SOUTHAMPTON is set to gain a second university. Delighted staff at Southampton Institute have been told that they officially achieve university status - possibly as early as this summer.

Bosses are consulting on a name to recognise the new-found status with The University of Solent Southampton tipped as a hot favourite.

The institute will be the second Hampshire education establishment to become a university within a year. King Alfred's College in Winchester became University College Winchester in June 2004.

The institute was given the power to award its own degrees last November. Previously they had only been able to award them through Nottingham Trent University.

Now it has been told that it has met the strict criteria to do with the quality of its research and teaching to qualify for true university status.

Southampton Institute chairman of governors Professor Glyn Tonge said: "This is wonderful news for our students, our staff and the community of Southampton.

"I would like to congratulate Professor Roger Brown and his team and all staff for the tremendous amount of work that went into this successful application.

"I would also like to thank my fellow governors for all their help and support. This is well deserved recognition for what Southampton Institute has achieved in just 16 years since it became a higher education corporation."

Students' union president Tristan Jewitt said: "I am very proud to be able to tell people I was president of Southampton Institute Students' Union at the time when Southampton Institute heard it was gaining its university title.

"It is a true reflection of the excellent teaching and support that students receive when they come to the institute.

"The staff and students of Southampton Institute thoroughly deserve to be rewarded in this way. I wish the new university every success in the future.

"Students who attend Southampton Institute don't tell their friends back home that they are heading back to the institute at the end of the holiday - they say they're heading back to uni.

"Gaining a university title will just confirm the view students who study here already have."

SOUTHAMPTON INSTITUTE:

The institute can trace its origins back to 1856 and the foundation of a private school of art in the city.

It became an independent higher education corporation as recently as 1989. At that time, the institute had no full-time degree courses and just 5,000, mostly part-time students.

The institute is among Southampton's largest employers with 1,300 staff. Its annual turnover is about £60m.

As well as teaching students, institute staff conduct a wide range of research and scholarship. Since 1992, there have been 100 research degree completions and currently there are another 100 research degree students.

There are currently 16,000 students studying undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

Subjects studied at undergraduate and postgraduate level at Southampton Institute include computing, digital communication, construction, engineering design and maritime.