Swansea Metropolitan University - History

History

The University has seen a significant evolution in its history over the past 150+ years.

For most of the twentieth century there were - in addition to Swansea University - three separate further educational institutions serving the city of Swansea: the Swansea (Municipal) School of Art and Crafts (established in 1853); the Swansea College of Education (established in 1872) and Swansea Technical College (established in 1897).

During this time, the School of Art and Crafts, one of the oldest in Britain, was based on Alexandra Road not far from its present location at the bottom of Mount Pleasant hill opposite Swansea Central Police Station.

The former College of Education was based in the Townhill area of the city where the Metropolitan University's teaching and humanities courses are still taught.

The Technical College, located in Mount Pleasant, was a well known and respected supplier of vocational qualifications; where many of the Metropolitan University's programmes are still based, including business, computing, engineering and construction.

In 1976 the three institutions came together to form the West Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education. In 1992 the institution was renamed Swansea Institute of Higher Education and became an independent Higher Education Corporation away from local authority control. In 2008 and following a successful two-year inspection, the Privy Council gave permission for the institution to be renamed Swansea Metropolitan University.

Despite these radical changes, the University has stayed close to its roots, with the three founder institutions still reflected in the four Faculties that make up the University today. They are:

The Faculty of Art and Design, based in the redeveloped former Dynevor Grammar School, in the heart of the city, and now known as the Dynevor Centre for Art, Design and Media;

The Faculty of Humanities (which includes the School of Education), which remains prominent in the provision of teacher training, has an extensive range of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programmes and has also expanded to include courses in performance and literature, counselling and psychology;

The Faculty of Business and Management, based on the site of the former College of Technology, which has a portfolio of programmes which includes business, leisure and tourism, public services, management and health and social care;

The Faculty of Applied Design and Engineering, which is true to the traditions of the former College of Technology in that it is a key supplier of skilled workers for a number of different modern-day industries covering engineering, logistics, construction, computing, industrial design, and the creative industries.

There has been a revolutionary change in the make-up of the institution over the past half century, moving from three separate establishments offering few higher education programmes, to a University that has now close to 7,000 students and is an established and respected provider of undergraduate, postgraduate and research qualifications, as well as professional programmes. Yet, at the same time, it has remained true to its 157+ year past, staying a vocationally driven, industry-focused University, serving the local and wider community beyond.

The University is also one of the most financially secure institutions in Britain, with a strong record of graduate employment and research success.

And despite being an institution that focuses on teaching, sixty per cent of the University's research work has been rated as being of 'international significance', and in some cases 'world leading' according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with particular strengths in art and design, teaching and engineering.