Preparing For a Celebration - East Anglian Daily Times Education Page, 19 October 2005.

All the ingredients for a major celebration will be mixed together over the next week at Suffolk College. The first sign is the appearance of a large marquee in the quadrangle, then come the tubs of flowers as preparations start in the main hall and by Tuesday afternoon the trestle tables are covered in the crisp white cloths ready to receive the delicious festive food that reflects months of planning by the Catering & Hospitality curriculum centre.

The last week in October sees the annual Congregations, the ceremonies conferring higher education awards. This year once again more than 1,000 students will receive the qualifications they have worked for, and the congratulations they richly deserve. The presence of family and friends will provide hugs, tears and cameras, and swell the total number taking part in the two-day event to well over 3,000.

But what makes these celebrations really special is the diversity of the graduates and the many different routes they have taken to don their academic robes. Many have followed the traditional route of a full-time course after A levels. A substantial number, though, began the journey from a very different point, making the most of the support and progression opportunities Suffolk College is able to provide. Students enrol at different stages in their life and for a variety of reasons. Some want to improve their current career prospects, and others are hoping for a complete change of direction. Sometimes a student wants to return to a study path that was temporarily blocked by a change in personal circumstances. Whatever the situation, Suffolk College has a justly renowned student support service and a range of delivery formats to help open doors.

Another factor that has made Suffolk College the third largest provider of higher education in the English further education sector is the range of courses and programmes of study on offer. To achieve this the College has developed innovative ways to make higher education as accessible as possible. This year’s graduations will mark the achievements of students from 130 different programmes – qualifications as diverse as the Chartered Institute of Building Site Management Diploma to Masters degrees in Business Administration.

With all the activity to make University Campus Suffolk a reality, higher education is clearly a major factor in the future economic growth of our region. Each new report contains impressive statistics on the financial gains that an expansion of the academic offer would bring. Although it is important and necessary to see the bigger picture, somehow at Congregations the strongest image is the sheer pride and happiness on the faces of the graduates.

The next higher education open day is Wednesday 17 November. Come along and find out how you too can shine.