University of Chichester

The University of Chichester is a public university located in West Sussex, England, which became a university in 2005. Campuses are based in the city of Chichester and the nearby coastal resort of Bognor Regis and an associate campus for commercial music on the Isle of Wight. The University of Chichester has 14 departments, with specialisms including Humanities, Sport, Musical Theatre and Education. Its heritage stretches back into the nineteenth century when, in 1839, Bishop Otter College was established. Since 2013, both campuses have seen major expansion-led building works through National Lottery funding and other funding. The University of Chichester is a member of The Cathedrals Group.In the early part of the 19th century, there was considerable debate about the role of church and state in university education. In 1828 students were accepted for the first secular university institution in the country, which later became University College London. In response, it was felt that London needed another university institution where the role of the Church would be formally recognised. In 1829 King's College London was established, with William Otter as its first Principal.William Otter moved on to become Bishop of Chichester in 1836 and took an earnest interest in the promotion of education. After his death, a college for training schoolmasters was established as his memorial in April 1839. Eventually, Bishop's Training College moved to new buildings on the new site in October 1850 and was named Bishop Otter College. These buildings are the historic core of the University at the Chichester campus. In 1873 the College became a training college for women as a result of the campaign by Louisa Hubbard to encourage the acceptance of women as teachers. Male students were not introduced until 1957.In 1942, during the Second World War, students and staff of the College were evacuated to Stockwell College in Bromley and the RAF took over Bishop Otter College. Chichester played a crucial part in the D-Day landings of 1944, where one of the lecture rooms on the Bishop Otter campus became the Operations Room of RAF Tangmere, the nerve centre controlling squadrons of fighter planes involved in the D-Day landing. The Bognor Regis College of Education was set up in 1946 as an emergency training college for men and women to meet the severe shortage of teachers after the war. It was located in a crescent of three beautiful Regency houses.The West Sussex Institute of Higher Education was formed in 1977 as a result of the merger between the two colleges (Bishop Otter College and the Bognor Regis College of Education) it was a single institution of higher education, which allowed the two colleges to retain some of their traditions and identity. Initially, degrees were awarded by Sussex and Southampton Universities, but the Institute moved to a single degree awarding body, the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) and then with the demise of the Council, the Institute became an accredited college of the University of Southampton, awarding Southampton degrees. To confirm its unitary identity and prime location, in 1995, the Institute changed its name to Chichester Institute of Higher Education. In 1999 the Institute gained degree awarding powers in its own right and the name was changed to University College Chichester. The title 'University of Chichester' was approved by the Privy Council on 12 October 2005.Our missionTo provide outstanding education, advance knowledge and benefit the world.Our visionTo achieve national and international recognition for the excellence of our teaching, research and innovation.We will secure full acknowledgment as an outstanding university with a strong externally-facing focus.As the only university in West Sussex, we recognise the economic, social and cultural importance of ‘place’ and the need to meet both local and global challenges.Key strategic themesWe will strengthen the distinctiveness of the Chichester student experience as high-quality, personalised, accessible and aspirational.We will increase the size and diversity of our student body.We will provide an excellent staff experience based on the core values of the University community.We will achieve disciplinary and cross-disciplinary excellence in research and innovation.We will increase external academic engagement, meeting regional needs and securing national and international recognition.We will build on our heritage in teacher education.We will contribute to the development of a strong economic ecosystem in West Sussex through imaginative business partnerships, enterprise education and support for graduate start-ups.We will develop attractive and environmentally sustainable campuses.

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