University of the Highlands and Islands

University of the Highlands and Islands
Motto	Foghlam aig ìre Oilthigh air a' Ghàidhealtachd is anns na h-Eileanan University-level study in the Highlands and Islands
Established	2011 - University Status (1992 - UHI Millennium Institute)
Type	federal, public
Rector	Dr Gary Coutts
Principal	James Fraser[1]
Students	5,220[2]
Location	Inverness (Executive Office), Scotland
Colours	Purple & White
Website	www.uhi.ac.uk

The University of the Highlands and Islands (Scottish Gaelic: Oilthigh na Gàidhealtachd agus nan Eilean) is a federation of 13 colleges and research institutions in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland delivering higher education. Its executive office is in Inverness.

History

In April 2001, the Scottish Parliament awarded UHI Higher Education Institute status, and it now provides university level courses. UHI degrees were authenticated by the Open University Validation Service, the University of Strathclyde and the University of Aberdeen until 2008 when the UHI was awarded taught degree awarding powers (tDAP) by the Privy Council ^[3][4] under recommendation from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA)^[5]; Higher National Certificate and Higher National Diploma courses are awarded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. University status was awarded by the Privy Council in February 2011, and UHI became the University of the Highlands and Islands.

Organisation and programmes

UHI has a number of undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes, most of which can be studied at a range of locations across the area.

In the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, courses such as Honours programmes in Gaelic,^[6] BA (Hons) Theological Studies ^[7], BA (Hons) Scottish History ^[8] and BA (Hons) Scottish Cultural Studies ^[9] all reflect the distinctive nature of the region, its past, present and future. This last course, BA (Hons) Scottish Cultural Studies is a groundbreaking interdisciplinary programme which has been internationally recognised by receiving the 2005 Times Higher Education Supplement Award for Most Imaginative Use of Distance Learning.^[10] Other programmes within the Faculty include MLitt Orkney & Shetland Studies, MLitt Highlands & Islands Literature, BSc Audio Engineering, BA Classical Ballet & Dance Performance, BA (Hons) Fine Art, BA (Hons) Popular Music Performance, and many others.

UHI Millennium Institute Executive Office

The Faculty of Business and Leisure offers distinctive programmes in Golf Management ^[11]—Scotland's only degree of this kind—Outdoor Adventure Management^[12]—using Lochaber, the UK's Outdoor Capital as a living research laboratory—as well as popular courses in Business, Accounting, Hospitality, Computing, Sports Coaching, and Tourism.

The Faculty of Science & Technology has research in Renewables, Marine Science, Sustainable Rural Development and Environmental Issues. A fully online Honours degree programme is available across the UK from this faculty. The BSc(Hons) Sustainable Rural Development ^[13] is an example of a multi-disciplinary programme from this Faculty. The programme has professional accreditation from the Institution of Economic Development.^{[citation needed]} The Faculty of Science also offers postgraduate studies, including an MSc in Managing Sustainable Development.^[14] This Masters programme also has professional accreditation from the Institution of Economic Development.^{[citation needed]}

Through its Faculty of Health and Education, UHI has links with the new Centre for Health Sciences located behind Raigmore Hospital. This is being funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Scottish Executive and Johnson and Johnson. Phase I of this opened in early 2007, phase II is under construction and phase III has been funded. The University of Stirling is moving its operations from Raigmore Hospital to the CHS. A BSc Oral Health Science was set up in 2008, and was based on two campuses, the Centre for Health Sciences and Dumfries Dental Centre. In 2011 a third campus was added in Stornoway.

Key dates for UHI

• 1992 - UHI Project established
• 1996 - Millennium Commission funding awarded
• 1998 - Open University confirms degree validation backing
• 2001 - Higher education institution status granted
• 2002 - Research funding awarded
• 2005 - Application for taught degree awarding powers lodged with the Privy Council
• 2008 - Taught degree awarding powers granted
• 2010 - Decision made to relocate to a new campus at Beechwood farm
• 2011 - Awarded university status as the University of the Highlands and Islands

Constituents

Colleges

• NAFC Marine Centre^[15], Scalloway, Shetland
• Shetland College^[16], Lerwick, Shetland
• Orkney College^[17], Kirkwall, Orkney
• North Highland College^[18], has its main campus in Thurso, in the former county of Caithness, in the north of the Highland council area (ND108674)
  The college was founded as Thurso Technical College in 1959^[19], and was Thurso College before acquiring its current name
• Lews Castle College^[20], Stornoway, Lewis
• Inverness College^[21], Inverness
• Sabhal Mòr Ostaig^[22], Sleat, Skye
• Moray College^[23], Elgin
• Highland Theological College^[24], Dingwall
• Perth College^[25], Perth
• Argyll College^[26], Dunoon, Argyll
• Scottish Association for Marine Science^[27], Oban, Argyll
• West Highland College^[28], Fort William, formed in 2010 from a merger of Skye & Wester Ross College with Lochaber College

