Future Development
An ambitious development strategy for the Campus through to 2020 was approved in June 2008. This envisages significant growth in student and staff numbers at Queen's, new programmes of study at all levels, and corresponding developments in teaching and research space and social and sporting facilities.
In 2010 a new multi-million pound Queen's Campus sports centre opened its doors to students, staff and the public. Facilities include a multi-use, eight-court sports hall, a fitness suite featuring high-tech cardio-vascular and resistance machines, and a dedicated ergometer room with eight ergo rowing machines. There is also a multi-activity studio, a spinning room and a meeting room.
The vision for Queen's is for a research-led campus with a distinctive offering based on interdisciplinary research which has strong links to the needs of the local region and community as well as international relevance and impact. Student learning and teaching provision are strongly research led and comprise the full range of research, taught postgraduate, CPD and undergraduate study.
Key milestones in this development are the introduction of a new Pharmacy undergraduate programme from 2013 and a major extension to the Wolfson Research Institute (to open in 2012) to deliver a state of the art NHS primary care training facility to embed postgraduate General Practitioner training in a multidisciplinary academic environment in a facility shared between the Northern Deanery and the University. Durham Business School will also use facilities in the new extension to focus on research, postgraduate and undergraduate study in marketing, accounting, communication science and related business subjects to support the strategic development of Queen's as a centre of research excellence. In addition, significant investment in the Library, Careers Service and the general support infrastructure of the Campus is being made to underpin these academic developments.
Specific Campus Developments
University Council has approved a business case for the development of a 4th Wing for the Wolfson Research Institute, the expansion of Durham Business School activities at Queen's and the introduction of a Pharmacy degree.
The new wing extension to the Wolfson Research Institute is a joint venture development programme with substantial funding from the North East Strategic Health Authority. This will provide the Durham & Tees Valley GP Training Programme with additional (ground floor) space for their post graduate training programme for doctors who wish to pursue a career in general practice and represents a key milestone in the development of this significant partnership for the University. Durham Business School Post Graduate programmes at Queen's will be located on the first floor and both floors will be accessed from the current building. Our plan indicates a start date of July 2011 for construction work on the 4th Wing with a target completion date of August 2012.
The main elements of the proximity works associated with the project include:
- Moving Careers Service from the Library to the ground floor of Ebsworth, thus releasing additional space for Library use.
- Creating a Careers Service "shop front" into the Ebsworth foyer, where Reception and Security are presently located, and conversion of D29 and D30 (seminar rooms) into Careers Service space.
- Moving Reception and Security into newly created rooms in the Ebsworth foyer
- Converting Café Aroma into a Post Graduate study area
- Creating a new Café Aroma in D27, the old gym room on the ground floor of Ebsworth, with additional access from the car park
