Shaping the Future

A History of the University of Lancaster, 1961-2011

Shaping the Future is a detailed and highly readable account of the first 50 years of the University, from its early days at St Leonard’s Gate in Lancaster to the internationally renowned institution of today.

Lancaster was the last of the Shakespearean Seven universities founded in the early 1960s, as the result of local pressure for a university in Lancashire and at the outset of an unprecedented expansion of higher education in the United Kingdom.

From the day it opened its doors, the new institution had full authority to manage its own affairs within the terms of its Royal Charter and Statutes. The commitment to learning and teaching within its academic culture and to the highest levels of research achievement are fully described, as well the reflections of students on their own experiences, particularly in the early, experimental years. Further chapters on finance and the physical development of the University campus show how academic choices, the welfare of students, and careful guardianship of its affairs fuse together in the University we see today.

Shaping the Future: a History of the University of Lancaster, 1961-2011

The book will be of particular interest to Lancaster's alumni across the world, to current staff and students, and to all those with an interest in UK higher education. Drawing on the University's original documents, and consistently placing local events in their national context, the book gives a coherent and persuasive account of the many twists and turns of Lancaster's story from the announcement of its foundation to the present day, and its distinctive role and direction. Specially commissioned illustrations accompany the text, and source materials are given in full for future reference. This book is available from Lancaster University Library.

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About the author

Marion McClintock, MBE, BA, has worked for the whole of her professional life in higher education, including more than forty years at Lancaster, where she was Academic Registrar from 1994-2006. She is currently Honorary Archivist and Honorary Fellow of the University, as well as pursuing historical and related pursuits in Lancashire and Cumbria.

Second half century begins

The University celebrated its first half century in 2014, starting in January with a dinner for founding members followed by a programme of events that looked both back into the University’s history and forward to the future. The period since then has been fruitful for Lancaster despite external challenges facing higher education, building on the achievements of colleagues in all parts of the University.

The Faculty of Health and Medicine has grown and flourished. Lancaster Medical School, launched in 2006, has been based at the flagship Health Innovation Campus, since its completion in 2020. The University’s cross-disciplinary interests in health and care have made it the academic partner of choice for NHS trusts and healthcare organisations across the region. A long-awaited School of Architecture was established in 2019, located in the old Bailrigg Mansion, quickly obtaining RIBA accreditation and proving popular with students. Linguistics has put in a strong international performance, scoring second in both the UK and world rankings in 2026. Three research institutes have been added: Data Science and Security (both in 2015), and Ruskin (2025), supported by a strong base of research centres across all disciplines.

Lancaster has continued its high performance in key markers. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 showed the University performing strongly; 91% of research rated as world-leading or internationally excellent. The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 ranking for teaching was overall Gold, including Gold for student outcomes. In the newest measure, Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) 2023, that looks at how higher education institutions serve the economy and society, Lancaster showed a strong outcome; very high in relation to the University’s north-west England peer group, and solid recognition of the University’s work with the public, third and business sectors, including local growth and regeneration.

The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020-22 challenged the world and no institution was exempt from its impact. Lancaster, with the vigour of its colleges as a major asset, departments who supported their students, and a library that was pre-eminent in its continuity of service to students, meant the institution’s students were able to complete their studies in good time and to established Lancaster standards.

Lancaster has become a sector leader in transnational education. The partnership with Sunway University in Kuala Lumpur began in 2006. Since then, four further partnerships have been added: Lancaster University College at Beijing Jiatong University and Lancaster University Ghana (both in 2017); Lancaster University Leipzig (2019); and Deakin University Lancaster University Indonesia (2025). More locally, the skills-based curriculum at UA92 in Manchester (2019) and other regional colleges, have added hundreds more graduates to the University’s ever-expanding alumni community.

Lancaster University declared a Climate Emergency in 2020. Evidence of its commitment to tackling climate change is that it is one of the highest producers of renewable energy within the UK Higher Education sector and committed to becoming carbon net zero from all emission scopes by 2035. The wind turbine built at Hazelrigg continues to contribute to its energy requirements, while a solar farm at Forrest Hills (acquired in 2016) has meant the University will from time to time generate all its own electricity. Environmental sustainability is also important in the management of the University’s estate, where conservation and renovation increasingly take precedence over new or replacement buildings.

In January 2026, Lancaster University welcomed its eighth Vice-Chancellor, Professor Steve Decent, someone already well known to many staff for his previous appointment as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research. In consultation with staff, students and wider stakeholders, the University is creating a distinctive vision for 2026-32.