Ninth Level Ireland

Moloney welcomes review report on SUSI

steve — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:19:46 +0000

“Senator Marie Moloney has welcomed today’s review report on the Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). The independent review by Accenture has identified a number of recommendations for the student grant awarding authority to address …” (more)

[The Labour Party, 17 May]

TUI to enter education sector talks

steve — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:49:56 +0000

“The Executive of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) has taken the decision to accept an invitation by the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) to attend education sector talks …” (more)

[Teachers' Union of Ireland, 17 May]

Teachers to enter talks on paybill savings

steve — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:47:34 +0000

“The union representing national teachers has agreed to enter into talks at the Labour Relations Commission on the Government’s plans to reduce the public service pay and pensions bill …” (more)

[Martin Wall, Irish Times, 17 May]

Academic appeals: a serious business

steve — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:45:20 +0000

“When I was a university lecturer, a student asked me to double check her exam script that I had marked. A colleague, an experienced senior lecturer, warned me against it. ‘Don’t look at it’, he said, ‘or you’ll open the gates of hell’ …” (more)

[Daniel Sokol, Guardian Professional, 17 May]

College Is Going Online, Whether We Like It Or Not

steve — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:43:15 +0000

“The United States has a problem: rapidly rising student debt. It also has a solution: online education. The primary reason for spiraling student debt is the soaring costs of a college education at a physical college …” (more)

[Zachary Karabell, The Atlantic, 17 May]

Good (and bad) news from the Open Access front

steve — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:41:02 +0000

“I recently wrote a short ‘comment’ for the American Journal of Bioethics. The piece is 1788 words long, the names and affiliations of my co-author and myself included. So that will make for 3, perhaps 4 printed pages, right? Now, Taylor and Francis, the publisher of the AJoBE offered the possibility to make this piece Open Access. Price: $2,950. I say: ridiculous …” (more)

[Ingrid Robeyns, Crooked Timber, 17 May]

Higher Education Institution Staff – IT Tralee

steve — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:37:28 +0000

“Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether it is appropriate and in the best interests of the Institute of Technology of Tralee, County Kerry in respect of a person (details supplied) to remain in their position; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann Written Answers, 16 May]

A plague of plagiarism at the heart of politics

steve — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:34:03 +0000

“When Annette Schavan, Germany’s minister for education and research, resigned earlier this year amid allegations of plagiarism, weary sighs could be heard along the length of the Danube …” (more)

[Paul Jump, Times Higher Education, 16 May]

The ‘Pass By Compensation’ rule

steve — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:31:09 +0000

“… As someone who has benefited in the past from the PBC rule, I’m not totally in favour of abolishing this option. In 1979 against all odds I somehow manage to pass my 1st year exams in Trinity …” (more)

[Careful With That Axe, Eugene, 16 May]

‘Room for growth’ in Irish science funding – ERC

steve — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:07:12 +0000

“The head of the main funding body for scientific research in Europe has said there is ‘room for growth’ for Irish scientists applying for and securing European research grants …” (more)

[RTÉ News, 17 May]

Review: on the creative destruction of mass higher education

steve — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:04:32 +0000

“… These two books are essential reading for everyone involved in or concerned about the future of English higher education. Andrew McGettigan’s is the book he wished he had when he found himself as confused as everyone else in 2010 as Middlesex University sacrificed its philosophy department for a Far Eastern expansion he now takes as a prime case of overseas outsourcing …” (more)

[Patrick Ainley, CDBU, 16 May]

Colleges need to produce more big data graduates to fill future jobs, EMC says

steve — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:50:49 +0000

“Multinational IT firm EMC, which recently partnered with University College Cork (UCC) on two data-focused business courses, believes that more interdisciplinary big data programmes are needed in Ireland’s third-level education system to provide suitable candidates for a growing jobs market …” (more)

[Elaine Burke, Silicon Republic, 16 May]

Bid to lure teachers back to talks table

steve — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:36:49 +0000

“The four teacher unions – INTO, ASTI, TUI and IFUT – are considering an invitation to meet the Labour Relations Commission as part of efforts to find an alternative to the Croke Park II deal …” (more)

[Independent, 17 May]

Is Ireland is danger of being left behind due to lack of stem cell research laws?

steve — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:34:17 +0000

“No legislation or guidelines in place to support research using human embryos. Embryonic stem cells are highly-prized because they can turn into any type of cell in the body, like heart cells, muscles or neurons …” (more)

[Carl O'Brien, Irish Times, 17 May]

