University of Chester

The university was founded as Chester Diocesan Training College in 1839 by a distinguished group of local leading figures in the Church of England, including future Prime Ministers William Ewart Gladstone and the 14th Earl of Derby.[7] It was the UK's first purpose-built teacher training college,[8] which makes it one of the longest established higher education institutions in the country.[8] In 1842, Gladstone opened the college's original buildings for its first intake of ten male student teachers on the Parkgate Road site, (just outside the City Walls), that the university occupies today.[9]

In 1921, Chester formally became an affiliated college of the University of Liverpool,[7] which meant that the University of Liverpool awarded Chester's qualifications and Chester's students were able to use Liverpool's facilities.

The institution was threatened with closure in the 1930s, but its future was secured by the Bishop of Chester in 1933.[10] From then on, the college continued to grow steadily. By the 1960s, as the UK was massively expanding its higher education capacity in reaction to the Robbins Report, the college was considered as a possible candidate for university status. These proposals, however, were not followed through.

The college continued to expand and women were first admitted in 1961. In 1963, the government renamed teacher training colleges to colleges of education, so Chester's name became Chester College of Education. In 1974, the number of courses was expanded beyond teacher education to include Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. To reflect its wider remit, the college was renamed Chester College of Higher Education.

In the early 1990s the School of Nursing and Midwifery (now the Faculty of Health and Social Care) was established.[7] The college also began to offer a Bachelor of Theology degree, HNDs and more postgraduate courses, such as master's degrees and PhDs.[7] It also embarked on a £10 million campus improvement programme. By 1996, Chester had earned the right to call itself University College Chester.[11][12] This name, however, was short-lived as the government changed the requirements for university colleges in 1999 to include only those that had their own degree-awarding powers. Thus, Chester had to drop the 'University College' tag and reverted to the title Chester College of Higher Education, though the more descriptive Chester, a College of the University of Liverpool was frequently used in publicity material.[8]

The college expanded in 2002 through the acquisition of the higher education faculty and campus of Warrington Collegiate Institute.[7] (The further and adult education campuses of Warrington remained independent and was known as Warrington Collegiate, until in August 2017, when it merged with Mid Cheshire College.))

In 2003 Chester was granted its own degree-awarding powers, allowing it to be known as University College Chester once again.[8] Due to its long (and well-advertised) association with the University of Liverpool, Chester continued to award Liverpool degrees until the 2005 intake of students.[13]

In 2005, University College Chester was awarded full university status and became the University of Chester.[14] This was followed by the right to award its own research degrees in 2007, ending Chester's last validation arrangement with Liverpool.

Following the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, some of the university's research was declared to be of international quality, with a proportion of 'World Leading' research in History (15% of submitted research), English, Sports Studies, and Drama (each 5% of submitted research).[15][16][17]

In 2010, the Centre for Work Related Studies (CWRS) received a commendation by the UK quality body, for its radically flexible and high quality negotiated work based learning framework - enabling professionals to customise their own qualifications, 'learn through work', and enable rapid accreditation of commercial training provision. At the same time, the funding body showcased CWRS's flexible approach to accrediting workplace learning.[18][19]

The university has expanded in recent years, buying many temporarily unused buildings all over the city and built new student accommodation at the Parkgate Road Campus in 2013.[20] In 2013 the university took over the Shell Technology Centre in Thornton, in nearby Ince, creating the Thornton Science Park.[21] In 2014, Chancellor George Osborne opened the university's new Science Park in Thornton. The campus was used for a variety of science and engineering based courses and allows students to be involved in high-level research using the campus's industry-standard facilities gifted by Shell. In 2018 the local authority, taking account of guidance from the Health and Safety Executive, refused a retrospective planning application for continued use for educational purposes on safety grounds, due to the location close to Stanlow refinery.

In 2014, Loyd Grossman, who holds an honorary degree from the university, officially opened the North West Food Research Development (NoWFOOD) Centre.

The university's coat of arms was granted by the College of Arms in 1954. The arms, pictured above, are made up of an argent shield featuring the St George's cross on which there is a golden wheatsheaf, representing the Earldom of Cheshire. In the first quarter of the shield is a clasped open book, symbolising learning. The crest features a mitre, signifying the institution's founding by the Church of England, in front of two crossed swords, which are taken from the County of Cheshire's coat of arms. The golden scroll contains the Latin motto, "qui docet in doctrina", an extract from Saint Paul's epistle to the Romans and translates as "he that teacheth, on teaching" or "let the teacher teach".[24]

The coat of arms was used as the college's logo until the early 1990s when a new logo, with a depiction of the Old College building, was introduced. The coat of arms returned to the college's logo in 2002 when a simplified version became part of the logo. The university's current logo, introduced in 2005, features the shield and scroll from the coat of arms.

