The University of Plymouth Colleges (UPC) network is a partnership between the

University of Plymouth The University of Plymouth is a public research university based predominantly in Plymouth, England, where the main campus is located, but the university has campuses and affiliated colleges across South West England. With students, it is the ...

and local colleges to deliver a range of

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after comple ...

courses in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...

and

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, as well as the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...

. The network began in 1989 with the Polytechnic South West. The polytechnic entered into partnership agreements with local FE colleges in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset to extend the provision of HE opportunities. The initial intake was 450 students. By 1992, the polytechnic had become the University of Plymouth, and the network was devised as the UPC in 2003. In 2004, the UPC was launched as a faculty within the university with its own Dean, and by 2007, student numbers had reached 9,500 students. The dean is Colin Williams.University of Plymouth n.d. UPC Structure/organisation. Available Online at: http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/view.asp?page=6735 (visited 18/06/09) In Bristol, UPC includes the

City of Bristol College City of Bristol College is a further education and higher education college in Bristol, England. It provides courses for young people and adults aged 16 and above in areas such as: A Levels, Animal Care, Floristry, Horticulture, Applied Forensic ...

. In Cornwall, it includes Cornwall College, Truro College and Penwith College. In Devon, it includes

Bicton College Bicton College is a college with around 1,000 full-time and 3,500 part-time pupils, located near Budleigh Salterton, Devon, England. It is part of the Cornwall College group. The college specialises in agriculture and currently offers course ...

City College, Plymouth City College Plymouth is a tertiary institution and further education college in South West England offering a range of technical, professional and vocational qualifications, Apprenticeships, Access to Higher Education and Foundation Degree cour ...

Exeter College, Exeter Exeter College is a general further education college in Exeter, Devon; it was first such college in England, and is currently the highest-ranked in the country. The College has its origins in the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, founded in 1869 ...

, Petroc, and South Devon College. In Dorset, it includes

Weymouth College Weymouth College is a further education college located in Weymouth, England. The college has over 4,000 students, studying on a wide range of practical and academic courses in many subjects. The college is part of The University of Plymouth C ...

. In Somerset, it includes Bridgwater College,

Somerset College of Arts and Technology Bridgwater and Taunton College is a further education college based in the heart of Somerset, England, with main centres in Bridgwater, Taunton and Cannington. It educates approximately 3000 students between the ages of 16–18 in academic and ...

(SCAT), and Strode College. In the Channel Islands, it includes

Highlands College, Jersey Highlands College (Jèrriais: Lé Collège d's Hautes Tèrres) is a further and higher college in Jersey in the Channel Islands. It has 860 full-time and over 4,000 part-time and adult students. Highlands is a Partner College of the University ...

References

External links

* Education in Devon Colleges Educational institutions established in 2004 2004 establishments in England {{UK-university-stub