Coventry University
Encyclopedia
Coventry University is a post-1992 university
in Coventry
, West Midlands
, England. Under the terms of the Further and Higher Education Act of 1992
, the institution's name was changed from Coventry Polytechnic to Coventry University. However, its roots can be traced back to 1843 with the Coventry College of Design.
The university is the first institution in the UK to offer the disaster management programme. Its faculties and schools include the Coventry School of Art and Design
, The Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, The Faculty of Engineering and Computing and the Faculty of Business, Environment and Society which includes the expanding Coventry Business School.
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Coventry University has a long tradition as a provider of education. It can trace its roots as far back as Coventry College of Design in 1843. It was in 1970 that Coventry College of Art amalgamated with Lanchester College of Technology and Rugby College of Engineering Technology. The resulting institution was called Lanchester Polytechnic: 'Lanchester' after the Midlands automotive industry pioneer, Dr Frederick Lanchester
. In 1987 the name changed to Coventry Polytechnic and in 1992 it adopted the title Coventry University.
Between 1970 and 1987 the institution's name (then Lanchester Polytechnic) caused a certain degree of confusion as it was occasionally mistaken for both Manchester Polytechnic and Lancaster University
, whilst there is also a small town in Co. Durham called Lanchester
. The history of the institution is explored in its new publication The Phoenix Rises.
The University's logo designed by A. Faris shows a phoenix
, a mythical bird with splendid plumage, reputed to live in the Arabian Desert
. Fabled to be the only one of its kind, it lived for five or six centuries, after which it burned itself to death on a funeral pyre of aromatic twigs ignited by the sun and fanned by its own wings. It rose from the ashes with renewed youth to live through another cycle. Such a symbol is a fitting reminder of the way in which the City of Coventry
rebuilt itself after suffering devastation during the Second World War. It is a symbol with which Coventry University is proud to be associated and to have adopted as its own. In the summer of 2006 the symbol was flipped on its vertical axis in order to portray the head of the phoenix looking to the right. The reason behind the decision was the desire to portray the university as looking forward rather than back. As such all of the signs on the campus buildings were removed and replaced with new stainless steel ones in which the phoenix looked right. The difference can be seen on this page. The logo to the top right of this page is the revised logo (post 2006). In the picture of Coventry University's main building, the Alan Berry Building to the right, the logo is pre-2006, as the building predates the change of logo.
The University currently occupies a purpose-built 33 acres (133,546.4 m²) campus in Coventry City Centre. Recent changes have included upgrading the accommodation for Nursing
, Midwifery
and Paramedic Science students in the newly refurbished Richard Crossman
Building, and the opening of a Sports Centre. In addition, Coventry University Advanced Digitising and Modelling Laboratory opened in December 2002 and is formally known as the Bugatti
Building. It provides full-sized vehicle design and styling facilities and is the only resource of its kind in the world attached to a university. The University has a £20 million library that has won awards for its highly innovative interior design which features a light distribution system to make the most of natural light throughout the building.
One of the most recent additions to the campus is an aerospace
laboratory, which features a Harrier Jump Jet and Scout helicopter.
Another development for both the University and for the city has been the creation of the 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) Coventry University Technology Park. It is home to the TechnoCentre, a unique complex offering a focus for training, conferences and business opportunities; the Enterprise Centre, a £3 million development providing dedicated accommodation for new small- and medium-sized enterprises; and the Coventry and Warwickshire New Technology Institute, which works with companies to address skills shortages in ICT and advanced technology.
The HEFCE data (2009-2010) showed that based on the number of students entering the university with minimum A levels results of AAB, Coventry University is ranked 42 overall in the U.K.
is the radio station of the Students' Union. The hot mix station has been running for several years, previously under the guise of Phoenix Radio, set-up by now Virgin Radio
jockey Kelly-Anne Smith. The station was rebranded Source FM in 2001, ahead of a full relaunch in January 2006 as Source Radio. In Early 2007 Source Radio acquired its AM license. In 2008 Coventry University launched an internet TV station called CUTV, the link can be found in the video clips section below. In June 2009 Coventry University launches the University's iTunes U site which now has over 600 educational podcasts and videos for anyone to download for free.
CUSU is a registered charity that acts as a representative and campaigning organisation for students at Coventry University. There is also a commercial arm, CUSU Commercial Services which runs the Square One student venue, also located in The Hub.
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...
in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, England. Under the terms of the Further and Higher Education Act of 1992
Further and Higher Education Act 1992
The Further and Higher Education Acts 1992 made changes in the funding and administration of further education and higher education within the United Kingdom. The most visible result was to allow thirty-five polytechnics to become universities. In addition the Act created bodies to fund higher...
, the institution's name was changed from Coventry Polytechnic to Coventry University. However, its roots can be traced back to 1843 with the Coventry College of Design.
