£2 million investment programme transforms campus life in Northampton

Twenty five projects have been identified and agreed, all designed to enhance University life for both students and staff.

Vice Chancellor Professor Nick Petford said:

Changes are well underway and this exciting programme of investments is just one of the ways we are looking to improve university life for our students and staff.

Professor Nick Petford

One of the programme’s projects has focused on the main Library at Park Campus, which is being transformed into a new and up-to-the-minute ‘Learning Commons’-style library thanks to a £900,000 investment.

For a number of years, the University has been growing its e-journals, e-books and multimedia. This means a new learning space can be created in the Library – where people can come together and interact with learning content, often digitally in a more dynamic and student-led environment.

The concept is beginning from the ground floor, which is being completely transformed, and will be finished for Autumn 2011. There will be a café, roving staff to assist people and the University aims to offer 24 hour opening soon.

Other projects include refurbishments to the Avenue and Park Campus Students’ Unions, more PCs across campus and extra walkways and waste bins to improve the external look and feel of the campuses.

In addition to this £2 million investment programme, the University is also managing a further £8 million in project works.

Several major building and re-modelling projects are already underway at Park Campus and these will be complemented by further refurbishments at Avenue Campus, set to take place over the summer.

Park Campus projects include a £1.6 million extension to Cottesbrooke, home to the University’s Northampton Business School. A £3.8million development of Sulgrave and Rockingham is expected to be finished by early September, along with a brand new two storey extension to create an impressive entrance to the School of Education, which will provide valuable social learning and teaching spaces.

A £720,000 refurbishment at the School of Social Sciences will be finished by the end of the year.

Work already completed includes the refurbishment of the Ashton building for the School of Health. Laboratories across three buildings have been upgraded and will improve capacity and quality for Midwifery, Biosciences and Research.

Over at Avenue Campus, developments include work in the Main Hall to produce an improved space for Performing Arts.