Editing University of London (section)

==History==
===19th century===
{{see also|London University (UK Parliament constituency)|General Examination for Women}}
{{Rquote|right|All universities are different, but some are more different than others. The University of London is the most different of them all.|Negley Harte, historian<ref name="UOL Negley">{{cite book|last=Datta|first=Surja|title =A History of the Indian University System: Emerging from the Shadows of the Past|date=6 March 2017| publisher=Springer, 2017| isbn=9781137535719}}</ref>}}

[[University College London]] (UCL) was founded under the name "London University" (but without recognition by the state) in 1826 as a secular alternative to the universities of [[University of Oxford|Oxford]] and [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]], which limited their degrees to members of the [[state religion|established]] [[Church of England]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/about-ucl/about-ucl-home/history-page |title=History |publisher=University College London |access-date=22 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110117132404/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/about-ucl/about-ucl-home/history-page |archive-date=17 January 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> As a result of the controversy surrounding UCL's establishment, [[King's College London]] was founded as an [[Church of England|Anglican]] college by royal charter in 1829.<ref name="HIST">Cockburn, King, McDonnell (1969), pp. 345–359.</ref><ref name="Foundation">{{cite web|url=http://www.kcl.ac.uk/aboutkings/history/foundation.aspx | title=Foundation|publisher=King's College London|access-date=9 February 2013 }}</ref>

In 1830, UCL applied for a royal charter as a university which would allow it to confer degrees. This was rejected, but renewed in 1834.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kS1cAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA1|title=University of London. Address from the Senate to the Council in support of the application of the University for a charter|location=London|date=1834|publisher=John Taylor}}</ref> In response to this, opposition to "exclusive" rights grew among the London medical schools. The idea of a general degree awarding body for the schools was discussed in the medical press<ref>{{cite journal|title=Proposed University in London|journal=London Medical Gazette|volume=13|date=1834|pages=836–839|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XLofAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA836}}</ref> and in evidence taken by the Select Committee on Medical Education.<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Select Committee on Medical Education|publisher=HMSO|title=Parliamentary Papers, House of Commons and Command, Part 2|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w0sSAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA113|page=113|date=1834}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3CFDAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA111|chapter=Select Committee on Medical Education|page=111|title=Selection of Reports and Papers of the House of Commons: Medical ; [2], Volume 36|date=1836}}</ref> However, the blocking of a bill to open up Oxford and Cambridge degrees to dissenters led to renewed pressure on the Government to grant degree awarding powers to an institution that would not apply religious tests,<ref name="millbanksystems">{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1834/aug/01/admission-to-the-universities#S3V0025P0_18340801_HOL_5|work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|date=1 August 1834|title=Admission to the Universities (Hansard, 1 August 1834)|access-date=13 January 2017}}</ref><ref name="millbanksystems2">{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1835/mar/26/london-university#S3V0027P0_18350326_HOC_68|work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|date=26 March 1835|title=London University (Hansard, 26 March 1835)|access-date=13 January 2017}}</ref><ref name="jstor">{{cite journal|jstor=3119682|title=The Oxford and Cambridge Admissions Controversy of 1834|last1=Twaddle|first1=Michael|journal=British Journal of Educational Studies|year=1966|volume=14|issue=3|pages=45–58|doi=10.1080/00071005.1966.9973166}}</ref> particularly as the degrees of the new [[University of Durham]] were also to be closed to non-Anglicans.<ref name="millbanksystems3">{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1832/jun/27/durham-university#S3V0013P0_18320627_HOC_9|work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|date=27 June 1832|title=Durham University (Hansard, 27 June 1832)|access-date=13 January 2017}}</ref>

In 1835, the government announced the response to UCL's petition for a charter. Two charters would be issued, one to UCL incorporating it as a college rather than a university, without degree awarding powers, and a second "establishing a Metropolitan University, with power to grant academical degrees to those who should study at the London University College, or at any similar institution which his Majesty might please hereafter to name".<ref name="millbanksystems4">{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1835/jul/30/london-university#S3V0029P0_18350730_HOC_24|work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|date=30 July 1835|title=London University (Hansard, 30 July 1835)|access-date=13 January 2017}}</ref>

