Welcome to Petroc
23rd September 2009Petroc is the new name for North and East Devon Colleges.
The new identity was launched simultaneously at the College's main campuses in Barnstaple and Tiverton, at 10.40am on Wednesday September 23.
Students and staff saw the College's new name - complete with a radical and exciting new image - for the first time in e-mails, online and via information screens across both sites.
At synchronised launch celebrations, Petroc's Principal, David Dodd and Vice Principal, Pené Prior gave VIP guests a glimpse of the College's future and outlined its personality in three words: inspiring, bright and challenging.
"We need a name that will keep us firmly in touch with our roots in Devon but give us the flexibility to go anywhere and do anything," said David.
"Petroc is a name with a rich history and an exciting future," he added.
Petroc was top of a list of more than 400 possible new names, generated by workshops involving around 200 of the College's staff and students, earlier this year. It derives from St Petroc, a 6th century Celtic saint who was active in the South West - particularly Devon, where the county's flag is dedicated to him.
"What better name could a College whose students are mainly drawn from Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset have?" David Dodd asked.
Renaming is just part of an ongoing project to redefine and reposition the College as world class. So far, the College has worked with the world's leading branding agency, Interbrand to develop a whole new look.
"We want to be recognised as the leaders in driving individual, regional and national success," said David. "This is a brave and exciting move for us and we have created a brand that is equally bold and exciting.
"North Devon College was recognised as 'outstanding' and Petroc will continue and extend that legacy, with our new brand and - most importantly - our learners at the heart of everything we do."
Staff and students at the College will find out more about Petroc at an event over lunchtime.
And the College's main campuses in Barnstaple and Tiverton are open to the public from 5-7pm today, so that they can find out more and see how the College is evolving.
The College will now spend a year becoming Petroc, replacing practical elements such as signage and stationery, as well as unveiling a raft of redesigned publications, the first of which - a guide to full time courses in 2010/11 - was published today.
By September 2010, the organisation will have been completely transformed into Petroc, at a total cost of £330,000. Funding for the rebranding project came from the Learning and Skills Council as part of the 2008 merger between North Devon College and East Devon College.