Alumni and Development
University Timeline
|
Year |
Event |
|---|---|
|
1869 |
University founded as Portsmouth and Gosport School of Science and the Arts |
|
1908 |
Park Building opens as a Municipal College and public library focusing on chemistry and engineering (we have pictures of this) |
|
1911 |
Earliest record of a students union in Portsmouth with the September 1911 edition of The Galleon newspaper |
|
1945 |
The college diversified its syllabus and teaching to attract new students following a decline in shipping and population after World War II |
|
1960s |
The college is renamed Portsmouth Polytechnic |
| 1969 | The University purchased the building now known as Milldam. Used as a gathering space for local militia since at least as far back as the Napoleonic Wars, prior to its purchase by the University it was the Royal Engineers barracks until 1969, when the Army put the building up for sale and the then-President identified the building's potential for the university. |
| 1977 | Building work begins on Frewen Library, now known as the University Library |
| 1980 | Frewen Library officially opens |
| 1988/9 | Portsmouth Polytechnic is now one of the largest and best performing polytechnics in the UK |
| 1990s | Frewen Library is extended |
| 1991 | Trust Block Hall of Residence opens at Langstone Campus |
| 1992 | Portsmouth Polytechnic is granted university status, becoming the University of Portsmouth on 7 July 1992 |
| 1992 | Former chairman of the Arts Council of Great Britain, Lord Palumbo of Walbrook, becomes our Chancellor |
| 1994 | Langstone Flats Halls of Residence open at Langstone Campus |
| 1994 | Harry Law Halls of Residence opens on Guildhall Campus |
| 1994 | The University takes over the Milton Campus, home to the Business School for many years |
| 1996 | Sir Terence Conran accepts an honorary degree from the University of Portsmouth, as does poet Simon Armitage |
| 1996 | Portland Building opens, designed by honorary graduate Sir Colin Stansfield Smith |
| 1996 | St Michael's Building opens, used by our Faculty of Science |
| 1996 | The main hall in Park Building is converted into a lecture theatre, having previously been used for drama performances and exams |
| 1997 | Professor John Craven joins the University as our Vice Chancellor, and is still serving today |
| 1997 | Park Building undergoes significant refurbishment |
| 1997 | Rees Hall of Residence opens |
| 1999 | St Georges Building opens on the corner of Old Portsmouth High Street |
| 2000 | Sir Ranulph Fiennes is awarded an honorary degree by the University of Portsmouth |
| 2000 | St Paul's Sports Centre opens |
| 2001 | Eldon Building - refurbishment and extension of our arts buildings |
| 2001 | Margaret Rule Halls of Residence opens |
| 2001 | Terry Pratchett and John Peel OBE accept honorary degrees from the University of Portsmouth |
| 2002 | The Student Centre opens after the closure of Alexandra House, our old SU on Museum Road. This is a brand new purpose built centre |
| 2002 | Trafalgar Hall of Residence opens |
| 2003 | James Watson Hall of Residence opens |
| 2003 | Nuffield Sports Centre (now known as Spinnaker Sports Centre) opens |
| 2004 | Richmond Building opens - the Portsmouth Business School relocates from its old home on the Langstone Campus at Milton and Milton closes down |
| 2004 | Further extension of Frewen Library |
| 2005 | William Beatty Building opens - a purpose built dental building for professions related to dentistry |
| 2006 | Spinnaker Building opens - a purpose built building for our Department of Sports and Exercise Science |
| 2006 | A new Faculty of the Creative and Cultural Industries opens, aiming to create a unique hub of learning for the creative industries on the South Coast. |
| 2007 | University Library completes an £11m expansion (January) |
| 2007 | Sheila Hancock OBE was appointed Chancellor of the University for a five year term |
| 2008 | Dennis Sciama Building opens - a purpose built teaching and research building and currently home to our Institute of Cosmology |
| 2009 | Mock Courtroom, used by the School of Law, opens |
| 2010 | Improvements carried out to Milldam Nursery and a state-of-the-art Newsroom is developed for our Journalism students. Alongside this, the new Milldam Student Centre was installed. |
| 2010 | Third Space opens, a new area for student study and leisure time |
| 2010 | The Students' Union was the first Students' Union within England and Wales to register as a full charity. |
| 2012 | Sandi Toksvig takes over as Chancellor of the University in October |
| 2012 | Honorary degrees awarded to: Rear Admiral John Lippiett, CB MBE, Chief Executive of the Mary Rose Trust; biographer Claire Tomalin; and Professor Kevin Warwick, Professor of Cybernetics at the University of Reading in recognition of their outstanding achievement in their field or their contribution to society. |
| 2012 | The University buys former Land Registry premises, St Andrew's Court, creating premises for teaching our students as well as providing office space for a number of professional support service departments. |