AT A TIME when many of the former colleges of education have gone out of existence or been absorbed by larger institutions, and when the majority of those which have remained more or less independent face a marked decline in the number of student applications, at least one college has both remained independent and seen applications increase. Trinity and All Saints', Leeds, having, before the time of the great upheaval three years ago, taken a different road from other colleges, is now in the happy position of looking forward to an assured future of extending interests.
Perhaps the secret of this success lies in the fact that when, after the James Report and the White Paper, colleges were asked to "diversify", Trinity and All Saints', maintaining its radical tradition. welcomed the opportunity to carry further the reappraisal of course structures already begun.
The decisions taken were based On the established strengths of the college, the desire to provide a wide variety of career opportunities and the known wishes of students as ascertained through the high degree of student participation within the academic planning ot the college.
The formula adopted, with its combination of academic and professional studies, shows a
clear and deliberate choice of a position midway between thai of the universities and of the polytechnics, between an emphasis on academic standards and a commitment to the real world of practical concerns.
The college's philosophy shares with the universities the belief in academic education in its own right, and half a student's time-table throughout his degree course is devoted to study within a selected major academic area.