HEFCE increases investment in University Campus Suffolk
Oct 5 2009 12:00AM
University Campus Suffolk (UCS) has been awarded an additional 200 student places in 2010-11 by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). This supports student growth in Ipswich and follows HEFCE's £19.6m investment in UCS in recent years. Nine higher education (HE) centres have received investment from HEFCE as part of a programme to enhance the learning opportunities for local people and increase the skill levels of those who have little or no experience of higher education.
The £19.6m investment, the largest amount of funding received by any of the higher education centres, has been invested into the landmark Waterfront Building and further campus developments. Work is already underway on the second dedicated academic building for UCS and the new University Quay building (UQ1) is due to be completed in autumn 2010.
An increase of 200 student places in 2010-11 will also ensure that UCS continues to grow and provide adults and young people with the opportunity to experience HE in an area that did not previously have a separate HE institution.
Sir Alan Langlands, Chief Executive of HEFCE, said “We are committed to improving access to high quality learning and teaching. Developing existing higher education centres has enabled us to raise the relatively low levels of participation in many parts of the country. These centres have the capacity to transform people’s lives and broaden their horizons.”
Richard Lister, Acting Chief Executive Officer at UCS, added “The support we have received from HEFCE has enabled UCS to grow very rapidly with modern attractive buildings in Ipswich, and for that we are extremely grateful. The additional student numbers we have received will allow us to grow further by developing existing and new courses which will benefit our current and potential students as well as employers and the regional economy.”