UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
OUR OVERALL STRATEGIC VISION
From the Second World War to the present day
By the time war broke out in September 1939, the University had 14,000 registered students. The Colleges and their students were forced into exile in other parts of the UK and Senate House was taken over by the Ministry of Information – the roof becoming a valuable observation point for the Royal Observatory Corp. By 1944, the Colleges began to return to London and exams again took place in the capital. The Principal of the University reported that the exams were carried out ‘without casualties, other than those normally caused by these exacting but essential tests’. In 1948, Lillian Penson was elected as the University’s 31st Vice-Chancellor, the first women to hold this post in a Commonwealth University. During the 1960s and 1970s the number of students going to university in the UK expanded enormously. In line with this, the total number of internal students at the University of London doubled to almost 54,000 by 1981. In 1981 Princess Anne, The Princess Royal succeeded the Queen Mother as the University’s 10th Chancellor. In the 1990s, many of the University’s central responsibilities were devolved to the Colleges. The Funding Council also began to fund the Colleges directly. The University continues to grow and evolve to reflect the changing times. In 2008 it introduced a streamlined, transparent and flexible system of governance headed by a Board of Trustees with a lay majority.
To make a unique contribution to learning and research-led scholarship through our unrivalled network of member institutions, our global reach and reputation, and the breadth of our high-quality innovative academic services and infrastructure. Aim 1: Deliver academic excellence Invest in our academic excellence to widen student access through flexible learning and to fulfil an ambitious programme of research promotion and facilitation in the humanities Aim 2: Provide innovative high-quality academic support and professional services Develop, augment and commercialise our portfolio of services for the University’s members and the education sector, with the aim to be the “go to” provider of student and academic support services Aim 3: Property that is valued and relevant Create a vibrant academic hub, through a property portfolio which balances the needs of the University’s members with maximising income opportunities The University owns and manages a large prestigious estate which includes academic and service buildings, student halls of residence, a book depository, gardens and private residences. These host a number of key activities that are fundamental to an effective University, notably academic space, libraries, student accommodation, student services and conference facilities. Our objectives in relation to this aim are: • Greater use of Senate House as an academic hub and development of the public realm • Further modernisation and expansion of student residences • Increase the financial return from the estate • Ensure that there is a good fit between buildings & their function • Act as the custodian of the estate • Ensure that the estate is environmentally sustainable Aim 4: Manage a high-performing organisation Increase our investment in staff development, encourage a common purpose across our diverse activities and enhance our capacity where gaps exist, in order to deliver our plans.
Today – as it has been throughout its long history – the University is a family of world-class institutions, collectively upholding its international reputation of academic distinction in teaching and research.
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