Talk:University of Sunderland

Gormley Doctorate

Was a sculptor really given a doctorate in business administration?--Oxonian2006 02:13, 26 August 2006 (UTC)

• Doesn't matter. Universities can give out all the Hon Docs they like, and some do so like confetti. I don't think this sort of info belongs in an encyclopaedia. Ohconfucius 05:35, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

I was right to be sceptical. He was acutally given an Hon Doctorate of Letters --Oxonian2006 (talk) 14:40, 20 April 2008 (UTC)

University ratings

(I'm posting this to all articles on UK universities as so far discussion hasn't really taken off on Wikipedia:WikiProject Universities.)

There needs to be a broader convention about which university rankings to include in articles. Currently it seems most pages are listing primarily those that show the institution at its best (or worst in a few cases). See Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Universities#University ratings. Timrollpickering 23:34, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

Agreed, we need a more objective standard, even if it only applies to each country individually. Ohconfucius 05:35, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

16 years later and this remains a problem with educational institutions. British polyversities in particular are very keen on marketing, and their PR people fill their WP articles with all sorts of dubious guff supposedly illustrating how wonderful they are. I don't have a solution.--Ef80 (talk) 15:48, 16 April 2023 (UTC)

External links

I have ejected the links below from the main article as being in violation of WP:EL. It also appears that these are not the original links, which are preferred, but have instead reproduced by the Uni. If these are refences to contents in the main article, they should be included as such, in a format acceptable to WP:FOOT. Otherwise, they should remain deleted.

• Sunderland recognised as best 'New' University
• Sunderland achieves research excellence at RAE 2001
• University honours Sir Tom Cowie
• Sunderland rated highly in Guardian's University Guide 2006

Ohconfucius 05:32, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

University status

Surely dating university status to the F&HE Act 1992 is four years too late? When I resigned in 1989, Sunderland Poly/Uni was no longer administered by the local authority. It had acquired university status and was busy reorganising its finances accordingly. I read at the top of p3 of University of Sunderland, Report and financial statements for the year ended 31 July 2012 http://docushare.sunderland.ac.uk/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-8166/Accounts2012PDDF.pdf "The University of Sunderland is a Higher Education Corporation established by order of the Secretary of State under Section 121 of the Educational Reform Act 1988". Quacksalber (talk) 22:19, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

COI edit request July 2026

• What I think should be changed (include citations):

Please replace the opening paragraph with the following:

The University of Sunderland is a public research university located in Sunderland in the North East of England. Its predecessor, Sunderland Technical College, was established as a municipal training college in 1901. It gained university status in 1992. It now has campuses in Sunderland, London and Hong Kong, and a global student population of approximately 28,800 students, including more than 6,600 studying through transnational education partnerships.

• Why it should be changed:

The current wording states that the University of Sunderland has about 21,000 students as of 2022. The proposed wording updates the student population figure using the University's 2024–25 Annual Report and Financial Statements, which states that the University has approximately 28,800 students worldwide and 6,650 students on transnational education (TNE) courses. The report also confirms that the University has campuses in Sunderland, London and Hong Kong.

SunderlandUniComms (talk) 14:13, 29 July 2026 (UTC)

Partially done - the student numbers follow the HESA record, as is common for other UK universities, but the TNE number has been added. Robminchin (talk) 16:19, 29 July 2026 (UTC)

References

Campuses

• What I think should be changed (include citations):

I propose replacing the current "Campuses" section with the below changes. The proposed revision updates the description of the University of Sunderland's campuses in Sunderland, London and Hong Kong, removes information that is outdated or no longer accurate, and adds information about current campus facilities and developments.

The proposed text is:

Campuses

The university operates campuses in Sunderland, London and Hong Kong. Its Sunderland operations are based across City Campus and the Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter's. The university also maintains an international network of educational partnerships across multiple countries.

Sunderland

St Peter's

St Peter's Campus is located on the north bank of the River Wear in Monkwearmouth, near the site of St Peter's Church and monastery founded by Benedict Biscop in 674 AD.

The campus was developed during the 1990s and was renamed the Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter's in September 2002 in recognition of local businessman Sir Tom Cowie's support for the university.

The campus was officially opened in March 2004 by Estelle Morris, former Education Secretary and Pro Vice-Chancellor from 2005 to 2009.

