Teesside University

Teesside University   (University)
Formation	1930
Headquarters	Middlesborough, UK
English university

Teesside University is a public university with its main campus in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire in North East England.

History and development

A shortage of funding long proved a barrier to developing the Middlesbrough-based Mechanics' Institute of 1844. With the required funding, the College's launch could have come as early as 1914. Even after the donation of £40,000 to build the college from local shipping magnate Joseph Constantine in 1916, progress was slow. A Governing Council took place in 1922, followed by a doubling of the original financial offer by the Constantine family in 1924.

Constantine Technical College was formally opened on 2 July 1930 by the future King Edward VIII, the Prince of Wales. Although not yet a university, Constantine was a further and higher education college from the onset. Disciplines included metallurgy, engineering and chemistry.

The 1960s were years of sweeping change – as well as political sting – for the still comparatively fledgling College. By the end of the decade the first two "Teesside University" campaigns had begun: the first, from the early 1960s to 1966, and the second, from 1967 to 1972. Spates of enthusiasm were killed off on each occasion by the scepticism of then-Minister of Education, Anthony Crosland, and Margaret Thatcher's defining White Paper, respectively. The latter effectively shelved plans for the erection of any new institution in the United Kingdom, until the 1980s at least.

On campus, one of the most visible major developments for the College was an extension in 1963 which featured an 11-storey "skyscraper" . The College also acquired the neighbouring former High School of 1877. The College briefly restyled itself as Constantine College of Technology, before becoming Teesside Polytechnic (Britain's 13th Polytechnic) in 1969. At that point, the institution ran seventeen degree courses.

By the 1990s, the institution had almost 8,000 students. In 1997 the old Polytechnic's library was replaced with a Learning Resource Centre.

In 2009, the University of Teesside changed its name to "Teesside University". It also changed its logo and adopted the motto "Inspiring success" as part of a £20,000 rebrand. Alternative names included "Middlesbrough University" and "Tees Valley University".

In July 2017, it was reported that several professors at Teesside University in the UK have been told they must reapply for their positions over the summer or face redundancy. The university says the purpose of this is to bring all university professors under the same job title by creating a new position, rather than to save costs. Higher education policy watchers warned that this decision is part of a trend of casualising university employees.

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