As with many others, I was slightly dissapointed with the length and depth of the college of winterhold. There were a couple of major things

• Despite it being a college you only have two lessons
  
• You were entrusted with all of the important quests despite being the newest member
  
• Tolfdir has no authority before the end yet he appoints you Archmage and himself first wizard.

So here is my suggestion:

For new members

Between every main quest have an increasing amount of lessons between before you can progress

• Each lesson you would learn a new spell, or perfect a current spell ( gain a level in that field of magic)
  
• You may have some individual/smaller lessons with a master of a certain field
  
• More students join after each main quest (maybe unnamed so it is easier to add more) so you arent the newest member by the end

Ranking system

For player

• Gain ranks after completing a certain amount of lessons in each field
  
• Ranks: novice/initiate/apprentice/ expert (maybe a more archaic name)/ master
  
• Gain am equivalent ranked set of robes in your chosen field

For other characters

• For the other mages that joined with you
  
• You can help them with spells/lessons
  
• The more you help them the higher they will progress

Teaching Others

For people that have already completed the series then this would add more to do in the college

• Once you reach a certain rank (maybe expert) you can teach lessons
  
• Have to have a certain level (50?) in the chosen field to teach a lesson
  
• Another higher/equal ranked mage will inform you of the lesson plan
  
• You show the spell to the class
  
• 4 students, each doing something wrong
  
• Lesson ends when you correct all 4 students
  
• Gain a leveled mage-related item for each lesson taught

As Arch-Mage


Monthly Income

• Each month you can choose to spend the income on one or two things around the college
  
• Arcaneum- more staff or more lavish furnishings
  
• Hall of the elements- chairs and podeums, were lessons will then be held
  
• Bridge- Gradually gets more repaired as you pay more towards it
  
• Guards- More battle mages will appear around the college (like in the arcane university)
  
• When you reach the cap for all of those you can put money towards winterhold

Relations with winterhold

• Can donate money towards repairing the town- more buildings will make an appearance
  
• About more citizens coming in:
  
• Can convince the jarl to persuade the dunmer who previously left to return- more dunmer (Some unnamed) appear around the town and the college
  
• Defences- when agreed some mage tower defences will appear around winterhold

Relations with other Jarls

• Can discuss the college with all of the jarls
  
• Can get donations (goes to colege fund not you)
  
• Can convince them to have a college ambassador in their hold, will spend most of the time talking to the court wizard

So this is my suggestion. I know some of it may be too unrealistic but I would be interested to know what others thought about it

This What it should have been like from day 1, but Beth got lazy and decided to put a half assed guild that shouldn't even be allowed to call itself college

Awesome ideas. Should have been like that from the beginning. Very disappointing quest line.

well there is always hope that they will add stuff with the way they have been currently going