Records of the University of Surrey

The archive of the University of Surrey constitutes the principal historic and corporate record of the University, including its constituent academic departments and professional service units.

Records contained within the archive include:

• records relating to the governance of the University, including the minutes and papers of University Council, University Senate and their respective subcommittees;
• records relating to the University estate, including material relating to the development of the Stag Hill and Manor Park campuses;
• records relating to University administration and student support;
• records relating to academic departments and research centres;
• records relating to the officers, staff and students of the University.

The archive also includes:

• key publication series, including published annual reports for the University, newsletters and prospectuses;
• historic photographs of the University of Surrey;
• published histories and reference material on the history of the University.

The University of Surrey is a research-led public university based in Guildford, Surrey. It delivers undergraduate, postgraduate and research degree programmes across a wide range of academic disciplines and subject areas.

The University was established on 9 September 1966, with the grant of a Royal Charter to its predecessor body Battersea College of Technology, then based in south London. Building began on a site adjacent to Guildford Cathedral and the University of Surrey started the move to its new premises, known as Stag Hill campus, in 1968. The Battersea site was completely vacated by 1970.

In 1985 the University opened the Surrey Research Park, building on the University's existing links with industry to create a setting in which businesses could collaborate with University academics and researchers on commercial ventures. The Research Park continues to be owned and operated by the University.

Between 2000 and 2004 the University of Surrey was in a partnership with the Roehampton Institute, now the University of Roehampton. During this period the University operated as a federal institution, comprised of the University of Surrey, Guildford and the University of Surrey, Roehampton.

In the 2000s a new campus, Manor Park Campus, was developed on land at Manor Farm, adjacent to the Surrey Research Park and the Royal Surrey County Hospital.

In 2009, the University completed a merger agreement with the Guildford School of Acting, with the School relocating to premises on Stag Hill Campus.

Material has been arranged according to function. The original order and exact origin of these records is, in most cases, unknown. Previous catalogue structures made use of thematic and subject based classifications: these have now been dismantled, with the reference numbers recorded as alternative references where relevant in order to enable continued identification of material.

Material is available to view in the University of Surrey Archives and Special Collections Research Room.

Access to some collection items may be restricted, for instance where sensitive personal or commercial information has been identified during cataloguing, or to protect very fragile items. The Archives team will advise of any restrictions that may be in place. Limited access to uncatalogued elements of the collection may be provided at staff discretion, depending on the nature of the material and the degree of existing organisation.

All records are open to public access under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 unless subject to specific exemption. Records containing personal information on individuals are subject to the terms of UK Data Protection legislation.

Transferred internally from the originating University departments and governing bodies.

Work is currently underway to catalogue the archives of the University of Surrey. Whilst this is happening, some catalogue records for the University of Surrey can be found in the legacy University Archives catalogue [collection reference: UA] on the University of Surrey Archives and Special Collections online catalogue.

A partial catalogue of the collection is available to view on the University of Surrey Archives and Special Collections online catalogue.

Collection Level Description compiled by Melanie Peart in 2021, and revised by Simon Mackley in 2023.

This Archives Hub description prepared by Simon Mackley in November 2023. Please see the University of Surrey Archives and Special Collections online catalogue for any subsequent amendments.

Previous cataloguing approaches grouped Battersea and University of Surrey material together. This approach has been discontinued and records of the University of Surrey and the records of Battersea Polytechnic/College of Technology have been catalogued as separate archival fonds.

In addition, the records of the University of Surrey Students' Union were formerly catalogued as part of the institutional University Archive. These have now been removed to a separate archival fonds [collection reference: SU].

All requests to publish or otherwise reproduce material from the archive should be directed to archives@surrey.ac.uk in the first instance. Unauthorised copying or reproduction is strictly prohibited.

The archive was generated and retained in situ by the University of Surrey and its subsidiary bodies.

It is anticipated that the archive collection will continue to accrue as additional records are transferred.

University of Surrey Archives and Special Collections additionally holds the following related collections:

• Records of Battersea Polytechnic and Battersea College, the University's predecessor bodies [collection reference: BA];
• University of Surrey and Battersea Polytechnic Alumni collections, comprising material given to the archives by former staff and students [collection reference: ASD];
• The Remembering Battersea Oral History Project, comprising interviews with Battersea alumni focussing on memories of life at Battersea Polytechnic and Battersea College of Technology [collection reference: RMB];
• Records of the University of Surrey Students' Union [collection reference: SU].