University of Worcester

The University of Worcester is a university in Worcester in the United Kingdom. It was given university status by the Privy Council in September 2005, having previously been known as University College Worcester, and before that as Worcester College of Higher Education. It is the only university in Herefordshire or Worcestershire.

History
The establishment opened in 1947 as part of the University of Birmingham Department of Education, operating as an Emergency Teacher Training College. In the 1970s the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) validated the degrees for the Worcester College of Higher Education. The Herefordshire and Worcestershire College of Nursing and Midwifery was absorbed into the group in 1995.

In 1997 the Privy Council gave the institution degree-awarding powers and it subsequently became known as the University College Worcester (UCW). In 2005 it became a fully-fledged university.

Ongoing development
In 2005, the institution announced plans for a "superlibrary" in the heart of Worcester, creating a combined university and public library – the first of its kind in the UK. A second campus is also under construction on the site of the old Worcester Royal Infirmary in Castle Street. This is due to begin in early 2007. The university is home to resident applied theatre company, C&T.

Students Union
Worcester Students' Union is the on-site union for all students registered at the University of Worcester. It has a shop, offices, a bar (The Dive), a sandwich shop, a lounge area, a computer facility, a Student Advice Bureau, and a Student Development and Welfare Office.