Following the issuing of its charter on 28 November 1836, the new University of London started drawing up regulations for degrees in March 1837. The death of [[William IV of the United Kingdom|William IV]] in June, however, resulted in a problem{{Dash}}the charter had been granted "during our Royal will and pleasure", meaning it was annulled by the king's death.<ref name="google3">{{cite book|title=The English Universities: From the German|author1=Huber, V.A.|author2=Newman, F.W.|date=1843|volume=3|publisher=William Pickering|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TZtRAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA565|page=565|access-date=13 January 2017}}</ref> Queen Victoria issued a second charter on 5 December 1837, reincorporating the university. The university awarded its first degrees in 1839, all to students from UCL and King's College.

The university established by the charters of 1836 and 1837 was essentially an examining board with the right to award degrees in arts, laws and medicine. However, the university did not have the authority to grant degrees in theology, considered the senior faculty in the other three English universities. In medicine, the university was given the right to determine which medical schools provided sufficient medical training. In arts and law, by contrast, it would examine students from UCL, King's College, or any other institution granted a royal warrant, effectively giving the government control of which institutions could submit students for examination by the university. Beyond this right to submit students for examination, there was no other connection between the colleges and the university.

In 1849 the university held its first graduation ceremony at [[Somerset House]] following a petition to the senate from the graduates, who had previously received their degrees without any ceremony. About 250 students graduated at this ceremony. The [[Academic dress of the University of London|London academic robes]] of this period were distinguished by their "rich velvet facings".<ref>{{cite news |title=University of London |work=Morning Chronicle |date=11 May 1849 |access-date=14 December 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000082/18490511/017/0007| via = [[British Newspaper Archive]]|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The list of institutions whose students could enter University of London examinations grew rapidly by 1858, including all other British universities as well as more than 30 other schools and colleges outside of London. In that year, a new charter opened up the examinations to everyone, effectively abolishing the weak link between the university and the colleges.<ref>{{cite book|title=An Account of the Reconstruction of the University of London, Part 1|chapter= The Abolition of the Collegiate System|pages= 8–16|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8Du4lNR4izwC&pg=PA8|first=William Henry |last=Allchin|publisher=H. K. Lewis|date=1905}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NOd3N6291CQC&q=%22universities%20of%20the%20united%20kingdom%20to%20over%20thirty%20provincial%20colleges%22|title=The University of London, 1858-1900: The Politics of Senate and Convocation|page=1|first=Francis Michael Glenn |last=Willson|publisher=Boydell Press|date= 2004|isbn=9781843830658 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/london-university-graduates/v-xvii|work=University of London: the Historical Record (1836-1926)|title=Historical introduction|pages=v–xvii|publisher=University of London|date=1926|via=British History Online|quote=Just twenty-two years after its foundation a very important change was made in the policy of the University. The University, which was intended "to perform all the functions of the Examiners in the Senate House of Cambridge" although limited to the duty of examination, admitted to its examinations only those students who had gone through a course of study at University or King's College or some other "approved institution." The list of these "approved institutions" rapidly expanded. In 1850 a supplemental Charter admitted the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and their several Colleges, but a number of institutions of varying character and status had also been added by the Crown from time to time}}</ref> This led the [[John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley|Earl of Kimberley]], a member of the university's senate, to tell the House of Lords in 1888 "that there were no Colleges affiliated to the University of London, though there were some many years ago".<ref name="millbanksystems5">{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1888/aug/11/consideration-of-commons-amendments#S3V0330P0_18880811_HOL_23|work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|date=11 August 1888|title=Consideration of Commons' Amendments (Hansard, 11 August 1888)|access-date=13 January 2017}}</ref> The reforms of 1858 also incorporated the graduates of the university into a [[Convocation ceremony|convocation]], similar to those of Oxford, Cambridge and Durham, and authorised the granting of degrees in science, the first BSc being awarded in 1860.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NOd3N6291CQC&pg=PA5|title=The University of London, 1858–1900: The Politics of Senate and Convocation|last=Willson|date=2004|publisher=Boydell Press|page=5|isbn=978-1-84383-065-8}}</ref>

The expanded role meant the university needed more space, particularly with the growing number of students at the provincial [[university college#United Kingdom|university colleges]]. Between 1867 and 1870 a new headquarters was built at [[6 Burlington Gardens]], providing the university with exam halls and offices.

