University of Portsmouth

The University of Portsmouth is the only university in the city of Portsmouth. It is based on two main campuses, Guildhall and Langstone. Regarded as one of the stronger performing of the Post-1992 universities, it has become increasingly important as a centre of learning.

Portsmouth has become one of the most popular universities in terms of increasing applications, with a 67% increase in applications year-on-year from the years 2001 - 2005. As a direct result, applications for places can get quite fierce, with only 20% of students actually successful in obtaining a place at the university. This makes it one of the most selective of the Post-1992 universities in the UK.

While not considered a titan of the British Higher Education system like Oxford University, Portsmouth however seems better placed than most "new" universities to deal with the flood of applications encouraged under the Labour government's policy of Mass Higher Education.

The university offers a wide range of courses, however Science and Medicine related subjects are the strongest performing, with the Pharmacology courses and teaching being rated at 7th in the UK, according to the Guardian University Rankings 2003. Business and Management Studies, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Environmental Science and Geography (Geography was rated 9th in the UK by the Guardian University Rankings 2003), as well as Modern Foreign Languages are seen as increasingly important.

History

The University was founded as the Portsmouth and Gosport School of Science and the Arts in 1869. Due to the dependence on shipping and trade to the city, the main function of the college was to train the engineers and skilled workmen who went on to work at the city docks, as well as at the large Royal Navy base situated in Portsmouth. However, due to a decline in shipping and population since the World War II, when large swathes of the city were destroyed, the college was forced to diversify in terms of it's syllabus and teaching in order to attract new students. This steadily continued until the 1960s, when, due to a massive government-sponsored expansion in Higher Education, the college was renamed Portsmouth Polytechnic. Along with this new name came the power for Portsmouth to award degrees, accredited and validated by a National Centralised board; the CNNA. The expansion of the polytechnic continued and in the late 1980s, was considered one of the largest and the best performing polytechnics in the UK. It narrowly missed being awarded University status in it's own right in 1990, and instead was awarded University status with the power to validate its own degrees along with the other Polytechnics in 1992, under the provision of the Further and Higher Education Act, 1992.

Campus

The University is split between two campuses: Guildhall and Langstone.

Langstone is the smaller of the two campuses, located on the eastern edge of Portsea Island, the island on which the city of Portsmouth sits. The campus overlooks Langstone Harbour, and is home to the Universities' Language school. It also includes a large resturant and bar, as well as a 'student village', which provides accomodation for 570 students.

Guildhall is much larger. Unlike most university campuses, it is not all enclosed on one tract of land, but the university buildings are scattered throughout the centre of the city. This campus contains much of the University's teaching facilities, nearly all of the Student Halls of residence (except the Langstone student village and two halls located on Victoria Promenade, the city's main esplanade), as well as the University library and the sports facilities which the University enjoys.

There was a third campus called Milton. However, this has since been demolished and the business school which was housed there has sinced moved to become part of the Guildhall campus.

Student Activities

The University offers a wide range of sports clubs, and fields teams to many competitions and leagues. The sports on offer vary from traditional team games like Soccer and Rugby Union, to Aquapush (a form of under-water hockey). Unsuprisingly, thanks to Portsmouth's rich maritime history and location, Sailing and Rowing are also very popular.

The university also has it's own magazine, called Pugwash and it's own radio station, Pure FM. The magazine has been voted the best student magazine in the UK in the years 2000 and 2003. Both of the media outlets are open to anyone studying at the university, and they welcome a varied mixture of contributions.

The UPSU (University of Portsmouth Student Union) is held in a large purpose-built facility in the centre of Portsmouth, close to most of the Halls of Residence as well as the competing bars in the centre of the city, such as Wetherspoons, Yates and Walkabout. The Union cost £6.5 million to build, and houses two Bars, a Nightclub and a convenience store, along with other retail outlets such as Blackwell's.

Chancellorship

The Chancellor of the University is Lord Palumbo of Walbrook, an Oxford educated property developer who was once Chairman of the Arts Council of Great Britain. He is also a Conservative peer. His son James "Jamie" Palumbo owns the Ministry of Sound music and clubs empire.

The Vice Chancellor is Prof. John Craven. Prof. Craven is an economist, educated at Cambridge University and MIT.

Notable Alumni

Simon Armitage Poet, Playwright and Lecturer

External link

• University of Portsmouth website