Leeds College of Music has been designated HEI (Higher Education Institution) status, which comes into place in June 2018.
HEI status is designated to institutions who demonstrate distinctiveness of provision, strong demand and graduate employability, high academic standards & performance, financial sustainability, as well as good management and governance.
The conservatoire, which has seen considerable growth in student numbers since 2013/14 (up 36% in undergraduate and 18% in postgraduate), is now the largest specialist music educator in the country.
With pathways ranging from Classical and Jazz to Film Music and Music Production, LCoM offers a comprehensive and eclectic range of music courses. This is set to expand to the wider performing arts, starting with the provision of Musical Theatre in September 2019.
The return to HEI status this June will mean greater visibility in the education sector – seeing LCoM appear in league tables and university guides - and will greatly improve independently-published information for prospective students.
Gerry Godley, Principal and Managing Director of LCoM says: “It is a fantastic achievement for the team at LCoM to return to the HEI community, which is testament to our rigorous academic standards, strong graduate employability and financial sustainability.
Becoming an HEI really helps us to develop a strong sense of identity as a small and specialist education provider. We are confident that moving forwards from this strong position, we will continue to deliver and improve upon our offering of relevant and innovative industry-leading music education.”
Following the sustained period of growth for LCoM, a bold new five-year Estates Strategy was commissioned to meet the demand of the changing curriculum and growth in provision, earning the conservatoire a nomination for Outstanding Estates Strategy in the 2018 THELMAs.
The improvements to the LCoM estate have so far included a brand new purpose-built library, with study space, vinyl archive and rare music scores, a Business Hub on the fifth floor of the main campus and a revamped venue bar which doubles as an impressive events space. New for 2019, Leeds College of Music will offer a degree in Musical Theatre, whose state-of-the-art facilities will be housed in a brand new building in Leeds’ cultural quarter, Quarry Hill.
LCoM’s existing Further Education provision will transfer to Leeds City College as of September 2018.
Libby Raper, Chair of the LCoM Board of Directors said; "I am delighted that LCoM is again recognised as an HEI, which supports our clear ambition to be known as a leading European conservatoire. LCoM has played an active role within the city of Leeds for over 50 years, and becoming an HEI further embeds our position as an important part of the city and regional landscape."
Koen Lamberts, Vice Chancellor of The University of York and chair of Yorkshire Universities, stated; “This is a significant achievement for our colleagues at LCoM - a valued, small and specialist institution within Yorkshire’s HE community, and a pillar of our region’s expertise in the creative industries.”
Dr Shaid Mahmood, Chair of Governors at Leeds City College said; “This is an exciting development for Leeds College of Music and further cements its place as a forward looking institution with a strong reputation in the sector, valued locally, nationally and internationally. The Group is proud of this achievement and we look forward to LCoM building on this success in the future.”
