It is very much a case of a changing of the guard at SRUC, Scotland’s rural college.
Within a fortnight Lord Jamie Lindsay will have completed his eight-year stint as chairman of the organisation to be replaced by north-east businessman Pat Machray. It has also been revealed that SRUC is now, nearly two years since the sudden departure of the last incumbent, seeking a new chief executive and principal.
When Professor Bob Webb stood down unexpectedly in November 2013, company secretary Janet Swadling stepped into the breach and has since carried out the leadership role as acting chief executive.
Both Lord Lindsay and Mr Machray were fulsome in their praise of her achievements over a period of momentous change, not least supervising the merger of SAC with Elmwood, Oatridge and Barony Colleges to form the all-encompassing SRUC.
Ms Swadling acknowledged it had been a challenging period but added: “Change is normal now.”
One of the most significant changes is however one that has not come to fruition. It had been strongly signalled that SRUC would very likely become part of Edinburgh University but that is not now to happen.
Lord Lindsay insisted that the decision not to progress had been taken mutually and without rancour. It did however mean that SRUC was now in a position to appoint its own chief executive and principal.
This also means that the way is clear to rationalise the SRUC estate and this will be a priority for Mr Machray and his board. Work had already begun on assessing the estate and Ms Swadling readily admitted that the merger with the three further-education colleges had created a considerable surplus of land and buildings in a number of locations.
Mr Machray, who in his role as chief executive and now chairman of the ANM Group has shown he is not afraid to rationalise a business, said: “We have to assess our requirements while making sure we can deliver our services. Collaboration with others will be important and I fully recognise that emotional attachments are part of the equation.”
He will at least have the comfort of knowing that SRUC is now back into profit after the mergers with an operating surplus of £900,000 compared to a loss of £200,000 a year earlier. Income however has been reduced by £7million to £77million with expenditure dropping by £8million.
All eyes will be on the level of government research funding available under the next five-year programme from 2016.
Meanwhile the SRUC leadership is satisfied that the “Scottish model” of one organisation delivering research, consultancy and education has survived intact. It is, according to Lord Lindsay, unique and the envy of nearly every other country.