University of Central Lancashire
Encyclopedia
The University of Central Lancashire (or UCLan) is a university
based in Preston, Lancashire
, England.
The university has its roots in The Institution For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge which was founded in 1828. In 1992 it was granted University status by the Privy Council. The university is the fourteenth largest in the UK
in terms of student numbers.
's Temperance Society. The society was born from a pledge made by seven Preston working men (whose names can be seen on a plaque in the university's library) to never again consume alcohol.
The Institute was housed in a classical-revivalist building on Cannon Street, before eventually expanding under the endowment of a local lawyer, Edmund Robert Harris, who died in 1877. The expansion brought with it several new buildings and houses in the nearby Regent Street were purchased and demolished as a consequence. The institute became a regional centre of excellence for the arts and sciences.
As part of Queen Victoria
's Diamond Jubilee
celebrations in 1897, the Institute's trustees paid the Victorian
/Edwardian architect Henry Cheers to design the "Victoria Jubilee Technical School" (later known as the Harris Institute and now known as the Harris Building), to be built on Corporation Street. Its goal was to provide local youths with a technical education in all areas. The building was progressive for the period, being powered entirely by electricity.
The Institute existed in this state until 1932 when it changed its name to become the Harris Art College. It underwent further expansion and in 1952 and became the Harris College. In 1973 this became Preston Polytechnic then the Lancashire Polytechnic in 1984. In 1992, full university status was awarded and the University of Central Lancashire came into existence.
The Journalism division, now part of the School of Journalism, Media and Communication, is one of the oldest in the country, opening as part of the Harris College in 1962. In 1991, it became one of the first to teach journalism undergraduate degrees, with a strong emphasis on practical work.
The University contains the following schools:
The main club venue at the Students' Union, "53 Degrees", has two floors with a bar on each and often hosts top bands. Across two rooms, total capacities are 1,200 & 400 for club nights and 1,500 and 400 for all live gigs. The adjoining bar, "Source", opens seven days during terms.
There are over 25 Sports Clubs run by the Students’ Union. Many have block bookings at STFSC in term-time for training and matches. The Sports Clubs participate in British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) competitions and have home and away fixtures.
The University outdoor sport facilities can be found at UCLan Sports Arena (USA) which is located just 2 miles away.
Local facilities are hired to provide sports not available on the main campus e.g Canoeing, Climbing, Golf, Horse Riding, Tennis, Trampolining and Windsurfing.
The Foster Sports Centre, situated at the centre of the campus, was recently extended and refurbished. It accommodates indoor sports including badminton, tennis, basketball, volleyball, football, hockey, netball and fencing. Additionally, the centre has a gymnasium.
Also open to students, staff, alumni and the community is the Preston Sports Centre, opened in 2000 by The Princess Royal
. The £12 million arena provides facilities for Athletics (8 lane track), Rugby League
, Rugby Union
, Football (5 grass pitches) Hockey
(2 floodlit all weather pitches) Netball
and Tennis
(4 floodlit courts) and Cycling
(1.5 km circuit), as well as an eight lane athletics area, equipped for school, club and county competitions.
The University runs a raceteam, UCLAN Racing, which competes in the North West Club Formula Ford Championship; it finished 3rd in the championship and 2nd in 2009.
New Universities
The term new universities has been used informally to refer to several different waves of new universities created or renamed as such in the United Kingdom. As early as 1928, the term was used to describe the then-new civic universities, such as Bristol University and the other "red brick...
based in Preston, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England.
The university has its roots in The Institution For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge which was founded in 1828. In 1992 it was granted University status by the Privy Council. The university is the fourteenth largest in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in terms of student numbers.
History
The Institution for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge was founded in 1828 by Joseph LiveseyJoseph Livesey
Joseph William Livesey was an English temperance campaigner, social reformer, local politician, writer, publisher, newspaper proprietor and philanthropist.-Early life:...
