Two Catholic colleges granted full university status

Newman University campus

Two Catholic higher education institutions have been granted full university status by the Privy Council following the Government’s decision to remove arbitrary size limits restricting use of the term.

Newman University College in Birmingham and Leeds Trinity University College submitted their applications for full university title earlier this year and will become known as Newman University and Leeds Trinity University with immediate effect.

Newman University was established in 1968 as a teacher training college and is named after its patron, Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman, who was beatified during the Pope’s visit to Birmingham in 2010. Recognised as one of the intellectual greats of the 19th century, he was a keen exponent of the idea that universities should exist to train the mind, rather than solely imparting subject knowledge – a key issue in the current HE landscape. Newman achieved university college status in 2007 and now offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses, primarily in the humanities and social sciences.

Leeds Trinity University was established in 1966 as two Catholic teacher training colleges – Trinity College and All Saints College. The institutions merged in the 80s, and gained taught degree awarding powers in 2009. Throughout its history Leeds Trinity University has maintained its strong reputation for teacher education, whilst diversifying to offer undergraduate, postgraduate and foundation degrees in a wide range of disciplines. An employer-focused university with high levels of graduate employment, it was one of the first universities to offer professional work placements with every degree, and these placements continue to form an integral, assessed element of every undergraduate degree.

Professor Peter Lutzeier from Newman and Professor Freda Bridge from Leeds Trinity will now become Vice Chancellors of their respective institutions.

Professor Lutzeier said: “I’m delighted that we have received the green light from the Privy Council to use the full university title. Achieving university status has been a long-held ambition for our leadership team and should prove to be a valuable asset, removing confusion around the nature of the institution.

Professor Bridge added: “I’m delighted that we have achieved university title – it is a major milestone in our 46 year history that recognises our collective hard work and achievements. In all but name, Leeds Trinity University has been functioning as a university since its award of taught degree awarding powers in 2009, and I’m delighted that the government’s decision now allows us to use the title ‘university’.”

Although both institutions have held degree-awarding powers for a number of years, the requirement for universities to have at least 4,000 full students had previously prevented them using the universally-understood term of university. The clarification is particularly important in light of the recent marketisation of higher education in the UK and will also prove to be a valuable asset as both institutions look to develop international links.

Professor Lutzeier continued: “At Newman University, we are proud of our Catholic roots and will continue our commitment to promoting the Christian virtue of justice in our neighbouring communities through our work. As home to the UK’s first degree course in ethical and sustainable business, we are excited by the opportunities that will arise from this new status and are looking forward to building on our local, national and international partnerships to support this vision.

Professor Bridge continued: “This granting of university title is not only a tremendous occasion for Leeds Trinity University, but also for the Catholic Church, who now have universities with Catholic foundations in England. We have always celebrated our Catholic foundations, and we’re excited about our future as a university, which is a fitting start to this Year of Faith.”