Northeastern University – London

University in London, England

Northeastern University - LondonType| Undergraduate, postgraduate

|

Established| Incorporated 2010; announced 2011; offering tuition from September 2012
Endowment| £2.5 million (2014/15)[1]

Officer in charge

| Rob Farquharson (COO)
Founder| A. C. Grayling
Students| 500
Undergraduates| 300 students
Location|

London

United Kingdom

51°31′15″N 0°7′19″W﻿ / ﻿51.52083°N 0.12194°W﻿ / 51.52083; -0.12194
Ownership| Northeastern University
Website| nulondon.ac.uk

Northeastern University – London is a public university in London, England. It was founded in 2010 as New College of the Humanities by the philosopher A. C. Grayling, who became its first Master.[2] The college originally specialized in the humanities, social sciences, and master's degrees at the intersection of the humanities and technology. In February 2019 the college was acquired by Northeastern University, a private American research university based in Boston, Massachusetts, and rebranded as NCH at Northeastern.[3][4] A year later, in February 2020, NCH at Northeastern was granted its own taught degree awarding powers. It was awarded university title and changed its name to "Northeastern University – London" after regulatory approval by the Office for Students in July 2022.[5]

The university's campus is located in the St Katharine Docks area of London.

## History

[edit]

### Foundation

[edit]

A. C. Grayling, professor of philosophy at Birkbeck College until June 2011, secured NCH's initial funding

The foundation of the college was announced in 2011 under the leadership of A. C. Grayling, with education based around an Oxbridge-like tutorial system and fees of £18,000 a year. Initial reports said that it aimed to offer an education to rival that of Oxford and Cambridge,[6] but Grayling said this had been blown out of proportion by press hyperbole.[7] He said he had the idea for the college years ago when he was admissions tutor for St Anne's College, Oxford, and the university was turning down twelve good interviewees for every successful one.[8]

Grayling argued that there was not enough elite university provision in the United Kingdom, leading thousands of British students to study in the United States instead.[8] He told The Independent that the headmaster of Winchester College, an independent secondary school, had said many of his best students failed to get into Oxbridge because of government pressure to increase the number of students from state schools.[9] He also criticised English state examinations, arguing that A-levels do not adequately measure ability.[10]

Grayling said David Willetts, the universities minister, was told of the project in 2010, and appeared enthusiastic.[11] NCH Limited was first named Grayling Hall Limited (after A. C. Grayling and Peter Hall), incorporated in July 2010 and registered at an address in Peckham, south London. The name was changed to New College of the Humanities in February 2011.[12][13]

Initial "seed capital" of £200,000 for the project was provided, according to British newspaper The Guardian, by the financier Peter Hall.[14] £10 million in private equity funding was subsequently raised to cover costs for two years, with the expectation that NCH would break even by the third.[15] Cavendish Corporate Finance LLP were the corporate financiers hired by NCH Ltd. and raised this £10 million from a range of private investors including a number of prominent individuals from the world of business and finance.[16][17][18][19]

### Reception

[edit]

The college's founding attracted a substantial response in the UK, where most higher education institutions are publicly funded, and a significant amount of adverse publicity. There was an angry reaction from sections of the academic community. Complaints included that NCH had copied the course descriptions of the University of London's international programmes on its website; was offering the same syllabus with a significantly higher price tag; and that the senior academics involved with the project would in fact do very little of the teaching.[20] Academics were also opposed to the college's for-profit structure and high tuition fees.[21] Literary critic Terry Eagleton called the college "odious", arguing that it was taking advantage of a crumbling university system to make money;[22] Grayling responded that Eagleton himself teaches a few weeks a year at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, USA, a private - though non-profit - university.[7][23] Lawyer David Allen Green, writing in the New Statesman, described NCH as a "sham" and a "branding exercise with purchased celebrity endorsements and a PR-driven website."[24] Several academics complained in a letter to The Guardian that its creation was a setback for the campaign against the current government's policy of commercializing education, and were joined by 34 of Grayling's former colleagues at Birkbeck, who questioned how much teaching the college's 14 academic partners would actually do.[25] Terence Kealey, then Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buckingham, suggested it was dangerous to have a university funded by private equity, citing the possible collapse in 2011 of Southern Cross private nursing homes.[26]

