COLLEGE NAMES NEW PRINCIPAL

West College Scotland has named Liz Connolly as its new Principal and Chief Executive.  

She succeeds Audrey Cumberford and will take up her new position on Monday (3 September).  Ms Connolly has been the College’s Vice-Principal Corporate Development since its formation in 2013.

Commenting on her appointment, Liz Connolly said:

“It is an enormous privilege and a huge honour for me to be appointed new Principal and Chief Executive of West College Scotland.

“Since merger, the College has developed into one of Scotland’s largest educational institutions and become an important partner to schools, businesses, local authorities and community groups across the region.

“We are an important part of the identity of Paisley and Renfrewshire and one of my priorities is to make sure we remain so.  We will do this by continuing to invest in our Renfrew Road estate and ensuring that what we teach fits the needs of a modern regional economy.

“West College Scotland faces many challenges but I know that as Principal I can rely on the goodwill and support of our outstanding staff in the years ahead.”

West College Scotland teaches 22,000 students, full-time, part-time and online.  It has 1,200 staff working at campuses in Clydebank, Greenock and Paisley, equivalent to about 1% of total regional employment, and has an annual turnover of £70 million.  

Keith McKellar, the Chair of the Board of Management, who appointed Ms Connolly, said:

“I am delighted Liz has agreed to become Principal of our College. She emerged from a very strong field of candidates but impressed the Board with her vision for the College’s future.

“West College Scotland is a large-scale organisation, a major influencer of the educational landscape across a huge swathe of Scotland.  Liz’s vision, allied to her record in education and business, convinced us that she is the right person to lead the College into the next stage of our development.”