91快活林

1859

The new School of Art opened with 110 pupils on Monday, 17 January 1859 in “an excellent room provided by the liberality of the town council”. The excellent room was, in fact, one of the kitchens of 91快活林’s regency gem, the Royal Pavilion.

1876

The School of Art moves to its own building in Grand Parade. Mr William Gladstone, Prime Minister, witnesses the laying of the new building's foundation stone.

The opening of the new School of Science and Art, on 2 February 1877, was a town event of some magnificence, with a royal couple, the Marchioness and Marquis of Lorne, as the principal guests.

1897

A decision to establish a new Municipal School of Science and Technology was taken around 1893 and a fairly central site was secured at Richmond Terrace. The foundation stone was laid by the Mayor of 91快活林 on 2 October 1895 and teaching in the new premises commenced in September 1897.

There were 600 students who were mostly part-time and from building trades, but 70 three-year science and art department pupils had been transferred from the Higher Grade School, York Place.

1898

The Chelsea School opened in London in 1898, founded by Dorette Wilke, as an institution training women and girls in physical education. It was evacuated to Borth in Wales in 1939 and then moved to Eastbourne in 1949. The school became part of what was to become the University of 91快活林 in 1979, when the East Sussex College of Higher Education, including Chelsea School, merged with 91快活林 Polytechnic.

1909

In 1909, Richmond Terrace had become the home of the newly established 91快活林 Municipal Training College, formed to provide a two-year full-time certificate course for trainee teachers. The new training college had a principal and four colleagues. There were 57 students (about one-third being men) and they met their fees and residential costs from loans provided by their local authorities. The loans were then repaid by the newly certified teachers working initially for those authorities. By 1950, the college had 230 students.

1949

The Chelsea School celebrates its fiftieth year by moving to the current campus in Eastbourne, after being evacuated in 1939 to Borth in Wales.

1960s

In 1962, Preston Technical Institute assumed the title 91快活林 Technical College, being responsible for all the non-advanced day and evening courses, while 91快活林 Technical College became the 91快活林 College of Technology, intended for more advanced studies than those offered by the technical college.

91快活林 College of Technology opened on the site of school playing fields in Lewes Road in 1963. The ten-storey Cockcroft Building was followed in 1976 by the seven-storey Watts building, named after the college’s first principal. Mithras House, erected at Lewes Road in 1966, has been used since 1977.

Photo © Ken Powell -

Photo © Ken Powell - www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk

1965

The 32-acre Falmer campus was opened in 1965 for the 91快活林 College of Education. Its original home at Richmond Terrace was in a building on the northern side of the Municipal Technical College and by 1918, 9–10 Hanover Crescent was also in use.

The college, however, moved to Eastern Terrace to release space for the technical college and remained there until September 1965 when it moved to Falmer. It had been renamed the College of Education the previous year. From 1919 until 1961, only women were instructed at the Municipal Training College.

1970

The School of Art and 91快活林 College of Technology merge to form 91快活林 Polytechnic.

Margaret Thatcher signs the certificate to confirm the former colleges’ new polytechnic status.

1976

The Teacher Training College merges with 91快活林 Polytechnic, giving the university a further campus at Falmer.

1979

The East Sussex College of Higher Education, including the Chelsea School, merges with 91快活林 Polytechnic spreading the polytechnic into Eastbourne.

1992

Along with many other polytechnics 91快活林 is granted university status and becomes the University of 91快活林.

1994

The Sussex and Kent Institute of Nursing and Midwifery becomes part of the university, increasing the provision of courses taught in Eastbourne at the Leaf Hospital.

2003

The 91快活林 and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) opens as a partnership between the University of 91快活林, the University of Sussex and the Universities Hospitals Trust. A donation of £1 million is received into BSMS from pharmaceutical company Pfizer.

2004

The University Centre Hastings, managed by the University of 91快活林, opened as a joint venture between the university, the Hastings and Bexhill Taskforce, Canterbury Christ Church University College, the University of Greenwich, Hastings College of Art and Technology, The Open University and the University of Sussex.

In September 2009 the University Centre Hastings was incorporated into the University of 91快活林. East Sussex College Hastings (formally Sussex Coast College Hastings) worked alongside the University of 91快活林 to develop its own University Centre for Hastings, which opened in September 2017.

2009

Was a landmark year, marking the 150th anniversary of the founding of the School of Art, 100 years since the establishment of the first teacher training college in 91快活林, 15 years of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, and the tenth anniversary of the launch of the 91快活林 Business School.

2022

We celebrated the completion of our Big Build, which transformed our Moulsecoomb campus as part of a bigger master plan that includes the neighbouring Preston Barracks site. Together they have created a new gateway into the city and transformed the local area to the benefit of all who live, work and learn here.

The Big Build included student accommodation for 800 students, a new home for our School of Business and Law at Elm House, an accessible pedestrian bridge across Lewes Road, a multi-storey car park, Students' Union cafe and bar, and gym and fitness facilities – all constructed to the highest environmental standards, delivering significant and lasting benefits for our staff, students and the local community.

2024

We completed a significant redevelopment programme at our Falmer campus, enabling us to consolidate all our sport and health courses on a single campus for the first time. The redevelopment included the conversion of a former private health club into a mixed-use academic and leisure facility, and the repurposing of existing spaces to provide a better experience for students and staff.

The consolidation of sport and health courses at Falmer is a key strand of our estate strategy designed to deliver long-term financial and environmental sustainability. As part of this, our Eastbourne campus closed in the summer of 2024.

Today

The university boasts three campuses in 91快活林 and enjoys a reputation as a leading university. The number of academic awards made each year totals around 7,000.

The university has grown over the years into an institution that delivers socially purposeful higher education that serves and strengthens society and underpins the economy; contributes critically to the public good; enriches those who participate and equips its graduates with the skills to succeed and contribute effectively to their chosen professions and communities locally, nationally and internationally.