Buildings and facilities on the campus include the Reg Vardy Centre, St Peter's Library, David Goldman Informatics Centre, Prospect Building, David Puttnam Media Centre, North Sands Business Centre and the National Glass Centre.

The David Puttnam Media Centre contains facilities for media production and is home to Spark Sunderland, the university's student and community radio station.

In 2024, the university completed a £1.3 million refurbishment of the cinema within the David Puttnam Media Centre, creating a modern 120-seat cinema facility for teaching, screenings and events.

Library facilities on the campus include St Peter's Library, located in the Prospect Building, and the Library at David Goldman, located in the David Goldman Informatics Centre. These provide study spaces and collections supporting subjects including arts, media, education, social sciences, computing, engineering, business, law, tourism, photography, film, music and performing arts.

City

City Campus is the main campus of the University of Sunderland and is located on Chester Road. In 2006, the former Chester Road Campus was renamed City Campus. The campus underwent redevelopment, including refurbishment of the Edinburgh Building administration centre, the creation of the Gateway student support facility, and improvements to Murray Library and the Design Centre.

The £12 million CitySpace sports and leisure facility opened in 2009, followed by the £8.5 million Sciences Complex in 2011.

City Campus contains teaching and learning facilities for a range of subjects, including health sciences, natural sciences, sport, pharmacy, psychology, social sciences, computing and engineering.

Library facilities include the Library at Murray, which provides print collections and study spaces, and the Library at Pasteur, which provides additional learning spaces within the Sciences Complex.

London

On 26 April 2012, the University of Sunderland announced the opening of a London campus at Canary Wharf. The campus began operating in 2012 and provides undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

The University of Sunderland in London is located at 4 Harbour Exchange Square, Canary Wharf. Courses offered at the campus include subjects such as business, accounting and financial management, nursing, health-related disciplines, tourism and hospitality, and project management.

In March 2025, the university opened a new campus building at Harbour Exchange, South Quay, following a £13 million investment . The expanded campus serves more than 5,500 students.

Hong Kong

On 2 March 2017, the University of Sunderland announced the opening of a new campus in Hong Kong.

This campus offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, including courses in business and related subjects. The campus is located in Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

The university reported approximately 6,650 students studying through transnational education arrangements in 2024–25.[3]

Halls of residence

The University of Sunderland provides student accommodation through three university-managed residences: Panns Bank, Scotia Quay and The Precinct.

Panns Bank and Scotia Quay are located near the River Wear and St Peter's Campus, while The Precinct is located close to City Campus.

The residences provide self-catered accommodation with shared kitchen facilities and on-site laundry facilities.

The university also works with accommodation partners to manage residences such as The Forge U-Student Village and including Flow Student, which operates Clanny House as student accommodation. Clanny House is located on Hylton Road, near Sunderland Royal Hospital.

Previous halls of residence include Ashbrooke, All Saints, Clifton, Westfield, Park and Williamson Halls.

• Why it should be changed:

The current section contains a mixture of historical information and information about the University's campuses and facilities that is now outdated. Since the section was last substantially updated, there have been significant changes to the University's campus estate, including developments at the London campus and changes to facilities at the Sunderland campuses.

The proposed changes would bring the section up to date while preserving relevant historical information. They would also improve the structure of the section by providing clearer descriptions of the University's current campuses, facilities and library provision.

~2026-42179-90 (talk) 13:04, 30 July 2026 (UTC)

References

Research section

• What I think should be changed:

I propose adding a recent research development to the "Research" subsection of the "Academic profile" section.

Specifically, I suggest adding a sentence noting that, in 2024–25, the University's John Dawson Drug Discovery and Development Research Institute secured £3.9 million in funding from the Medical Research Council to support clinical trials investigating a treatment for cystinosis.

• Why it should be changed:

The current "Research" subsection focuses primarily on the University's performance in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework and does not include more recent developments in the University's research activity.

• References supporting the possible change (format using the "cite" button):

~2026-42179-90 (talk) 13:08, 30 July 2026 (UTC)

References

Student life

• What I think should be changed (include citations):

I propose substantially updating and restructuring the "Student life" section to reflect the University's current student support, accommodation, sporting and student media activities.

