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50 years

August 1988 - July 1989

  • '1990s will be a 'green' decade'
  • Parliament is now recognising science's concerns. Sussex must take its place in research around the environment and offer programmes that reflect these concerns – interdisciplinarity helps in this respect. Plans include, for 1990, a new degree in Ecology and Conservation, and a Diploma in Landscape Studies offered by CCE – a professional qualification for planners, teachers and voluntary organisations
  • Denis Healey, James Callaghan, Lord Carrington, Ian McEwan (a student from the 1960s) and Andrei Sakharov are awarded honorary degrees
  • The Faraday lectures are to come to Sussex in 1990-91; usually a commercial organisation such as British Aerospace or British Telecom organise these
  • Sussex, in partnership with Brighton College of Technology and other partners set up the first Access course for unemployed adults in Earth and Life Sciences. Successful students will be able to apply for a place at Sussex without the normal entrance requirements
  • The first Shawcross scholar, from Malaysia, is admitted in autumn 1988
  • In line with national policy Sussex admits an extra 145 students: an increase of 12.5 per cent
  • Overseas students intake increases by more than 10 per cent
  • A new four-year course in Engineering for students without usual academic qualifications recruits 40 students in its first year beginning in Oct 1989; demand is much greater than expected
  • The University agrees to adopt a modular structure for its degrees from 1992. Academic content will be unchanged but the structure will be more flexible, allowing students to take time off during their degree or transfer from other institutions without having to repeat work completed successfully elsewhere
  • Colin Eaborn is awarded the Main Group Chemistry Medal and Prize from the Royal Society of Chemistry. He is the third member of staff to be awarded this at Sussex, which is the first time this has happened in any British university

Quick fact

In 1980-81 most academic staff were aged 40-44; in 1988-89 most were aged 45-49, closely followed by the 50-54 cohort

Student numbers

4,975 students: 3,729 undergraduates, 1,246 postgraduates (890 full-time, 356 part-time)