's Temperance Society. The society was born from a pledge made by seven Preston working men (whose names can be seen on a plaque in the university's library) to never again consume alcohol.
The Institute was housed in a classical-revivalist building on Cannon Street, before eventually expanding under the endowment of a local lawyer, Edmund Robert Harris, who died in 1877. The expansion brought with it several new buildings and houses in the nearby Regent Street were purchased and demolished as a consequence. The institute became a regional centre of excellence for the arts and sciences.
As part of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
's Diamond Jubilee
Diamond Jubilee
A Diamond Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 60th anniversary in the case of a person or a 75th anniversary in the case of an event.- Thailand :...
celebrations in 1897, the Institute's trustees paid the Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
/Edwardian architect Henry Cheers to design the "Victoria Jubilee Technical School" (later known as the Harris Institute and now known as the Harris Building), to be built on Corporation Street. Its goal was to provide local youths with a technical education in all areas. The building was progressive for the period, being powered entirely by electricity.
The Institute existed in this state until 1932 when it changed its name to become the Harris Art College. It underwent further expansion and in 1952 and became the Harris College. In 1973 this became Preston Polytechnic then the Lancashire Polytechnic in 1984. In 1992, full university status was awarded and the University of Central Lancashire came into existence.
The Journalism division, now part of the School of Journalism, Media and Communication, is one of the oldest in the country, opening as part of the Harris College in 1962. In 1991, it became one of the first to teach journalism undergraduate degrees, with a strong emphasis on practical work.
University structure
- Art, Design and Performance
- Built and Natural Environment
- Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences
- Dentistry
- Education and Social Science
- Forensic and Investigative Sciences
- Health
- Journalism, Media and Communication, University of Central LancashireJournalism, Media and Communication, University of Central LancashireThe School of Journalism, Media and Communication, University of Central Lancashire is one of the UK's longest established centres of journalism teaching, growing out of the Harris College, Preston.-Education:...
- Lancashire Business School
- Lancashire Law School
- Languages and International Studies
- Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences
- Psychology
- School of Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education
- Social Work
- Sport, Tourism and the Outdoors
International collaborations
Via partnerships with local organizations, students have the possibility to register to UCLan undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in almost twenty countries on the globe, outside the UK: In Europe, Africa, Asia, the middle-East and the USA. In some of the partnerships, students have the possibility to study an entire programme of studies, for instance a Bachelor from Year 1 to Year 3 included, and thus graduate from the university, without being physically there. The quality of the programmes delivered outside Preston is monitored by stringent quality controls. As of March 2011, UCLan programmes can be found in Austria, China, Cyprus, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Malaysia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine, USA, Vietnam.Students' union
Sport
As of September 2011 The Foster Sports Centre has been closed down and a the new Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre (STFSC) has opened, it is a completely new purpose built indoor facility on the main University campus. It offers an extensive programme consisting of Student Union (SU) Sports Clubs, instructor led classes and individual training. There are seven activity areas on seven floors:- Fitness Suite: Technogym cardiovascular, resistance machines, kinesis and free weights.
- Cardio Zone: Cardiovascular workout area.
- Sports Hall One and Two: Badminton, Basketball, Dodgeball, Fencing, 5-a-side Football, Hockey, Netball, Rock-it-ball, Tennis and Volleyball.
- Studio Red: Belly Dancing, Circuit, Dance, Hatha Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Karate, Jiu Jitsu, Legs, Bums and Tums, Spinning, Tai Chi, Table Tennis and Yolates.
- Studio Blue: Aerobix, Boxercise, Circuit, Kombat, Kung Fu, Pilates, Salsa, Step, Studio Weights, Tae Kwon Do and Zumba.
- Squash Court
There are over 25 Sports Clubs run by the Students’ Union. Many have block bookings at STFSC in term-time for training and matches. The Sports Clubs participate in British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) competitions and have home and away fixtures.
The University outdoor sport facilities can be found at UCLan Sports Arena (USA) which is located just 2 miles away.