In 1863, via a fourth charter, the university gained the right to grant degrees in surgery.<ref name="google5">{{cite book|title=University of London, the Historical Record: (1836-1912) Being a Supplement to the Calendar, Completed to September 1912. First Issue|author=University of London|date=1912|publisher=University of London Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vyPiAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA12|page=12|access-date=13 January 2017}}</ref> This 1863 charter remains the authority under which the university is incorporated, although all its other provisions were abolished under the University of London Act 1898 ([[61 & 62 Vict.]] c. 62).

[[File:Alice Mary Marsh University of London General Examination for Women certificate 1878.jpg|right|thumb|[[General Examination for Women]] certificate from 1878. These were issued 1869–1878, before women were admitted to degrees of the university.]]
In 1878, the university set another first when it became the first university in the UK to admit women to degrees, via the grant of a supplemental charter. Four female students obtained Bachelor of Arts degrees in 1880 and two obtained Bachelor of Science degrees in 1881, again the first in the country.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://london.ac.uk/about-us/history-university-london |title=University of London: Brief history |newspaper=University of London |publisher=London.ac.uk |access-date=13 April 2010}}</ref>

{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = University of London Act 1898
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to make further provision with respect to the University of London.
| year                  = 1898
| citation              = [[61 & 62 Vict.]] c. 62
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 12 August 1898
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = [[Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1977]]
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = repealed
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = 
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
In the late 19th century, the university came under criticism for merely serving as a centre for the administration of tests, and there were calls for a "teaching university" for London. UCL and KCL considered separating from the university to form a separate university, variously known as the Albert University, Gresham University and Westminster University. Following two [[royal commission]]s the {{visible anchor|University of London Act 1898}} ([[61 & 62 Vict.]] c. 62) was passed, reforming the university and giving it a federal structure with responsibility for monitoring course content and academic standards within its institutions. This was implemented in 1900 with the approval of new statutes for the university.<ref name="UoL Future">{{citation|last=Grant|first=Malcolm|author-link=Malcolm Grant|title=The future of the University of London: a discussion paper from the Provost of UCL|pages=3–6| date=March 2005 |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/images/Uni-Lon.pdf}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="175">
File:SomersetHousebyAnonpublAckermann&Co1836.jpg|[[Somerset House]] in 1836. The university had its offices here from 1837 to 1870.
File:William IV in 1833 by Shee cropped.jpg|[[King William IV]], who granted the University of London its original royal charter in 1836
File:University of London illustration 1867.jpg|An illustration of [[6 Burlington Gardens]], home to the university administration from 1870 to 1900
</gallery>

===20th century===
{{see also|First Universal Races Congress}}
{{Rquote|right|The London University should stand to the British empire as the great technological institution in Berlin, the Charlottenburg, stood to the German empire.|[[Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery|Lord Rosebery]] in 1903<ref name="UOL Rosebery">{{cite book|last=Rothblatt|first=Sheldon|title =The Modern University and Its Discontents: The Fate of Newman's Legacies in Britain and America|date=16 March 2006| publisher=Cambridge University Press, 2006| isbn=9780521025010}}</ref>}}

The reforms initiated by the 1898 act came into force with the approval of the new federal statutes in 1900. Many of the colleges in London became schools of the university, including UCL, King's College, [[Bedford College, London|Bedford College]], [[Royal Holloway, University of London|Royal Holloway]] and the [[London School of Economics]]. [[Regent's Park College]], which had affiliated in 1841, became an official divinity school of the university in 1901 (the new statutes having given London the right to award degrees in theology) and [[Richmond Theological College|Richmond (Theological) College]] followed as a divinity school of the university in 1902; [[Goldsmiths College, University of London|Goldsmiths College]] joined in 1904; [[Imperial College London|Imperial College]] was founded in 1907; [[Queen Mary, University of London|Queen Mary College]] joined in 1915; the [[School of Oriental and African Studies]] was founded in 1916; and [[Birkbeck, University of London|Birkbeck College]], which was founded in 1823, joined in 1920.

