Another large research grant is awarded from the Alvey programme of SERC. The ECLIPSE project "An integrated project support environment" value £322k.

The UGC awarded the department a "New Blood lectureship in robotics" starting in October 1984, £21,000 p.a for 5 years.

Professor Glyn Emery retires and moves to London. Mike Tedd is appointed acting Head of Department.

JANET, previously the Joint Academic NETwork, goes live. JANET is the UK's higher education and research network with some 20 million users.

The Apple Macintosh is released. The Mac product line became the only serious rival to the IBM PC.

The BCS (British Computer Society) gets its Royal Charter.

Sir Peter Swinnerton-Dyer became head of the UGC in 1983 (until 1991) during "a turbulent time in university finances" and strongly defended the university system.

UGC and CVCP mentions "sudden and traumatic cuts of 1981-84" and "continuing bleak picture". Aberystwyth recurrent grant from UGC for 1986/87 to be cut by more than 5%

The first hi-tech unit opened on Aber Science Park. The company Hortotech Ltd was established by Emeritus Professor Philip Wareing OBE FRS. Prof Wareing was a distinguished botanist who also designed the landscape of the Penglais campus. With the help of the Curator of the Botany Gardens, Basil Fox, many plants and over 200 trees were planted.

The Nelson report is published promoting using computing in the educational process for all.

A Green paper is published on higher education.

Acorn Computers introduce the ARM processor chip. This RISC computer chip (Reduced Instruction Set architecture) was low cost, low power and thus ideal for smartphones and other portable devices. It became globally dominant with hundreds of billions of ARM chips in use.

Sir Keith Joseph, Secretary of State for Education and Science, proposes changes to tenure. In 1985, he published a White Paper on the university sector: The Development of Higher Education into the 1990s. It advocated an appraisal system to assess the relative quality of research and foresaw a retrenchment in the size of the higher education sector. Both proposals were highly controversial.

The Jarratt report is published (Efficiency Studies in Universities).

Mike Tedd is awarded a professorship and appointed Head of Department.

The department expands - UCG award £120k extra p.a. for teaching, Since 1982 research income exceeds £1m

The Janet inter-university network is promoted for sending documents.

The first national research appraisal of universities was undertaken following much controversy. This was a pilot for the much more detailed assessments to follow.

CS Students win ADA UK prize.

The Computer Unit buys a Vax/VMS system, based on 11/750. This system can service 6 to 12 users simultaneously.

The three maths departments merge into one. Professor Ken Walters is head for five years.

"Successful Knowledge Engineering", one-week course held at in September, lecturers Mark Lee, Chris Price, and Fred Long

University of Wales Advanced Manufacturing Technology Group set up at first meeting at Gregynog

A promotional video was released in 1987 for the Computer Science department at University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. This has been converted from video by Richard Shipman and it is available on YouTube.

See the video on YouTube.

The video includes clips of staff, including Martin Lawson, Frank Bott, Howard Nichols, Nigel Hardy, Dave Price and Mark Ratcliffe.

CS research income doubles (£1.3m in 83/4 to £2.8m in 85/6)

The department's Systems Support group is established.

First UK university department to adopt Ada as main teaching language, replacing Pascal.

Another university spin-off company, Aber Instruments, moves onto Aber Science Park. This company was formed by Professor Douglas Kell (Department of Botany & Microbiology) and Dr Robert Todd. Computer Science has had several collaborations with Aber Instruments.

The Education Reform Act 1988, introduces dismissal by reason of redundancy. The end of tenure.

Student prizes in Ada UK. First and Second prize to John Hunt and Kate White.

A student in CS wins a WINtech prize, (as for last year ?)

Aber Science Park officially opens - with 10 companies, 6 from university.

CS becomes a partner in the ARISE project, part of the EC RACE programme.

New Vice-Chancellor: Kenneth O. Morgan, later became Baron Morgan of Aberdyfi.

UFC suggests 2 year degree courses. Strongly opposed by universities.

RAE 1989. The second Research Assessment Exercise was undertaken, now known as the RAE. This required submission of two research outputs from every member of staff, in 152 subject areas. Only about 40 per cent of the research-related funding was allocated based on the assessment of the submissions. The rest was allocated based on staff and student numbers and research grant income. Submission date 31/3/89. Grading 1 to 5. UCW weighted average was 2.74. Following this, in 1990, the Principal writes to all staff to "improve the quality and quantity of their research".

The Internet opens to commercial services. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) emerge.

The College of Librarianship of Wales (CLW) merged with the university to become the Department of Information and Library Studies (DILS). Music department to close.

Mike Tedd appointed Vice Principal (student affairs) from 1 Oct 1990.

CS research grant income over £3m in 1988/89