Thank you to everyone who took part in our consultation on college name and identity. More than 200 people provided feedback.
We know how important local identity is, so finding a name for our merged college that aligns with the UHI brand and captures the large geographical area our college covers was challenging.
We consulted with staff, students, prospective students, employers, influencers, and other key external stakeholders from the three college areas.
Through the consultation, there was overwhelming support for our rationale – what we wanted to achieve – and this has been the basis for our decision making.
- A name that connects all three colleges
- A name that is simple, bold, and aspirational
- A name that retains a strong link to our place/geographic location
- An identity which complements the external marketing effort and aligns with the UHI brand.
- An identity which celebrates the Gaelic and English-speaking heritage and tradition.
There was also overwhelming support for celebrating our local sub-identities through the branding.
We consulted on three options:
- UHI Atlantic
- UHI North West
- UHI North, West and Hebrides
We also had almost 100 suggestions to consider.
Our Partnership Board met in late November 2022 to consider all the feedback and decide on the name for our merged college. We’ve chosen a name that is inclusive and celebrates our unique local identities. Our decision was also backed by the Highlands and Islands Students’ Association (HISA).
Watch our name announcement video: