Sheffield Hallam University Explained

Sheffield Hallam University
Established: – founded
– university status
Motto:Learn and Serve
Type:Public
Endowment:£0.19 million (2022)
Budget:£311.2 million (2021–22)[1]
Faculty:2,114[2]
Chancellor:Helena Kennedy, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws
Vice Chancellor:Liz Mossop
Students:
Undergrad:
Postgrad:
City:Sheffield
State:South Yorkshire
Country:England
Campus:City Campus and Collegiate Crescent Campus
Former Names:Sheffield Polytechnic
Sheffield City Polytechnic
Colours:Maroon, Grey, Black and White
Affiliations:Association of Commonwealth Universities
EUA
Coor:53.3791°N -1.4647°W

Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) is a public research university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The university is based on two sites; the City Campus is located in the city centre near Sheffield railway station, while the Collegiate Crescent Campus is about two miles away in the Broomhall Estate off Ecclesall Road in south-west Sheffield. A third campus at Brent Cross Town in the London Borough of Barnet is expected to open for the 2025–26 academic year.

The university is the largest university in the UK (out of) with students (of whom 4,400 are international students), 4,494 staff and 708 courses.

History

Foundation and growth

In 1843, as the industrial revolution gathered pace and Sheffield was on the verge of becoming the steel, tool and cutlery making capital of the world, the Sheffield School of Design was founded following lobbying by artist Benjamin Haydon. The day-to-day running was controlled by the local council, whilst the Board of Trade in London appointed the head. Tuition began in a 60x40ft rented room off Glossop Road.[3] In 1850, the School of Design was renamed Sheffield School of Art.[4]

In 1905, the City of Sheffield Training College (later renamed Sheffield City College of Education) on Collegiate Crescent admitted its first 90 students.[5] During the First World War, the Collegiate Hall was requisitioned by the War Office to create the 3rd Northern General Hospital, a facility for the Royal Army Medical Corps to treat military casualties.[6]

A new city centre campus was constructed during the 1960s. During construction, in February 1962, a tower crane on site collapsed during the Great Sheffield Gale. It crashed into the side of what would become the Owen Building, causing serious damage and setting back construction.[7] In 1967, the Owen Building was completed.[8] Built in a functional 1960s design, it has since been modernised and comprehensively renovated with an atrium linking it to four adjacent buildings.[9] In 1969 the Sheffield School of Design merged with the city's College of Technology to form Sheffield Polytechnic. In 1976, Sheffield Polytechnic merged with the city's two teacher training colleges (Sheffield City College and Totley Hall College) and was renamed Sheffield City Polytechnic.From 1979 to 1988 students from Sheffield City Polytechnic were based at Wentworth Woodhouse,[10] near Rotherham. Two departments, Physical Education and Geography and Environmental Studies, were based on site. In 1987 Sheffield City Polytechnic became a founding member of the Northern Consortium.[11]

University status to present day

In 1992, Sheffield City Polytechnic became Sheffield Hallam University (SHU), with the right to award its own degrees.In 2005, SHU was reorganised into four faculties. The new Faculty of Development and Society, with an emphasis on 'people, places and spaces', brought together education, geography, humanities, law, and social sciences. At the same time, with the intention of further developing research and teaching in the new Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, a new Clinical Academic Group was launched. The building that had been designed and constructed to house the National Centre for Popular Music became the university's students' union building (the HUBS). The Nelson Mandela Building, the former students' union building (when opened in 1978 was known as the Phoenix building[12]), was sold and has since been demolished.

In 2007, SHU took over the teaching of nursing and midwifery from the University of Sheffield. These activities are now based at the Collegiate Crescent Campus. The following year the Psalter Lane campus (formerly the Sheffield College of Art) was closed, and the activities transferred to the City Campus. The £26 million energy-efficient Furnival Building opened in September (renamed Cantor Building in 2011 in recognition of a major donor to the university). The building, which includes teaching spaces and an art gallery has been described as "the impressive new entry point to the campus".[13] For the 2025–26 academic year, the University expects to open its London campus at the Brent Cross Town development in the London Borough of Barnet. The campus will accommodate up to 5,000 students by 2030.[14]

