Inverness College UHI is the largest of the thirteen partners that make up the University of the Highlands and Islands, based in Inverness in the Highland council area of Scotland. A new main building at Inverness Campus was opened in August 2015, with most students and staff now located there. Also part of the college, the Scottish School of Forestry is based near Balloch.. The College is a truly tertiary organisation providing education to school pupils, further education and higher education to post graduate level, together with training for apprentices and a wide range of short courses for business Student accommodation is currently being built on Inverness Campus and will be available from September 2016.. It has more than 1,700 students studying towards degree courses. It is among the first Colleges in Scotland to deliver both Foundation and Graduate level Apprenticeships.
New campus
In May 2010 it was decided that the college would move to a new purpose built site at the Beechwood farm, co-locating with the Scottish Agricultural College, the Centre for Health Sciencephase 4, and a training hotel operated by a partnership between the Calman Trust and Albyn Housing. The planning application for phase 1 of the new academic campus was passed by The Highland Council in May 2010. The original outline planning application made by Highlands and Islands Enterprise for the entire landholding submitted early 2009 remains live and includes facilities for private sector research & development, inward investors, student accommodation, sports facilities, a community and cultural centre within landscaped parkland. This application forms a vision for the development over the next thirty years. The campus at Beechwood, just off the A9 south of Inverness, is considered to be one of the most important developments for the region over the next 20 years. The principal of UHI at the time, James Fraser, said: "This is a flagship development which will provide Inverness with a university campus and vibrant student life. It will have a major impact on the city and on the Highlands and Islands. UHI is a partnership of colleges and research centres throughout the region, and the development of any one partner brings strength to the whole institution." It is estimated that the new campus would contribute more than £50million to the economy of the Highlands because it could attract innovative commercial businesses interested in research and development, while increasing the number of students who study within the city by around 3,000.
Governance
In November 2012 Diane Rawlinson was appointed as Principal and Chief-executive, taking up the post in February 2013. In June 2017, the college's board of management appointed Christopher O'Neil to become principal in the following academic year.
In November 2019, three teenagers were trapped in an elevator on campus for six-and-a-half hours after their Cityheart Living Ltd refused to allow firefighters to cut them free. The three were students at Inverness College UHI, staying at the Student Accommodation operated by Cityheart Living on behalf of The University of Highlands and Islands. It took the landlord three-and-a-half hours to contact the engineer, who was based near Aberdeen. They were stuck from 11.25pm from Friday 22nd through until 5.47am on Saturday 23rd. The teens aged 16/17 were handed freezer bags through a gap so they could relieve themselves. A spokeswoman for UHI said: "The safety and wellbeing of our students is our number one concern. We recognise this must have been an unpleasant experience and we have met with the students involved to discuss this. The university is now conducting a full investigation into this incident on Saturday."
