Exeter purchases Ruskin College site

Today, 17 March, Exeter signed a contract for the purchase of the site of Ruskin College, on Walton Street, on which the College plans to create its Third Quad.

Ruskin College, an independent college based in Oxford that specialises in providing educational opportunities for adults with few or no qualifications, is consolidating its activities at its Headington campus, and will complete this process by the end of September 2012. Exeter will then undertake a substantial programme of refurbishment on the site to create high-quality teaching and research space, and student rooms – as well as facilities for extracurricular activities and social life for the students who will live there. The College expects to hold a competition to select an architect for the work over the summer, and will keep the Exeter community informed as we progress.

As part of the deal, both colleges will develop a programme of joint academic, cultural and social activities to engage their student and academic bodies and to strengthen Ruskin’s links with the University. And, in order to ensure that Ruskin’s outreach and educational work continues in central Oxford, Exeter will give Ruskin a lease of space in the Walton Street building.

The Rector said, “We are immensely excited to acquire this historic site… Not only does the acquisition of the Walton Street site give Exeter College a third quadrangle, helping us to break free of the space constraints of our historic home on Turl Street and allowing us to develop new accommodation and study opportunities for our students. It will also be an inspiration for our continuing work to encourage applications from promising students from all educational backgrounds.”