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London Metropolitan University

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London Metropolitan University
London Metropolitan University logo
Established 2002
President Sir Roderick Floud
Vice-Chancellor Brian Roper
Location London, United Kingdom
Students 33,000 total
Homepage http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/
London Metropolitan University is a young and diverse university in London with around 33,000 students. London Metropolitan University was formed in August 2002 by the amalgamation of London Guildhall University and the University of North London.

Contents

History

London Metropolitan University's Campus North.
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London Metropolitan University's Campus North.

London Metropolitan University was created on 1 August 2002 by the merger of London Guildhall University (now London City campus) and the University of North London (now London North campus).

Prior to the merger both institutions had long histories of providing vocational education in the City and north and east London, both as previous Polytechnics.

On 28 October 2005, the current president, Roderick Floud, was formally knighted by HRH Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.

London City campus

The London City campus is the site of the former London Guildhall University, near Aldgate East, Tower Hill and Liverpool Street tube stations.

The roots of the education institutions in this area go back to 1848 when the then Bishop of London set up evening classes to improve the moral, intellectual and spiritual condition of young men in the metropolis.

The Metropolitan Evening Classes for Young Men became the City of London College, which in 1970 merged with the Sir John Cass's College of Arts and Science to become City of London Polytechnic. The London College of Furniture was incorporated into the Polytechnic in 1990.

In line with most former "Polys", the Polytechnic was made a university in 1992, and adopted the name London Guildhall University.

London North campus

London North campus is the site of the former University of North London, near Holloway Road and Highbury & Islington tube stations.

The campus began life in 1896 as the Northern Polytechnic Institute. By 1900, student numbers had doubled and later the Institute's evening degrees were recognised by the University of London.

In the early 1970s, the Northern Polytechnic merged with the North Western Polytechnic and became the Polytechnic of North London. In 1992, the Polytechnic was converted to become a University.

Most of North campus’ buildings are on Holloway Road. The Polytechnic of North London (a precursor of The University of North London and London Met) was founded as the Northern Polytechnic Institute with aid from London Parochial Charities funds, under a scheme of 1892, and substantial donations from the Clothworkers' Company of London.

The first building, designed by Charles Bell, was opened in 1896 fronting Holloway Road, with blocks added on one-and-a-half acres. The great hall (later the theatre) was opened in 1897 and large additions were made in 1902, designed by AW Cooksey. In 1923 the polytechnic acquired 3/4 of an acre between the existing buildings and Hornsey Road, which had been cleared of slums, and the women's department rooms were built in 1927. Nevertheless, in 1929 overcrowding had led to the use of Forster board school nearby, and a grant was received to extend the building department.

Further extensions were needed in 1937 but prevented by war. New premises for the National College of Rubber Technology were opened in Benwell Road in 1952 and additional catering facilities in 1954 and 1955. Shortage of space persisted, despite a tower block opened in 1966 and the use of Marlborough House office block from 1974, and in 1980 the polytechnic had annexes in Prince of Wales Road, St Pancras, Ladbroke House, Highbury Grove, nos. 207-225 Essex Road, and nos. 2-16 Eden Grove.

Early courses were mainly in evening classes, providing technical instruction for mechanics and artisans, besides general education for 14-year olds. There was also a training school for teachers and a day school, which in 1902 became a mixed secondary school and later Highbury Grove school.

Among the first courses were natural sciences, engineering, architectural and building studies, and domestic subjects for women, and the polytechnic was soon approved by the University of London for teaching internal degrees in sciences. A domestic economy school, started in 1899 to train girls for domestic service, from 1916 evolved into a secondary school with a domestic bias and in 1930 made way for more advanced work in the women's department.

From 1913 rationalization amongst polytechnics caused the Northern to give up engineering and the arts, and concentrate on sciences, building, and women's classes. From 1915 a music trades' school trained apprentices in local industries, especially the making of pianos, organs, and brass instruments. It gave rise to radio courses in 1929 and eventually to the department of Electronic and Communications Engineering. In 1920 courses in rubber technology were started, forming in 1948 the foundation for the polytechnic's College of Rubber Technology, which had its own building from 1952. The School of Architecture also emerged as a major training centre, with courses recognized by the RIBA from 1925.

After the Second World War full-time day courses became more important than evening and part-time. The three secondary schools associated with building, rubber, and music trades, which had 236 boys, had been reduced by 1939 and in 1951 were moved out, but facilities for post-graduate research remained restricted until the polytechnic became one of the 24 regional colleges set up in 1956 to cater for advanced study, and more premises were built. In the 1960s the major departments were rubber; electronic engineering; architecture (pictured left), surveying and building; chemistry; physics; mathematics.

In 1967 the polytechnic covered four-and-a-half acres with 200 full-time and 250 part-time staff, and 1,100 fulltime and 4,000 part-time students, including 360 taking postgraduate courses or research and 800 taking postgraduate short courses. In 1971 the Northern polytechnic was amalgamated with the North-western to form the large Polytechnic of North London, with 4,000 full-time and 3,000 part-time students in addition to those taking specialised short courses.

There have been more new buildings added to the North campus in recent years. The Learning Centre, that includes library, IT and language learning facilities, the Tech Tower, with 700 computer terminals, a new building for architecture, the Arcade Hall of Residence and the Graduate Centre designed by Daniel Libeskind.

In 2002, both universities announced that were to form a new university under the name of London Metropolitan University.

London Met operates the archive, library and museumThe Women's Library (London), which houses the archives of the Fawcett Society, and other material on the history of feminism. Other special collections are the TUC Library and the Irish Studies Collection (links below).

Campus Buildings

City Campus

North Campus

The new, Deconstructivist Graduate Centre on Holloway Road designed by Daniel Libeskind.
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The new, Deconstructivist Graduate Centre on Holloway Road designed by Daniel Libeskind.

Ratings and Awards

Ratings

London Met has received top marks from the QAA in Business Law, Business Administration and International Business.

Creative Writing Awards

London Metropolitan University gave its final creative writing award ceremony in May 2005. The Poet Laureate Andrew Motion gave prizes to poets and short story writers.

Academics/Teachers

Notable Alumni

External links

Universities in London
University of the Arts | Brunel | City | East London | Greenwich | Kingston | University of London | London Metropolitan | London South Bank | Middlesex | Roehampton | Royal College of Art | Thames Valley | Westminster

 

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