Everything about Plate Glass University totally explained
The term
plate glass university (or
plateglass university) has come into use by some to refer to one of the several universities founded in the
United Kingdom in the
1960s following the
Robbins Report on
higher education. The term reflects their
modern architectural design, which often contains wide expanses of
plate glass in
steel or
concrete frames. This contrasts with the (largely
Victorian)
Red Brick universities and the older
Ancient universities.
The phrase
New University formerly appeared as a synonym for the
Plateglass institutions, however since 1992 this term has tended to be applied to the
Post-1992 universities (consisting mostly of former
polytechnics) instead.
The name "Plateglass Universities" was apparently first used by Michael Beloff in his 1968 book
The Plateglass Universities, published only a few years after the group of "New Universities" (as they were generally called at the time) had been created. Beloff invents the term "Plateglass Universities" to describe the 1960s universities – specifically Sussex, York, East Anglia, Essex, Lancaster, Kent at Canterbury and Warwick – and describes his reasons for using the term:
» I had at the start to decide upon a generic term for the new universities — they won't be new for ever. None of the various caps so far tried have fitted. "Greenfields" describes only a transient phase. "Whitebrick", "Whitestone", and "Pinktile" hardly conjure up the grey or biscuit concrete massiveness of most of their buildings, and certainly not the black towers of Essex. "Newbridge" is fine as far as the novelty goes, but where on earth are the bridges? Sir Edward Boyle more felicitously suggested "Shakespeare". But I've chosen to call them the Plateglass Universities. It is architecturally evocative; but more important, it's metaphorically accurate.
Beloff has many things to say about the new universities, some critical, but much positive. His aim, he says, is "to provide information about the youngest universities in England to offset ignorance about them in the oldest", and in an Epilogue responding to the student revolts of summer 1968 he concludes with positive comments about the universities, despite the controversy created by some of their students:
» The role of Plateglass in reviving a belief in the need for and virtues of higher education is especially important. Plateglass universities gives the lie to the view that universities are conservative, unchanging institutions. In syllabuses, examinations, teaching methods, administration, discipline, they've taken new initiatives. It seems ridiculous that their promise should be sacrificed because of the irresponsibility of a minority of their members [thestudent rebels]. All who are concerned with the current situation should remember that students have long protested against the world - it's the duty of graduates to change it.
Beloff's Plateglass Universities
Certain aspects of the design of these universities acknowledges the formation of the group; for example, at Sussex the first batches of student residences to be built were named after some of the other new universities,
for example "Norwich House", "Essex House", "Kent House", "Lancaster House", and "York House".
Other universities sometimes referred to as plateglass universities
» Dates refer to the granting of a Royal Charter, and university status, not to founding of the institution.
Aston University (1966)
University of Bath (1966)
Brunel University (1966)
City University, London (1966)
Heriot-Watt University (1966)
Loughborough University (1966)
University of Salford (1967)
University of Stirling (1967)
University of Strathclyde (1964)
University of Surrey (1966)
University of Ulster (1968)Further Information
Get more info on 'Plate Glass University'.
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