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History of the University - part two
From the outset it was essential that the academic standards for Honours degrees were directly comparable with those of the established British universities. The term 'Licence' was used to describe the qualifications of Honours level awarded by the University of Buckingham and it was decided
- that degrees would be externally examined in precisely the same way as other universities, using examiners drawn from the ranks of Britain's most reputable academics.
- that an Academic Advisory Council would be set up, consisting of 37 senior British academics and an International Advisory Council of 52 distinguished overseas university professors with a wide range of experience and influence.
As a result of the high standards set, recognition by distinguished associations followed swiftly. The Law Society, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the Institute of Bankers and many more, all accepted the Licence.
In March 1983 the College was incorporated as The University of Buckingham by grant of a Royal Charter, just seven years after it opened, satisfying the Department of Education and Science and the Privy Council that the standard of education was at the highest level. Following this grant, the customary nomenclature of Bachelor's Degree (BA, BSc, LLB) was used. By 1984 student numbers had increased to 500 - the demand for places had never been higher, with a ratio of applications to acceptances at 8:1.
The three year period 1982-1985 brought great changes, not only as a result of the Charter but also in the development of the campus buildings . The comparatively small size of Buckingham, with steady rather than explosive growth, has been a blessing and has made it easier for the ideas of the University's founders to be tested, not only in academic terms, but also in admissions policy, buildings and organisation.
Buckingham sees itself existing side by side with the state controlled universities, but it does seek to influence by its example the content and method of higher education, and to provide students with an alternative to institutions in the public sector. It now rests on firm foundations, providing traditional small-group Oxbridge-style teaching alongside the best of the new technology in a community which has the vitality of an independent enterprise.