“Many students around the country are going mad for studying at the moment as they face into end-of-year exams next week – and UCC students have been filling the campus’s main library every day …” (more)
[Denise O’Donoghue, BreakingNews.ie, 29 April]
“We’ve had several requests from staff to see the rest of Tommy Tiernan’s riff about NUI Galway at our benefit concert. So here it is in full, for all the ‘nerds’ …” (more, video)
[Micheline’s Three Conditions, 29 April]
“Last evening I had my final class of the semester. It has been a long 14 weeks (includes two reading weeks) for both students and Faculty – now classes and tutorials are over for another academic year …” (more)
[Careful With That Axe, Eugene, 29 April]
“Trinity College Dublin is planning to build a technology-focused campus at Grand Canal Dock as part of €1 billion plans to develop the area as an ‘innovation district’. The first phase of the new ‘technology enterprise campus’ will cost €250 million, and the university hopes to complete it in the next five years …” (more)
[Jack Power, Irish Times, 29 April]
“Ryanair will not have a say in who is hired for the new €1.5 million Chair of Entrepreneurship post as Trinity will only take the money from the airline on ‘a non committal basis’, confirmed Prof Andrew Burke, Dean of Trinity Business School, in an interview with The University Times …” (more)
[Róisín Power, University Times, 28 April]
“Developers of student accommodation are set to drive forward the construction of a new concert hall, library headquarters and multi-storey carpark on the Dyke Road. The Galway City Tribune understands that bed spaces for hundreds of students could be provided on the site – which would be linked to the NUI Galway campus by a pedestrian and cycle bridge …” (more)
[Enda Cunningham, Connacht Tribune, 28 April]
“Distinguished guests, friends, ladies and gentlemen it is a privilege to welcome you to HECA’s annual conference. First and foremost this is an education conference. It is about how we can educate and improve the life chances of our learners. In this regard, it is wonderful to welcome to the conference, educators, managers, accreditation agencies and educational policy makers, allowing all of us together to share views on how best to improve higher education for our current and future learners …” (more)
“The performance of colleges in responding to the skills needs of industry will be monitored by a new Government advisory body. The National Skills Council, officially launched on Thursday, aims to make Ireland a leader in anticipating and responding to skills gaps …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 27 April]
“Sir, – You report that the Government plans to increase the number of Leaving Certificate students taking foreign language subjects and to diversify the foreign languages available to second-level students (‘Chinese to be added to Leaving Cert curriculum’, April 19th) …” (more)
[Seamus Lennon, Irish Times, 28 April]
“Almost all universities in England will be able to add annual inflation-linked increases to tuition fees until 2020, in a deal pushing legislation through Parliament before the general election. The higher education legislation had been intended to make higher fees dependent on improved teaching …” (more)
[Sean Coughlan, BBC News, 27 April]
“A criminal investigation has been launched after bank accounts belonging to the Trinity Foundation were targeted by cyber criminals. Trinity Foundation, the fundraising organisation of Trinity College Dublin, had a ‘substantial’ amount of money stolen from its accounts following a major computer-based scam …” (more)
[Amy Molloy, Independent, 27 April]
“One in six third-level students – or 6,200 a year – are dropping out of their college courses during their first year, according to the latest official figures. Drop-out rates are highest in construction, computer science and engineering courses, especially those offered at institutes of technology …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 27 April]
“A grassroots move within the ASTI to bring an end to industrial action in schools is being resisted by the union leadership. It is understood that about 500 members of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) have so far signed a petition to support a special convention to consider a suspension of all action …” (more)
[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 27 April]
“A new pay commission is set to advise the Government to keep in place a pension levy that was imposed on public servants during the financial crisis. In its first report, the Public Service Pay Commission is expected to support the Government position that most of its 300,000 employees make a bigger contribution towards their retirement benefits …” (more)
[Anne-Marie Walsh, Independent, 27 April]
“The quality of college graduates appears to be on the decline, with many lacking work-ready skills, according to small and medium-sized businesses. They also say the record number of school leavers going on to third level is not a positive development and reflects a lack of alternatives such as apprenticeships …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 27 April]
“After ongoing lobbying from Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) and College, the Luas has said that, after months of disruption and complaints that have resulted in on-campus residents rehoused, works nearest to the Botany Bay area of Trinity are to be halted until May 14th …” (more)
[Sinéad Baker, University Times, 26 April]
“The number of computer science students dropping out of their course after first year is showing a welcome improvement. However, computing and other courses with a high maths content, such as engineering and construction, are still losing proportionately more first-year students than other disciplines …” (more)
[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 27 April]
“Male students and people with lower Leaving Certificate points are prominent among more than 6,000 who drop out annually before they reach the second year of third-level courses. While overall dropout rates from 26 colleges fell slightly to 15% in the latest figures from the Higher Education Authority (HEA), courses related to construction and some disciplines at certain colleges continue to have particularly high dropout rates …” (more)
[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 27 April]
“Every year State agencies monitor the supply of skills emerging from the education system and measure it against demand for employment. Many of the reports are produced by officials in Solas, the further education and training authority, for the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, a State advisory body …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 27 April]
“Going to college can be a difficult transition for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In school they may have received special support, but they can struggle when they have to make the change to third level, even if they are academically gifted …” (more)
[Kim Bielenberg, Independent, 27 April]