The Sunderland Students' Union subsection should be updated to reflect the Students' Union's current role as an independent education charity representing students at the University of Sunderland. It currently provides student support and advice, organises campaigns and events, manages student societies and represents students in discussions with the University. The current elected officer structure should also be updated, as the existing article describes an older structure. The current structure includes President: Sunderland, President: London and Student Communities Officers representing the Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing, Faculty of Business and Technology, Faculty of Education, Society and Creative Industries, and the London Campus. The section should also be updated to reflect the Students' Union's current trustee board governance arrangements.

The Sport subsection should be updated to reflect the current role of Team Sunderland, which organises and supports student sports clubs, competitive teams and recreational activities. The University currently has more than 30 sports clubs competing in local and national competitions, and student teams participate in British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) leagues. Team Sunderland also supports performance athletes through elite athlete programmes, including training support and sports injury services. The description of sporting facilities should be updated to reflect the current facilities available at CitySpace and the University's access to outdoor and multi-use sports facilities. The section should also mention the University's work with local organisations and community partners to provide sporting activities and community participation initiatives, where supported by reliable sources.

The existing Halls of residence subsection could also be moved from "Campuses" section to the "Student life" section. As the subsection describes student accommodation and residential life rather than the University's academic campuses, it would fit more appropriately within the student life section.

• Why it should be changed:

The current "Student life" section contains information that is partly outdated and does not fully reflect the University's current student experience, accommodation provision, sports organisation or student media activities.

The Students' Union officer structure described in the existing article has changed, while the current section does not adequately describe the University's present accommodation arrangements or the role of Team Sunderland in student sport.

~2026-42179-90 (talk) 13:15, 30 July 2026 (UTC)

References

Special collections

• What I think should be changed (include citations):

A new Special collections subsection should be added to provide information about the archival and research collections held by the University of Sunderland Library. The University's Special Collections contain archival and historical material relating to regional history, the development of the University and its predecessor institutions, and the work of notable individuals.

The section should provide an overview of the principal collections held by the University, including the Kate Adie Collection, which contains archival material relating to the career of journalist and broadcaster Kate Adie; NEEMARC (North East England Mining Archive and Resource Centre), which contains records relating to the mining industry in North East England; the Lord Puttnam Collection, which contains material relating to the film producer and education policy advocate Lord David Puttnam; and the Sidney Pollard Collection, comprising papers relating to the work of economic and social historian Sidney Pollard.

The section should also cover the Quaker Book Collection, which contains books and archival material relating to Quaker history; the Hope Winch Collection, relating to pharmacist and educator Hope Constance Monica Winch and the development of pharmaceutical education at Sunderland Technical College; and the Technical College to University Collection, which documents the development of the institution from Sunderland Technical College to the University of Sunderland.

The proposed section would provide a useful overview of the University's library and archival holdings and their relevance to research into regional, institutional and social history. The information should be supported by the University's Special Collections webpage and, where appropriate, additional reliable sources for individual collections.

• Why it should be changed:

The current article does not appear to provide an overview of the University's Special Collections, despite these collections representing a significant part of its library and research resources.

Adding a dedicated subsection would improve the article by documenting the University's archival holdings and highlighting collections that have relevance to the University's history, the history of the North East of England, and the work of notable figures. It would also provide readers with information about resources available for historical and academic research.

~2026-42179-90 (talk) 13:17, 30 July 2026 (UTC)

References

Knowledge exchange

• What I think should be changed (include citations):

A new Knowledge exchange subsection should be added to the article to provide information about the University's collaboration with businesses and its participation in the UK-wide Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme.

The section should explain that the University of Sunderland participates in the KTP programme, which supports collaborative projects between universities and businesses and enables academic expertise and research to be applied to business and industry challenges.

The section should also include recent information about the University's KTP activity. In 2024–25, the University reported a 50% increase in its KTP portfolio, with projects valued at more than £1 million. During the same period, a fifth KTP project was awarded to iPac Packaging Innovations, while plans were also announced for the University's first London-based KTP project.

• Why it should be changed:

The current article does not include information about the University's knowledge exchange activity or its participation in the Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme.

Adding a dedicated subsection would provide a more complete and up-to-date overview of the University's engagement with businesses and the practical application of academic expertise. The recent growth of the University's KTP portfolio and the development of new projects also represent relevant aspects of its current research and business engagement activity.