The university is the first institution in the UK to offer the disaster management programme. Its faculties and schools include the Coventry School of Art and Design
Coventry School of Art and Design
Coventry School of Art and Design is part of Coventry University in Coventry, West Midlands in the UK. It is home to a number of departments that teach and research in the areas of art, media and design including the Department of Industrial Design, The Department of Media and Communication, the...
, The Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, The Faculty of Engineering and Computing and the Faculty of Business, Environment and Society which includes the expanding Coventry Business School.
History
Frederick Lanchester
Frederick William Lanchester, Hon FRAeS was an English polymath and engineer who made important contributions to automotive engineering, aerodynamics and co-invented the field of operations research....
. In 1987 the name changed to Coventry Polytechnic and in 1992 it adopted the title Coventry University.
- 1829 Mechanics Institute: merges with the Religious and Useful Knowledge Society in 1835; becomes the Coventry Institute in 1855, merges with the new Technical Institute in 1902 and becomes the Lanchester College of Technology in 1960.
- 1929 Rugby College of Technology and Arts: work divided between Lanchester College of Technology and Rugby College of Engineering Technology in 1960.
- 1843 Coventry College of Design: becomes Coventry School of Art, 1852, and transfers science classes to the Technical Institute in 1888, becomes Municipal School of Art in 1902, and is designated College of Art in 1954.
- 1970 Merge of all three of the above (Lanchester College of Technology, Rugby College of Engineering Technology and College of Art) leads to Lanchester Polytechnic.
- 1987 Coventry Polytechnic
- 1992 Coventry University
Between 1970 and 1987 the institution's name (then Lanchester Polytechnic) caused a certain degree of confusion as it was occasionally mistaken for both Manchester Polytechnic and Lancaster University
Lancaster University
Lancaster University, officially The University of Lancaster, is a leading research-intensive British university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established by Royal Charter in 1964 and initially based in St Leonard's Gate until moving to a purpose-built 300 acre campus at...
, whilst there is also a small town in Co. Durham called Lanchester
Lanchester
Lanchester may refer to:Places*Lanchester, County Durham, village in England*Lanchester Polytechnic, former name of Coventry UniversityPeople*Elsa Lanchester , Oscar-nominated English character actress*Frederick W...
. The history of the institution is explored in its new publication The Phoenix Rises.
Logo
Phoenix (mythology)
The phoenix or phenix is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indian and Phoenicians....
, a mythical bird with splendid plumage, reputed to live in the Arabian Desert
Arabian Desert
The Arabian Desert is a vast desert wilderness stretching from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman to Jordan and Iraq. It occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula, with an area of...
. Fabled to be the only one of its kind, it lived for five or six centuries, after which it burned itself to death on a funeral pyre of aromatic twigs ignited by the sun and fanned by its own wings. It rose from the ashes with renewed youth to live through another cycle. Such a symbol is a fitting reminder of the way in which the City of Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
rebuilt itself after suffering devastation during the Second World War. It is a symbol with which Coventry University is proud to be associated and to have adopted as its own. In the summer of 2006 the symbol was flipped on its vertical axis in order to portray the head of the phoenix looking to the right. The reason behind the decision was the desire to portray the university as looking forward rather than back. As such all of the signs on the campus buildings were removed and replaced with new stainless steel ones in which the phoenix looked right. The difference can be seen on this page. The logo to the top right of this page is the revised logo (post 2006). In the picture of Coventry University's main building, the Alan Berry Building to the right, the logo is pre-2006, as the building predates the change of logo.
Campus
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
, Midwifery
Midwifery
Midwifery is a health care profession in which providers offer care to childbearing women during pregnancy, labour and birth, and during the postpartum period. They also help care for the newborn and assist the mother with breastfeeding....
and Paramedic Science students in the newly refurbished Richard Crossman
Richard Crossman
Richard Howard Stafford Crossman OBE was a British author and Labour Party politician who was a Cabinet Minister under Harold Wilson, and was the editor of the New Statesman. A prominent socialist intellectual, he became one of the Labour Party's leading Zionists and anti-communists...
Building, and the opening of a Sports Centre. In addition, Coventry University Advanced Digitising and Modelling Laboratory opened in December 2002 and is formally known as the Bugatti
Bugatti
Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti....
Building. It provides full-sized vehicle design and styling facilities and is the only resource of its kind in the world attached to a university. The University has a £20 million library that has won awards for its highly innovative interior design which features a light distribution system to make the most of natural light throughout the building.
One of the most recent additions to the campus is an aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
laboratory, which features a Harrier Jump Jet and Scout helicopter.
