Why Portsmouth?
The Institution
Our roots go back to 1869. We have grown in size and strength creating and sharing success with our students, staff, community and society.
Facts & Figures
- We are ranked among the top 400 universities in the world and the top modern university in the United Kingdom in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
- We have a total population of 23,000 students and almost 2,500 staff.
- 83% of our students are studying undergraduate courses. We have almost 4,000 international and EU students from over 100 different countries.
- 46% of our students are female and 54% are male.
- 95% of our UK students aged under 21, studying for a first degree come from state schools and colleges.
- Over 89% of our 2011 graduates went straight in to work or chose to continue their studies.
- The 2012 National Student Survey placed Portsmouth in the top 25% of mainstream English universities.
- 87% our students have reported high levels of satisfaction with their course which is higher than the national average of 84%.
- We have invested in excess of £100 million in to our buildings and resources over the last 10 years.
- Our generous fee waiver and bursary package mean that over a third of our students have their fees reduced by up to £3,000.
Our History
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1908
In 1908 the Park building opened as a Municipal college and public library. The focus was on chemistry and engineering. The roots of the University can be traced back even further to the Portsmouth and Gosport School of Science and the Arts.
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1911
By 1911 a Student Union was established. We know this from the earliest record of the Student Union newspaper The Galleon.
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1945 to 1960
The college diversified its syllabus adding arts and humanities subjects after World War 2, in response to a decline in the need for engineering skills.
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1960 to 1970
In 1960 the college was renamed Portsmouth Polytechnic. The Milldam building was purchased. It had been used as a gathering space for local militia as far back as the Napoleonic Wars.
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1970 to 1980
Work began on Frewen Library in 1977. This is now the University library. It officially opened in 1980.
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1980 to 1990
By the late 80s, Portsmouth Polytechnic had become one of the largest and best performing polytechnics in the UK.
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1990 to 1995
Portsmouth Polytechnic was granted university status, becoming the University of Portsmouth on 7 July 1992.
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1995 to 2000
1997 Professor John Craven joined the University as Vice Chancellor.
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2000
St Paul’s Sports Centre opens.
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2001
Margaret Rule Halls of Residence opens.
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2002
The Student Centre opens after the closure of Alexandra House, our old Students’ Union on Museum Road and Trafalgar Halls of Residence opens.
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2003
James Watson Halls of Residence and Spinnaker Sports Centre open.
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2004
Richmond Building opens and the Portsmouth Business School relocates from its former home on the Milton campus which closed down
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2005
William Beatty Building opens – a purpose built dental building for professions related to dentistry.
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2006
Spinnaker Building opens – a purpose built building for our Department of Sport and Exercise Science
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2007
An £11 million expansion of the University Library is completed opened in January 2007 by crime author PD James. In the same year, Sheila Hancock OBE was appointed Chancellor of the University for a five-year term.
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2008
The Dennis Sciama Building opened, a purpose-built teaching and research building and currently home to our Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation
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2009
The School of Law opens a courtroom.
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2010
Improvements carried out to Milldam Nursery and Third Space opens, an area for student study and leisure. Extension to William Beatty accommodates dental students from our partnership with King’s College London
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2012
Writer, comedian and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig is installed as Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth.
The University in the City
The University is at the heart of Portsmouth and we have a strong commitment to our regional community, and particularly to the city, embedded in our strategy. This commitment is longstanding, at least since the opening of the Municipal College in 1908. Our economic, social and cultural contributions range from being one of the largest employers in the city, to the value our highly skilled graduates add in professional roles in our schools, health and justice services, businesses, local authorities and charities.
Some contributions have a measurable economic impact: we have invested over £100 million in buildings and resources in the last decade, we have an annual turnover of £175 million and our 22,000 students study, live and spend in the city. Other work adds benefits in different ways, such as: improving the city environment by sharing expertise in urban design; students volunteering in local charities, schools and hospitals; encouraging enterprise and innovation and promoting a greater public understanding of science through lectures, schools visits, events and press comment.
Brush UP with the Dental Academy
Students at the Dental Academy have been targeting hard to reach patients, including children and the elderly, by participating in community-based projects. Portsmouth has large unmet dental care needs, with half of all children having decayed teeth by the time they start school.
So far, 17 schools and nurseries are running the Academy’s supervised tooth brushing programme, Brush UP. Students are also applying fluoride varnish to children at local primary schools and offering advice at care homes, children’s groups, probation centres and alcohol and drug detoxification centres.
Key Facts
The annual economic benefits of the University to our local community exceed £250 million.
We meet 12,000 local pupils and parents annually through our education liaison and aspiration-raising activities.
Our dental services have provided NHS dental care to more than 12,000 local people over the past seven years. In 2011/12 our students spent around 7,000 hours volunteering in the community.
Annually, we receive over 3,000 bookings for our conference and accommodation facilities, earning more than £2.2 million per year and bringing many new visitors to the city.
Equality and sustainability
Equality and Diversity
The University of Portsmouth is a diverse and vibrant community from including students from over 30 countries. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of all University activity, and we work proactively to ensure we provide an inclusive and fair environment for both staff and students.
Our commitment to social inclusion is demonstrated in our recruitment of and support for students from under-represented social groups. Our Admissions Policy reflects this commitment and our Education Strategy recognises the diverse academic and personal needs of our students.
We are committed to the advancement and promotion of careers for women in the disciplines of science, engineering and technology in both higher education and research and the University of Portsmouth is a member of the Athena SWAN charter.
Green Portsmouth
We are determined to create a low-carbon future by inspiring and motivating staff and students to commit to be mindful of environmental sustainability in all they do. We have a target to reduce our carbon emissions as a University by 30% by 2016. Initiatives to support this ambition include the management of the University’s energy consumption; recycling and waste management; a ‘green building challenge’, sustainable construction projects, a procurement code of practice and a travel plan.
The University of Portsmouth Environment Network (UPEN) was established in 2010 to coordinate the broad range of environmentally related teaching and research from across the University.
Investing in your future
Construction of a new £14 million building is currently under way to house our Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries with an additional 3,000 square metres dedicated to student teaching, learning and exhibition facilities. The new development, opening in September 2013, will complete a major investment in facilities for our students, including learning and exhibition space, a new café, a large lecture theatre and teaching spaces. There is a particular focus on the public staging, exhibition and performance of student and external artists’ work.
The new development is designed to bring together all staff and students engaged within the creative and cultural industries into one physical space, creating a central hub where creative practice can thrive. It represents a major investment in developing culture in the city and will put Portsmouth firmly on the national creative and cultural map.
Dramatic collaborations
A joint £9 million building programme is strengthening our close links with Portsmouth’s historic New Theatre Royal. It will expand the original building, creating new facilities including a brand new studio theatre and flexible performance space, prop room and specialist technical space, with a fully equipped TV studio, a high tech TV gallery, new teaching rooms, music practice rooms and performance studios.
Marine laboratories
A new £2 million aquarium and laboratory facility was recently completed for the Institute of Marine Sciences. The building houses an aquarium floor including five individual aquarium rooms, a quarantine room and specialist procedure rooms. A large research laboratory is custom-fitted with state-of-the-art molecular and general research kit. There is also a preparation room and walk-in cold room for storing samples.
Recent developments
Other recent investments include a £9 million building for the internationally recognised Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, the £11 million ‘green’ library complex which was integrated into its 1970s predecessor and which has won a host of awards, and the £9 million Dental Academy, which trains student dentists and dental professionals and where local people can receive free dental care.