Teachers invited to talks on pay deal

steve — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:29:22 +0000

“The Labour Relations Commission has invited teaching unions to attend talks next week as part of the Government’s plans to reduce the public service pay and pensions bill …” (more)

[Martin Wall, Irish Times, 16 May]

AIT and NUI Maynooth announce strategic partnership

steve — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:24:04 +0000

“The presidents of NUI Maynooth and Athlone Institute of Technology have announced the formation of a new strategic partnership between their institutions. The partnership will facilitate collaboration in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes; student access and progression; research, commercialisation, and entrepreneurship; and internationalisation …” (more)

[Athlone Advertiser, 17 May]

We don’t need no high-cost, high-brow, heavy metal education

steve — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:21:55 +0000

“They’re signing up as we speak for a two-year degree course in heavy metal music (believed to be the first of its kind), which begins in September in a college in Nottingham. Two years seems a bit excessive …” (more)

[Brian Boyd, Irish Times, 17 May]

Declaration of independence from journal impact factor

steve — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:19:30 +0000

“The Wellcome Trust and the Higher Education Funding Council for England are among the bodies calling for the use of the journal impact factor in funding, appointment and promotion decisions to be scrapped …” (more)

[Elizabeth Gibney, Times Higher Education, 16 May]

QS World University Rankings approved by IREG

steve — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:17:01 +0000

“… The International Ranking Expert Group (IREG) Executive Committee, at its meeting in Warsaw on 15th May 2013, decided to grant to QS the rights to use the ‘IREG Approved’ label in relation to the following three rankings …” (more)

[QS Intelligence Unit, 16 May]

Defamatory material on Facebook and YouTube: McKeogh v. Doe and others

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:25:45 +0000

“The High Court today gave a significant decision in McKeogh v. Doe and others concerning defamatory material posted through Facebook and YouTube. The background to the case …” (more)

[TJ McIntyre, IT Law in Ireland, 16 May]

Impact factors declared unfit for duty

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:19:37 +0000

“Regulars at this blog will be familiar with the dim view that I have of impact factors, in particular their mis-appropriation for the evaluation of individual researchers and their work. I have argued for their elimination …” (more)

[Stephen Curry, Reciprocal Space, 16 May]

Survey Examines British Academics’ Use of Digital Tools

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:15:51 +0000

“British scholars continue to rely largely on traditional channels of communication, including peer-reviewed journals and monographs, despite a growing emphasis on the use of social media and blogs for obtaining or disseminating scholarly information …” (more)

[Aisha Labi, Chronicle of Higher Education, 16 May]

Largest teachers’ union to decide whether to re-enter talks

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:39:07 +0000

“The country’s largest teachers’ union will decide tomorrow whether to re-enter talks on a revised public sector pay deal …” (more)

[Lyndsey Telford, Independent, 16 May]

Edinburgh scholar aims to keep Gaelic flame burning

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:36:26 +0000

“Robert Dunbar appointed to University of Edinburgh chair of Celtic languages. A scholar appointed to the University of Edinburgh’s chair of Celtic languages, literature, history and antiquities says he will push for more teaching in Gaelic …” (more)

[David Matthews, Times Higher Education, 16 May]

Rejoice! The End of ‘User Name and Password’ May Be Nigh

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:34:00 +0000

“What’s the absolute worst part of the Internet? Reasonable folks may disagree, but most would say keeping track of an endless string passwords ranks somewhere at the top …” (more)

[Christopher Matthews, Time, 16 May]

Universities are right to accept state school students with lower grades

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:31:34 +0000

“There’s a growing view that if you attended a state school you’ll be given an easy ride into a top university. Outraged by suggestions of positive discrimination in favour of less privileged students, one private school head has suggested schools boycott universities which adopt the practice …” (more)

[Sophie Padgett, Guardian, 16 May]

Fast-Track ‘Scientific Visa’ attracts talented researchers to Ireland to boost innovation

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:02:28 +0000

“Ireland’s reputation as an innovation hub has been given a boost by the introduction of a fast-track scientific visa, a new survey of internationally mobile researchers reveals. Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science launched the findings of the survey …” (more)

[Science Foundation Ireland, 15 May]

Scientific research ‘only for social and economic gain’?

