Coventry University are expanding into North Yorkshire with the creation of a new University Campus in Scarborough. The new institution will be known as Coventry University Scarborough Campus and is being hailed as the biggest game-changer ever to regenerate the coastal community with a potential £1bn impact on the local economy over the next decade.
The new facility is part of a £45m scheme also including a University Technical College (UTC), a Sports Village with centre of excellence facilities for football, swimming and a range of other sports and a state of the art student accommodation village altogether presenting a perfect learning, sport lifestyle environment for students.
The scheme is being developed through a partnership with Scarborough Borough Council and local businesses and is aimed at addressing the employment and skill needs of the local community, as well as attracting students from all over the country and overseas to come and study in a fantastic internationally acclaimed location. Coventry University are initially investing more than £12m into their education and learning facilities, with ambitions to expand the capacity of the universe campus to cater for in excess of 5,000 students over time.
The new University Campus will be led by Prof Craig Gaskell as its founding Provost, well known as a strong advocate for high quality university education in the region, and will directly create over 100 new jobs in its initial phase with hundreds more through its impact on the local economy.
Named ‘University of the Year for Student Experience’ in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2015, and retaining its title of ‘Modern University of the Year’ for the second consecutive year in the same publication, Coventry University’s innovative approach to higher education has seen it rise steadily in league tables over the last few years.
The University is acclaimed for its industry-leading initiatives and its new campus in Scarborough will be based on its widely commended model of delivering high quality university education at very affordable prices.
Enrolment to some courses will begin in September 2015, with the full range of programmes designed to help develop modern skills and knowledge available when the new campus building opens in September 2016. The new campus will be taking applications, both directly and through UCAS, for the first intakes within the next few days.
The courses to be delivered, including law and policing, business, management and leadership, accounting and finance, science and engineering, health and social care are all incredibly flexible, offering chances to study at a range of levels and designed in ways to suit the learner’s lifestyle.
Ian Dunn, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Coventry University said:
“We have been working for some time with Scarborough Borough Council and local and regional businesses to develop what will be the most exciting educational development of this type in the country. Bringing high quality higher education to Scarborough is the start of a journey towards a full University Campus in the town and means continuity of HE provision and then significant growth for learners and skilled local people to fill the surge in new jobs planned in the borough.”
Councillor Tom Fox, Leader of Scarborough Borough Council said:
“We are extremely pleased that the new campus will welcome its very first students from this September. It signals the start of a new standard of excellence in higher education for the borough. Backed by local businesses that are committed to raising the skills levels of the employees of the future, the campus will be a fundamental part of the growth of the area’s economy from now on.
“Professor Gaskell’s appointment is fantastic news. He shares the vision of all the partners involved, who look forward to working with him to deliver Coventry University Scarborough Campus.”
Local MP and Transport Minister Robert Goodwill said:
"This really is a game changer for the local area. Although Scarborough is already well known for bucking the trend and leading the way in regenerating coastal communities, this really is big news for the economy both locally and regionally in providing North Yorkshire with its own university. This will provide local employers with skills to match their needs as well as giving young people yet another reason to come to this vibrant and beautiful part of the world."