University Campus Suffolk celebrates first birthday
Aug 1 2008 12:00PM
Today, one year on from its official launch, University Campus Suffolk celebrates its first birthday. And as staff mark the celebration with the cutting of a first birthday cake, the final 21 members of staff from the Estates and IT department at Suffolk New College have moved over to UCS.
This time last year, staff and students at University Campus Suffolk were celebrating an historical moment as they marked the opening of Suffolk's first university and the transferral of 300 members of staff from Suffolk College to UCS. In the last 12 months UCS has developed rapidly and achieved some key milestones; from the university’s first intake of students last September to the development of the new waterfront building, due to open this September.
The iconic waterfront building has been an area of huge public interest, and as the scaffolding is removed the impressive structure is being revealed. With the building work on track, the facilities will be open to students arriving in September. Developing a healthy and environmentally friendly campus has been a key priority for UCS. In March 2008 UCS celebrated an excellent BREEAM (BRE’s Environmental Assessment method) rating for the waterfront building. Bob Anderson, Pro-Vice Chancellor of UCS said, ‘This excellent rating shows the commitment UCS has to the environment and the importance of developing a campus that is sustainable and considerate of the impact it will have on its surroundings. As an organisation we are keen that our students understand the issues relevant to Sustainability as it relates to their studies, research and their wider interests.’
As well as providing a dedicated higher education institution through its main campus in Ipswich and at its centres in Bury St Edmunds, Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth and Otley, UCS is working on a multi-agency project to open smaller learning centres across Suffolk. These Learning and Enterprise Access Points (LEAPS) offer those in the more remote areas of Suffolk the chance to access learning, at all levels, closer to home. This year LEAP centres have already been opened in Stowmarket, Halesworth, Mildenhall and Haverhill.
In the past year UCS also welcomed its first Students’ Union President, Howard Smith. Howard said ‘As the Union is so new and constantly evolving, students are able to get involved and see their contributions help shape life here at UCS. University is about more than getting a degree and we’re creating the opportunities for our members to get involved and get more out of their university experience.’
With comfortable and convenient accommodation available for students in and around Ipswich, and the continuing development of a diverse array of new courses to choose from, UCS has become an attractive prospect to students from all over the UK. The plans for the second phase of building developments at University Quays in Ipswich are also well underway. Plans for phase 2 include further teaching space, student union facilities and additional student accommodation.
Through the promotion of UCS at local HE fairs and at larger national events, the student recruitment team is working hard to generate national, aswell as regional interest, in UCS. The University’s most recent Open Day in July was a reflection of how far UCS has come during its first year. Students from as far as Scotland and Ireland travelled to find out more of what the University has to offer and to view the exciting new developments on the Ipswich waterfront. Richard Lister, Director of Planning and Resources said ‘The success of the open day is a sign that we’re beginning to attract people from much further afield, we’re now competing on a national stage.’