- University of North London
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University of North London 
Established 1896 (1992 as UNL) Vice-Chancellor Brian A. Roper BSc Econ (Hons) MA (Econ) D.Univ (Hon) Location London Borough of Islington, United Kingdom Campus 166-220 Holloway Road N7 8DB Affiliations Coalition of Modern Universities The University of North London was a university in the United Kingdom from 1992 to 2002. On 1 August 2002, it merged with London Guildhall University to form London Metropolitan University. The former University of North London premises now form the new university's north campus, situated on Holloway Road and Highbury Grove in the London Borough of Islington. In 1996, the university celebrated its centenary year.
Contents
Structure
Under a board of governors as body corporate, the university was organised into four faculties each led by a dean and comprising a number of schools:—
Tower Building, 166-220 Holloway Road.
- Faculty of Environmental and Social Studies
- School of Law, Governance and Information Management (formerly schools of Law and of Information and Communications Studies)
- School of Social Sciences (formerly Policy Studies, Politics and Social Research)
- School of Community Health, Psychology and Social Work (formerly schools of Health and of Social Work)
- School of Geography and Environmental Studies (until 1997)
- School of Architecture and Interior Design
- Faculty of Humanities and Teacher Education
- School of Arts and Humanities (formerly Historical, Philosophical and Contemporary Studies)
- School of Area and Language Studies (formerly European and Language Studies)
- School of Education
- Faculty of Science, Computing and Engineering
- School of Biological and Applied Sciences (formerly Applied Chemistry)
- School of Communications Technology and Mathematical Sciences (formerly Electronic and Communications Engineering and Applied Physics)
- School of Informatics and Multimedia Technology (formerly Computing)
- School of Health and Sport Science (formerly Life Sciences)
- School of Polymer Technology (founded as the National College of Rubber Technology in 1948)
- The Business School
Each faculty organised its own undergraduate and postgraduate schemes. In addition, there existed an interdisciplinary undergraduate scheme for inter-faculty combined degrees.
The Learning Centre library opened in 1994 and, in 1996, the Trades Union Congress library collections, established in 1922, transferred to the university.[1]
Vice chancellors
Name Tenure Note Prof. Leslie Wagner CBE 1992–1994 Director of the Polytechnic of North London from 1987[2] Brian A. Roper 1994–2002 Vice chancellor of London Metropolitan University to 2009[3] Following the merger with London Guildhall (formerly the City of London Polytechnic), London Metropolitan is the largest unitary university in London.
History
Northern Polytechnic Institute
Coat of arms of the former Northern Polytechnic Institute.The Northern Polytechnic opened in Holloway with aid from the City Parochial Foundation and substantial donations from the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers in 1896. Under the terms of its Royal Charter, its objective was "to promote the industrial skill, general knowledge, health and well-being of young men and women belonging to the poorer classes of Islington [and] to provide for the inhabitants of Islington and the neighbouring parts of north London, and especially for the Industrial Classes, the means of acquiring a sound General, Scientific, Technical and Commercial Education at small cost."[4] By 1911, five-year University of London evening degrees were available and, from 1925, courses were recognised by the Royal Institute of British Architects.
North Western Polytechnic
The North Western Polytechnic was eventually opened by HRH The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) at Prince of Wales Road, Kentish Town in 1929. The Polytechnic later acquired premises at St. Pancras, Highbury (Ladbroke House) and Nos. 207–225 Essex Road. Concentrating on social sciences, humanities and arts, by 1967, when the printing department transferred to the London College of Printing (a founding member of the London Institute),[5] the North Western was the largest polytechnic in London.
Polytechnic of North London
The Polytechnic of North London was founded by the 1971 merger of the Northern and North Western polytechnics. Its first Director was Terence Miller, former principal of the University of Rhodesia.[6] Until the passing of the Education Reform Act 1988, it came under the control of the Inner London Education Authority, part of the then Greater London Council. Degree awarding authority resided with the former Council for National Academic Awards until the polytechnic, a pioneer of widening participation and access to higher education, was granted university status under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992.
