A merger between Paisley University and Bell College, in Hamilton, has produced Scotland’s largest new university, with more than 18,000 students and the largest School of Health, Nursing and Midwifery north of the border.

The university is planning £150 million of improvements to its four campuses, with local provision within reach of 40 per cent of Scots.

However, the figures in this year’s tables apply to Paisley alone, since the new university declined to release data on Bell College.

Bell, which offered courses in business, science and technology, health and social studies, was the only higher education presence in Lanarkshire.

The new institution’s four bases are in Paisley, Ayr, Dumfries and Hamilton. Among the first developments will be a new campus in Ayr, costing more than £75 million, to be completed by 2010; £5.5 million of library and student support services in Dumfries; and a £2-million engineering centre at Hamilton.

Popularity

A new computing laboratory and an employment centre for students have already opened at Paisley. Both Paisley and Bell saw applications rise in 2007.

Paisley had enjoyed surges in popularity in the early years of the decade as students flocked to a new range of degree subjects such as computer animation, commercial music, computer games technology, sports studies and music technology. The demand for places on the education and media campus in Ayr grew by 50 per cent in a year.

The two parent institutions had proud records in attracting under-represented groups onto courses. Paisley had the highest proportion of students from areas without a tradition of higher education of any university in Britain and, at nearly 47 per cent, Bell’s was even higher.

Unfortunately, however, Paisley’s projected dropout rate of more than 23 per cent was also the highest in Scotland and Bell’s was well above average for its subjects and entry qualifications. Paisley introduced a range of measures to address the problem, including a personal tutor system, strengthened counselling support and attendance monitoring.

Outreach

Access measures are continuing, with hundreds of youngsters aged 14 and 15 attending the “University Experience” and sampling a week of student life. Paisley is Scotland’s largest town, while Hamilton is the fifth-largest.

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