Another development for both the University and for the city has been the creation of the 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) Coventry University Technology Park. It is home to the TechnoCentre, a unique complex offering a focus for training, conferences and business opportunities; the Enterprise Centre, a £3 million development providing dedicated accommodation for new small- and medium-sized enterprises; and the Coventry and Warwickshire New Technology Institute, which works with companies to address skills shortages in ICT and advanced technology.
Building names
Coventry University has adopted a policy of naming its buildings after those with a significant local or regional impact. Buildings and their main faculty or school are:- Alan Berry, Director and Chief Executive, West Midlands Engineering Employers' Association
- AlmaBattle of AlmaThe Battle of the Alma , which is usually considered the first battle of the Crimean War , took place just south of the River Alma in the Crimea. An Anglo-French force under General St...
, The street upon which this building stands is named after the Battle of the Alma in the Crimean War (used for the Faculty of Engineering and Computing, specifically the engineering subjects)
- Armstrong SiddeleyArmstrong SiddeleyArmstrong Siddeley was a British engineering group that operated during the first half of the 20th century. It was formed in 1919 and is best known for the production of luxury motor cars and aircraft engines.-Siddeley Autocars:...
Building, Coventry company, renowned for the design and manufacture of cars, aero engines and aircraft, which became part of the Rolls Royce group in 1966.. Armstrong Siddley is one of the main buildings for the Faculty of Engineering and Computing, (specifically the Computing and Maths subjects).
- Charles Ward Building, Governor 1973–1988 and Vice Chair of the Board of Governors 1982–1988 (building shared between the use of the Faculty of Business, Environment and Society & Faculty of Health and Life Science)
- Ellen TerryEllen TerryDame Ellen Terry, GBE was an English stage actress who became the leading Shakespearean actress in Britain. Among the members of her famous family is her great nephew, John Gielgud....
, the famous Shakespearean English actress of the nineteenth century. This building houses the School of Art and Design (specifically performing arts, music and media production)
- Frederick LanchesterFrederick LanchesterFrederick William Lanchester, Hon FRAeS was an English polymath and engineer who made important contributions to automotive engineering, aerodynamics and co-invented the field of operations research....
Building, Coventry-based designer and constructor of the first British petrol-driven motor car; inventor and major international figure in aeronautics. (this houses the library, a book shop and a resource shop)
- George EliotGeorge EliotMary Anne Evans , better known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, journalist and translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era...
building, Novelist, critic and poet. George Eliot was the pseudonym of Mary Ann Marian née Evans born at Arbury, near Nuneaton. Like the Charles Ward building is shared between Faculty of HLS and BES
- Graham SutherlandGraham SutherlandGraham Vivien Sutherland OM was an English artist.-Early life:He was born in Streatham, attending Homefield Preparatory School, Sutton. He was then educated at Epsom College, Surrey before going up to Goldsmiths, University of London...
, painter and print-maker, especially for his contribution to Coventry through the creation of the world-famous tapestry, which hangs in the Cathedral. Is one of the main buildings for the School of Art and Design.
- JaguarJaguar (car)Jaguar Cars Ltd, known simply as Jaguar , is a British luxury car manufacturer, headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, England. It is part of the Jaguar Land Rover business, a subsidiary of the Indian company Tata Motors....
Building, sponsored by the car/engineering company 'Jaguar'. (Home of the School of Life Long Learning and The Centre For The Study of Higher Education)
- James StarleyJames StarleyJames Starley was an English inventor and father of the bicycle industry. He was one of the most innovative and successful builders of bicycles and tricycles. His inventions include the differential gear and the perfection of chain-driven bicycles.-Early life:Starley was born in 1831 at Albourne,...
Building, British inventor of the Coventry tricycle and father of the bicycle industry. Is again shared between the Faculties BES and HLS
- Maurice Foss Building, former Deputy Director of Coventry Polytechnic and one of the University's Honorary Life Fellows. Is mainly used by the Faculty of Engineering and Computing.
- Richard CrossmanRichard CrossmanRichard Howard Stafford Crossman OBE was a British author and Labour Party politician who was a Cabinet Minister under Harold Wilson, and was the editor of the New Statesman. A prominent socialist intellectual, he became one of the Labour Party's leading Zionists and anti-communists...
, political journalist and British Labour politician, representing Coventry East from 1945–1974. This is the main building for the Faculty of Health and Life Science.
- Sir Frank WhittleFrank WhittleAir Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS was a British Royal Air Force engineer officer. He is credited with independently inventing the turbojet engine Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, OM, KBE, CB, FRS, Hon FRAeS (1 June 1907 – 9 August 1996) was a British Royal Air...
, inventor and pioneer of the jet engine and supersonic flight. (This used to be used for the Faculty of E&C but has recently been demolished. It will be replaced by the new, as-yet unnamed Student Enterprise Centre, and is scheduled for completion by 2012)
- Sir John Laing, builder; civil engineering contractor; benefactor to many charitable organisations.