After leaving Oxford in 1964, the renowned historian A. J. P. Taylor lectured at the Polytechnic until his death in 1990.[7]
In 1984, Patrick Harrington, a prominent member of the National Front and deputy editor of NF News, was the subject of protests by students who picketed and boycotted his lectures, arguing that his presence made life intolerable for ethnic minority students.[8] Disputing this, Harrington obtained an injunction which the protesters, backed by the students' union, ignored.[9] At one stage the President of the National Union of Students, Phil Woolas, reported that the Polytechnic was "simply not functioning any more," with lecturers defying the courts by refusing to give names of students on demonstrations.[10] Two student leaders were sent to prison for 16 days for contempt of the court order preventing them from barring Harrington and the Secretary of State for Education, Sir Keith Joseph, threatened to close the Polytechnic down.[11]
In December, David MacDowall, then Director, resigned after pressure from the Inner London Education Authority to make a complaint against Harrington for remarks he made in a radio interview. ILEA said the remarks were racist, which Harrington denied.[12] In his resignation letter, Dr. MacDowall admitted that he had acted "in a totally fascistic manner" over the issue and wished "all the picketing students the best of luck with their campaign."[13] Harrington subsequently faced a disciplinary hearing for a television interview in which, in line with NF policy, he questioned the right of black people to citizenship.[14] In January 1985, with a new Director, John Beishon, in post and final examinations approaching, the Polytechnic, students' union and Harrington agreed a deal in which his classes would be taught separately in another building.[15] He eventually graduated with a degree in philosophy.[16] Dr. Beishon remained at the Polytechnic for three years.[17]
See also
References
- ^ Trades Union Congress Library Collections London Metropolitan University (retrieved 1 March 2010)
- ^ Utley, Alison In the news: Leslie Wagner Times Higher Education Supplement, 9 May 2003
- ^ Curtis, Polly Vice-chancellor of London Metropolitan quits The Guardian, 19 March 2009
- ^ Floud, Roderick and Glynn, Sean (eds.) London Higher: The Establishment of Higher Education in London (pp. 204 and 212) London: The Athlone Press, 1998
- ^ History of London College of Communication University of the Arts, London (retrieved 21 February 2010)
- ^ Shotgun Marriage: A Profile of the North London Polytechnic Education + Training Vol. 13, No. 5 (pp. 150-152) May 1971
- ^ Hughes-Warrington, Marnie Fifty Key Thinkers on History (p. 305) London: Routledge, 2000
- ^ Kirkwood, Richard "Changing Audiences, Changing Contexts – Reflections on 37 years with students looking at ‘Race’ issues" in Farrar, Max and Todd, Malcolm (eds.) Teaching 'race' in social sciences – new contexts, new approaches (cap. 1) The Higher Education Academy subject network for Sociology, Anthropology and Politics, 2006
- ^ Searchlight magazine, June 1984
- ^ Beckett, Francis BNP student faces boycott The Guardian, 21 May 2002
- ^ The Times, 29 November 1984
- ^ The Times, 8 December 1984
- ^ Copsey, Nigel Anti-Fascism in Britain (p. 156) London: Macmillan, 2000
- ^ The Times, 15 and 19 December 1984
- ^ The Times, 8 and 12 January 1985
- ^ Milman, David Educational Conflict and the Law (pp. 114-116) Beckenham:Croom Helm, 1986
- ^ Price, Christopher John Beishon: Managing change in a turbulent student world The Guardian, 1 May 2001
External links
- Internet Archive (University of North London, 17 January 2004)
Coordinates: 51°33′06″N 0°06′38″W / 51.5518°N 0.1106°W
Categories:- London Metropolitan University
- Universities in London
- Education in Islington
- Defunct universities and colleges in London
- Educational institutions established in 1896
- 1896 establishments in England
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