From 2015, as part of the 175th-anniversary celebrations, the university's coat of arms was changed to include supporting griffins on either side – one in gold, and one in black.

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) 2010 audit praised the university for its good practice in ensuring standards and enhancing the quality of learning opportunities, the supportive relationships that underpin the learning and working in the institution and the strength of its partnership work.[30]

The Faculty of Education and Children's Services also celebrated an 'outstanding' outcome in its recent Ofsted inspection of Initial Teacher Training.[31]

• 2005–2016: Major General Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster[7]
• 2016 to date: Gyles Brandreth

Note that until university status was awarded in 2005, the Vice-Chancellor was known as the principal.

• 1839–1869: Arthur Rigg[7]
• 1869–1886: J. M. Chritchley[7]
• 1886–1890: A. J. C. Allen[7]
• 1890–1910: John Best[7]
• 1910–1935: Richard Thomas[7]
• 1935–1953: Stanley Astbury[7]
• 1953–1965: Aubrey Price[7]
• 1966–1971: Bernard de Bunsen[7]
• 1971–1987: Malcolm Seaborne[7]
• 1987–1998: Ned Binks[7]
• 1998–2019: Timothy Wheeler[7] (Foundation Vice-Chancellor and Principal)
• 2020–present: Eunice Simmons

• Stewart Ainsworth archaeologist (Department of History and Archaeology, 2010–present)
• Sir William Crookes, chemist (1855-unknown)[32]
• Elaine Graham, theologian (Department of Theology and Religious Studies, 2009–present)
• Ron Geaves, theologian (Department of Theology and Religious Studies, 2001–2007)
• Anthony Thiselton, theologian (Department of Theology and Religious Studies, 2001–2006)[33]
• Gordon Turnbull, psychiatrist (Centre for Research and Education in Psychological Trauma)
• Alan Wall, novelist (Department of English, 2004–present)
• Howard Williams, archaeologist (Department of History and Archaeology, 2008–present)

• Alan Bleasdale, screenwriter (Cert Ed, 1964–1967)
• Jim Bowen, Bullseye presenter (Cert Ed Physical Education, 1957–1959)[34]
• Sir Dave Brailsford CBE, Performance Director of British Cycling and General Manager of Team Sky, (BSc (Hons), Sports Science and Psychology, 1987–1990)
• John Carleton, international rugby union player
• Jon Clarke, international rugby league player (BSc(Hons) Sport and Exercise Sciences, 2006–2010)[16]
• George Courtney MBE, international football referee (Cert Ed Geography, 1959–1961)[35]
• Duffy, singer (BA(Hons) Commercial Music Production, 2003–2004; BA(Hons) Performing Arts, 2004–2006; dropped out)[36]
• Victoria Crebbin, Nurse (1999-2002)
• Alan Emery, geneticist (CertEd, 1945–1947)[37]
• Jo Fletcher, international footballer (MSc Exercise and Nutrition Science, 2003–2005)[38]
• Matt Greenhalgh, film director and screenwriter (BA(Hons) Media Studies with Business Management and Information Technology, 1992–1995)[35]
• Dick Howard, international footballer (HND Physical Education, 1963–1965)[39]
• Roderick Hunt MBE, children's author (Cert Ed Divinity and English, 1957–1959)[38]
• Helen Jones MP, politician (PGCE)[39]
• Eddie Lever, footballer and manager (Cert Ed, 1931–1933)[40]
• J. Thomas Looney, deviser of the Oxfordian theory (Cert Ed, 1890–1891)[41]
• Tracey Neville, international netball player (BSc(Hons) Nutrition and Exercise Science, 2004–2007)[16]
• Jon Sleightholme, international rugby union player (1991–1994)[41]
• David 'Comedy Dave' Vitty, radio presenter (BA(Hons) Media Studies and Business Management, 1992–1995)[35]
• Nicola Wilson, equestrian rider BSc(Hons) Sport and Business Management, graduated 1999)[42]
• Sir Walter Winterbottom, footballer and first manager of the England football team (Cert Ed, 1931–1933)[40]
• Rob Wotton, television and radio presenter (BA(Hons) Health and Community Studies, 1987–1990; Union President, 1990–1991)[39][43]