• Government White Paper: after five years of slow or no growth student numbers will increase over the next four years especially in the arts and social sciences, with a likely target of 5,000 students. Sussex has exceptionally high proportion of PG students. Research councils make awards to both home and overseas students but overseas students may not be funded in future
• Education Development Building (EDB) opened with its own television studio
• League tables become fashionable nationally but Sussex students appear reluctant to complete questionnaires
• A difficult year in the wider social context impacts on the University
• Student grants do not keep pace with inflation
• Industrial Relations Act leads to increasing trades union activity on campus. Salary increases of around eight per cent are awarded. The Equal Pay Act means increased salaries for many women
• Writs are issued to the Students' Union re ultra vires payments made during 1970-71
• The Students' Union leads a number of strikes and demonstrations including against the 'Thatcher proposals' to curb the freedom of students unions; and a rent strike over Park House VI, Park Village and Holland House. Students in future will be consulted on accommodation decisions
• Students clash with administration in attempts to make University committees open meetings. Charges against protesting students are later withdrawn and the Students' Union adopts a policy of non-co-operation with University over disciplining students
• President of Students' Union David Feintuck resigns in May because of the policies of his successor which he believes are contrary to demands of Union General Meeting (UGM)
• Arts and social studies has 7,500 applicants for 464 UG places and 1,500 applicants for 216 PG places
• Science programmes have difficulties in filling UG places (as do many universities)
• Interdisciplinary research centres are a feature of the sciences, and the Biomedical Research Group is established
• New Accelerator Building opened by Sir Alan Cottrell, the Chief Government Scientist
• MOLS is the Leading centre for chemistry research in the country and faculty receive prestigious individual awards from the Chemistry Society
• Reginald M Phillips Research Unit is opened as part of the Education Area. It is for educational treatment of deafness and use of film and television when working with deaf children. Range of activities organised around Deaf Studies teaching and research
• The Education Area work with children with learning disabilities
• CCE offers 58 courses for adults but is hampered because of power cuts due to miners' strike and other industrial disputes. Classes struggle on, with some transferred to private houses, others taught by candle light or extended into the summer
• CCE organises inaugural Professorial Lectures, six Residential weekend schools (some at the Isle of Thorns) and programme of Saturday Schools, and contributes adult education courses to BBC Radio Brighton
• The Community Services Area is established to service the needs of the wider university, with services such as accommodation, crèche, catering, shops and sports and recreation. Shops on campus now include a book shop, post office, VG supermarket, launderette, Lewes Travel, Hill's Newsagents, McDavitts Farm Shop, USTA Co-op and a butchers, with a proposed Wine and Cheese Bar in the Refectory for 1973-74

Student numbers

Sciences

25 per cent of students are postgraduate – well above the national average

1,283 undergraduates, 553 postgraduates (67 Masters students, 486 research students)

Staff numbers

415: 255 members of faculty, 160 post-doc fellows and visiting research workers