The former UCE Birmingham (originally the University of Central England) was renamed Birmingham City University in 2007 to emphasise its location, reinforce its close links with the city and give the university a stronger identity.

It must wish it had made the change years ago, having seen applications soar by more than 35 per cent – one of the biggest increases ever at any university – at the start of 2009.

The switch was part of the new Vice-Chancellor’s strategy to build on the university’s traditionally close links with business and the professions.

An emphasis on employability is underlined by a £300,000 project to create “future-proof” graduates with training and education resources to help develop skills and knowledge for the workplace.

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The annual satisfaction survey goes to half of the student body, in a model that helped inform the new national equivalent. The results are taken seriously: a recent exercise led to the introduction of internet tutorials in engineering and new help with research for undergraduates in law and social science. The long-standing initiative is just one of the activities of the influential Centre for Research into Quality, headed by one of the university’s most senior academics.

Access

The university has a proud record of extending access to higher education: nearly 46 per cent of its students come from working-class homes and 98 per cent attended state schools or colleges. The drop-out rate had crept up to almost 20 per cent in the latest figures, although this was still close to the national average for the university’s courses and entry grades.

About half of the full-time students come from the West Midlands, many from ethnic minorities. BCU also has one of the largest programmes of part-time courses in Britain, making it the biggest provider of higher education in the region. Students can enter through the network of associated further education colleges, which run foundation and access programmes.

Campuses

Eight campuses straggle across the city, but about half of students are concentrated on the modern City North campus at Perry Barr, three miles from the city centre.

A new city-centre campus in the Eastside district, near Millennium Point, has been given planning permission and will form the centrepiece of a £250-million investment in new and improved facilities.

It will cater for about 10,000 students in creative and performing arts, media, technology and design. The 2001 relocation of engineering and computing to Millennium Point provided a new focus for the university. Facilities in the £114-million Lottery-funded centre are open to the public.

The Birmingham School of Acting also moved into £4-million purpose-built facilities at Millennium Point in 2007.

The Edgbaston campus has been refurbished for the Faculty of Health, with a prize-winning library, IT suites, teaching facilities and recreational space.

The Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD) spreads over four campuses from Gosta Green and the impressive listed Venetian Gothic Fine Art campus at Margaret Street, both in the city centre, to Bournville. This facility was refurbished at a cost of £20 million and occupies part of the Cadbury village. The largest Institute of its kind outside London, it also includes the world famous and newly refurbished School of Jewellery in the city’s famous Jewellery Quarter.

One of the university’s best-known features is its Conservatoire, housed in part of Birmingham’s smart convention centre. Courses from opera to world music have given it a reputation for innovation, which was recognised in an excellent rating for teaching.

Most other teaching ratings were mediocre, although art and design, education and health subjects scored well and the teacher education courses consistently produce among the best scores in Ofsted inspections. The university was awarded a national Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning health and social care.

High-tech

The university has been increasing its portfolio of high-tech degree courses like electronic commerce, communications and network engineering, electronic systems and mechanical engineering systems.

Its research funding will double after successful assessments in 2008, which registered at least some ‘world-leading’ work in all seven areas covered by the university’s submission. In art and design, 30 per cent was given the top grade, placing BCU in the top ten for the subject.

Accomodation and facilities

University-owned accommodation is guaranteed for first years, and there is a relatively cheap and plentiful private sector housing sector. The Pavilion, adjacent to the City North Campus, has added £4.5 million of conference and sports facilities, comprising 43 acres – giving 12 outdoor pitches for field sports. Further new sports facilities are planned for City North Campus by 2009–10.

A new students’ union complex opened on the Westbourne campus in the summer of 2006, and the city's youth scene is highly rated.

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