Nene College opened in 1975. It was set up as a result of Government Circular 7/73, Development of Higher Education in the Non-University Sector. The Northampton Colleges of Art, Technology and Education were merged, along with the annexe of Leicester College of Education at Corby, to form one institution on two sites, Avenue and Park Campuses under the control of the Local Education Authority.
A wide variety of courses were developed, up to degree level. The degrees were awarded by the University of Leicester, validated through the Board of Collegiate Studies.
The college was run by a Board of Governors, originally thirty people but later increased to thirty three, one quarter of whom represented the LEA. The Director was responsible to the Governors for the organisation and management of the college.There was also an Academic Board. Either Board could set up sub-committees as required.
In 1977, the National Leathersellers College in London moved to Northampton and amalgamated with Nene College's Department of Leather Manufacture. The National Leathersellers Centre opened the following year on Park Campus, built with the aid of a large donation from the Worshipful Company of Leathersellers.
Blackwood Hodge Management Centre opened in 1981, also on Park Campus, built as a result of a gift from the Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation. The name was changed to the Sunley Management Centre in 1989.
Following the Education Reform Act of 1988, Nene College became a Higher Education Corporation, independent of the LEA, in 1989. This change in status resulted in changes to the constitution, for example the Board of Governors, now comprising twenty people, had three standing committees reporting to it, namely Finance, Audit and Employment.
In 1993, the college was given degree awarding powers for first degree and taught masters courses, with the first Nene College degrees awarded in 1996.
The Secretary of State's Response, following the Dearing and Kennedy reports, to the Reports of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education included the item that the title University College should be available to Higher Education Institutions with taught degree awarding powers. In response to this the decision was taken, at the beginning of 1998, to apply to the Privy Council for a change of name for the institution to University College Northampton (UCN). During the transitional period the title Nene - University College was commonly used although the formal name of the Corporation was not changed at this stage.
1999 saw the end of Nene College and the birth of University College Northampton, when the change of name was approved.
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