Chelsea College Governing Body, Council and Academic Board Minute Books

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0100 CA/G/M, CA/C/M, CA/S/M, CA/S/MP, CA/CS/M, CA/M, CA/CS/MP
Held at	: King's College London College Archives   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/library/archivespec/ ›
Full title	: Chelsea College Governing Body, Council and Academic Board Minute Books
Date(s)	: 1888-1985
Level of description	: Sub-fonds of King's College London Archives
Extent	: 79 boxes and folders and 4 volumes
Name of creator(s)	: South-Western Polytechnic Chelsea Polytechnic Chelsea College of Science and Technology Chelsea College

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

The South-Western Polytechnic was opened at Manresa Road, Chelsea, in 1895, to provide scientific and technical education to Londoners. Day and evening classes for men and women comprised study in domestic economy, mathematics, engineering, natural science, art and music. It changed its name to Chelsea Polytechnic in 1922 and taught a growing number of registered students of the University of London, and this relationship was later formally recognised when the Polytechnic, now reconstituted as Chelsea College of Science and Technology, was admitted as a School of the University in 1966. Government of the College was devolved to the so-called Governing Body, supplemented from its inception in 1961 by an Academic Board reflecting the interests of staff and students. These were renamed the Council and Senate when the College was granted its Royal Charter in 1971. Chelsea College merged with King's and Queen Elizabeth College in 1985 whereupon the functions of the Council and Senate were transferred to the King's Council and Academic Board.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

South-Western Polytechnic, Chelsea Polytechnic, Chelsea College of Science and Technology, Chelsea College Governing Body, Council and Academic Board Minute Books, 1888-1985. This series of minute books comprises one of the most important sources of evidence of the strategic and academic development within the Polytechnic and College from the earliest subscription campaign for the new Institute to the closure of Chelsea when it merged with King's in 1985. It comprises the main class of College governance minutes with a duplicate set covering the years 1906-1966, and in particular the manuscript minutes of the Executive or Governing Body of the South Western Polytechnic (with index), 1881-1906; printed and bound minutes of the Finance and General Purposes Committee, 1906-1918; printed and bound copies of the minutes of the Governing Body and Finance and General Purposes Committee, 1919-1922; printed and bound copies of the minutes of the Governing Body, 1923-1966; folders of typescript minutes of the Governing Body, 1966-1972 (Ref: CA/G/M); folders containing typescript Chelsea Council minutes, 1972-1985 (Ref: CA/C/M). Governing Body/Council minutes typically contain information on appointments and salaries, strategic and academic planning, academic services, scholarships and student numbers, the relationship with other Higher Education institutions and merger details. Incomplete manuscript and typescript Board of Studies and complete typescript Academic Board and Senate minutes, 1917-1931, 1962-1985 (Ref: CA/S/M), covering topics including departmental organisation, examinations, grants and student discipline; meeting papers relating to the Senate minutes, 1972-1985 (Ref: CA/S/MP). Minutes of Special Committees of the Governing Body/Council such as Non-Academic Staff Committee, 1966-1981, Sites and Buildings, 1966-1985; Finance and General Purposes Committee, 1967-1985; Residence and Refectories Committee/Amenities Committee, 1967-1985; Development Committee, 1971-1976; Staff Association, 1956-1976; Sports Ground Committee, 1972-1985; Joint Athletic Ground Committee, 1922-1939; Joint Policy Committee, 1973-1978 (Ref: CA/CS/M, CA/M); Special Committee meeting papers for the Academic Planning Committee and a working party on the College Library, 1965-1983 (Ref: CA/CS/MP).

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

The records are divided into the main series outlined above in the Scope and Content section, namely minutes of the executive Governing Body and its replacement, known as the Council, and of the Board of Studies/Academic Board/Senate, the principal academic committee of the Polytechnic/College. Minutes are then arranged in chronological sequence within each series.

Conditions governing access:

Administrative records are generally subject to a thirty year closure period from the date of leaving.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, can be supplied to appropriate College staff. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Director of Archive Services, King's College London.

Finding aids:

A brief descriptive list of the minute books is available for consultation in the King's College London Archives reading room.

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Material mostly received from the Chelsea College Librarian's Office, [1985].

Allied Materials

Related material:

Chelsea Registry material (Ref: CAR); Secretarial papers (Ref: CAS); Chelsea Annual Reports also include summaries of College business.

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Entry compiled by Geoff Browell.

Rules or conventions:
National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal Place and Corporate Names 1997; ISAD(G), Second edition, 2000.

Date(s) of descriptions:
February 2002