Wrexham Glyndŵr University Information

Wrexham Glyndŵr University (Welsh: Prifysgol Glyndŵr Wrecsam, Welsh pronunciation: [priːvˈəsɡɔl ɡlɨnˈduːr]) is a British university with campuses at Wrexham, Northop and St Asaph in north-east Wales. It offers both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, as well as professional courses. The University had 6,415 students in 2016/17.

Formerly known as the North East Wales Institute of Higher Education (NEWI), it was granted full university status in 2008 after being a member of the University of Wales since 2004. The university is named after the medieval Welsh prince Owain Glyndŵr, who first suggested the establishment of universities throughout Wales in the early 15th century.

The Universitys School of Creative Arts operates The Wall Recording Studioon its Plas Coch Campus, the former home of Calon FM Community Radio Station.

On the Wrexham campus, the University currently hosts the charity North Wales Science which operates as Techniquest Glyndwr a science discovery centre that welcomes the general public and schools.

The universitys origins date back to the opening of Wrexham School of Science and Art (WSSA) in 1887. At this time Viriamu Jones called for a University of Wales. The WSSA began offering University of London-validated degrees in science in 1924. The original name of Wrexham School of Science and Art was changed several times. In 1927, it became Denbighshire Technical Institute, becoming Denbighshire Technical College in 1939 and North East Wales Institute of Higher Education in 1975 by the merger of Denbighshire Technical College, Cartrefle Teacher Training College and Kelsterton College of Connahs Quay, Deeside. Initially, its degrees were validated by the University of Salford. Some famous alumni include William Roberts, Srinjoy Guha and Rupert Humphrey among others.

In 1993, NEWI became an associate member of the University of Wales and all further education courses in Wrexham were moved to Yale College, Wrexham (now part of Coleg Cambria). In 2004, NEWI became a full member of the University of Wales and in 2006 became accredited by the University of Wales and exercised devolved powers to validate and deliver its own degrees. The university was officially renamed "Glyndŵr University" in July 2008 after being granted degree awarding powers. The name was chosen in favour of other suggestions such as "University of Wrexham", "University of Wales, Wrexham", and "North East Wales University (NEWU)" amongst others. The university was visited by the Queen in 2003 and by HRH the Duchess of Gloucester in 2005.

In June 2014, the Home Office suspended the Universitys authorisation to sponsor international students.On 24 November 2014 Glyndŵr University has had its right to sponsor international students reinstated by the Home Office.

In 2016, the University underwent a minor name change and is now called "Wrexham Glyndŵr University".

The university has various sites in Wrexham and north east Wales. From 2011 to 2018 it ran a campus in London.

The university has two sites in Wrexham. The main site at Plas Coch covers 93 acres (380,000 m2), and was inherited from the former Cartrefle TTC which moved there in 1953. It houses over 70 seminar suites, conference suites, lecture theatres, workshops and laboratories, complemented with a library (the Edward Llwyd Centre) and learning resource facilities, as well as a sports centre, a Centre for the Creative Industries, the Centre for the Child, Family and Society, the Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium, a human performance lab, the Terry Hands studio, the Catrin Finch Centre, William Aston Hall, the Oriel Sycharth Gallery, the Welsh international hockey team, and Techniquest, a science discovery centre which is open to the public.

The other Wrexham site on Regent Street, is near to Wrexham town centre and is home to its North Wales School of Art and Design (NWSAD). It formerly housed the Denbighshire Technical College, who moved to the site in 1927 (under their previous name of Denbighshire Technical Institute).

In 2011, the university acquired the Racecourse Ground, the home of Wrexham FC, renaming it the Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium.

The university has its own music recording facilities, notably The Wall Recording Studio.

In 2008, the university took over the higher education provision of the Welsh College of Horticulture in Northop, Flintshire, and now has a full campus based at Northop on 96 acres of rural land. There is dedicated student accommodation with communal facilities including a common room with pool table, dart board, and TV, and an outdoor patio area with BBQ.

The university runs 150 programmes, offering foundation, HND/Cs, honours and masters degrees and doctorates over a broad variety of qualifications. In addition to professional courses such as nursing and social work, the university offers a range of postgraduate and undergraduate qualifications in Art and Design, Engineering, Science, Humanities, Health and Social Care, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Sports Sciences, Computing and Communication Technology, Music technology and Business. Although all courses are offered in English there are options to study or to be assessed in Welsh. A foundation degree in professional Welsh is also available.

The North Wales School of Art and Design at Wrexham Glyndŵr University was named as the best place to study Art in Wales in the Guardian University League Tables 2017 and also ranked 12th out of all UK universities.

Wrexham Glyndwr University is also number one in North Wales for getting its students jobs after graduation. The institution achieved an employability figure of 92.1% and is also above the sector average for graduate level employment, according to the latest Destination of Leavers Survey (DLHE).

WGU commenced a number of international projects in the 1980s, forming Khartoum Polytechnic, Westbank University, Lerothli Polytechnic and developed more networks of Universities in Africa and Asia. There are currently links with the British Hellenic College and TEG Singapore. Wrexham Glyndwr University is a member of the Fair Trade Coalition.

WGUs first principal (then as NEWI) was Glyn O. Phillips. He retired in 1991 and was replaced by John O. Williams. Following the retirement of Williams in 2000, NEWI appointed Michael Scott, a former student of the University of Wales, Lampeter in 2001. He was succeeded by Professor Graham Upton in January 2015 who served as interim Vice-Chancellor until 31 March 2016. The current Vice-Chancellor is Professor Maria Hinfelaar who was the President of the Limerick Institute of Technology.

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