Changes for Orkney College management and branding

The running of Orkney College is set for a make over after Orkney Islands Council (OIC) education leisure and housing committee voted to streamline the educational institutes governance and branding.

Recommendations include a name change to UHI Orkney and the removal of the College management sub committee.

The changes come on the back of a working group’s suggestions, which were all accepted, and will now go to the full council for ratification.

The proposals include:

• Streamlining of the College’s governance with OIC assuming direct control and a stakeholder group set up to assist.
• Changing the College’s branding to bring it in line with the rest of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).
• Approving  a new strategic plan for the next five years with five new high level priorities.
• Adopting a new set of operating principles which clarify  the College’s day to day running and the governing bodies responsibilities.

The working group consisted of a mix of OIC councillors, officials, members of the College’s senior management, representatives of the UHI, staff and student representatives, and members of the Orkney business and wider community.

The group heard that non elected members involved with the running of the College felt “disenfranchised” and “uncomfortable” with the current set up. The group said these moves would put Orkney College “in a strong position to move forward.”