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About the University

The University of Lancaster was founded in 1964. It was one of a new generation of universities established in the wake of the Robbins Report - others include Bath, Sussex, Warwick and York. Lancaster is one of the most successful and highly-rated of the Robbins Report universities.

The University is a friendly, manageable size - about 10,000 full time students, a quarter from overseas, and a high proportion of on-campus accommodation. The University is collegiate, with all students and staff belonging to one or another of its nine colleges. The colleges provide accommodation, social facilities, sports teams and pastoral support, and a group of friends for the whole of your time at Lancaster, and for many years afterwards. In addition, the Students Union provides representation, welfare advice, and a framework for societies and sports.

The University is a member of the 1994 Group of "small but beautiful" research-intensive universities, and a member of the N8 research alliance of eight leading Northern universities. These alliances reflect Lancaster's commitment to placing research and scholarship at the heart of its educational mission.

The University's first Chancellor was Princess Alexandra (after whom both Alexandra Square, at the heart of the campus, and Alexandra Park, where Lonsdale, Cartmel and Graduate Colleges are situated, at the southern end of the campus) are named. The second and current Chancellor is the world-famous mountaineer Sir Christian Bonington. The day-to-day academic and administrative leadership of the University is the responsibility of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paul Wellings.

Groups & Networks

Much is made nowadays, in the media and by some schools and students and parents, of what groups or networks a university belongs to, with the "Russell Group" being the best known. The following is a quick guide.

• The Russell Group - So called because its heads traditionally meet at the Hotel Russell in London, it is a lobby and interest group representing the larger research-intensive universities, particularly those with large and well-established medical schools. Examples are Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool.
• The 1994 Group - So called because it was founded in 1994, it is a parallel group to the Russell Group, representing smaller research-intensive universities, particularly those without large medical schools, sometimes referred to as the "small but beautiful" universities. Examples are Durham, St Andrews, York and Lancaster.
• Million+- formerly Campaigning for Mainstream Universities, and before that the Coalition of Modern Universities, this is the lobby and interest group for higher education institutions that gained university status from 1992 onwards, mostly former polytechnics, higher education colleges and technical colleges. Examples are University of Central Lancashire, Leeds Metropolitan University, University of Chester.
• The Non-Aligned Group - Represents universities that do not feel they sufficiently share interests with those in the other groups. Examples are Salford and Bradford.
• N8 - An alliance or network, for research collaboration purposes, of leading northern universities. Its members are Durham, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and York.
• White Rose - A research network of Yorkshire universities, including Leeds, Sheffield and York.

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