University of Chichester
Chichester, United Kingdom

The University of Chichester is a public university located in the city of Chichester, England, which became a university in 2005. It has two campuses; one is located in Chichester City and the other is licated in a nearby coastal resort of Bognor Regis and an associate campus for commercial music on the Isle of Wight.

The University of Chichester has 14 departments, with specialisms including Humanities, Sport, Musical Theatre and Education. Its heritage stretches back into the nineteenth century when, in 1839, Bishop Otter College was established. Since 2013, both campuses have seen major expansion-led building works through National Lottery funding and other funding.

The University of Chichester can trace its origins back to 1839. In the early part of the 19th century, there was considerable debate about the role of church and state in university education.

In 1828 students were accepted for the first secular university institution in the country, which later became University College London. In response, it was felt that London needed another university institution where the role of the Church would be formally recognised. In 1829 King’s College London was established, with William Otter as its first Principal.

William Otter moved on to become Bishop of Chichester in 1836 and took an earnest interest in the promotion of education. After his death, a college for training schoolmasters was established as his memorial in April 1839. Eventually, Bishop’s Training College moved to new buildings on the new site in October 1850 and was named Bishop Otter College. These buildings are the historic core of the University at the Chichester campus.

In 1873 the College became a training college for women as a result of the campaign by Louisa Hubbard to encourage the acceptance of women as teachers. Male students were not introduced until 1957.

In 1942, during the Second World War, students and staff of the College were evacuated to Stockwell College in Bromley and the RAF took over Bishop Otter College. Chichester played a crucial part in the D-Day landings of 1944, where one of the lecture rooms on the Bishop Otter campus became the Operations Room of RAF Tangmere, the nerve centre controlling squadrons of fighter planes involved in the D-Day landing.

In the 20th century the campus was gradually expanded to meet demand. There was a large extension in the 1960s, including a steep gabled cruciform chapel, designed by the architect, Peter Shepheard.

The West Sussex Institute of Higher Education was formed in 1977 as a result of the merger between the two colleges (Bishop Otter College and the Bognor Regis College of Education) it was a single institution of higher education, which allowed the two colleges to retain some of their traditions and identity. Initially, degrees were awarded by Sussex and Southampton Universities, but the Institute moved to a single degree awarding body, the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) and then with the demise of the Council, the Institute became an accredited college of the University of Southampton, awarding Southampton degrees.

In 1977 Bishop Otter College and the Bognor Regis college were merged to form the West Sussex Institute of Higher Education (WSIHE), with degrees being awarded by CNAA and later the University of Southampton. Alumni from this period include the actor Jason Merrells and the author Paula Byrne. Between 1995 and 1999, it was known as Chichester Institute of Higher Education. It gained degree-awarding powers in 1999, becoming known as University College Chichester, and the title ‘University of Chichester‘ was approved by the Privy Council on 12 October 2005.

In 2015 Chichester University secured government and lotteries commission funding to the value of approximately £8 millions and embarked on a plan of expansions at both academic sites, involving the demolition of several smaller collegiate structures, that were no longer suitable for purpose and the construction of facilities for academia, administration and sports.

In January 2017 the multi-million pound purpose built Academic Block was opened, hosting lecture and seminar rooms, a brand new Students’ Union shop and a sprung floor dance space.