£1m investment in sports facilities

The University of Wolverhampton is to invest an initial £1million to transform the sports teaching and research facilities at its Walsall Campus. 

Hi-tech equipment including a new environmental chamber to replicate nearly any climate on the planet is being installed over the summer.

This will allow for the precise control of temperature, humidity and simulated altitude and be equipped with a range of training equipment for use by students and researchers, as well as sports clubs, elite athletes and governing bodies.                                         

The refurbished Human Movement Laboratory in the William Penny Brookes building will also include cutting edge 3D motion capture technology. This will digitally record human movements and model motion to enable analysis of high speed body movement and gait.

Existing facilities such as the Human Performance Laboratories will also be completely refurbished as part of the £1million investment.

The University is also launching a series of new courses to equip students with the skills for a career in the sports industry and enhance their employment prospects.

New courses include a BSc (Hons) Football Coaching and Performance and a BA (Hons) Sport Business Management.

A BSc (Hons) Sports and Exercise Therapy course is also among the new courses which will be available to study from September 2020. 

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Geoff Layer, said: “Our strategy for sport commits us to developing high quality research-led teaching, from academic staff and professionals who are connected to the most up to date developments in their subject areas. I’m delighted that we are investing in our sports facilities to ensure that they remain some of the very best for both teaching and research.”

Director of the Institute of Human Sciences, Dr Richard Medcalf, said: “This is a wide-ranging investment in our sports teaching and research facilities for our Department of Sport and Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre.

“Replicating the climatic conditions of competition venues using the environmental chamber will be an interesting development for our sports science offer to clubs, elite athletes and national governing bodies.

“This is a really exciting time for sport at the University, as we continue to develop partnerships with our local clubs. We will also  be hosting the Commonwealth Judo Championships at our Walsall Campus in September.”

The climate chamber will be supplied by Sporting Edge, the endorsed supplier of Altitude and Environmental Chambers to the English Institute of Sport, and Qualisys will provide the 3D motion capture technology.

For more information about studying sport, visit: www.wlv.ac.uk/sport or visit our next Open Day on Saturday, 17 August 2019: www.wlv.ac.uk/opendays

ENDS

For more information please contact the Media Relations Office on 01902 32 2736 or 01902 518647.

Date Issued: Thursday, 08 August 2019

Notes to editors

About the University of Wolverhampton

• The latest Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey saw employability at its highest ever level, with 96.3% of graduates securing work or further study six months after graduating.
• Students’ satisfaction with the teaching and learning on courses is increasing, according to the National Student Survey (NSS) 2017. The quality of learning resources continue to score highly, consistently rated at 86 per cent, while 84 per cent of students are satisfied with the learning opportunities provided.
• The institution’s excellent teaching and learning provision spans sciences, creative and performing arts, education, business and management, health and wellbeing, engineering and technology, law and social sciences.
• In the last round of assessment for research excellence in the UK, Wolverhampton was ranked at its highest ever level, with each member of staff and subject area evaluated by the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) recognised as having world-leading elements.
• Based at campuses in Wolverhampton, Walsall and Telford, education centres in Stafford and Burton and business solutions centres in Wolverhampton, Telford, Sandwell, Hereford and Wyre Forest, the University has over 23,000 students and 2,400 staff. The University of Wolverhampton Science Park is home to tenant businesses and supports the development of innovative companies.
• The University welcomes students from around the world and has regional offices in Oman, India, Nigeria, China and South Africa. Courses are also delivered with global partners in China, France, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Myanmar, Oman, Singapore and Sri Lanka.
• The University is investing £250 million over the next five years as part of the Our Vision, Your Opportunity programme. The ambitious plans to invest in education, training and economic growth include the £25 million Rosalind Franklin Science Building, the £18 million Lord Swraj Paul Business School building, the £100 million Springfield Campus, creating an international hub for construction excellence and the £10 million Science Centre at the University of Wolverhampton Science Park.