Editing University College London (section)

===1976 to 2005 – University College London{{anchor|University College London Act 1979}}===
{{multiple image |align=right |direction=vertical |width=200 |image1=Portico and steps, University College, London - geograph.org.uk - 364428.jpg |alt1=UCL |caption1=The Wilkins Building in 1956 |image2=Wilkins Building 1, UCL, London - Diliff.jpg |alt2=UCL |caption2=2014}}
In 1976, a new charter restored UCL's legal independence, although still without the power to award its own degrees.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/about-ucl/history/landmarks |title=Landmarks |publisher=University College London |access-date=26 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080130051135/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/about-ucl/history/landmarks |archive-date=30 January 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723085541/http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ras/acs/governance/documents/charter-and-statutes |archive-date=23 July 2013 |url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ras/acs/governance/documents/charter-and-statutes |title=Royal Charter granted 17 November 1976 |access-date=16 August 2013}}</ref> Under this charter the college became formally known as ''University College London''. This name abandoned the comma used in its earlier name of ''University College, London''.

In 1993, a reorganisation of the University of London meant that UCL and other colleges gained direct access to government funding and the right to confer University of London degrees themselves. This led to UCL being regarded as a ''de facto'' university in its own right.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Guardian |title=College vote brings break-up of university a step nearer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/dec/10/highereducation.administration |quote=Over the past 10 years the university has become an increasingly loose federation of independent institutions that are universities in their own right and receive their grants directly from the Higher Education Funding Council for England, although they still hand out degrees on behalf of the central university. |date=10 December 2005 |author1=Rebecca Smithers |author2=Donald MacLeod}}</ref><ref name="UoL Future">{{cite web|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|website=UCL|access-date=27 January 2023|archive-date=10 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310015350/https://www.ucl.ac.uk/images/Uni-Lon.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Mergers were a major feature of this period of UCL's history. In 1986, the college merged with the [[UCL Institute of Archaeology|Institute of Archaeology]].<ref name=guard221002>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2002/oct/22/highereducation.universitymergers |title=The merger and the man |access-date=23 June 2012 |work=The Guardian |date=22 October 2002 |first=Donald |last=MacLeod}}</ref> In 1988, UCL merged with the Institute of Laryngology & Otology, the Institute of Orthopaedics, the Institute of Urology & Nephrology and [[Middlesex Hospital|Middlesex Hospital Medical School]].<ref name=guard221002/> Middlesex and University College hospitals, together with the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, formed the [[University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust|University College London Hospitals NHS Trust]] in 1994.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2011/mar/25/university-college-london-hospitals-nhs-foundation-trust-profile |title=University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – NHS hospital trust profile |work=The Guardian |access-date=2 June 2013 |first=Kable |last=Healthcare |date=25 March 2011}}</ref>

Mergers continued in the 1990s, with the [[UCL Institute of Child Health|Institute of Child Health]] joining in 1995, the School of Podiatry in 1996<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=99328&sectioncode=26 |title=UCL steps up to world class |access-date=14 August 2012 |work=Times Higher Education |date=6 September 1996}}</ref> and the [[UCL Institute of Neurology|Institute of Neurology]] in 1997.<ref name=guard221002/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=102036&sectioncode=26 |title=Medicine in the capital |access-date=27 June 2012 |work=Times Higher Education |date=14 February 1997}}</ref> In 1998, UCL merged with the Royal Free Hospital Medical School to create the Royal Free and University College Medical School (renamed the [[UCL Medical School]] in October 2008). In 1999, UCL merged with the [[UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies|School of Slavonic and East European Studies]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=145289&sectioncode=26 |title=Slavonic school to stay put after UCL merger |access-date=23 June 2012 |work=Times Higher Education |date=5 March 1999}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=147400&sectioncode=26 |title=Language school keeps name in UCL merger |access-date=23 June 2012 |work=Times Higher Education |date=30 July 1999}}</ref> and the [[UCL Eastman Dental Institute|Eastman Dental Institute]].<ref name=guard221002/>

Proposals for a merger between UCL and [[Imperial College London]] were announced in 2002.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4184027/Imperial-and-UCL-discuss-merger-to-be-world-player.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4184027/Imperial-and-UCL-discuss-merger-to-be-world-player.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Imperial and UCL discuss merger to be world player |date=15 October 2002 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |author=Richard Alleyne}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The proposal provoked strong opposition from UCL teaching staff and students and the [[Association of University Teachers|AUT union]], which criticised "the indecent haste and lack of consultation", leading to its abandonment by UCL provost Sir [[Derek Roberts]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Donald Macleod |title=UCL merger halted to stop "damaging" rows |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2002/nov/18/highereducation.universitymergers1 |date=18 November 2002 |access-date=12 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/nov/19/highereducation.universitymergers|title=Merger of colleges scuppered|author1=Will Woodward|author2= Donald Macleod|date=18 November 2002 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>