By Andy Thompson
Deputy Head, Architects and Building Branch
In 1949 Architects and Building Branch was established in the English Ministry of Education. The
Development Group, within the Branch, was one of the first truly multidisciplinary organisations charged
with research, building theory, collaboration and experiment. For 50 years the Branch has seen
governments come and go and the ministry itself renamed the Department of Education and Science,
Education and currently Education and Employment. As political imperatives have changed the Branch
has responded to the challenges. At the start of the 21st century “A&B Branch” is very different in size
and scale to the organisation founded halfway through the 20th century. But apart from the name the
underlying principle of A&B has remained the same; this is to bring together architects, educationalist
and policy administrators, to “lay down general principles, guidance and advice combined with empirical
investigation and experiment”(Saint)1. Through both centralist and de-centralist administrations A&B has
retained a role in national government helping to foster innovation in school design.  Full pdf report

Ken Flint Interview·         Began working at Warwick in October 1976.·         First position was in environmental sciences and was based in the chemistry building. From 1985 onwards he was based in biological sciences on Gibbet Hill.Photo Identification

·         Picture 1: Identifies the yet completed library and science blocks, places the date of the picture at pre 1968, as these were completed by the time he arrived on campus and the chemistry degree began in 1968. Comments that the library tiles were already beginning to drop off.

·         Picture 2: Recognises typical ‘cladding’ of the building in the photo as being the Gibbet Hill Campus. Later Ken shows me the site of the photo in its modern carnation.

  ·         Between 1974 and 1980 the university began to grow and change rapidly. In this time social studies was built, it then calmed until around the mid 1980’s when development began again.  This cycle of building included the business school and extensions to existing buildings, including the Gibbet Hill wing which was built in 1984. Ken believes the university has building and development ‘spurts’. ·         Estimates that since 1976 there has only been one year when Warwick has not had some sort of major building works going on. ·         ‘Warwick has prided itself on being at the forefront of everything’ thus it has to move forward and modernise constantly. Even in the 1970’s Warwick had a reputation for being cutting edge and innovative.

·         The biggest change he has seen in teaching rooms is the change from ‘chalk boards, to white boards, to overheads and now to the use of powerpoint.’

·         In terms of how technology affects teaching, he feels staff have to change the way they teach to suit the equipment. However some subjects still need older equipment, he uses the example of teaching statistics on a chalk board, as you can easily erase and change things. Admits that ‘you could do that on PowerPoint, but I don’t want to learn.’ Although he does say that PowerPoint is great for other things and says it is expected that biology lecturers use PowerPoint.

·         A new development is students recording lectures and making podcasts.

·         Some staff do resent changes in technology as it means constantly having to adjust lectures and methods, which means less time on research comments

 

‘Every member of staff is hesitant to change the way they teach, partly because at Warwick, as you probably know, Warwick promotion ect are determined by research’

 

·         However believes staffs have to adjust to technology or it can be fatal for their careers.

·         Teaches different years differently. For first years it is important to lay ground work and get them ‘interested’ in the subject. For final years it is more important to have cutting edge material, thus the materials changes yearly for final years and rarely for the first years.

·         Laboratory rooms have changed dramatically and ‘look a lot different to when I first started’. Main difference is the presence of computers in the lab and the way all the equipment can be hooked up to laptops.

·         Smaller teaching includes workshops, tutorials and seminars.

·         Teaching of whole year groups has become more formal, as there larger intakes of students each year.  Since he started the number of students in a year group has grown from 50 – 240 students. Small group teaching has not changed, as it has always been groups of five and will remain that way. Belives groups of 5 are the best way to teach and would not increase size of tutorials past 5 students.

·         Prefers ‘students to lead the tutorial’ and for each student to take turns in leading the discussion. Sees his role as ‘facilitating the discussion’ rather than teaching it. Also uses this time for students to bring up any issues or problems they may be having with the course. 

·         Dedicates one seminar a term for students to choose what topic or research will be discussed.

·         Feels there is a big spilt between ‘town and gown’.  Thinks that the University has ‘done more damage to Leamington than good, because of the damage students’ cause’.  However sees students in Coventry as less of an issue, as Coventry has a history of students due to the polytechnic, whereas in Leamington it was a major change.

·         Although does mention some strength of the University, such as the arts and sports centre as good ways of attracting the community onto campus. Mentions local sport team coming to compete on campus and this makes good links.

·         Mentions the socialising after sports matches in the university bars mentions the ‘airport lounge’.  This resulted in many people not seeing the university as an elitist organisation, as perhaps they had previously assumed.

·         It has also created a lot of jobs for the local people, Ken knows several people who jobs in the university within the admin and estate departments.

·         Ken has personal links with many of the local colleges in the area and tries to spread the message of what Warwick University is all about.  Also occasionally has school students come in and take part in labs sessions.

·         Sees the development of learning grids ect as a result of students moving away from learning from books, to internet resources. Believes the library should be renamed the information centre, as there is no longer a need for a place that just has books.

