Outstanding' reputation helps seal University status for UCB

Students and staff at University College Birmingham (UCB) are celebrating after the Privy Council awarded the Higher Education institution full university status.

The accolade comes hot on the heels of an OFSTED inspection for UCB’s further education provision in which the university gained an overall Grade 1 Outstanding. An unprecedented further nine areas were awarded Grade 1 Outstanding including teaching, learning, safeguarding, equality and management and leadership.

Nigel Moss, Chancellor, University College Birmingham Corporation said:

“Gaining University status will further strengthen our position in the higher education sector and help to highlight our continuing commitment to providing courses that give students the skills and knowledge they need to embark on careers in the industries we serve. UCB has proudly become one of the five universities in Birmingham, creating a more diverse higher education offering and raising the profile of the city both nationally and internationally.”

To mark the University’s commitment to investment in the future, UCB is set to spend over £50 million on building brand-new first class facilities for FE and HE students alike. Phase One of a new campus in the Jewellery Quarter will be completed and ready to start a new academic year in September 2013 and will feature the latest audio and visual learning technology, a dedicated Postgraduate Centre and a 24-hour flexible learning centre. Work on Phase Two will begin at the end of 2013 and see the development of a new campus for further education students.

The University currently has over 5,500 higher education students and nearly 2,500 further education students engaged in full and part-time vocational, undergraduate and postgraduate degree studies. Core subjects centre on hospitality, tourism, business, sport and education and students access quality, industry-standard facilities, wide ranging placement opportunities and comprehensive study support. In 2011, nearly 90% of its students went on to employment or further study.

The new status will help to seal the university’s position as a first-class higher education institution, offering greater clarity to employers and students alike.