However, Britain's former prime minister Tony Blair endorsed the college;[27] and London's mayor, Boris Johnson, called it the boldest experiment in higher education in the UK since the foundation in 1983 of the University of Buckingham, the UK's first private university; he wrote that it showed the way ahead for academics demoralized by government interference with admissions procedures and "scapegoated for the weaknesses of the schools."[8] The Times argued that higher education has been a closed shop in the UK for too long, that all over the world there are excellent universities run independently of the state, and that in its conception NCH is teaching by example.[28] The Economist wrote that there is a market for the idea because of the increasing number of qualified British students who fail to get into their university of choice, in part because of pressure on the top universities from the Office for Fair Access to increase the number of students from state schools; they added that "a 'toffs’ college' of well-heeled Oxbridge near-misses is a provocative concept."[29] The Harvard historian Niall Ferguson, one of the college's partners, said he had read the criticism of NCH with incredulity: "Anyone who cares about the humanities will be cheering Anthony Grayling."[11] Toby Young argued in The Daily Telegraph that the reaction was part of a left-wing campaign to retain state control over education, involving, he wrote, public sector unions, university lecturers, and the Socialist Workers Party.[30] Simon Jenkins wrote that the country's professors, lecturers and student trade unionists were "united in arms against what they most hate and fear: academic celebrity, student fees, profit and loss, one-to-one tutorials and America."[31]

Grayling responded to the criticism by arguing that NCH was trying to keep humanities teaching alive. He said he felt persecuted by the negative reaction: "My whole record, everything I have written, is turned on its head. Now I am a bastard capitalist. It is really upsetting. ... Education is a public good and we should be spending more on it and it shouldn't be necessary to do this, but standing on the sidelines moaning and wailing is not an option."[32] In a 2012 interview, Grayling also responded to claims that the college was "elitist": "There is nothing wrong with being elite as long as you are not exclusive. You want your surgeon or airline pilot to have been trained at an elite institution."[33]

A dozen protesters heckled Grayling at Foyles bookshop in London on 7 June 2011 during a debate about cuts to arts funding, one of them shouting that he had "no right to speak." A protester let off a smoke bomb, and 100 people were evacuated from the store.[34] Later in the week police removed protesters from a British Humanist Association talk by Richard Dawkins at the Institute of Education.[11]

The warden of New College, Oxford, asked Grayling to change his college's name in 2011 to prevent confusion with the Oxford college.[2] New College, Oxford subsequently trademarked its name.[35] In January 2012, the UK's Intellectual Property Office objected to the college name being registered as a trademark because of possible confusion with New College, Oxford.[36] The college withdrew the application,[37] and later successfully registered their logo as NCH New College of the Humanities.[38]

### Development

[edit]

The first cohort consisted of around 60 students, primarily from private schools; one in five of the college's offers have gone to state-school students. College staff made 130 visits to schools (21 to state schools) to attract applications.[39][40] They graduated in 2015.[41]

From September 2012 to September 2015, it offered tuition in economics, English, history, law and philosophy and politics and international relations for undergraduate degrees with the University of London International Programme.[42] From 2015 it ran its own degree programmes, validated by Southampton Solent University.[43] Its "Diploma of New College of the Humanities" is earned alongside the various combined BA and BSc degrees by completion of courses in applied ethics, critical reasoning, science literacy[44] and LAUNCH, its professional development programme.[45]

In 2016 NCH announced that it would be offering its first postgraduate qualification from that September, an MA in historical research and public history validated by Swansea University.[46] In 2017 the college launched three additional master's degrees, the MA Economic Policy & Communication, MSc Global Politics, and MA Philosophy.[47]

In 2018, Northeastern University, a private US institution, announced that it planned to acquire the college.[4] The take-over went ahead in 2019, with the college being renamed NCH at Northeastern. The Provost of Northeastern, who had responsibility for overseas campuses, stated that she thought the UK higher education market had opportunities for an innovation in apprenticeships and lifelong learning that could provide future growth for the college, along with an expansion of the curriculum from its liberal arts focus to become more multi-disciplinary.[48]

In February 2020, NCH was awarded renewable taught degree awarding powers for an initial period of six years.[49] In August 2020 these became indefinite after NCH was registered by the Office for Students as a publicly funded higher education provider,[50] and was registered at a charity.[51] Following the award of indefinite degree awarding powers, NCH announced in 2021 that it would seek university status and permission to use the name Northeastern University – London.[52][53] This was granted in July 2022.[54]

## Campus

[edit]

The college was initially based in a building called The Registry in Bedford Square, Bloomsbury. Since August 2021,[update] it has been based at Devon House, St Katharine Docks, London.[55][56] Students have access to the Northeastern University – London collection at Devon House, Northeastern University's online library resources and the University of London's Senate House Library.[57] It block-books rooms for its first-year students with student accommodation providers.[58]

## Academic profile

[edit]

### Courses

[edit]

The university offers undergraduate degrees in business, data science, economics, english, history, law, philosophy, politics, psychology, and computer science.[59] It offers master's degrees in artificial intelligence, ethics, data science, creative writing, politics, sustainability, investment banking and project management.[60] It also offers integrated apprenticeship degrees in the area of digital transformation. [61]

### Teaching

[edit]

