Suffolk East Federation of Women's Institutes

22 Orford Street, Ipswich, IP1 2NS

Telephone: 01473 251632 Fax: 01473 217178

WI Degree Course

They've done it!

Our first students have graduated!

It is now six years since this project was first envisaged, and a steering committee set up to look into the possibilities. With a lot of work from some enthusiastic and dedicated people in both Suffolk East and Suffolk West Federations, and from Suffolk College, the ideas finally took shape and the degree course was launched.

On offer was a unique educational experiment, with the opportunity for women in the WI, who had previously missed out on Higher Education, to return to study with the possibility of a degree at the end. Courses were tailored to meet the requests of students, encompassing Local History, Literature, Art & Design, Sociology, Garden Design amongst others, and delivered, as far as possible, in a number of centres round the county. The first tentative students enrolled in 1999, knowing that whatever happened they were going to achieve something worthwhile. At every stage some recognition of achievement was available, so that even those who could not complete the course had a tangible reward.

The flexibility of progressing at their own speed appealed to many students, and indeed it was this flexibility that made the whole project a viable possibility. The modular system meant that our members could take one, two, or even three modules at a time, and have a term off if domestic problems arose, returning as soon as they could.

All of which means that while our first WI students are graduating this year, there are more who will finish next year or the year after. Next month we will be bringing you more about the Suffolk East WI members who can now put BA after their names, and the new avenues which have opened up for them.

The very last candidate for the WI degree have graduated. Well done to everyone who signed up and achieved their goal. It was a very worthwhile undertaking.