolitan
* Newcastle
* Northumbria
* Salford
* Sheffield
* Sheffield Hallam
* Sunderland
* Teesside
* York
* York St. John

South|

* Arts University Bournemouth
* Bath
* Bath Spa
* Bedfordshire
* Bournemouth
* Brighton
* Bristol
* Buckingham
* Buckinghamshire New
* Canterbury Christ Church
* Chichester
* Cranfield
* Creative Arts
* Essex
* Exeter
* Falmouth
* Gloucestershire
* Hertfordshire
* Kent
* Oxford
* Oxford Brookes
* Plymouth
* Portsmouth
* Reading
* Royal Agricultural
* St Mark & St John
* Solent
* Southampton
* Surrey
* Sussex
* UWE Bristol
* Winchester

Northern Ireland|

* Queen's
* Ulster

Scotland|

* Aberdeen
* Abertay
* Dundee
* Edinburgh
* Edinburgh Napier
* Glasgow
* Glasgow Caledonian
* Heriot-Watt
* Highlands and Islands
* Queen Margaret
* Robert Gordon
* Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
* St Andrews
* Stirling
* Strathclyde
* West of Scotland

Wales|

* Aberystwyth
* Bangor
* Cardiff
* Cardiff Metropolitan
* South Wales
* Swansea
* Wales Trinity Saint David
* Wrexham Glyndŵr

Overseas territories|

* Bermuda College
* Cayman Islands Law School
* International College of the Cayman Islands
* Saint James School of Medicine
* St. Matthew's University
* University of Gibraltar
* University College of the Cayman Islands
* University of Science, Arts and Technology
* University of the West Indies Open Campus

Crown dependencies|

* University of the Channel Islands in Guernsey

Non-geographic|

* Arden
* BPP
* Law
* London International Programmes
* Open

Related|

* List by date of foundation (Third-oldest in England)
* List by endowment
* List by enrolment
* Colleges within universities
* Degree abbreviations
* National Union of Students
* Rankings
* Undergraduate degree classification
* UCAS
* HEFCE
* Scottish Funding Council

* Category
* Commons
* List

0.00

(0 votes)

|

Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Organization:University_of_Bedfordshire&oldid=3863285"
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template