Northeastern University – London holds an overall bronze award in the Teaching Excellence Framework, with bronze in both categories of student experience and student outcomes.[62]

### Fees

[edit]

The university's annual fees for home students, as of 2023, are £9,250.[63]

## Notable staff

[edit]

* Simon Blackburn, professor[64]
* Vernon Bogdanor, professor of politics
* Richard Dawkins, professor[65]
* A. C. Grayling, Master[65]
* Christopher Peacocke, visiting professor[66]
* Steven Pinker, visiting professor[67]
* Jaya Savige, lecturer in English and head of creative writing
* Peter Singer, professor[68]

## See also

[edit]

* BPP University College of Professional Studies
* Education in England
* Higher Education Act 2004
* Regent's University London
* London Interdisciplinary School

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Campus close-up: New College of the Humanities, Times Higher Education, April 30, 2015
2. ^ a b Booth, Robert. "Oxford tries to throw book at new arts college set up by A. C. Grayling", The Guardian, 8 June 2011.
3. ^ "Tertiary Education Services Limited". Register of HE Providers. HEFCE. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
4. ^ a b Redden, Elizabeth (14 November 2018). "Northeastern to Acquire London College". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
5. ^ "Regulatory case report for university title for NCH at Northeastern Limited". www.officeforstudents.org.uk. Office for Students. 20 July 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
6. ^ "New university to rival Oxbridge will charge £18,000 a year", The Sunday Telegraph, 5 June 2011.
7. ^ a b Malik, Shiv. "A. C. Grayling complains of abuse over creation of elite New College", The Guardian, 9 June 2011: "All these people are partners in the enterprise. ... They are people whose advice and expertise and experience will be provided to us because they are actual shareholders in the institution."
8. ^ a b c Johnson, Boris. "At last, an Oxbridge for those who can’t get into Oxbridge", The Daily Telegraph, 6 June 2011.
9. ^ Lawson, Dominic. "A private sector Oxbridge? Not exactly", The Independent, 7 June 2011.
10. ^ Hurst, Greg; Sugden, Joanna; Sylvester, Rachel; and Thomson, Alice. "New university founder condemns A levels," The Sunday Times, 11 June 2011.
11. ^ a b c Grimston, Jack. "Minister encouraged launch of elite college," The Sunday Times, 12 June 2011.
12. ^ For registration and change of name, see "New College of the Humanities Limited" Archived 9 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Jordan's Business Information Services, accessed 8 June 2011.
13. ^ "Terms and conditions", New College of the Humanities, accessed 8 June 2011. Archived 9 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
14. ^ Hughes, Solomon., Evans, Robert and Shepherd, Jessica. Tory party donor Peter Hall funded Anthony Grayling's university: Financier with radical Conservative libertarian views says he provided £200,000 to 'breathe life into the idea' The Guardian, Thursday, 16 June 2011, accessed Nov 2011.
15. ^ Vasagar, Jeevan. "Doubts raised over the financial model of A. C. Grayling's private university", The Guardian, 6 June 2011.
16. ^ "Cavendish Corporate Finance: Cavendish Corporate Finance successfully leads the start-up capital fundraising to create the New College of the Humanities, published 12 June 2011 (Accessed November 2011)". Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
17. ^ Booth, Robert. "New university gathers top academics to teach £18,000-a-year degrees", The Guardian, 5 June 2011.
18. ^ "Charles Watson", Financial Dynamics, accessed 5 June 2011.
19. ^ Wicks, Nikki. "FD's former CEO Charles Watson to chair controversial university college" Archived 9 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, PR Week, 6 June 2011.
20. ^ Baker, Simon. "Grayling's plans for tutorials with the stars receive poor notices from disgruntled critics", Times Higher Education, 9 June 2011.
21. ^ Gentleman, Amelia (26 October 2013). "The £54,000 degree: how well is A. C. Grayling's college doing?". The Guardian.
22. ^ Eagleton, Terry. "A. C. Grayling's new private University is odious", The Guardian, 6 June 2011.
23. ^ Terry Eagleton, Excellence in English Distinguished Visitor, University of Notre Dame, June 16, 2011
24. ^ Green, David Allen. "Grayling's Folly is falling down", New Statesman, 7 June 2011.
25. ^ For the letter, see "The shame of this 'gated intellectual community'", Letters to the editor, The Guardian, 7 June 2011.
* For the 34 former colleagues, see "Why we Birkbeck Academics oppose Grayling's New College", The Guardian, 15 June 2011.
26. ^ Kealey, Terence. "Don't call these people Ivy League pioneers", The Times, 7 June 2011.
27. ^ Long, Camilla. "A. C. Grayling: Is it safe to come out now?", The Sunday Times, 12 June 2011.
28. ^ "Experiments in Teaching," The Times, 8 June 2011.
29. ^ "One very New College, at a price", The Economist, 9 June 2011.
30. ^ "Welcome to the fight, Professor Grayling", The Daily Telegraph, 8 June 2011.
31. ^ Jenkins, Simon (9 June 2011). "A. C. Grayling has caricatured British universities. No wonder they're fuming". The Guardian.
32. ^ Vasagar, Jeevan and Booth, Robert. "A. C. Grayling's private university accused of copying syllabuses", The Guardian, 7 June 2011.