Local facilities are hired to provide sports not available on the main campus e.g Canoeing, Climbing, Golf, Horse Riding, Tennis, Trampolining and Windsurfing.
The Foster Sports Centre, situated at the centre of the campus, was recently extended and refurbished. It accommodates indoor sports including badminton, tennis, basketball, volleyball, football, hockey, netball and fencing. Additionally, the centre has a gymnasium.
Also open to students, staff, alumni and the community is the Preston Sports Centre, opened in 2000 by The Princess Royal
Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
. The £12 million arena provides facilities for Athletics (8 lane track), Rugby League
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
, Rugby Union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, Football (5 grass pitches) Hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
(2 floodlit all weather pitches) Netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
and Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
(4 floodlit courts) and Cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
(1.5 km circuit), as well as an eight lane athletics area, equipped for school, club and county competitions.
The University runs a raceteam, UCLAN Racing, which competes in the North West Club Formula Ford Championship; it finished 3rd in the championship and 2nd in 2009.
Notable alumni
- Mike Allen, broadcaster on Smooth Radio
- Jim BamberJim BamberJim Bamber is a British artist and editorial cartoonist specialising in motorsport, who is best known for his motor racing related caricatures which incorporate his distinctive driver designs, that now adorn every issue of Autosport magazines as well as his annual compilation of cartoons from the...
, illustrator for AutosportAutosportAutosport is a weekly magazine covering motorsport, published in the United Kingdom every Thursday by Haymarket Consumer Media. It was first published on 25 August 1950 by Gregor Grant, immediately prior to the Silverstone International Trophy meeting of that year...
(Preston College of Art) - Barra BestBarra BestBarra Best is a broadcast journalist with BBC Northern Ireland. He currently works as a journalist for BBC Newsline.-Broadcasting career:...
(Journalist and weather presenter, BBC NewslineBBC NewslineBBC Newsline is the BBC's regional television news service for Northern Ireland. The programme is broadcast on BBC One from BBC Northern Ireland's headquarters in Broadcasting House, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast....
) - Polly BillingtonPolly BillingtonPolly Billington is a former BBC journalist who worked on the Today programme before becoming a special advisor to Ed Miliband. She was the media director for his successful bid in the Labour leadership election, 2010.She is currently seeking to represent Labour as its prospective parliamentary...
, journalist and special adviser to Ed MilibandEd MilibandEdward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition... - Angelique Chrisafis, Paris correspondent, The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- Isioma DanielIsioma DanielIsioma Nkemdilim Nkiruka Daniel is a Nigerian journalist whose 2002 newspaper article comment involving the Islamic prophet Muhammad sparked major religious riots and caused a fatwa to be issued on her life.-The 2002 Nigeria riots:...
, journalist - Victoria DerbyshireVictoria DerbyshireVictoria Derbyshire is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster who currently presents the mid-morning news/current affairs & interview programme on BBC Radio 5 Live between 10am and 12noon each weekday...
, broadcaster on BBC Radio Five LiveBBC Radio Five LiveBBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries... - Mary Fitzpatrick, photographer, visual artist Liverpool Art PrizeLiverpool Art PrizeThe Liverpool Art Prize is contemporary art competition open to professional artists based in the Liverpool City Region area of the United Kingdom.-Background:The inaugural competition took place in 2008....
- Andy GoldsworthyAndy GoldsworthyAndy Goldsworthy, OBE is a British sculptor, photographer and environmentalist producing site-specific sculpture and land art situated in natural and urban settings. He lives and works in Scotland.-Life and career:The son of F...
, visual artist. - Nina HossainNina HossainNina Hossain is a British journalist, presenter and newscaster.Hossain is currently employed on a freelance basis by ITN where she is the main presenter of ITV London's regional news programme London Tonight. Nina also acts as a relief newscaster for ITV News.-Background:Hossain was born in...