- Sir William LyonsWilliam LyonsSir William Lyons , known as "Mr. Jaguar", was with fellow motorcycle enthusiast William Walmsley, the co-founder in 1922 of the Swallow Sidecar Company, which became Jaguar Cars Limited after the Second World War....
, co-founder in 1922 of the Swallow Sidecar CompanySwallow Sidecar CompanyThe Swallow Sidecar Company was founded on 4 September 1922 by two friends, William Walmsley and William Lyons . Both families lived in the same street in Blackpool, England. Walmsley had previously been making sidecars and bolting them onto reconditioned motorcycles...
, maker of motorcycle sidecars, and which became Jaguar Cars Limited
- William Morris, 1st Viscount NuffieldWilliam Morris, 1st Viscount NuffieldWilliam Richard Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield GBE, CH , known as Sir William Morris, Bt, between 1929 and 1934 and as The Lord Nuffield between 1934 and 1938, was a British motor manufacturer and philanthropist...
founder of the Morris car company, which owned this building as part of its engine production unit.
Honorary Graduates
Each year the University awards a number of Honorary Degrees. Some notable recipients are:- Steven Hoggett, Theatre (Doctor of Literature 2010)
- Sir David Phillips, Policing (Doctor of Laws 2010)
- Sir Bruce KeoghBruce KeoghProfessor Sir Bruce E. Keogh, KBE, FRCS is Medical Director of the National Health Service in England.-Biography:He was born in Zimbabwe where he attended school at St George's College, Harare.- Medical career :...
, Clinician (Doctor of Science 2010) - Douglas Chamberlain, Medicine (Doctor of Science 2008)
- Kevin WarwickKevin WarwickKevin Warwick is a British scientist and professor of cybernetics at the University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom...
, Scientist (Doctor of Science 2008) - Sarah Tremellen, Fashion Designer (Doctor of Business Administration 2008)
Rankings
Based on the Sunday Times Good University Guide (UK) 2012, Coventry University is ranked 52 out of 122 ranked universities in the U.K. It is ranked among the Top Ten modern, post 92 universities. According to the Guardian University Guide, Coventry University is ranked 62 out of 119 ranked universities.The HEFCE data (2009-2010) showed that based on the number of students entering the university with minimum A levels results of AAB, Coventry University is ranked 42 overall in the U.K.
Radio and TV station
Source RadioSource Radio
Source Radio is a radio station operating from Coventry, England. It is a division of the Coventry University Students' Union, and broadcasts to the Campus and beyond, online...
is the radio station of the Students' Union. The hot mix station has been running for several years, previously under the guise of Phoenix Radio, set-up by now Virgin Radio
Virgin Radio
Absolute Radio is one of the UK's three Independent National Radio stations. The station rebranded to its current name at 7.45am on 29 September 2008.The station is based in London and plays popular rock music...
jockey Kelly-Anne Smith. The station was rebranded Source FM in 2001, ahead of a full relaunch in January 2006 as Source Radio. In Early 2007 Source Radio acquired its AM license. In 2008 Coventry University launched an internet TV station called CUTV, the link can be found in the video clips section below. In June 2009 Coventry University launches the University's iTunes U site which now has over 600 educational podcasts and videos for anyone to download for free.
Students' Union
Coventry University Students' Union CUSU has a variety of membership services including supporting more than 100 Sports clubs and societies, a free advice centre, a volunteering department. The Students' Union relocated to The Hub in August 2011.CUSU is a registered charity that acts as a representative and campaigning organisation for students at Coventry University. There is also a commercial arm, CUSU Commercial Services which runs the Square One student venue, also located in The Hub.
See also
- Coventry School of Art and DesignCoventry School of Art and DesignCoventry School of Art and Design is part of Coventry University in Coventry, West Midlands in the UK. It is home to a number of departments that teach and research in the areas of art, media and design including the Department of Industrial Design, The Department of Media and Communication, the...
- Coventry University Business SchoolCoventry University Business SchoolCoventry Business School is a business school located in Coventry, United Kingdom and a part of Coventry University. The School is home to a number of departments, including: the Department of Strategy and Applied Management; the Department of Economics, Finance and Accounting; the Department of...
- Department of Media and Communication
- :Category:Alumni of Coventry University
- :Category:Academics of Coventry University
- David Bailey (economist)David Bailey (economist)Professor David Bailey is a British academic economist at Coventry University and Chair of the Regional Studies Association.-Academic career:...
- Jon BillsberryJon BillsberryProfessor Jon Billsberry is a British academic organisational psychologist at Deakin University. He has management roles in the Academy of Management and the British Academy of Management.-Academic career:...
External links
- Coventry University website
- Coventry University Students' Union website
- Coventry University Official Facebook Page