This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Degree awarding powers for UHI
28/10/2002
Iain Gray today said that UHI Millennium Institute has
the potential to become a world recognised University -
although there will be many challenges on the way.
The Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong
Learning was speaking at the Convention of the Highlands
and Islands in Oban. As well as reaffirming the Executive's
determination to see a quality University for the Highlands
and Islands, the Minister also announced the establishment
of an advisory group to assist the Institute in planning
the next step towards this - achieving powers to award its
own degrees.
Speaking in Oban, Mr Gray said:
"UHI Millennium Institute's aims of widening access to
education and closing the opportunity gap are already
delivering real benefits across the Highlands and Islands.
This has been a considerable achievement by all those
involved in this innovative project.
"The next step is for the Institute to establish itself
as a recognised provider of quality higher education and
achieve the power to award its own degrees. That is why I
am announcing today that I have asked the Scottish Higher
Education Funding Council to set up an advisory group to
help the Institute plan its progress towards achieving
degree awarding powers, bringing together key agencies who
can support them in this. I have asked that this group
report to me directly in 6 months time."
The Minister continued:
"There are rightly rigorous processes that those
aspiring to University title should go through. Making the
transition to a degree awarding institution will be a real
challenge - requiring hard work and inspirational
leadership. It will be about ensuring quality - quality of
provision, strength of quality assurance systems,
robustness and transparency of underpinning management and
organisational structures. Only the Institute itself can in
the end deliver on those things."
"I am confident that the work of this new group will
contribute to UHI Millennium Institute realising its - and
the Executive's - vision of a University in the Highlands
and Islands of Scotland."
UHI Millennium Institute was designated as eligible for
funding by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council
(SHEFC) with effect from 1 April 2001. It makes its
provision via contractual arrangements with locally based
colleges of further education and other non SHEFC funded
institutions.
Designation as eligible for SHEFC funding does not
convey university status, but only designated institutions
can apply under the 1992 legislation for powers to award
their own degrees and university status. There are criteria
for degree awarding powers and university status, agreed on
a UK-wide basis. These have to be met before the relevant
power or privilege is granted. Details of the criteria can
be found on the website of the Quality Assurance Agency for
Higher Education (www.qaa.ac.uk).
The next key step for UHI Millennium Institute is to
seek powers to award its own degrees.