Rachel McMillan was born in New York in 1859, the daughter of Scottish immigrants. On visiting Edinburgh at the age of 28, Rachel was influenced by Socialism and the following year moved to London to be near Margaret, her governess sister and also attend socialist meetings, write articles, and give free evening lessons to working class girls. The sisters moved to Bradford and joined the Fabian Society, Social Democratic Federation, and Labour Party. In 1892 Margaret with Dr James Kerr published a report on the health of elementary children in Britain and began campaigning for improvements. Rachel returned to London and was active in the Labour Party movement. In 1906 the sisters campaigned for, and had passed, the Provision of School Meals Act. In 1908 they opened the country's first school clinic in Bow and another in 1910 in Deptford as well as a Night Camp for children. In 1914 they started an open-air nursery & nursery staff training centre in Peckham which was accorded recognition by the Board of Education in 1919.Rachel McMillan died in March 1917 and the re-named Rachel McMillan College moved premises to Creek Road, Deptford in 1930. The new buildings housed students studying on three-year full-time courses leading to a Froebel Certificate. In 1961, at the invitation of the governors, the College was taken over by the London County Council (LCC). The LCC created an annexe of the College on the New Kent Road, which provided accommodation for part-time students studying nursery, infant and junior teaching courses leading to a London University Certificate in Education after a four-year part-time course. The New Kent Road annexe merged with South Bank Polytechnic in 1976 to become part of the Faculty of Education, Human & Social Studies. The rest of Rachel McMillan College merged with Goldsmith's College in 1977. In 1989 students and staff were relocated to the Polytechnic's main site.
The Quality and Standards Committee was set up to review and advise on the development of University strategies regarding the student experience, learning, teaching and assessment. It also monitors the quality of the students' learning experience through the annual student satisfaction survey and receives reports of quality assessment or review reports from external professional and statutory bodies. The chair of the committee is the Pro Vice Chancellor (Students and Quality).
The Property Committee was a committee of the Board of Governors which advised the Board on property and estates matters. For significant estates matters the committee liaised with the Policy and Resources Committee so that the financial impact may be assessed in the context of the University as a whole.
The Board closed the commitee on 14 May 2015 as part of the governance effectiveness review.
In 1970 the Borough Polytechnic Institute merged with the Brixton School of Building, City of Westminster College and National College for Heating, Ventilating, Refrigeration and Fan Engineering to form the Polytechnic of the South Bank. The Designation Ceremony took place at the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank on 22nd November 1971. Margaret Thatcher, the Education Secretary at the time was the special guest.
The Policy Committee was established in 1981 as a sub-committee of the Council with the following terms of reference:
-To review the Polytechnic's activities;
-To determine strategic policy for the development of the Polytechnic;
-To work in co-operation with the Strategic Planning Committee of the Academic Board;
-To review general provision for student support services.
The Policy and Resources Committee was established in 1989 and contained the Finance and General Purposes Committee (LSBU/2/1/1). In 2001 the Finance Committee became a separate committee. In 2003 it was subsumed back into the Policy and Resources Committee.
The Policy and Resources Committee was a committee of the Board of Governors and advises the Board on the University's policies, its solvency and the use and safeguarding of its resources and assets. It also ensured that the University operated within the law and implemented matters delegated to it by the Board.
On 14 May 2015 the Board closed the committee as part of the governance effectiveness review.
From Lost Hospitals of London: https://ezitis.myzen.co.uk/oldchurch.html Oldchurch Hospital originated from the Romford Union workhouse, which had been built during 1838 and 1839 to the southwest of Romford. The 5-acre site on Oldchurch Road was purchased by the Union from a Mr Philpot at £160 an acre. The 2-storey workhouse building was cruciform, a popular design with the dormitory blocks laid out in a cross-shape. It could house 450 inmates. The administration block was at the south of the site, while the main accommodation blocks radiated from a central hub. Observation windows in the hub enabled the workhouse master to observe the inmates in each of the four exercise yards. The dormitories and Day Rooms for the female inmates were on the eastern side in the northeast and southeast arms of the cross, while the males occupied the western side in the northwest and southwest arms. The kitchens and dining rooms were located at the north of the building. In 1893 the workhouse was renamed the Romford Poor Law Institution. An infirmary block was added at the north of the site. During WW1 the infirmary of the Institution became the Romford Military Hospital, an auxiliary hospital for the Colchester Military Hospital, with 82 beds for wounded and sick servicemen. In 1924 further additions were built at the north and east of the site. In 1929, following the abolition of the Poor Law Guardians, the workhouse and its infirmary came under the administration of Essex County Council, who converted the buildings into the Oldchurch County Hospital. The Hospital, which incorporated the old workhouse buildings, was much expanded during the 1930s to have over 800 beds. Hainault Lodge became an a exe to provide accommodation for elderly chronically ill female patients. During WW2 it joined the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) with 868 beds, of which 96 were EMS beds for air-raid casualties. In 1948 the Hospital joined the NHS under the control of the Romford Group Hospital Management Committee, part of the North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board. In 1950 it had 750 beds for general and maternity cases but, by 1952, some 718 beds. It remained an acute hospital and, by 1962, it had 651 beds for acute and maternity patients. In 1974, following a major reorganisation of the NHS, the Hospital came under the control of the Havering District Health Authority, part of the Barking and Havering Area Health Authority of the North East Thames Regional Health Authority. Its maternity services had closed and it had 629 beds for acute cases. In 1980 it had 600 beds. In 1982, after another NHS reorganisation, it came under the control of the Barking, Havering and Brentwood District Health Authority. By 1986 it had 530 beds. In 1993, following another NHS reform, the Hospital was under the control of the Havering Hospitals NHS Trust. In 2000 it had 473 beds. Despite local opposition, the old cruciform workhouse building was demolished so that a temporary single-storey building could be erected in its place. In 2003 the Hospital was administered by the Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust. By 2005 there were 565 beds. The Hospital closed in 2006, with the last patient being seen on 15th December. Services were transferred to the nearby newly built Queen's Hospital and to the King George Hospital in Chadwell Heath.
