Around 180 Exeter College higher education students donned their caps and gowns on Friday 21st October to attend their Graduation Ceremony, held at Exeter Cathedral at 2pm.

Joining them to celebrate their achievements at the spectacular event were around 650 guests, including the Lord Mayor, representatives of Exeter College and its Board of Governors, VIPs from Devon schools, colleges, business and community partners and the graduates’ families and friends.

The guest speaker was Midas’ chairman Steve Hindley, CBE, who addressed, among others, senior representatives of the Universities of Exeter, Plymouth and Marjon who, with Exeter College’s Principal officially acknowledged the graduates of 2011.

The students from all over Devon and the south west were awarded qualifications ranging from BA to Foundation Degrees, HNCs and HNDs in a broad range of subject areas offered at the college including Business Management, Health and Social Care, Performance Production, Legal Practice, Sports Therapy, Early Years, Engineering and Construction.

Speaking at the ceremony, Exeter College Principal, Richard Atkins, praised the graduating students saying “We are very proud of our higher education courses at the college which, in partnership with the universities and awarding bodies, provide exciting and challenging experiences to a range of students each year. We have just announced a new degree in English starting next year so the opportunities continue to develop. Many of the students are juggling work and home commitments with their academic studies and they tell us that they chose Exeter College because it is a friendly and purposeful college with small class sizes. With university fees being in the news so much at the moment we are proud that these students have achieved higher education success locally .”

The Cathedral provided the spectacular backdrop to the formal ceremony witnessed by hundreds of proud parents and partners and, after the inevitable photo calls on the Cathedral Green, the graduates rubbed shoulders with visitors and shoppers as they walked through the town centre to the nearby Thistle Hotel to complete their celebrations with afternoon tea.

Julie Skinner, head of Higher Education and Quality Office at Exeter College said, “This is the fourth Graduation Ceremony at the Cathedral and each year more and more students and their families celebrate their higher education achievements in this prestigious occasion which truly reflects the quality of the range of higher education courses we offer at the college.”

For further information, call Sylvia Jarman on 01392 205585, 07800 745855 or sylviajarman@exe-coll.ac.uk