, ITV NewsITV NewsITV News is the branding of news programmes on the British television network ITV. Since 1955, ITV's news bulletins have been produced by Independent Television News . The channel's news coverage has won awards from the Royal Television Society, Emmy Awards and BAFTAs. Between 2004 and 2008, the...
broadcaster - Lee MaversLee Mavers__notoc__Lee Anthony Mavers is an English musician from Liverpool, England. Mavers was the songwriter, singer and rhythm guitarist in The La's and is perhaps best-known for the hit "There She Goes" in the late 1980s....
, founding member of Liverpool band The La'sThe La'sThe La's were an English rock band from Liverpool, originally active from the mid-1980s to early 1990s. Fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist Lee Mavers, the group is most famous for their hit single "There She Goes". The band was formed by Mike Badger in 1984 and Mavers joined soon after... - Sally Naden, broadcaster on BBC Radio LancashireBBC Radio LancashireBBC Radio Lancashire is the BBC Local Radio service for the county of Lancashire, in North West England. It began as BBC Radio Blackburn on 26 January 1971 on 96.4FM, then adding 854 kHz AM in 1972 and changing to its current name on 4 July 1981...
- Mark Jenkins, Chief Executive of West Bromwich Albion Football Club
- Simon KelnerSimon KelnerSimon Kelner is a British journalist and newspaper editor. Kelner was editor-in-chief of The Independent and Independent on Sunday newspapers. He was appointed in May 1998 to succeed Andrew Marr and Rosie Boycott and ended his tenure in 2008...
, Editor of The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
. - James O'DonnellJames O'DonnellJames O'Donnell may refer to:*James O'Donnell , 19th century United States Representative from Michigan*James O'Donnell , American sports promoter and founder of the NFL's Cleveland Tigers...
, Actor, Comedian and Hero. - Ian PayneIan PayneIan Payne is a British television broadcaster who has appeared on Radio 5 Live, Sky Sports News and Sky Sports. He is the son of Peter Payne, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist.-Early career:...
, Sky sports broadcaster - Darren Phillips, author.
- Jonathan ThompsonJonathan ThompsonJonathan Thompson, born in Salford, Greater Manchester, November 1976 is a British television presenter but he is also an actor and entrepreneur and photographic model. He is an avid collector of classic arcade games-Early life:...
Presenter for shows on SKYSkyThe sky is the part of the atmosphere or outer space visible from the surface of any astronomical object. It is difficult to define precisely for several reasons. During daylight, the sky of Earth has the appearance of a pale blue surface because the air scatters the sunlight. The sky is sometimes...
, BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
& NickelodeonNickelodeon UKNickelodeon is a children's television channel available on Sky, Virgin Media, Smallworld Cable, TalkTalk TV and UPC Ireland in the United Kingdom and Ireland, including on demand on BT Vision. The channel was launched on 1 September 1993...
. He is also a well known video game entrepreneur. - Bryan TalbotBryan TalbotBryan Talbot is a British comic book artist and writer, born in Wigan, Lancashire, in 1952. He is best known as the creator of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and its sequel Heart of Empire.-Career:...
, award winning comic book artist and writer. - Brent SadlerBrent SadlerBrent Sadler is a former CNN correspondent to the Middle East, lived in Beirut, Lebanon for the past decade, where he has been CNN's bureau chief since 1997....
, CNN correspondent - Ben Sebborn, Co-Founder of Skiddle LtdSkiddle LtdSkiddle Ltd or simply Skiddle is a Preston-based business dealing with events, bookings, ticketing systems and includes one of the UK's largest What's On Guides, receiving a Hitwise Top 10 Award every month since 2008 and in August 2011, Skiddle was awarded the Hitwise Top 6 Award.-History:Skiddle...
- Kevin Silverton, head of news, BBC Asian NetworkBBC Asian NetworkBBC Asian Network is a British radio station serving those originating from and around the Indian subcontinent. The music and news comes out of the main urban areas where there are significant communities with these backgrounds. The station has production centres in Birmingham, Leicester and London...
