Issue date: 12 December 2006
Wednesday 13 December 2006 at 0830 Weston College, Weston Super Mare
The University of the West of England and Weston College celebrate the formal signing of an agreement to further extend higher education opportunities for students in the region on Wednesday 13 December 2006 at 0830 at Weston College. This partnership will mean for the first time students at Weston College will be able to take UWE foundation degrees in subjects like Business, Public Service, Environmental Health and Legal Advice. Greater curriculum integration will lead to students on these courses being able to count this study as part of a full 3 year degree should they then go on to UWE to study.
Sir Howard Newby, UWE Vice-Chancellor said, “This is a very exciting occasion for the University and for Weston College. It opens up further opportunities for students in the area, providing them with more pathways for study at a higher level. These courses will all feed into programmes at UWE and ensure that students are armed with an excellent academic grounding and the right transferable skills to enable them to succeed in their chosen area.
“We want to make progression possible and accessible to a greater number of students, particularly those who are from backgrounds where there is no history or experience of Higher Education.”
Dr Paul Phillips, Principal and Chief Executive at Weston College said, “Growth in students, combined with phenomenal rates of success have made Weston College an exemplar for the development of HE in FE. Our new venture with the University of the West of England will build upon this success and create an even wider choice of Degree options for people in the South West. Weston College is proud to be associated with the University and its new Vice Chancellor, Sir Howard Newby.”
Sir Howard Newby continues, “I believe that Higher Education working collaboratively with FE and industry partners is key to building the skill base for the UK and the UWE Federation is critical in this respect. At UWE we are developing programmes that will contribute to producing a skill base capable of operating at a world class level in the global economy.”
Students who join UWE from Weston will all have access to UWE's excellent bursary scheme that pays between £1,250 and £750 per year depending on family circumstances. It is anticipated that approximately half of the students joining from Weston will be eligible for one of these bursaries.
UWE was recently placed fifth in England out of 83 Higher Education institutions in an article in the Times Higher Education Supplement based on an analysis of previous Teaching Quality Assessments compiled by the Quality Assurance Agency.
-ENDS-
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