Editing University of Surrey (section)

===University status{{anchor|University of Surrey Act 1966}}===
[[File:Senate House, AA Building, University of Surrey, Cathedral.jpg|thumb|Stag Hill campus]]

On 9 September 1966 the University of Surrey was established by [[royal charter]].<ref name=Pick1 /> In 1967, on the day before the installation ceremony of the first Chancellor of the university, the [[Aberfan disaster]] occurred. [[Alfred Robens, Baron Robens of Woldingham]] who was appointed the first Chancellor, was also the chairman of the [[National Coal Board]], and as such was expected to visit the site of the disaster. Controversially, in a decision parodied by ''[[Private Eye]]'',<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.private-eye.co.uk/covers/cover-140|work=[[Private Eye]]|title=Robens found in attic|date=28 April 1967|access-date=2017-03-10|archive-date=10 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170310211249/http://www.private-eye.co.uk/covers/cover-140|url-status=live}}</ref> Robens continued with the ceremony in Guildford to become Chancellor.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/1999/jun/29/guardianobituaries3|title=Lord Robens of Woldingham|last=Goodman|first=Geoffrey|date=1999-06-28|work=The Guardian|access-date=2017-03-10|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=12 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312082045/https://www.theguardian.com/news/1999/jun/29/guardianobituaries3|url-status=live}}</ref> During this transition period, visitors to the Battersea campus on 25 October 1968 saw [[Led Zeppelin]] perform their very first gig, advertised as being at the university's [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] Great Hall, on Battersea Park Road.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Townshend |first1=Georgina |title=Five world-beating achievements as University of Surrey celebrates 50th anniversary |url=https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/five-world-beating-achievements-university-12005925 |website=Surrey Live |publisher=[[Reach plc]] |access-date=11 May 2020 |date=11 October 2016 |quote=On the evening of 25 October 1968 a band, who were set to make an indelible mark on the world’s musical landscape, performed at the University of Surrey’s Great Hall in Battersea. |archive-date=29 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200329190144/https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/five-world-beating-achievements-university-12005925 |url-status=live }}</ref> By 1970 the move from Battersea to Guildford was complete.<ref name=Pick1 />

The university's Battersea Court consists of [[halls of residence]] which were named in honour of the university's Battersea origins.<ref>{{cite book |title=Time & Tide, Volume 52, Issues 7-12 |date=1971 |publisher=Time and Tide |page=41 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qUvhAAAAMAAJ&q=battersea+court+university+of+surrey |access-date=7 May 2020 |quote=Here, Battersea Court....University of Surrey... |archive-date=10 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110100736/https://books.google.com/books?id=qUvhAAAAMAAJ&q=battersea+court+university+of+surrey |url-status=live }}</ref>

Between 1982 and 2008, the university became the trustee of the building of the Guildford Institute, using parts of the building for its adult education programme and providing a university presence in the heart of Guildford. The [[Assessment and Qualifications Alliance]] (formerly Associated Examining Board) moved from [[Aldershot]] to its own headquarters building on the Stag Hill campus in 1985. The university marked its [[Silver Jubilee]] in 1991, an event celebrated by the publishing of ''Surrey – The Rise of a Modern University'' by [[Roy Douglas (academic)|Roy Douglas]]<ref name="stroamu" /> and by a Service of Thanksgiving in Guildford Cathedral attended by HM [[Elizabeth II|The Queen]] in March 1992.

In 1998, due to the ongoing development in the relationship between the university and the nearby Roehampton Institute, it was decided to form an academic federation. In November 1999, the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council]] approved the necessary changes to the university's Charter and Statutes and the Roehampton Institute became the University of Surrey Roehampton at the beginning of 2000. Between 2000 and 2004, the university and Roehampton worked together as the [[Federal University of Surrey]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roehampton.ac.uk/digby/history/index.html|title=Digby Stuart College history|publisher=[[Roehampton University]]|access-date=8 August 2008|archive-date=17 February 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080217021247/http://roehampton.ac.uk/digby/history/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In June 2004, the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Council]] granted Roehampton an independent university title, and it became [[Roehampton University]] from 1 August 2004, ending the partnership between the institutions.

