Newman on campus: Brum gets fifth uni

Tiny teacher training college qualifies for university status.

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Birmingham is now home to five universities after Newman University College was granted higher education stat us by the Government.

The specialist teacher training college will change its name to Newman University as it joins UoB, Aston, City and University College Birmingham in the line-up of Brum unis.

There’s a new man in town

Newman principal Peter Lutzeier said: “It has been a long road to get here but achieving full university status provides welcome recognition for the quality of Newman’s courses, graduates and staff.”

The new uni is a speck on the landscape compared to the might UoB. Founded in 1968, Newman has just 3,000 students. UoB has 26,000.

The college has gained university status after changes to the rules which stopped smaller institutions becoming unis. Before June last year, a college needed 4,000 students to qualify. Now, it’s just 1,000.