Nottingham Trent University asking for billboards to attract potential students to new Mansfield campus

The popular university opened its new ‘hub’ in the town in September 2020 as part of a plan to boost education and address a skills gap across the district.

It’s based on the grounds of West Nottinghamshire College’s Derby Road campus with the hub offering a range of different degree-level courses.

This includes bachelor’s degrees, foundation degrees, vocational courses, top-up degrees, and postgraduate teaching courses.

Topic areas include business, criminal justice, education, engineering, homes design and construction, paramedicine, nursing, sports science and working with children, young people and families.

It launched three years ago in a partnership with both the university and Mansfield District Council, which wants to turn Mansfield into a ‘university town’.

Now NTU is asking the Labour-led authority for permission to display large billboards at the campus in a bid to celebrate its successes and attract new students.

If approved, the billboards would celebrate the university being recognised as The Times’ Modern University of the Year.

And in papers, the university hopes they will attract students to apply for courses at the Mansfield hub.

NTU said: “The request for the billboards came about from wanting to showcase our achievements to the public on a new NTU campus to attract students to apply for the Mansfield courses.

“Advertisement was chosen due to being recognised by The Times publication for the Modern University of the Year, due to NTU providing investment in teaching quality, student experience and graduate prospects.

“The award reflects NTU’s positive impact it has on the local campuses it resides in and we want to highlight the quality experience prospects may have at the university.”

If council planners approve the plans, vinyl boards with steel frames would be installed at each side of the roadside entrances to the campus.

It is also asking for a totem to be installed on the campus providing “clear direction” to the location of the NTU car park and university facilities.

The text would feature ‘Welcome to Mansfield Hub’ and ‘Main Car Park’ and would separate the university facilities from West Notts College’s campus.