University makes spelling mistake on signs advertising its academic excellence

University bosses have been left embarrassed after making a spelling error right next to an advert proclaiming their institution’s academic excellence.

Every day thousands of road users pass temporary fencing at the bottom of Chester Road in Sunderland, where the city’s university has a number of buildings.

On the fencing there is signage that promotes the University of Sunderland, with one hoarding that proclaims, “Ranked in the world’s top universities.”

However, passers-by have been amused to notice that it stands close to another sign which reads “Murray Library main entrance 100 meters”, spelled in the US style, or as in ‘gas meters’ rather than ‘metres’, the unit of measurement.

The misspelled sign is to be corrected.

A spokesman for the University of Sunderland said: “Whilst a global university like Sunderland could be expected to insert the occasional Americanism, we will change this to the more commonly used British spelling of ‘metre’.”

The “meter” mishap is not the first time such an error has occurred in Sunderland. In 2018 a correction had to be made to road markings on the north side of the Queen Alexandra Bridge, after directions to the city “center” were painted onto the tarmac.

This may have been another Americanism. However, the USA bore no responsibility for a road sign in Vine Place which was corrected in July 2022, after 15 months of showing the way to “Teeside” rather than Teesside.

A version of this article originally appeared in our sister title, the Sunderland Echo.