Two years after it achieved university status Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln has set out its ambitious vision for the next five years.

Bishop Grosseteste University has chosen today, the annual celebration of the life and work of Robert Grosseteste, a mediaeval scholar, former Bishop of Lincoln and the university’s namesake, to launch its new five-year plan.

The development of the strategy has been led by its Vice Chancellor, the Reverend Professor Peter Neil, in consultation with staff, students and key community and business leaders.

The ambitious strategy will see the university build on its past success in encouraging and supporting students from non-traditional and low-income backgrounds to gain a university level qualification by offering a greater range of courses and subjects, and strengthening its partnerships with local, regional and national business communities to ensure students are prepared for life and employment in a global society.  The plans also set out the investment the university is making in research, its buildings and facilities.

“Bishop Grosseteste University is a thriving institution which has achieved a great many successes in recent years.” said Professor Neil.

“Like all universities, however, we must always look forward and ensure that we are best placed to fulfil our potential as a 21^st-century university.

“The strategy is both a call to action for our university community and a considered response to the challenges facing students and the higher education sector.

“Our strategy outlines the steps we will take to ensure that Bishop Grosseteste University remains a major player in UK higher education while staying true to its ethos and building on its already excellent levels of student satisfaction and graduate employability.”

Professor Neil added that while the university wishes to see more students studying at BGU, new courses and new ways of teaching and learning mean that there will be opportunities for undergraduate students new to Lincoln to study alongside mature, part-time, postgraduate and work-based learning students who already live in the locality.

“As a community university, we are committed to ensuring that the balance between ‘town and gown’ is maintained in the city. We intend to develop our existing campus and support the city and county’s economic strategies by creating educational opportunities and employment through the life of this plan.”

A summary of Bishop Grosseteste University’s five-year strategy can be found here: www.bishopg.Ac.Uk/strategy

Notes to editors:
• 8th October commemorates the anniversary of the death, in 1253, of Robert Grosseteste, the mediaeval scholar and Bishop of Lincoln after whom Bishop Grosseteste University is named
• Bishop Grosseteste University was established in January 1862 and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2012.
• It is an independent higher education institution based in Lincoln which awards its own undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
• It changed its name from Bishop Grosseteste University College to Bishop Grosseteste University in November 2012.
• Last month BGU announced the introduction of new degree courses in Health and Social Care, Sociology, Psychology, Counselling and Entrepreneurship from 2015.
• For more information about portfolio enhancements visit
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