University of the West of England, Bristol Information

The University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE Bristol) is a public research university, located in and around Bristol, England, which received university status in 1992. In common with the University of Bristol and University of Bath it can trace its origins to the Merchant Venturers Technical College, founded as a school in 1595 by the Society of Merchant Venturers.

The university is made up of several campuses in Greater Bristol. Frenchay Campus is the largest campus in terms of student numbers as most of its courses are based there. City campus provides courses in the creative and cultural industries, and is made up of Bower Ashton Studios, Arnolfini, Spike Island, and Watershed. The institution is affiliated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and validates its higher education courses. Frenchay Campus and Glenside Campus are home to most of the Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, with a further Adult Nursing cohort based at Gloucester Campus. Hartpury Campus provides training in animal sciences, sport, equine, agriculture and conservation.

The university is ranked among the top 25 higher education institutions in England for its graduate employment prospects. Recent figures show 96% of recent graduates are in employment or further study, with 78% in professional roles. Last year[when?] the university celebrated its highest ever student satisfaction levels, with 87% of students indicating they were happy with the quality of their course.

In 2018 the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) awarded the University of the West of England with Gold rating, which is awarded for consistently outstanding and of the highest quality found in the UK Higher Education sector. It is only one of four universities in the UK to have a University Enterprise Zone providing space for over 70 businesses, and the largest UK robotics lab.

The University of the West of England can trace its roots back to the foundation of the Merchant Venturers Navigation School, which was founded in 1595.

In 1894, the school became the Merchant Venturers Technical College. The University of Bristol was formed just a few years after this, leaving the college for the foundation of UWE Bristol. The college was partly responsible for the creation of the Bristol College of Science and Technology (BCST) in 1960, which later gained a royal charter to form the University of Bath in 1965.

The technical college in turn became Bristol Polytechnic in 1970; the then-main campus was at Ashley Down, now a campus of the City of Bristol College.

Bower Ashton Studios was formed in 1969 as the West of England College of Art which was formerly the art school of the Royal West of England Academy in Queens Road, Bristol. The St Matthias site (which is no longer owned by the university) was originally built in Victorian times and was a teacher training college. These campuses, together with campuses in Redland, Ashley Down, Unity Street and Frenchay became part of Bristol Polytechnic around 1976.

The institution gained university status and its present name as a result of the Further and Higher Education Act, 1992. The Avon and Gloucestershire College of Health which is now Glenside Campus and the Bath and Swindon College of Health Studies joined in January 1996. Hartpury campus joined in 1997. The university is a lead academic sponsor of Bristol Technology and Engineering Academy, a new university technical college.

In the spring of 2016, UWE Bristol launched a rebranding campaign which introduces a new look to the university, with a new logo as part of the Strategy 2020.

UWE Bristols largest and primary campus is named after the nearby village of Frenchay in the civil parish of Winterbourne. It is located 4 miles north of Bristol city centre, with Filton to the West and Stoke Gifford to the North.

An £80 million student village located at the Frenchay campus, which includes a sports centre and rooms for 2000 students, opened in 2006.

In August 2006, a new sports centre was opened at Frenchay. In September 2008 UWE Bristol purchased the major part of neighbour Hewlett Packards adjoining land, resulting in a 70-acre (28-hectare) expansion to their current 80-acre (32 ha) campus.

In 2012, major changes were introduced to the Frenchay campus at UWE Bristol. First, the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, the largest robotics laboratory in Europe, was opened and later on in the same year the UWE Bristol International College was opened to students. The International College provides international students with the necessary academic, subject-based and English language skills needed to successfully progress on to a degree course at UWE Bristol.

The Students Union opened its new build in 2015; it is two interlinked buildings bringing all Students Union services together.

In autumn 2016 Future Space, a business incubator for hi-tech companies, was opened adjacent to the Bristol Robotics Laboratory on Frenchay Campus. It is only one of four universities in the UK to have a University Enterprise Zone providing space for over 70 businesses.

The new Bristol Business School building at Frenchay Campus was completed in 2017. It houses the Bristol Business School and Bristol Law School.

Plans to develop an engineering building with teaching and research facilities will be located next to the new Bristol Business School in the heart of Frenchay Campus. It is expected open to students and staff in the summer of 2020.

City Campus is made up of Bower Ashton Studios, Spike Island, Arnolfini and Watershed.

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