De Montfort University

:DeMontfort University is also the name of a fictional university in The Class Menagerie and i.s.o.

Related Topics:
Fictional university - The Class Menagerie - I.s.o.

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De Montfort University ("DMU") is one of two universities situated in the city of Leicester, England; the other institution of higher education being University of Leicester. It also has a campus in Bedford, which is split into three smaller section (Alexander Sports Centre, also known as "ASH", Polhill Campus, and Lansdowne campus) and used to have campuses in Luton, Lincoln, Caythorpe and Milton Keynes. The Milton Keynes campus was built in 1992, prior to DMU becoming a 'new' university. The new university merged with Bedford College of Higher Education and the Lincoln colleges in 1994 and with the Charles Frears College of Nursing and Midwifery, based in Leicester, in 1995. It transferred the responsibility for the former Lincolnshire College of Art and Design and the Lincolnshire College of Agriculture, based in Lincoln and Caythorpe, to the new University of Lincoln in 2002. The Kents Hill campus in Milton Keynes was closed in 2003, due to costs of maintaining such a small site.

Related Topics:
Leicester - England - University of Leicester - Bedford - Luton - Lincoln - Milton Keynes - 1994 - 1995 - University of Lincoln

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De Montfort University grew out of the former City of Leicester Polytechnic, formed in 1969, which developed from Leicester College of Technology and Leicester College of Art. It was named after Simon de Montfort, who was Earl of Leicester in the 13th century. In the early days of the 'new universities' (former polytechnics before 1992) around 1995, each had to establish a wholesome corporate identity. De Montfort sought this by a memorable TV and cinema advert that reputedly cost £0.5m featuring a killer whale chasing some seals on a beach. The tag line 'Reserve your Seat of Learning Here' was read by Angus Deayton, implying that students should avoid letting life 'chew them up' and improve their job prospects with a degree. It was stirring stuff and apparently had great success; De Montfort is one of the most successful of the former polytechnics, and one of the few to have competed on University Challenge.

Related Topics:
1969 - Simon de Montfort - 13th century - 1992 - 1995 - Corporate identity - Killer whale - Angus Deayton - University Challenge

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The Bedford campuses, which operate as a separate university in many respects, are much older than the Leicester campus; historically a centre for sports and teacher training, the Bedford campuses have a history of over 100 years as an educational establishment. The relative isolation of the Bedford and Leicester campuses (the two sets of students do not mix), the longer history, the perceived superiority (DMU Bedford is one of the UK's top campuses for both sports studies and teacher training) and a history of mistakes made by Leicester-based administrators (who often know little or nothing of the Bedford campuses' facilities, many of which are highly specialised) have led to a desire within Bedford's students and staff for either independance or the creation of a University of Bedfordshire, through a union with Luton.

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The University's logo features a stylised heraldic dragon, perhaps to convey the image of a more established institution. It is similar in design to that of the former London Guildhall University (another former polytechnic).

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The Student Union, DSU, has a radio station called Demon FM. It broadcasts on the internet and has won several awards. In 2004, a TV station was also started up called Demon TV. The student newspaper is called The Demon, known formerly as The Voice before rebranding it to fit in with the Radio and TV stations. The Student Union's bar, Level 1, is also one of the few places in the country taking part in a trial run of interactive quiz Buzztime.

Related Topics:
Demon FM - Buzztime

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