- Ranvir SinghRanvir SinghRanvir Singh is an English news presenter and reporter for the regional BBC news programme, BBC North West Tonight.-Background:...
, BBC Radio Five Live and television presenter - Tjinder Singh, lead singer of CornershopCornershopCornershop are a British indie rock band formed in 1991 by Wolverhampton-born Tjinder Singh , his brother Avtar Singh , David Chambers and Ben Ayres , the first three having previously been members of Preston-based band General Havoc, who released one single in 1991...
- John StapletonJohn StapletonJohn Martin Stapleton is an English journalist and presenter. He is currently working as a freelancer with various media outlets.-Television career:...
, television presenter on WatchdogWatchdogWatchdog may refer to:Dog*Guard dog, a dog that barks to alert its owners of an intruder's presenceIn computing* Watchdog timer, a device in computer softwareConsumer protection...
and many others - Donald Stokes, Baron StokesDonald Stokes, Baron StokesDonald Gresham Stokes, Baron Stokes was an English industrialist. He was the head of British Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd from 1968 to 1975.-Life and career:...
, industrialist and life peer. - Mike Sutton (criminologist)Mike Sutton (criminologist)Michael "Mike" Sutton is the originator of the Market Reduction Approach to theft. Described by Marcus Felson as classic research and as a simple idea, Sutton's MRA has had a significant influence upon theory and practice regarding stolen goods markets and markets for other illicit commodities...
Originator of the Market Reduction ApproachMarket Reduction ApproachIn 1796, the London magistrate Patrick Colquhoun observed that "It rarely happens that thieves go upon the highway, or commit burglaries, until the money they have previously acquired is exhausted," and that "...without a safe and ready market he [the thief] is undone." Recognizing the key role... - Kevin Silverton, head of news, BBC Asian NetworkBBC Asian NetworkBBC Asian Network is a British radio station serving those originating from and around the Indian subcontinent. The music and news comes out of the main urban areas where there are significant communities with these backgrounds. The station has production centres in Birmingham, Leicester and London...
- Mark TattersallMark TattersallMark Tattersall is a journalist and news reporter for ITV program Granada Reports.Tatterstall grew up in Preston and attended Hutton Grammar School and University of Central Lancashire. He is now a reporter for ITV program Granada Reports where he usually reports on stories from the northern...
, television presenter Granada Reports - Jonathan ThompsonJonathan ThompsonJonathan Thompson, born in Salford, Greater Manchester, November 1976 is a British television presenter but he is also an actor and entrepreneur and photographic model. He is an avid collector of classic arcade games-Early life:...
Presenter for shows on SKYSkyThe sky is the part of the atmosphere or outer space visible from the surface of any astronomical object. It is difficult to define precisely for several reasons. During daylight, the sky of Earth has the appearance of a pale blue surface because the air scatters the sunlight. The sky is sometimes...
, BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
& NickelodeonNickelodeon UKNickelodeon is a children's television channel available on Sky, Virgin Media, Smallworld Cable, TalkTalk TV and UPC Ireland in the United Kingdom and Ireland, including on demand on BT Vision. The channel was launched on 1 September 1993...
. - Don WarringtonDon WarringtonDon Warrington, MBE is a Trinidadian British actor.-Personal life:Warrington was born in Trinidad and Tobago on 23 May 1951 and brought up in Newcastle upon Tyne, England from age five. His father was the Trinidadian politician, Basil Kydd, who died in 1958. He has two sons.His acting career...
, veteran actor. - William Watt (journalist)William Watt (journalist)William Watt is a journalist working for the Blackpool Gazette.Watt gained a Masters Degree at the University of Central Lancashire in Journalism before taking up the role of Digital Sports Reporter at the Lancashire Evening Post, a post he held for two years. He moved to the Blackpool Gazette in...
, 2010 Digital Journalist of the Year