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:32:28 +0000

“… uh-oh. Depressing to read this in Slate the day before yesterday from Phil Plait about how the Canadian National Research Council has now stated that: ‘they will only perform research that has “social or economic gain”’ …” (more)

[The Cedar Lounge Revolution, 16 May]

Flan Garvey plans return to IT Tralee board

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:28:50 +0000

“A former mayor of Clare has defended payments and expenses of €18,000 he received from a third-level institution, stating it was his entitlement as chairman of the college’s governing body …” (more)

[Claire Gallagher, Clare People, 14 May]

LRC invites teacher unions to Croke Park talks

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:20:11 +0000

“The Labour Relations Commission has issued a formal invitation to the three teachers’ unions to engage in negotiations on a revision of the Croke Park II proposals …” (more)

[RTÉ News, 16 May]

Dublin student wrongly accused of evading a taxi fare wins case

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:16:15 +0000

“A Dublin student wrongly branded a taxi fare dodger in a viral YouTube video has won a major victory in a High Court action against tech giants Facebook and Google …” (more)

[BreakingNews.ie, 16 May]

Exporting Newman’s Idea of a University to China

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:13:51 +0000

“… Although translated into Chinese in 1996, this work on his philosophy of education has still not had the influence that could be expected on the Chinese education system. The values of questioning, challenging and coming up with creative solutions, which are at the heart of Irish education, are in short supply in the current Chinese school system …” (more)

[Liming Wang, Education Matters, 16 May]

Increased access to higher education a priority for Europe’s Education Ministers

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:50:37 +0000

“Europe’s Education Ministers today adopted Conclusions on the social dimension of higher education. The EU Council of Education Ministers in Brussels was chaired by Irish Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn TD …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 16 May]

US-style GPA is one numbers game too many, NUS argues

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:48:00 +0000

“The introduction in the UK of a US-style grade point average will baffle employers and bog the sector down in ‘fruitless and divisive debates’, according to the vice-president for union development at the National Union of Students …” (more)

[David Matthews, Times Higher Education, 16 May]

Lecturer’s fluency can make students over-confident

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:12:21 +0000

“I found the study below fascinating and not just because it gives me an excuse to be less than fluent when I’m teaching …” (more)

[Kevin Denny: Economics more-or-less, 16 May]

Elite journals are losing their position of privilege

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:10:14 +0000

“Having first documented the large-scale demise of the impact factor as a predictor of quality research, George Lozano and team examined whether this pattern also applies to the handful of elite journals …” (more)

[Impact of Social Sciences, 16 May]

Are We In a Rut? Explaining the Increasing Homogenization of Scholarly and Scientific Publishing

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:08:20 +0000

“… Papers are still the coin of the realm, and they still have abstracts, titles, authors, and references. The PDF still rules. Author and reference lists are longer, but those are incremental changes. On the business front, large publishers are doing the best of all …” (more)

[Kent Anderson, The Scholarly Kitchen, 16 May]

Children turn away from books in favour of reading electronically

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:06:03 +0000

“Children are spending more time reading on computers or other electronic devices than on books, magazines and comics for the first time, according to a study out today …” (more)

[Richard Garner, Belfast Telegraph, 16 May]

Remaking an educational publishing giant

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 07:01:24 +0000

“Despite long haul flights, lack of sleep, back-to-back meetings – and a recent competitive foot race – Brook Colangelo is firing on all cylinders. The chief information officer of educational and trade publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) is in the company’s newish Dublin offices near Trinity College, standing in front of a glass wall with a view out over the rooftops …” (more)

[Karlin Lillington, Irish Times, 16 May]

Britain’s great university rip-off

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 06:58:55 +0000

“The mis-selling of higher education is one of the least remarked-upon scandals of our time. But anyone under 40 should be familiar with the concept. You’re told, at school, that a degree will make you far better-off. Politicians even put a price on it …” (more)

[Fraser Nelson, Spectator, 16 May]

MOOCs or campus? In the future, you choose

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 06:57:01 +0000

“A napster moment; the end of boring lectures; a tipping point. These are all common responses to the emergence of MOOCs – Massive Open Online Courses. Now, simply using a laptop or iPad, hundreds of thousands of students can tune in to lectures from anywhere around the globe …” (more)

[Stephen Caddick, The Conversation, 16 May]

The Conversation UK: In-depth analysis, research, news and ideas from leading academics and researchers

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 06:54:28 +0000

“What is The Conversation? A new journalism project featuring content from the sharpest academic minds. The Conversation UK is launching as a pilot site, and we welcome your feedback …” (more)

[The Conversation, 16 May]

Imperial pulls plug on internship auction

steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 06:51:36 +0000

“A department of Imperial College London has withdrawn the offer of an internship placement being sold by auction after the move received heavy criticism …” (more)

[Elizabeth Gibney and John Morgan, Times Higher Education, 15 May]

