Buckinghamshire New University Information

Coordinates: 51°37′41″N 0°45′07″W / 51.628°N 0.752°W / 51.628; -0.752

Buckinghamshire New University, styled Bucks New University, is a public university with campuses in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and Uxbridge, Middlesex. The Vice-Chancellor of the University is Professor Nick Braisby. The institution dates from 1891 when it was founded as the School of Science and Art, and has since that date been re-invented variously as the Wycombe Technical Institute, the High Wycombe College of Technology and Art, and the Buckinghamshire College of Higher Education. It was a university college from 1999 until 2007 when it announced that its application for university status had been accepted.

The University is a member of the GuildHE.

Founded in 1891 as the School of Science and Art, it was initially established with public funds raised from a tax on beer and spirits and set about providing evening classes to residents of High Wycombe and the local area.

After World War I, it was renamed the Wycombe Technical Institute, forging close links with local crafts such as furniture making and cabinetry and helping to provide skills to injured war veterans in order that they might find work in local industries.

Further building took place after World War II, and on 6 May 1963 the new facilities were officially opened by the Minister of Education, Sir Edward Boyle. A new change of name, the High Wycombe College of Technology and Art accompanied this expansion.

Even as late as the 1960s, around 3,000 people worked in the manufacture of furniture in High Wycombe, and 80% of the wooden chairs manufactured in Britain were made there.

In 1975 High Wycombe College of Art and Technology merged with the Newland Park College of Education in Chalfont St Giles, and was renamed the Buckinghamshire College of Higher Education. In the same decade Missenden Abbey, a former Augustinian monastery founded in 1133, was acquired, and in May 1988 it was officially opened as a management centre by Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

In March 1999 it was awarded University College status by the government, changing its name once again to Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College. Around this time the Which University guide described it as a "concrete labyrinth", which was unlikely to be "bringing home architectural awards".

In 2007 it changed its name again, this time from "Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College" to its current name of "Buckinghamshire New University" ("Bucks") when its application for university status was approved by the Privy Council.

Alternative names such as University of Wycombe, Wycombe University, University of High Wycombe, High Wycombe University, University of Buckinghamshire and Buckinghamshire Chilterns University were rejected. The chosen name was swiftly attacked by the University of Buckingham for using the county name. Critics have argued that the New element of the universitys name will look out of place in the long-term.

Bucks had ambitious plans to consolidate its divided campuses into a purpose-built site near to Hughenden Park in High Wycombe on land previously owned by CompAir. While these plans fell through, the University changed plans to renovate and enlarge the main campus as well as consolidate both the Wellesbourne and Chalfont campuses onto the High Wycombe site. Additionally new halls of residence have been built at the Hughenden Park site.

The University is a lead academic sponsor of Buckinghamshire University Technical College, a new university technical college which opened in Aylesbury in September 2013.

In February 2015, Professor Rebecca Bunting was appointed as the new Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer of Buckinghamshire New University, taking over from Professor Ruth Farwell on her retirement.

In February 2019, Professor Nick Braisby was appointed as the new Vice Chancellor of Buckinghamshire New University, taking over from Professor Rebecca Bunting.

The University currently operates over four campuses: High Wycombe Campus (previously belonging to the High Wycombe College of Art and Technology), since 2009 a site in Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, a thriving base for nursing students and applied healthcare research, a campus in Aylesbury and a site known as Missenden Abbey which is also a conference centre.

In 2008, the University disposed of two existing campuses; the Chalfont Campus (near Little Chalfont) and the Wellesbourne Campus (near Hazlemere).

The University undertook a major development of the High Wycombe Campus with a large structure, known as the Gateway Building, being built onto the front of the existing building. It won a RIBA award in 2010.

A state-of-the-art complex, the Gateway offers a rich mix of commercial-standard facilities, including a sports/events hall, fitness centre and performance lab, dance and drama studios, sound design labs, music recording studios and video production suites, a modern integrated learning resources centre, a cafe and meeting and conference rooms. It also has green screen facilities and a motion capture system.

There is a range of accommodation at Bucks New University including halls of residence, managed houses and the student village:

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