·         When asked about the access and card only entrance to library he felt that ‘knowledge is universal, so the library should be universal and free of charge’.

·          Overall believes that the University ‘could do a hell of a lot more’ to forge good links with the community.

  

UWA/F/PP/4A/4 – Press Reports 1951 – 1959 

Financial Times December 1951

 

·         Argument that Coventry offers a perfect location for a new British technological university.

·         Described as a ‘mechanical centre of Britain’ and as having a good location due to its proximity to the ‘congeries of industrial cities’

 

Coventry Standard December 1953

 

·         Population of 262,000, which is bigger than Southampton, Dundee, Reading, all of which have universities.

·         Rapid population rise linked with industrial development.

·         Motor industry is ‘acknowledged centre in the whole country’.

·         Coventry already a centre for research thus, students would benefit from location.

·         In return local industry would be supplied with a stream of technicians, as a result may help with funding for a possible university.

·         Many businesses visit Coventry and study their methods of production.

·         It is one of only seventeen places with a Lord Mayor, fourteen of the other location have a university.

 

Further opinions

 

·         Alderman Stringer - part of City Council Policy Advisor Committee. He accepts the financial obstacles, however in support of a technological University.

·         Headmaster of Henry VIII Grammar school against proposal. Argues that present technical colleges are not suitable enough to rise to a university standard, especially not in Coventry as it does not have ‘ the tradition of higher education, nor the balanced social structure which would properly foster a university’.

·         S.J Harley – Chairman & managing director of Coventry Gauge & Tool LTD. Believes Coventry should unite with Birmingham to form a ‘still greater University…to serve Midland industry’.

·         Ernest Simpson – City librarian. Stresses that a possible university needs to balance technology and the arts. Accepts that local industry would fund science, doubts support for the arts.

·         H.B.W Cresswell (Lord Mayor) offered his support in favour of a University.

·         A.W Weekes – Secretary Coventry Engineering Employers Association – Doubts ‘whether there is a sufficient volume of people who want a university education in Coventry’.

·         W.L Chinn – Coventry Director of Education. Suggests that if a university is just developed to facilitate Coventry trade, it shows a ‘fundamental misunderstanding of the true function of a University’.

·         B.T.L Gardiner – Chairman of Coventry Education Committee. Believes technical colleges should be expanded so that one day they can award qualifications that will rank as highly as degrees. Sees no need for a university which supply vocational courses, for student who have no idea what they want to do with their life.

·         H. Rees. Argues that Coventry, Leamington, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, Rugby and Nuneaton could contribute students.  Claims there is no social link between Coventry and Birmingham thus, no reason why the presence of a Birmingham University should prevent Coventry having a University.

 

May 1954

 

·         Lord Mayor Cresswell elected president of the council for the establishment of a University in Coventry.

·         There were objections from the council.

·         Establishing a university would mean it would have to be self governing and have the power to award degrees comparable to else where. Students must be drawn from a wide area range, and they believe these factors are not possible.

April 1956 - Coventry Standard.

• Government selection of Rugby Technology College as a potential major Technology College in the country is described as 'the biggest slap in the face that Coventry has received in living memory'. Also the suggestion that students either go to Birmingham or Rugby is described as an ignominious corollary'.
• 'There is a great day ahead for this city if the people will only look to the dawn'

 Feburary 1958.

• John Hewitt Coventry art director
• 'Most professional peoplewho work in Coventry live on the outskirts or in Warwick, Kenilworth and Leamington...At night the city becomes a working class community'
• 'Coventry people have no great attachment to the arts'
• 'Coventry is a working class city of people with tv sets, washing machines and shiney motor cars'.

 The Coventry Evening standard

June 1958

• Government names Leamington Spa as a possible site for new University.

 October 1958

• Governments desire for more universities results in Coventry being reconsidered as a possible location.
• Coventry City Council consider possible sites for a university.
• Subject to the City Councils approval , Coventry Policy Advisory Committee are to ask the Planning and Redevelopment Committee to provisionally allocate an area of land for a possible University site.

 December 1958

• Coventry City Council earmark land bounded by Kenilworth and Gibbet Hill Road as a possible site.
• Estimate cost of building as 3-5 million pounds.
• A.G Ling and R.S Johnston design the tower of learning. A 21 floor story high building, which could contain 7 departments, with three floors each.
• However opposition to site due to it not being accessible enough.

September 1959

• National worry that there is too many students and not enough University places.

April 1960

• Agreed that a University in Coventry will be named University of Warwick and should be submitted to the University Grants Commission.
• Committee who will got to Grants Commission includes Lord Rootes, Arnold Hall and Bishop of Coventry.

Leamington Spa Courier

• University named Warwick in order for the University to encompasses all of surrounding area and so that Coventry 'does not hog the limelight'

 May 19th 1961

• University of Warwick approved,

 

 

 

Laura M