33. ^ Melville, Caspar (2012). "Saving our universities? New Humanist interviews A. C. Grayling". New Humanist. Vol. 127, no. 5.
34. ^ Hough, Andrew (7 June 2011). "A. C. Grayling forced to flee smoke bomb protest at Foyles debate on private university". The Daily Telegraph.
35. ^ "New College Oxford wants trademark protection for name". BBC News. 5 December 2011.
36. ^ Private college faces objection in trade mark bid, BBC News, 23 January 2012
37. ^ "Case details for Trade Mark 2580647" (PDF). gov.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
38. ^ "Trade mark number UK00003194592". trademarks.ipo.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
39. ^ Jeevan Vasagar, "Private-school pupils will dominate elite college set up by A. C. Grayling", The Guardian, 20 April 2012
40. ^ Robert Booth, "A. C. Grayling's private university to open with just 60 students", The Guardian, 18 September 2012
41. ^ "Graduates". 4 December 2017.
42. ^ "British academics launch £18,000 college in London", BBC News, 5 June 2011.
43. ^ Southampton Solent to validate £18K New College of the Humanities degrees: A. C. Grayling's 'Oxbridge-style' private college strikes agreement with post-92 institution, Times Higher Education, 30 July 2015
44. ^ "The NCH Diploma". New College of the Humanities. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
45. ^ "LAUNCH course structure". New College of the Humanities. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
46. ^ New College of the Humanities offers its first MA, Times Higher Education, April 17, 2016
47. ^ "Postgraduate Study". New College of the Humanities. Archived from the original on 12 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
48. ^ Nick Hirano (18 November 2018). "Administrators release details on London college purchase Administrators+release+details+on+London+college+purchase". The Huntington News.
49. ^ "Application for Taught Degree Awarding Powers: NCH at Northeastern Limited (t/a New College of the Humanities)" (PDF). Quality Assurance Agency. Privy Council Decision. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
50. ^ "Award External Examiner Handbook" (PDF). NCH. p. 3. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
51. ^ "NCH at Northeastern Limited". Charity Commission for England and Wales. Archived from the original on 13 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
52. ^ John Morgan (7 July 2021). "New name, campus and courses – but NCH clings to 'Oxbridge' dream". Times Higher Education.
53. ^ "NCH London Applies for University Title". NCH London. 6 July 2021.
54. ^ Chris Parr (20 July 2022). "Northeastern granted 'university' title in England". Research Professional News.
55. ^ Molly Callahan (11 July 2021). "Northeastern in London will relocate to bigger, modern campus for 2021-22 academic year". Northeastern University. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
56. ^ "The NCH campus". New College of the Humanities. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
57. ^ "Northeastern University – London Library Facilities". New College of the Humanities. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
58. ^ "Accommodation". New College of the Humanities. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
59. ^ "Undergraduate Degrees". Northeastern University London. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
60. ^ "Postgraduate". Northeastern University London. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
61. ^ "Apprenticeships". Northeastern University London. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
62. ^ "Summary TEF 2023 panel statement Northeastern University - London" (PDF). Retrieved 22 June 2024.
63. ^ "Fees for Undergraduate Students". New College of the Humanities. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
64. ^ "Professor Simon Blackburn | NCH". Archived from the original on 25 January 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
65. ^ a b "New university to rival Oxbridge will charge £18,000 a year". Sunday Telegraph. 5 June 2011. Archived from the original on 29 April 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
66. ^ "Professor Christopher Peacocke | NCH". Archived from the original on 17 March 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
67. ^ "The professoriate" Archived June 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, New College of the Humanities. Retrieved June 8, 2011
68. ^ "The professoriate". New College of the Humanities. Retrieved 28 October 2018.

## Further reading

[edit]

* King, Roger. "Presentation to the all-parliamentary group. Private higher education: private gain or public interest?", House of Lords, 16 June 2009.
* "The growth of private and for-profit higher education providers in the UK", Universities UK, 18 March 2010.
* "Securing a sustainable future for higher education in England" (the Browne report), Independent Review of Higher Education Funding And Student Finance, 12 October 2010.
* "Survey of private and for-profit providers of Higher Education in the UK 2009/10", Higher Education Statistics Agency, 14 April 2011.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

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