UHI toasts community degree

Staff at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) are celebrating the 25th anniversary of a course that has helped reshape communities.

The sustainable development BSc (Hons) programme was the university’s first ‘networked degree’ with a team of lecturers delivering the same lesson content to students across multiple campus sites, including Perth College UHI.

The model went on to shape the way the UHI delivers its courses today.

Professor Rennie, assistant principal of Lews Castle College UHI, said: “The degree was created to fill a gap in the market for a course which combined content on socio-economics and the environment.

“It seemed like a natural fit for the institution, which itself aimed to have a positive impact on the prospects of the Highlands and Islands region.

“The programme was initially delivered by Lews Castle College UHI, Moray College UHI, Perth College UHI and Inverness College UHI and was validated by the University of Aberdeen.

“Its launch pre-dated our use of online technology, but we adapted it in 1995 to become our first online degree.”

Dr Eilidh MacPhail, programme leader of the degree, said: “We revise the degree skills set regularly and there are more opportunities now, than ever before, to assist exciting initiatives in the rural areas of Scotland and beyond.”