Warwick named West Midlands’ top university

THE University of Warwick has been named as the best in the West Midlands in a leading UK survey.

The university was ranked ninth in league table compiled by The Guardian – up one place from its ranking in 2013.

Warwick also has 11 departments ranked in their respective top 10s; four of which were ranked in the top five for their subject- Film and Television Studies (2nd), Economics (3rd), Sociology (3rd) and Mathematics (4th).

The Guardian said: “Consistently rated among the best universities in the country, Warwick is something of a leader in the academic field, with innovative approaches to community involvement and widening participation.”

The University of Birmingham was listed 17th, with Aston 22nd and Coventry 27th.

Coventry said it was pleased to have broken into the top 30 and its ranking represented a leap of six places on last year’s table. The listing came after Coventry rose seven places in the higher education sector’s other major league table, the Complete University Guide.

The Guardian ranked  Coventry best in the UK for the percentage of final-year students satisfied with feedback and assessment by lecturers, and top in the Midlands for the percentage satisfied with teaching quality.

Bournville College recognised for support to local community with top award

BOURNVILLE College has been recognised for its work in helping to support its local community with a top award.

The college has been selected as the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community award at the annual TES FE Awards.

The award highlighted the work played by the college in the MG Rover Taskforce, set up in 2005 to help bolster the area following the collapse of the Longbridge car giant.

The college has helped to retain more than 1,000 former Longbridge employees over the past nine years, helping many of them find alternative employment.

Such is the college’s commitment to the area that in 2011 it opted to invest £66m in establishing its new base on a site at the former car factory. In doing so, it became the first organisation to relocate to the site as part of the area’s regeneration.

The eventual rebirth of the site is expected to see the creation of a new town centre capable of sustaining 10,000 jobs along with new shops, restaurants and a public park. 

Coventry University students turning paranoid as Iommi shares songwriting secrets 

ROCK legend Tony Iommi, lead guitarist and founding member of heavy metal trailblazers Black Sabbath, is set to share his songwriting secrets with music students at Coventry University.

The university, which awarded the Birmingham-born musician with an Honorary Doctorate of Arts last year in recognition of his outstanding contribution to global music, has now appointed him to the role of Visiting Professor of Music.  

In the months following his honorary award, the university’s Department for Performing Arts has forged close links with the guitarist leading to him accepting the Visiting Professor role.

As he toured the university, he was shown around the Performing Arts department’s facilities and spoke with students and staff, answering their questions about his 50 year career in the music business.

Dr Geoff Willcocks, Coventry University’s Director of Arts and Culture, said: “To watch Tony interact with the students was an absolute privilege. He was incredibly generous and open with them about all aspects of his work.”