The previous provision for colleges outside London was not abandoned on federation, instead London offered two routes to degrees: "internal" degrees offered by schools of the university and "external" degrees offered at other colleges (now the [[University of London (Worldwide)|University of London flexible and distance learning programmes]]).

UCL and King's College, whose campaign for a teaching university in London had resulted in the university's reconstitution as a federal institution, went even further than becoming schools of the university and were actually merged into it. UCL's merger, under the [[University College London (Transfer) Act 1905]] ([[5 Edw. 7]]. c. xci), happened in 1907. The charter of 1836 was surrendered and all of UCL's property became the University of London's. King's College followed in 1910 under the [[King's College London (Transfer) Act 1908]] ([[8 Edw. 7]]. c. xxxix). This was a slightly more complicated case, as the theological department of the college (founded in 1846) did not merge into the university but maintained a separate legal existence under King's College's 1829 charter.<ref>{{cite book|title=University of London, the Historical Record: (1836–1912)|publisher=University of London|date=1912|pages=7–24|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vyPiAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA7}}</ref>

{{anchor|University of London Act 1926}}
The expansion of the university's role meant that the Burlington Garden premises were insufficient, and in March 1900 it moved to the Imperial Institute in [[South Kensington]].<ref name="google6">{{cite book|title=The University of London, 1858–1900: The Politics of Senate and Convocation|last=Willson|date=2004|publisher=Boydell Press|isbn=978-1-84383-065-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NOd3N6291CQC&pg=PA8|page=8|access-date=}}</ref> However, its continued rapid expansion meant that it had outgrown its new premises by the 1920s, requiring yet another move. A large parcel of land in [[Bloomsbury]] near the [[British Museum]] was acquired from [[Herbrand Russell, 11th Duke of Bedford|the Duke of Bedford]] and [[Charles Holden]] was appointed architect with the instruction to create a building "not to suggest a passing fashion inappropriate to buildings which will house an institution of so permanent a character as a University." This unusual remit may have been inspired by the fact that [[William Beveridge]], having just become director of LSE, upon asking a taxi driver to take him to the University of London was met with the response "Oh, you mean the place near the [[Royal School of Needlework]]".<ref name="Hill"/> Holden responded by designing [[Senate House (University of London)|Senate House]], the current headquarters of the university, and at the time of completion the second largest building in London.<ref>{{cite web|title= Senate House|url=http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=110747 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070511042615/http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=110747 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=11 May 2007 |website=Emporis Buildings |access-date=13 April 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Yeomanry House, Handel St, London.jpg|thumb|Yeomanry House in Handel Street is the home of London UOTC. The flag seen flying is the coat of arms of the University of London.]]
The University of London contingent of the [[Officers' Training Corps]] (OTC) was formed in 1908 and had enrolled 950 students by autumn 1914.<ref name="spiers13">{{cite web|last=Spiers|first= Edward|url=http://www.comec.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/occasional_paper_no_4_no_crop.pdf |title= University Officers' Training Corps and the First World War |publisher= Council of Military Education Committees of the United Kingdom|access-date=30 May 2019}}</ref> During the First World War, the OTC supplied 500 officers to the [[British Army]] between August 1914 and March 1915.<ref name="beckett60">{{cite book|last=Beckett|first= Ian|author2=Timothy Bowman|author3=Mark= Connelly|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mnKuDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA60 |title= The British Army and the First World War |date = 25 May 2017|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn = 9781107005778|access-date=30 May 2019}}</ref> Some 665 officers associated with the university died during the First World War<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ulrls.lon.ac.uk/resources/rollofwarservice.pdf|title=Roll of War Service 1914 to 1919|page=351|publisher=University of London|access-date=13 May 2017|archive-date=26 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826112009/http://www.ulrls.lon.ac.uk/resources/rollofwarservice.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> and 245 officers in the Second World War.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ulrls.lon.ac.uk/resources/OTCROLLOFTHEFALLENoptimised-OCR.pdf|title=Roll of the Fallen 1939 to 1945|publisher=University of London|access-date=13 May 2017|archive-date=28 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140828071357/http://www.ulrls.lon.ac.uk/resources/OTCROLLOFTHEFALLENoptimised-OCR.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> {{as of|2004}} the London University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC), drawn from 52 universities and colleges in the London area (not just the University of London), was the largest UOTC in the country, with about 400 officer cadets.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/3324816/Room-for-manoeuvres.html|title=Room for manoeuvres|newspaper=The Telegraph|first=Carl |last=Wilkinson|date=10 January 2004|access-date=13 May 2017}}</ref> It has been based at [[Yeomanry House, Bloomsbury|Yeomanry House]] in Handel Street, London since 1992. In 2011, Canterbury Company was founded to recruit officer cadets from universities in Kent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.army.mod.uk/UOTC/30763.aspx|title=London UOTC|publisher=Ministry of Defence|access-date=13 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170508195018/http://www.army.mod.uk/UOTC/30763.aspx|archive-date=8 May 2017}}</ref>