Organisation and governance

Colleges

In 2020, the university relaunched its structure moving away from four faculties and re-organising academic departments into colleges.[15]

College of Business, Technology and Engineering (BTE)

Formerly known as the Sheffield Business School and prior to that the Faculty of Organisation and Management (OM). The new college incorporated parts of the old Faculty Science, Technology and Arts (STA) previously known as the Faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering and Sciences (ACES)

College of Social Sciences and Arts (SSA)

Formerly known as the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH). The new college incorporated parts of the old Faculty Science, Technology and Arts (STA) previously known as the Faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering and Sciences (ACES)

College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences (HWLS)

Formerly the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing (HWB)

Research

Research centres

Research institutes

Groups and networks

Through the research centres a number of spin-off companies have been formed, including:

Chancellors

British barrister, broadcaster, and life peer of the House of Lords, Helena Kennedy, was installed as chancellor in a ceremony at Cutlers' Hall on Thursday 26 July 2018.[16]

Academic profile

Qs W:1001–1200
The N:93
The W:801–1000
Line 1:0
Complete:64=
The Guardian:83
Times/Sunday Times:85
Line 2:0
Tef:Silver

Lifelong Learning Network

SHU is the lead partner for Higher Futures, the Lifelong Learning Network (LLN) for South Yorkshire, North Derbyshire and North Nottinghamshire.

Rankings and reputation

In the National Student Survey, several subject areas at SHU have performed very well in terms of overall student satisfaction with their courses: for example, architecture and geography have both been placed first, and planning has been placed second.

In the university league tables, Sheffield Hallam University was placed 47th out of 121 UK universities by The Guardian University Guide 2021; 65th out of 131 by The Times & Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020; and 67th out of 130 by the Complete University Guide 2021. In 2019, it ranked 485th among the universities around the world by SCImago Institutions Rankings.[18]

Hallam received a First Class award and was ranked 15th out of 151 universities in the People & Planet University League 2015 which assesses universities on their environmental credentials. In 2020, the university was awarded The Times and Sunday Times University of the Year award for teaching quality.[19]

Notable alumni

Notable staff

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Annual report and financial statements 21–22 . Sheffield Hallam University . 21 February 2023.
  2. Web site: Key Facts. 30 October 2011. Sheffield Hallam University.
  3. Basford, John A School of Art is Beginning, From Sheffield Government School of Design to Sheffield Hallam University, Part 1 1843–1963, Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, p. 3
  4. Web site: Our heritage. Sheffield Institute of Arts. 21 July 2019.
  5. News: Sheffield Crescenters Association annual reunion. shu.ac.uk. 1 October 2011.
  6. Web site: Our history. Sheffield Hallam University. 21 July 2019.
  7. News: 70,000 Homes Damaged in Sheffield Disaster . 1 February 2022 . The Times . 17 February 1962.
  8. News: The Owen Building . skyscrapernews.com.
  9. News: Owen Building Refurbishment . baggaley.co.uk.
  10. Web site: The House . 2024-03-31 . Wentworth Woodhouse . en-US.
  11. see Web site: NCUK. 6 April 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100406060909/http://www.ncuk.ac.uk/universities/ . 6 April 2010 .
  12. Web site: Our history | Sheffield Hallam University.
  13. News: University gets keys to Furnival Building. Sheffield Telegraph.
  14. Web site: Sheffield Hallam to open London campus . Times Higher Education . Havergil . Chris . 8 November 2022 . 6 January 2023.
  15. Web site: University structure | Sheffield Hallam University.
  16. Web site: Human rights champion installed as Chancellor. www.shu.ac.uk. 10 January 2018.
  17. Web site: The University's first chancellor). shu.ac.uk. 13 November 2018.
  18. Web site: SCImago Institutions Rankings – Higher Education – All Regions and Countries – 2019 – Overall Rank. www.scimagoir.com.
  19. Web site: Sheffield Hallam University.
  20. Web site: Sheffield Telegraph Environment Awards sponsored by Amey: Meet our winners – VIDEO. www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk.
  21. News: Dave Wickett obituary . The Guardian . Roger . Protz . 23 May 2012 . London.
  22. News: Mike Wild about nature .