Rolle College

Rolle College was a teacher training college in Exmouth, Devon, England, which formed the Exmouth campus of the University of Plymouth until its closure in 2009. The university moved its taught courses from the site to new facilities at its main Plymouth campus.

The former Exmouth Campus of the University of Plymouth

History

The college opened in 1946,[1] and initially graduates were awarded a Certificate in Education by the University of Exeter. In 1988, Rolle College became part of Polytechnic South-West, and in 1990 was absorbed into Plymouth University.

The last three Students' Union Presidents of Rolle College were Katie Shaw (05/06), Fiona House (06/07) and Michael Austin (07/08).

The Exmouth campus was closed in 2008, when Plymouth University relocated the college, its 3000 students and 400 staff to their main campus in Plymouth.[2][3]

Rolle played a significant part in the life of Exmouth, both economically and socially.[4] The decision to relocate the campus was controversial with past and present students, staff and the local community.[4] Anti-closure demonstrations and campaigns lasted until the relocation.

With the premises becoming vacant, and with Exmouth no longer being home to a community of students, a Community Benefit Company (Rolle Exmouth Limited, or REL) was set up in 2010 to find new uses for the site that would benefit the community.[5] Plans were drawn up in conjunction with Plymouth University to retain part of the site for a mixture of uses including educational and vocational training, business incubation, and community facilities; the plans included disposal of a significant part of the site for housing development. Negotiations appeared to be proceeding well (though slowly), when Plymouth University suddenly announced, on 1 September 2016, that contracts had been exchanged with the Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education, under which the Academy would acquire the entire site and relocate there from its existing premises in Exeter.[6] The Deaf Academy’s Chief Executive, Jonathan Farnhill, described his vision that the new site would "transform the lives of Deaf children and their families and ... be a place where Deaf and hearing people can come together[7]

References
  1. "Exmouth's Rolle. Barnes-Phillips, Daphne". 2015. ISBN 9781897715031.
  2. "History of Higher Education in Plymouth". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02.
  3. "Exmouth, Rolle College to be Closed". 11 November 2005. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
  4. "Rolle College, Exmouth". Express & Echo. 14 July 2008.
  5. "Rolle Exmouth Limited".
  6. Letter from James Brent, Chairman of the Board of Governors, University of Plymouth, to Deborah Hallett, chair of Rolle Exmouth Limited, dated 1 Sept 2016; distributed to the REL mailing list, but not otherwise published.
  7. "UKs oldest Deaf Academy Planning an Exmouth Future".

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