Norwood Technical College, also known as The Lower Norwood Working Men's Institute, was endowed by the Scottish philanthropist Arthur Anderson (1792-1868) to benefit the local community in 1860. As well as founder of the college, Anderson co-founded the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) (1840) and was a Liberal MP for the Orkney and Shetland Constituency (1847-1852).
In 1895 Lower Norwood Working Men's Institute merged with London County Council (LCC) classes to become Norwood Technical Institute as a branch of the Borough Polytechnic Institute. The Borough Polytechnic Institute Governors managed the Institute from 1895 until 1905 at the cost of the LCC. In 1905 the Institute became independent as one of the first fully maintained technical institutions of the LCC. During the war years 1939-1945, the college figured prominently as a centre for training wireless mechanics and operators. After the war, science and technical courses expanded and the Jackson Building was opened.
The Institute was renamed Norwood Technical College in 1950 later South London College in 1974. The College's original site was closed in the late 1990s and the site was cleared in 2000. South London College, Brixton College and Vauxhall College merged in 1992 to become Lambeth College.
Norwood Technical College was originally known as Norwood Technical Institute. After the Second World War the College expanded its science and technical courses, opening a new building called the Jackson Building. In 1968/1969 the College expanded again and acquired an annex on Tooley Street near Tower Bridge which offered technician courses in applied science and dentistry. In September 1974 the College was renamed South London College.
The Nominations Committee was established in July 1995 to consider nominations for positions on the Board of Governors and to make recommendations to the Appointments Committee. The Nominations Committee is a committee of the Board of Governors.
In December 1945 the Education Board for the Heating and Ventilating Industry set up a committee to look into the possibility of establishing a National School for the Heating and Ventilating Industries. This was in response to the Percy Report which recommended that National Schools associated with certain industries should be established. In 1946, with the agreement of the National Association of Heating, Ventilating and Domestic Engineering Employers, discussions were opened with the Ministry of Education on the establishment of a National School. These proposals were well received and in January 1947 a memorandum, drawn up by the Ministry on National Colleges, and financial arrangements were discussed by the Ministry and the Board. It was agreed that Industry should pay £50 per student per session with a guaranteed minimum of £1000 per year. The National Association also agreed to this and in April 1947 it was decided that a National College for Heating and Ventilating, Refrigeration and Fan Engineering be formed within the Borough Polytechnic. The agreement of the London County Council was secured in November 1947 and the first meeting of the Board of Governors of the newly established National College for Heating, Ventilating, Refrigeration and Fan Engineering was held on 20 January 1948 at the Borough Polytechnic.The first Chair of Governors was Hubert Secretan and there were representatives from the three industries on the Board of Governors. There were high hopes for the new College and the third annual report of the Education Board for the Heating and Ventilating Industry hoped 'it will be the centre for the highest grade of technological training for the industry and will be in close contact with the most up-to-date development and research' (NC/7/2/3). The College existed to meet the needs of the industries and had two principal aims: to provide a high standard of technological training and to undertake research.In its first session, commencing in September 1948, the College offered full-time Diploma courses in the three industries: Heating and Ventilating Engineering, Refrigeration Engineering and Fan Engineering. The College also offered part-time day or evening refresher courses for those employed in industry. Courses led to diplomas after full-time study for two terms, and later one year, or an Associateship of the National College with post graduate or post HND entry.The College was, from its inception, closely linked with the Borough Polytechnic. Its premises were located within the grounds of the Borough Polytechnic Annexe and the College used the facilities of the Polytechnic for teaching ancillary subjects. Before the National College was established the Polytechnic had become the principal college in heating and ventilating engineering in London. A lecturer in heating and ventilating engineering had been appointed in 1917 for evening courses and after World War 1 part-time day classes were introduced. At first, the college was heavily dependent on service teaching from other departments of Borough Polytechnic, especially mechanical engineering, mathematics and humanities, but began to widen its work by undertaking research.The College was given a logo of a shield divided into four, representing the three industries and the Borough Polytechnic. It also had a motto, 'e tribus unum', meaning 'one from three'.In the 1950s the accommodation within the Borough Polytechnic was too small to allow the continued expansion of student numbers and to undertake research. The Ministry of Education agreed to cover the costs of the building and industry donated money to purchase new equipment. The new building on Southwark Bridge Road (now the Faraday Wing) was opened to students in September 1960.By the 1960s government policy had moved away from National Colleges which taught a limited syllabus. The Ministry of Education preferred Technical Education Institutions to provide a broader education than covered by the National Colleges and in 1964 it began discussions with the National College on its future. Due to a Government White Paper of 1966 entitled 'A Plan for Polytechnics' it was proposed that a new Polytechnic should be established by merging the Borough Polytechnic with the National College, Brixton School of Building and City of Westminster College.In September 1970 these four colleges merged to become the Polytechnic of the South Bank. In effect, the National College became the Polytechnic's Faculty of Environmental Science and Technology.
