Teesside University guide: Rankings, open days, fees and accommodation
Overview
Teesside, which was shortlisted for our University of the Year title last year, wipes out digital poverty on campus at a stroke with its iPads-for-all policy. In perhaps the most socially progressive initiative at any higher-education institution, Teesside's Advance scheme provides an iPad loaded with Office 365, plus £100 annual credit to spend on online learning resources. It allows the university to standardise digital elements of course delivery and integrate its immersive and simulated course components with the software it knows all students have access to. Teesside is aware such generosity is not misplaced; it has one of the most socially diverse student intakes in the country. A decade or more of investment has transformed the campus, just off Middlesbrough town centre, into a pedestrianised precinct of landmark buildings. Its courses have employability elements embedded into them and courses are designed with considerable input from business. This translates into a strong graduate employment track record and good earnings. Such success also feeds into the latest Teaching Excellence Framework, as Teesside was one of a small minority of institutions to win golds for its overall rating, student experience and student outcomes.
Paying the bills
Every student benefits from some form of university support thanks to Teesside's policy of providing a free iPad to all students. Further cash bursaries and scholarships are therefore more limited than in most other institutions. Care leavers are eligible for a £2,000 one-off payment and there are an unlimited number of sports scholarships for high-achieving athletes. Separate sports scholarships funded by Beth Mead, the England and Arsenal women's footballer (and Teesside sports development graduate), and George Friend, the former Middlesbrough captain, adds to the university's appeal for talented sportsmen and women. Other scholarships are subject-specific, such as the Professor Jane Turner scholarship for women applicants to the business school from a Teesside (TS) postcode, which is worth £3,000 a year. Teesside has some of the cheapest student accommodation in the UK, with 85 rooms available at just £85 a week, or £3,400 over a 40-week tenancy. The most expensive rooms cost £165 per week, which works out at £6,600 for a 40-week undergraduate contract, or £8,250 for a 50-week let.
What's new?
BIOS, a £36.9m science, health and medical facility which supports the school of health and life sciences, opened last year and contains four storeys of cutting-edge laboratories for subjects as diverse as anatomy and food science and everything in between, including microbiology, chemistry, imaging and oral health. It features immersive simulation suites, a replica operating theatre and a digital anatomy facility that allows detailed study of the human body using a digitised cadaver. This new building and the strength of Teesside's existing healthcare offering will underpin a forthcoming bid to host a new medical school. Elsewhere, construction of the new Digital Life building is well under way. Due for completion next spring, the building will house artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics suites, virtual reality and cybersecurity laboratories, and animation and visual effects studios. Teesside is the latest university to open a distant outpost in the capital. The new campus, housed in the former media centre for the London Olympics in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, hosts a range of business, computer science and computer games and animation courses. A further 10 degree apprenticeships are in the pipeline at Teesside to join the 36 existing ones, including creative industries production manager, sustainability business specialist, speech and language therapist, and therapeutic radiographer.
Admissions, teaching and student support
Foundation years on many degree programmes offer a route into higher education for applicants whose qualifications are not sufficient to gain direct entry on to a degree programme. This option, together with the ability of admissions tutors to make offers within a range of tariff points, means Teesside does not need a formal contextual offers scheme to ensure social diversity in its intake. It can pitch its offers accordingly to take account of contextual information in applications. More than 80% of admissions come from the North East, the English region with the lowest overall rates of progression into higher education. The university works with schools and colleges across the region, offering support with writing personal statements, interview preparation and guidance on fees and funding to demystify the university applications process and encourage participation from under-represented groups. Teesside offers mental wellbeing support all year round, day and night, through an app, a telephone helpline or email. The Student Life building is home to the university's mental health service on campus. Staff work with students to create a personalised support plan, help them settle into the academic and social demands of university life, and liaise with academic schools and staff regarding any course-related issues that could impact on wellbeing. They can make referrals to external support services as required.