The university celebrated its 35th anniversary in May 2002 with a major event in Guildford Cathedral. It was also marked by the unveiling of ''The Surrey Scholar'' sculpture (by Allan Sly FBS) to mark the [[Golden Jubilee]] of Her Majesty The Queen and as a gift to the people of Guildford. ''The Surrey Scholar'' is at the bottom of Guildford High Street. ''Understanding the Real World'', a visual history of the university, by Christopher Pick, was published to coincide with this anniversary.<ref name="Pick1" /> In 2007, the university saw a major increase in overall applications by 39% compared with the previous year.<ref>{{cite news | title=BBC News: Are top-up fees changing courses? | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/6360629.stm | date=14 February 2007 | access-date=16 April 2007 | work=BBC News | archive-date=24 February 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070224010948/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/6360629.stm | url-status=live }}</ref> This was followed by a further increase in applications of 12% in 2008.<ref>{{cite web| title=University of Surrey sees highest growth in applications| url=http://portal.surrey.ac.uk/portal/page?_pageid=799,1894672&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL| access-date=7 August 2008| publisher=University of Surrey| archive-date=28 February 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228030555/http://portal.surrey.ac.uk/portal/page?_pageid=799,1894672&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL| url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2008, the university lost out to [[Royal Holloway]] in a bid to merge with London medical institute [[St George's, University of London]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.surreyherald.co.uk/surrey-news/news-surrey/2008/10/13/college-could-merge-with-a-london-university-54472-22023593/|title=College could merge with a London university|work=The Surrey Herald|date=13 October 2008|access-date=20 October 2008|archive-date=21 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721221751/http://www.surreyherald.co.uk/surrey-news/news-surrey/2008/10/13/college-could-merge-with-a-london-university-54472-22023593/|url-status=live}}</ref> From September 2009, the [[Guildford School of Acting]] became a subsidiary of the university and relocated from Guildford town centre to the university campus.

In March 2019 the university announced it would have to make £15m worth of cuts owing to the effects of [[Brexit]] and anticipated cuts in tuition fees, and was offering redundancy to all staff.<ref>{{cite news |title=Surrey University makes £15m cuts and offers redundancy to all staff |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-47419418 |access-date=2 March 2019 |date=March 2019 |archive-date=1 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301210439/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-47419418 |url-status=live }}</ref> Following the announcement, ''[[The Stag (magazine)|The Stag]]'', published an article titled 'Paygate: The Problem with Surrey's Vice-Chancellor', in which it compared Vice-Chancellor [[Max Lu]]'s "performance-related bonuses" to the university's actual performance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestagsurrey.co.uk/paygate/|title=Paygate: The Problem with Surrey's Vice-Chancellor|date=2019-02-21|website=The Stag Surrey|access-date=2019-03-09|archive-date=27 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327222005/https://www.thestagsurrey.co.uk/paygate/|url-status=live}}</ref> Soon after, in May 2019, staff and students held a [[no confidence vote]] against the university management, with coverage largely focused on Lu's leadership.<ref name=getsurrey>{{cite web|url=https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/university-surrey-staff-students-stage-16273520|title=University of Surrey staff and students stage no-confidence vote over staff and budget cuts|date=16 May 2019|access-date=9 June 2019|archive-date=22 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190522111108/https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/university-surrey-staff-students-stage-16273520|url-status=live}}</ref> Of all the unionised staff who voted, 96% gave a vote of no confidence in "the Vice-Chancellor and Executive Board".<ref name=ucu>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/10090/Damning-vote-of-no-confidence-in-University-of-Surrey-vice-chancellor|title=Damning vote of no confidence in University of Surrey vice-chancellor|website=www.ucu.org.uk|language=en-gb|access-date=2019-05-17|archive-date=11 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611231350/https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/10090/Damning-vote-of-no-confidence-in-University-of-Surrey-vice-chancellor|url-status=live}}</ref> The all-staff vote was approved by all three trade unions represented at the university, in a meeting held with the largest member attendance seen.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://surrey-ucu.org.uk/university-of-surrey-all-staff-vote-of-no-confidence-in-the-vice-chancellor-and-the-executive-board/|title=UNIVERSITY OF SURREY ALL-STAFF VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN THE VICE-CHANCELLOR AND THE EXECUTIVE BOARD|date=7 May 2019|access-date=9 June 2019|archive-date=17 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517205445/http://surrey-ucu.org.uk/university-of-surrey-all-staff-vote-of-no-confidence-in-the-vice-chancellor-and-the-executive-board/|url-status=live}}</ref> Concerns raised by staff specifically include "Lu's language which suggests staff are a cost rather than an asset", according to the [[University and College Union]], while the Students' Union was specifically concerned about the closure of many arts courses at the university despite a "healthy" number of applications for them.<ref name=ucu/> Students who wanted a "no" vote hoped this result would make the university management "engage with staff and students and discuss changes".<ref name=getsurrey/>