During the [[Second World War]], the colleges of the university (with the exception of Birkbeck) and their students left London for safer parts of the UK, while Senate House was used by the [[Ministry of Information (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Information]], with its roof becoming an observation point for the [[Royal Observer Corps]]. Though the building was hit by bombs several times, it emerged from the war largely unscathed; rumour at the time had it that the reason the building had fared so well was that [[Adolf Hitler]] had planned to use it as his headquarters in London.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.c20society.org.uk/botm/senate-house-bloomsbury-wc1|title=Senate House, Bloomsbury, WC1&nbsp;— The Twentieth Century Society|work=c20society.org.uk}}</ref>

The latter half of the last century was less eventful. In 1948, Athlone Press was founded as the publishing house for the university, and sold to the Bemrose Corporation in 1979,<ref name="AIM25">{{Cite web|author=Archives in London & the M25 area (AIM25) |title=Athlone Press: 1945–1979 |website= Senate House Library, University of London |date=29 November 2006 |url=http://www.aim25.ac.uk/cats/14/1671.htm |access-date=21 December 2009 |archive-date=6 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606132612/http://www.aim25.ac.uk/cats/14/1671.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> subsequent to which it was acquired by [[Continuum International Publishing Group|Continuum publishing]].<ref name="allbusines.com2006">{{Citation | author = | chapter = Sturrock departs Continuum | title= Article citing companies encompassed by Continuum | date = 29 November 2006 | chapter-url = http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-miscellaneous/4663699-1.html | access-date= 21 December 2009}}</ref> However, the post-WWII period was mostly characterised by expansion and consolidation within the university, such as the acquisition as a constituent body of the Jesuit theological institution Heythrop College on its move from Oxfordshire in 1969.{{fact|date=September 2024}}`

{{anchor|University of London Act 1978}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = University of London Act 1978
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to make new provision for the University of London and to repeal the University of London Act 1926.
| year                  = 1978
| citation              = [[List of acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1978|1978]] c. ii
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 23 March 1978
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = University of London Act 1994
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = repealed
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = 
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
The University of London Act 1978 (c. ii) saw the university defined as a federation of self-governing colleges, starting the process of decentralisation that would lead to a marked transference of academic and financial power in this period from the central authorities in Senate House to the individual colleges. In the same period, UCL and King's College regained their legal independence via acts of parliament and the issuing of new royal charters. UCL was reincorporated in 1977, while King's College's new charter in 1980 reunited the main body of the college with the corporation formed in 1829. In 1992 centralised graduation ceremonies at the [[Royal Albert Hall]] were replaced by individual ceremonies at the colleges.<ref>{{cite book|title=The World of UCL|page=275|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-press/browse-books/the-world-of-ucl/|author1=Negley Harte|author2= John North |author3 =Georgina Brewis | date=June 2018|publisher=UCL Press}}</ref> One of the largest shifts in power of this period came in 1993, when [[HEFCE]] (now the Office for Students, OfS<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/|title=Home - Office for Students|last=Students|first=Office for|date=2018-01-12|website=www.officeforstudents.org.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-09-11}}</ref>) switched from funding the University of London, which then allocated money to the colleges, to funding the colleges directly and them paying a contribution to the university.<ref name="UoL Future" />

