Bishop Grosseteste to Celebrate University Title at Cathedral

 15/01/2013

The ceremony will be held at 10.30am on Wednesday 30th January and will also mark the installation of the Chancellor, Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas DBE, and the Vice Chancellor, Professor Muriel Robinson OBE.

Privy Council confirmed BGU's new title in December 2012 after the Government changed the threshold number of students required for an institution to be called a university.

Until recently only higher education institutions with 4,000 or more students could use the title university. Smaller institutions were called university colleges, but now all HE institutions with more than 1,000 students have the right to apply to call themselves a university.

The ceremony at Lincoln Cathedral will be attended by BGU staff, governors and students, and it is also open to members of the public.

After the ceremony invited guests will be invited back to the university for a private celebratory lunch in the form of a 'posh pack-up' using locally sourced produce.

During the afternoon the University Court - a grouping of the university's most senior stakeholders who come together twice a year to offer their insights and support - will have its inaugural meeting on campus.

At 4.30pm the Rt Rev Christopher Lowson, Bishop of Lincoln, will give a lecture as part of BGU's series of public lectures on what constitutes a good life and the implications for us all in trying to live one.

The event is called 'For all that has been - Thanks. For all that shall be - Yes', a title which refers to the past and future success of the institution. Professor Muriel Robinson believes the new university title will benefit BGU greatly.

"To be able to take our place alongside other UK universities is a symbolic moment for us which recognises the excellent teaching and research which goes on at Bishop Grosseteste University," she said.

"The new title dispels any confusion that the old one may have created. We have 150 years of history and have been awarding our own degrees since 2006, but the old name 'university college' put some people off. Now we will be better equipped to compete with other universities to secure the best staff and students."

The event is free of charge and open to the public. If you would like to book a seat, please contact Conferencing and Events Administrator Jessica Lyons on 01522 583681 or email jessica.lyons@bishopg.ac.uk before 16th January.

Notes to editors:

• Bishop Grosseteste University was established in January 1862 and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2012.
• It is an independent higher education institution based in Lincoln which awards its own degrees at foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate level.
• It changed its name from Bishop Grosseteste University College to Bishop Grosseteste University in November 2012.
• "For all that has been - Thanks. For all that shall be - Yes" is a quotation from Dag Hammarskjöld (29th July 1905 - 18th September 1961), Swedish diplomat, the second United Nations Secretary-General, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient. The quotation used for the title and leitmotif of the service comes from his book Vägmärken (Markings), a collection of journal entries published in 1964.

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