Staff Column - Stuart Appleby
Stuart Appleby is the director of higher education operations at University Studies at West Suffolk College. He gained a degree in history and a master of education and now uses his qualifications and experiences to help drive change and progress at this expanding Bury based facility.
One of the highlights of my career was getting to proudly lead a procession of University Studies at West Suffolk College graduates through Bury on a busy crisp autumnal market day morning last October. Locals and tourists greeted us with a mixture of confused amusement as they weren’t quite sure what was happening as this Hogwartsesque looking group magically pottered their way down Abbeygate Street. The procession was part of our annual graduation ceremony that took place in the Cathedral. Whilst inside this iconic place of worship, pride soon turned to happiness and joy as I watched hundreds of our students go and collect their degrees. It’s always a magical moment to see the faces of everyone as they collect their certificates on the stage, surrounded by the whoops and cheers of their loved ones. The journey isn’t always an easy one, but the support we offer all students who choose to partake in one of our higher education programmes - that are all affiliated to either the University of East Anglia or Pearson - is something we take very seriously.
We always attract a range of different people – from career changers – to mature learners and those who have just come out of school – no matter what your circumstances are, we are confident that we can provide a tailor made experience aimed at helping you achieve. We are an expanding university campus that offers programmes in everything from counselling to construction and sport to sociology.
Our mantra is - stay near and go far - and whilst we attract students from all over the country and the world, a number of our students do tend to live locally, preferring our smaller class sizes and dedicated teams. Many students have swapped alternative provision for us, feeling like they were just a number at other institutions whose tutor didn’t even know their names.
Who knows, in a few years from now it might be you who will be processing through the town centre in Bury, with a degree in your pocket and with the world in the palm of your hands...