There was also a tendency in the late 20th century for smaller colleges to be amalgamated into larger "super-colleges". Some of the larger colleges (most notably UCL, King's College, LSE and Imperial) periodically put forward the possibility of their departure from the university, although no steps were taken to actually putting this into action until the early 21st century.{{fact|date=September 2024}}

[[File:Imperial Institute.jpg|right|thumb|The [[Commonwealth Institute|Imperial Institute]] building in [[South Kensington]], home to the university from 1900 to 1937]]

===21st century===
{{see also|London Student}}
In 2002, [[Imperial College]] and [[University College London|UCL]] mooted the possibility of a merger, raising the question of the future of the University of London and the smaller colleges within it. Subsequently, considerable opposition from academic staff of both UCL and Imperial led to a rejection of the merger.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Guardian|date=18 November 2002|first=Donald |last=MacLeod|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2002/nov/18/highereducation.universitymergers |title=Opposition ends Imperial and UCL merger dream}}</ref>

Despite this failure, the trend of decentralising power continued. A significant development in this process was the closing down of the [[Convocation]] of all the university's alumni in October 2003; this recognised that individual college alumni associations were now increasingly the centre of focus for alumni.<ref name="london">{{cite web|url=http://www.london.ac.uk/52.html|publisher=london.ac.uk|title=University of London: Convocation|access-date=13 January 2017}}</ref> However, the university continued to grow even as it moved to a looser federation, and, in 2005, admitted the [[Central School of Speech and Drama]].

On 9 December 2005, Imperial College became the second constituent body (after Regent's Park College) to make a formal decision to leave the university. Its council announced that it was beginning negotiations to withdraw from the university in time for its own centenary celebrations, and in order to be able to award its own degrees. On 5 October 2006, the University of London accepted Imperial's formal request to withdraw from it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_5-10-2006-13-17-17?newsid=2736|title=News_5-10-2006-13-17-17|author=CBLAIR|work=imperial.ac.uk|date=5 October 2006 }}</ref> Imperial became fully independent on 9 July 2007, as part of the celebrations of the college's centenary.

The ''[[Times Higher Education Supplement]]'' announced in February 2007 that the London School of Economics, University College London and King's College London all planned to start awarding their own degrees, rather than degrees from the federal University of London as they had done previously, from the start of the academic year starting in Autumn 2007. Although this plan to award their own degrees did not amount to a decision to leave the University of London, the ''THES'' suggested that this "rais[ed] new doubts about the future of the federal University of London".<ref name="THES">{{cite web|last1=Attwood|first1=Rebecca|title=London trio to award their own degrees|url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/london-trio-to-award-their-own-degrees/207945.article|website=Times Higher Education Magazine|date=23 February 2007 |access-date=11 March 2018}}</ref>

The [[School of Pharmacy, University of London]], merged with UCL on 1 January 2012, becoming the UCL School of Pharmacy within the Faculty of Life Sciences.<ref>[http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/1112/111223-school-of-pharmacy-merged School of Pharmacy merges with UCL]. Ucl.ac.uk (1 January 2012). Retrieved 17 July 2013.</ref> This was followed on 2 December 2014 by the [[Institute of Education]] also merging with UCL, becoming the UCL Institute of Education.<ref name="ucl">{{cite web|url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/1114/251114-ucl-ioe-confirm-merger|publisher=ucl.ac.uk|title=UCL and the Institute of Education confirm merger|date=25 November 2014 |access-date=13 January 2017}}</ref>

Since 2010, the university has been outsourcing support services such as cleaning and portering. This has prompted industrial action by the largely [[Latin American]] workforce under the "3Cosas" campaign (the 3Cosas – ''3 things'' – being [[sick pay]], [[holiday pay]], and pensions for outsourced workers on parity with staff employed directly by the university). The 3Cosas campaigners were members of the [[UNISON]] trade union. However, documents leaked in 2014 revealed that UNISON representatives tried to counter the 3Cosas campaign in meetings with university management.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/mar/24/cost-private-contracts-universities-documents-services-workers|title=The true cost of private contracts in universities|first=Aditya|last=Chakrabortty|date=24 March 2014|work=The Guardian}}</ref> The 3Cosas workers subsequently transferred to the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain.