See also

• List of forestry universities and colleges

References

1. ^ "James Fraser — UHI Millennium Institute". Uhi.ac.uk. 2011-01-20. http://www.uhi.ac.uk/home/staff/principals/principal-and-secretary-s-office/james-fraser/. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
2. ^ "University of the Highlands and Islands". UHI. http://www.uhi.ac.uk/. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
3. ^ "''UHI is awarded taught degree awarding powers'', news release 26 June 2008, Highland Council website, accessed 20 March 2009". Highland.gov.uk. 2008-06-26. http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/news/newsreleases/2008/June/2008-06-26-01.htm. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
4. ^ "University of the Highlands and Islands". UHI. http://www.uhi.ac.uk/home/about-uhi/publications/compass-news/ecompass/issue-6-june-2008/taught-degree-awarding-powers-for-uhi. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
5. ^ "''A brief guide to QAA's involvement in degree-awarding powers and university title'', Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) website, accessed 20 March 2009". QAA. 2004-09-01. http://www.qaa.ac.uk/reviews/dap/briefGuideDAP.asp. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
6. ^ "Sabhal Mòr Ostaig - Full-time Courses - Choose a Course" (in (Scottish Gaelic)). Smo.uhi.ac.uk. http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/en/cursaichean/lanthide/cursaichean.php. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
7. ^ HTC On-Line - BA Degree Introduction^{[dead link]}
8. ^ "BA (Hons) Scottish History". UHI. http://www.uhi.ac.uk/scottishhistory. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
9. ^ [1]^{[dead link]}
10. ^ Times Higher Education - Proud winners and PM sparkle at first awards
11. ^ "BA (Hons) Golf Management". UHI. http://www.uhi.ac.uk/golfmanagement. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
12. ^ "Lochaber College, Study and Gain Qualifcations in and Around Fort William. Lochaber College is part of the UHI". Lochaber.uhi.ac.uk. http://www.lochaber.uhi.ac.uk/courses/adventure-tourism-management/ba-adventure-tourism-management/. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
13. ^ "Sustainable science, heritage and development — UHI Millennium Institute". Uhi.ac.uk. http://www.uhi.ac.uk/home/courses/courses-available/environmental-and-rural-industries/sustainable-rural-development/bsc-hons-sustainable-rural-development/. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
14. ^ "Sustainable science, heritage and development — UHI Millennium Institute". Uhi.ac.uk. http://www.uhi.ac.uk/home/courses/courses-available/environmental-and-rural-industries/sustainable-rural-development/msc-ms-rural-development/. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
15. ^ "NAFC Marine Centre, Shetland: professional training and support for the fishing and marine-related industries > Home ( OctEportal™ 3.0.38 )". Nafc.ac.uk. http://www.nafc.ac.uk. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
16. ^ "Welcome to Shetland College UHI :: UHI :: OGE". Shetland.uhi.ac.uk. 2011-01-25. http://www.shetland.uhi.ac.uk. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
17. ^ "Welcome :: UHI :: OGE". Orkney.uhi.ac.uk. http://www.orkney.uhi.ac.uk. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
18. ^ http://www.nhcscotland.com website
19. ^ North Highland College management, college website, accessed 27 April 2009^{[dead link]}
20. ^ "Educating Across Scotland — Lews Castle College". Lews.uhi.ac.uk. http://www.lews.uhi.ac.uk. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
21. ^ "Welcome to Inverness College UHI :: UHI :: OGE". Inverness.uhi.ac.uk. http://www.inverness.uhi.ac.uk. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
22. ^ "SMO" (in (Scottish Gaelic)). Smo.uhi.ac.uk. http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
23. ^ "Moray College - Elgin, Moray, Scotland". Moray.ac.uk. 2010-12-01. http://www.moray.ac.uk. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
24. ^ Fraser Jackson. "HTC On-Line". Htc.uhi.ac.uk. http://www.htc.uhi.ac.uk. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
25. ^ http://www.perth.ac.uk
26. ^ "Argyll College UHI Ltd". Argyllcollege.com. http://www.argyllcollege.com/web/index.php. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
27. ^ "SAMS research — Scottish Association for Marine Science". Sams.ac.uk. http://www.sams.ac.uk. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 
28. ^ "Welcome to Lochaber College UHI :: UHI :: OGE". Lochaber.uhi.ac.uk. http://www.lochaber.uhi.ac.uk. Retrieved 2011-02-02. 

External links

• University of the Highlands and Islands
• Inverness Campus Website
• List of UHI learning centres
• UHI prospectus