Bradford College

Infobox University
name = Bradford College


image_size = 112px
motto =
established = 1832 as Bradford Technical School
type = Further Education College
principal = Michele Sutton
city = Bradford
country = United Kingdom
colours = Green (formerly blue)
affiliations = Leeds Metropolitan University, University of Bradford (formerly)
website = [http://www.bradfordcollege.ac.uk/ www.bradfordcollege.ac.uk]
students = 25000|

Bradford College is a large further and higher education college located in Bradford in the north of England, with approximately 25,000 students. The College offers a range of full and part time courses from introductory level through to postgraduate level and caters for a variety of students, including school leavers, adults wanting to return to education, degree-level students and those seeking professional qualifications.

Bradford College offers more university level qualifications than any other college in England [cite web|url=http://www.lmu.ac.uk/the_news/feb05/bradford_signing.htm|title=Largest Education Collaboration in Country Finalised ] . with approximately 170 full and part time HE courses to choose from. Most of the college's degrees are validated by Leeds Metropolitan University; previously they were validated by the University of Bradford with the final cohort graduating in December 2007. Bradford College plans to apply for University status and award their own degrees, the application process due to formally start in May 2008 [cite web|url=http://www.bradfordcollege.ac.uk/misc/backchat_issue2.pdf|title=University Challenged|publisher=Bradford College|date=2007-05|accessdate=2008-02-11] .

History

In 1832 the Bradford Mechanics Institute was founded. In 1863 the institute had grown to accommodate full-time staff and had its own School of Industrial Design and Art. In 1872 the Bradford MP William Edward Forster opened new buildings in Bridge Street.

On June 23, 1882, the then Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) came to open the new School. They were given a very warm welcome: "From Saltaire Station to the Technical School, a distance of four miles, was one continuous avenue of Venetian masts, streamers, and many coloured banners, while at appropriate points triumphal arches of great magnificence were erected."

In 1982 the institution was named "Bradford and Ilkley Community College", after a merger with Ilkley College, giving the combined college a small satellite campus in the nearby town of Ilkley, north-east of Bradford. This was closed in 1999 [cite web|url=http://archive.cravenherald.co.uk/1998/10/17/170197.html|title=Sale of college campus is agreed|publisher=Telegraph & Argus|date=1998-10-17|accessdate=2008-02-11] and soon after the institution became "Bradford College".

In 2002 a merger between the college and the University of Bradford was proposed; this was pursued until the summer of 2003, when the two institutions issued a joint statement calling the merger off [cite web|url=http://education.guardian.co.uk/universitymergers/story/0,,1006096,00.html|title=Bradford merger fails|publisher=The Guardian|date=2003-07-25|accessdate=2008-02-11] . Beginning in 2006 the college underwent a re-brand and unveiled its current logo. A community learning centre, named "The Three Valleys Centre", was opened in nearby Keighley in 2007 which hosts a hairdressing and beauty salon (also operating on a commercial basis), as well as I.T and a range of language courses.

As part of the college's 175 year celebration, it published a list of 175 'heroes' - famous alumni of the college. This list includes ex-students such as Edward Appleton, Tasmin Archer, David Berglas, Alex Corina, Bob Hardy, David Hockney and Joyce Gould. The full list can be viewed at [http://www.175heroes.org.uk] .

A new sports centre and teaching facilities for construction and engineering students will open in 2008; this is being housed in a new purpose-built building on the site of MacMillan Halls of Residence which were demolished in 2007. Once the new building is complete a second phase is being planned with the intention of replacing the Westbrook and Randall Well buildings with a more modern structure [cite web|url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/newsindex/display.var.2031853.0.colleges_new_era_is_dawning.php|title=College's new era is dawning!|date=2008-02-09|accessdate=2008-02-11|publisher=Telegraph & Argus] [cite web|url=http://www.bradfordcollege.ac.uk/about-us/21st-century-campus|title=21st Century Campus|publisher=Bradford College] .

Bradford College's Appleton Building was named after the Bradford scientist Edward Victor Appleton, and the College's Lister Building was named after Samuel Lister.

Courses

Courses are offered in the following areas:
* Art & Design
* Beauty Therapy & Hairdressing
* Business & Accounting
* Catering & Hospitality
* Computing & IT, Childcare
* Construction, Engineering
* English & Maths
* Fashion & Textiles
* Graphic Media Communication
* Health & Social Care
* Law
* Management
* Marketing
* Public Services
* Photography
* Printmaking,
* Science
* Sport & Leisure
* Teaching & Education
* Travel & Tourism.

Historically there has not been any overlap with the courses offered by the University of Bradford, however the university launched a number of competing courses beginning in 2004.

Notable Alumni

*Alice Mahon, trade unionist and Labour Party politician
*Donald Rooum, british cartoonist
*Steven P. Taylor, writer and campaigner on penal affairs
*Sir Edmund Elton, 8th Baronet, ceramics artist and inventor
*Alex Corina, artist and community activist
*Graham Fransella, painter

References

External links

[http://www.bradfordcollege.ac.uk/ Bradford College web site]