Shaping the Future is a detailed and highly readable account of the first 50 years of the University, from its early days at St Leonardsgate in Lancaster to the internationally renowned institution of today.

Lancaster was the last of the Shakespearean Seven universities founded in the early 1960s, as the result of local pressure for a university in Lancashire and at the outset of an unprecedented expansion of higher education in the United Kingdom.

From the day it opened its doors, the new institution had full authority to manage its own affairs within the terms of its Royal Charter and Statutes. The commitment to learning and teaching within its academic culture and to the highest levels of research achievement are fully described, as well the reflections of students on their own experiences, particularly in the early, experimental years. Further chapters on finance and the physical development of the University campus show how academic choices, the welfare of students, and careful guardianship of its affairs fuse together in the University we see today.

The book will be of particular interest to Lancaster's alumni across the world, to current staff and students, and to all those with an interest in UK higher education. Drawing on the University's original documents, and consistently placing local events in their national context, the book gives a coherent and persuasive account of the many twists and turns of Lancaster's story from the announcement of its foundation to the present day, and its distinctive role and direction. Specially commissioned illustrations accompany the text, and source materials are given in full for future reference.