~2026-42179-90 (talk) 13:20, 30 July 2026 (UTC)

References

Chancellor

• What I think should be changed:

Information should be added to the article noting that Leanne Cahill was appointed Chancellor of the University of Sunderland in November 2023, succeeding Emeli Sandé. Cahill is a graduate of the University and has previously received an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration from the University. The article should also note her professional background, including her previous role as chief executive officer of Bravissimo (company) and is now chief executive officer of The Bazaar Group (now known as icon).

• Why it should be changed:

The article currently does not provide information about the University's current Chancellor, Leanne Cahill. Adding this information would bring the article's coverage of the University's leadership up to date and provide relevant context about the Chancellor's connection to the University and professional background.

• References supporting the possible change (format using the "cite" button):

~2026-42179-90 (talk) 13:27, 30 July 2026 (UTC)

References

Graduations

• What I think should be changed (include citations):

A new Graduation ceremonies section should be added to provide information about the University's graduation ceremonies and their venues in Sunderland.

The section should explain that the University of Sunderland has held graduation ceremonies at several venues in the city, with ceremonies taking place at the Sunderland Empire Theatre before moving to the Stadium of Light in 2004. The Stadium of Light subsequently hosted the University's twice-yearly graduation ceremonies for 21 years.

The section should also note that, in January 2026, the University moved its graduation ceremonies to The Fire Station in Sunderland city centre. The first ceremonies at the new venue took place between 12 and 16 January 2026. The January 2026 ceremonies also marked the graduation of the University's first cohort of midwifery students.

The section could also include the graduation of the University's first cohort of doctors in 2024. Of the first graduating cohort, 55% reportedly took up roles in the North East, while 41% were from the region and 48% were from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in the medical profession.

• Why it should be changed:

The current article does not provide a dedicated section covering the University's graduation ceremonies or the history of the venues used for them. Adding this section would provide useful context about an important part of the University's activities and document the recent move from the Stadium of Light to The Fire Station.

The proposed addition also records a significant recent development in the University's history, including the first graduation ceremonies held at The Fire Station and the graduation of the University's first cohort of doctors and midwifery students.

~2026-42179-90 (talk) 13:34, 30 July 2026 (UTC)

References

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

• What I think should be changed:

Information should be added to the article noting that, in 2024, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, in collaboration with the University of Sunderland, established the Health and Care Academy at Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington. The academy provides education and training opportunities for staff working within the health and care sector.

• Why it should be changed:

The addition would document a significant collaboration between the University of Sunderland and a major regional NHS organisation, highlighting the University's role in providing education and professional training within the health and care sector. It would also provide information about the University's wider engagement with regional healthcare organisations and its contribution to workforce development.

• References supporting the possible change (format using the "cite" button):

~2026-42179-90 (talk) 13:36, 30 July 2026 (UTC)

References

Kat Adie Collection

• What I think should be changed:

Information should be added to the article noting that, in 2025, the University of Sunderland curated the Kate Adie Collection, an archive containing more than 2,000 items donated by journalist and broadcaster Kate Adie. The collection includes material relating to Adie's career and her upbringing in Sunderland.

• Why it should be changed:

The addition would provide a recent example of the University's work in preserving and curating significant archival material and would complement information about the University's Special Collections. The Kate Adie Collection is also relevant to the University's connection with Sunderland and the North East, as it documents aspects of the broadcaster's career and her upbringing in the city.

• References supporting the possible change (format using the "cite" button):

~2026-42179-90 (talk) 13:37, 30 July 2026 (UTC)

References

Governance

• What I think should be changed (include citations):

A new Governance section should be added to provide an overview of the University's governance arrangements. The section should explain that the University is governed by a Board of Governors comprising independent, staff and student members.

The section should also note that Mark Burdon succeeded Farooq Hakim as Chair of the Board of Governors on 1 August 2025.

• Why it should be changed:

The current article does not provide a dedicated section describing the University's governance arrangements or its Board of Governors. Adding a Governance section would give readers a clearer understanding of the University's institutional governance and leadership structure.

~2026-42179-90 (talk) 14:04, 30 July 2026 (UTC)

References

Not done for now: The proposed changes create some balance issues with the article. These will need to be addressed before any changes can be made. 🄻os🄰 17:31, 4 August 2026 (UTC)