The Nathu Puri Institute, based in the university's Faculty of Engineering, Science and The Built Environment was established in order to foster enterprise amongst engineers and support the UK engineering industry.
In 1889 the Morley Memorial College for Working Men and Women was established to organise lectures and classes held in the Old Victoria Hall ('Old Vic' theatre). The intention was to promote the study of subjects other than technical ones amongst working men and women, as well as promote social interaction. A scheme of co-operation existed between the College and the Borough Polytechnic Institute and students at Morley College were granted access to the Polytechnic's social facilities. In 1917 commercial classes, printing and some language classes were transferred from the Polytechnic to Morley College. In the 1920's, the Old Victoria Hall and Morley College went their separate ways when funds were acquired for a separate site nearby where Morley College could grow. From that time on all plans to merge the Polytechnic with Morley College ceased and today Morley College is one of the oldest adult education colleges in the country.
As its work was complementary to that of the Borough Polytechnic, and it was in the same neighbourhood, an arrangement was made between the two institutions and a Joint Committee formed. The Committee focused on academic matters at the two institutions between 1910 and 1914.
Journal
The Maternity Center Association, now Childbirth Connection was founded in 1918 as a North American not-for-profit organization to improve the quality of maternity care through research, education, advocacy, and demonstration of maternity innovations. In 1939 the Association sponsored a major exhibition of sculptures of the childbirth process by Robert Latou Dickinson and Abram Belskie at the 1939-40 World's Fair.
Manor House Magazine was the College magazine for Battersea Training College of Domestic Science. Its first publication was in 1952.
The Mad Dog Project was part of a research programme in the University's Sustainable Transport Research Centre in the School of Engineering. The Project designed and built low budget solar cars and competed in various World Solar Challenges. The first car, Mad Dog I entered the 1996 race, Mad Dog II competed in the 1998 World Solar Rally and Mad Dog III competed in several races, including the World Solar Challenge 2001 and 2001 American Solar Challenge.
South Bank Polytechnic Student Union was formed in 1970 by amalgamating the unions of the Borough Polytechnic Institute, Brixton School of Building and City of Westminster College after these institutions were merged, along with the National College for Heating, Ventilating, Refrigeration and Fan Engineering to form the Polytechnic of the South Bank.
The Borough Polytechnic Students' Union had been situated in Borough Road Building, but the new South Bank Polytechnic Student Union was located on Rotary Street where facilities included a bar, coffee bar and games room. By 1973 the Union had established a Welfare Service and the clubs and societies on offer were categorised into four groups: sporting; academic; entertainments; and other. The Union promoted itself as "the only democratic organisation within the Polytechnic representing student's interest to the college and other authorities as a Union". As well as the building on Rotary Street, the Student Union also had a presence at Wandsworth Road Building, after its opening in 1973.
In 1987 the Polytechnic purchased the Vickers Building on Keyworth Street, which was renovated in order to house the finance department and the Student Union. Work was completed in 1990 and the building was renamed George Overend Building. It contained a Student Union shop and bar, a hairdressers and an events hall and was the second largest student venue in London. In 1993 the Union opened a shop in Wandsworth Road and in total provided four bars, two shops, a recreation room and student common room for the Polytechnic's students. The four categories for clubs and societies were altered to become: course based; cultural; external; and sports.
In January 1994 the Union opened a mini-mall on Keyworth Street containing the new Union shop, Endsleigh Insurance and a small space for amusement machines. The Union also expanded its welfare unit and opened two new entertainment venues within George Overend Building: The Void for smaller events and The Arc, which had space for 1,000 people. The venues within George Overend Building were refurbished and changed name several times, but by 1999 consisted of the Tavern, a bar styled as a traditional pub and Isobar, a larger venue.
The Student Union ceased to have facilities at Wandsworth Road in 2003 once the building was sold. It also ceded management of Turney Road Sports Pavilion to the University's Academy of Sport, Physical Activity & Wellbeing in 2006.
In 2007 the Student Union was relocated to a temporary structure on Thomas Doyle Street in order for the George Overend Building to be demolished. The temporary structure contained a shop, bar events area, outdoor seating and offices. The Union remained here until November 2012 when it moved to the newly built Student Centre next to Borough Road Building.