Following good results in the [[Research Excellence Framework]] in December 2014, [[City University London]] said that they were exploring the possibility of joining the University of London.<ref name="theguardian">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jan/20/universities-research-excellence-framework-modern-languages|work=The Guardian|title=Universities worry about fallout from research ranking|first=Harriet |last=Swain |date=20 January 2015 |access-date=13 January 2017}}</ref> It was subsequently announced in July 2015 that City would join the University of London in August 2016.<ref name="Grove">{{cite web |last=Grove |first=Jack |date=16 July 2015 |title=City University London to join University of London |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/city-university-london-join-university-london |access-date=16 July 2015 |website=Times Higher Education}}</ref> It will cease to be an independent university and become a college as "City, University of London".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk/documents/s53556/150723%2520City%2520University%2520London.pdf |title=Committee Report |website=democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk |date=2015 |access-date=2019-08-30}}</ref>

{{anchor|University of London Act 2018}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = University of London Act 2018
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act to make new provision for the making of statutes for the University of London; and for related purposes.
| year                  = 2018
| citation              = [[List of acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 2018|2018]] c. iii
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 20 December 2018
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = {{ubli|University of London Act 1994}}
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2018/3/contents/enacted
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
In 2016 reforms were proposed that would see the colleges become member institutions and be allowed to legally become universities in their own right. A bill to amend the university's statutes was introduced into the House of Lords in late 2016. The bill was held up by procedural matters in the House of Commons, with MP [[Christopher Chope]] objecting to it receiving a second [[Reading (legislature)|reading]] without debate and no time having been scheduled for such debate. Twelve of the colleges, including UCL and King's, said that they would seek university status once the bill was passed.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/bill-paves-way-london-colleges-gain-university-status|title=Bill paves way for London colleges to gain university status|date=18 April 2018|first=John |last=Morgan|work=[[Times Higher Education]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://wonkhe.com/blogs/the-strange-tale-of-the-university-of-london-bill/|title=The strange tale of the University of London Bill|first=David |last=Kernohan|date=26 July 2018|publisher=WONKHE|access-date=30 September 2018}}</ref> The bill was debated and passed its second reading on 16 October 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2018-10-16/debates/2F554391-4F2E-4550-8D4F-359E08169031/UniversityOfLondonBill(Lords)|date=16 October 2018|work=[[Hansard]]|access-date=17 November 2018|title=University of London Bill [Lords]}}</ref> It received royal assent on 20 December 2018, becoming the University of London Act 2018 (c. iii)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://services.parliament.uk/Bills/2017-19/universityoflondon/stages.html|title=Bill stages — University of London Act 2018|website=parliament.uk|access-date=26 December 2018}}</ref> The twelve colleges (namely, all except The Courtauld, ICR, LBS, RAM and RCSSD) subsequently applied for university status, although stating they did not intend to change their names, with notice being given in the [[London Gazette]] on 4 February 2019.<ref>{{cite periodical|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/3202025|title=Other Notices|date=4 February 2019|magazine=London Gazette|page=1900|issue=62551}}</ref>

In 2018, [[Heythrop College]] became the first major British higher education institution to close since the medieval [[University of Northampton (13th century)|University of Northampton]] in 1265.<ref name="Heythrop">{{cite news |first=Jack |last=Grove |date=3 September 2018 |title=Heythrop College: innovation can't save first victim of £9K fees |work=[[Times Higher Education]] |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/heythrop-college-innovation-cant-save-first-victim-ps9k-fees}}</ref> Its library of more than 250,000 volumes was moved to [[Senate House Library]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://heythrop.ac.uk/news/heythrop-library-relocating-senate-house|publisher=Heythrop College|title=Heythrop Library Relocating to Senate House|date=2 July 2018|access-date=29 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930154518/http://heythrop.ac.uk/news/heythrop-library-relocating-senate-house|archive-date=30 September 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2019, the [[University of London Press]], founded in 1910, was relaunched as a fully [[open access|open-access]] publisher specializing in "distinctive scholarship at the forefront of the [[Humanities]]".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://london.ac.uk/about-us/press|title=University of London Press|website=University of London}}</ref>