UK research in danger of losing young blood to German universities

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:40:13 +0000

“… At stake is whether or not the German university sector should be transformed into a three-class system – the good, the very good and the elite. This is likely to attract ambitious academics from English-speaking countries, as Germany’s plan also includes more courses taught, and research conducted, in English …” (more)

[Peter Mayr, Guardian Professional, 15 May]

Bono turns down honorary degree at NYU

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:42:14 +0000

“Bono’s daughter Eve Hewson will receive a degree from NYU at next week’s graduation ceremony, but the U2 frontman will not. We hear Bono politely turned down an offer to accept a graduate degree from the school …” (more)

[New York Post, 15 May]

Yale University Joins Coursera

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:19:42 +0000

“Today we are proud to welcome Yale University to Coursera’s network, bringing the total number of educational partners offering courses on our platform up to 70 …” (more)

[Coursera Blog, 15 May]

Does the title ‘university’ need more protection?

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:01:47 +0000

“Reducing red tape around use of the word university will only exacerbate the problem of bogus universities and colleges …” (more)

[Jayne Rowley, Guardian Professional, 15 May]

TCD student facing guns charges has case delayed

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:59:21 +0000

“The case against a Trinity College graduate and three men charged with the possession of two handguns and ammunition has been adjourned. State Solicitor Irene Daly told the non-jury Special Criminal Court that further disclosure had been made to the defence teams …” (more)

[Herald, 15 May]

Public Sector Staff Remuneration

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:56:45 +0000

“Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of personnel in whole-time equivalent terms in his Department and in bodies under the aegis of his Department in each of the following earnings brackets: less than €20,000; €20,001 to €30,000; €30,001 to €40,000; …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann Written Answers, 14 May]

‘It’s not like the jerseys were the culprits’ – UCD defend use of Penn State equipment

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:25:19 +0000

“A spokesman for University College Dublin’s American football team has defended his team’s decision to wear jerseys worn by Pennsylvania State University last season, despite the scandal surrounding the institution …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 15 May]

Not As Painless As They’d Have You Believe

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:22:49 +0000

“… Well, talk to scientists, and to research universities and government laboratories, if you want to hear about damage. I haven’t yet got the stomach to write about the gut-wrenching destruction I’m hearing about across my own field of particle physics — essential grants being cut by a quarter, a third, or altogether …” (more)

[Matt Strassler, Of Particular Significance, 15 May]

Lero and TCD to participate in €2.5m European research programme

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:52:33 +0000

“A Lero research team at Trinity College Dublin is to participate in an international European Commission funded research programme worth €2.5m. Ireland is one of three countries on the programme which will research how the principles of ecology can be adopted to design more stable software systems …” (more)

[Irish Press Releases, 15 May]

True innovation in Higher Ed will emerge from faculty-driven, open-source projects, not start-up commercialisation

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:50:29 +0000

“Leslie Madsen-Brooks is skeptical about the kind of disruption start-ups and tech folks promise. She highlights ways university faculty and staff are already driving thoughtful technological innovation through engaging in open source, open learning projects …” (more)

[Impact of Social Sciences, 15 May]

Publisher Threatens to Sue Blogger for $1-Billion

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:48:19 +0000

“Jeffrey Beall is a metadata librarian at the University of Colorado Denver, but he’s known online for his popular blog Scholarly Open Access, where he maintains a running list of open-access journals and publishers he deems questionable or predatory …” (more)

[Jake New, Chronicle of Higher Education, 15 May]

Harvard Urged to Do More on Gay History

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:46:08 +0000

“A prominent Harvard University historian, Niall Ferguson, has been apologizing for statements he made that John Maynard Keynes didn’t care about future generations because he was gay and did not have children …” (more)

[Inside Higher Ed, 15 May]

College chairman cleared of plagiarism plans PhD

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 07:07:38 +0000

“A college chairman who was cleared of plagiarising his Master’s thesis is considering enrolling as a PhD student at the same institute. Flan Garvey has said he will continue as chairman of the governing body of the Institute of Technology Tralee (ITT) until his term is up in February 2016 …” (more)

[Barry Duggan, Independent, 15 May]

U-turn on ‘anti-family’ policies that sank Croke Park ballot

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 07:04:57 +0000

“The Government has done a U-turn on proposed changes to family friendly policies, which it is believed caused women with children to vote down Croke Park II …” (more)

[Michael Brennan and Fionnan Sheahan, Independent, 15 May]

Protestant primary teacher training

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 07:02:31 +0000

“Sir, – Norman Henry’s letter (May 14th) is at best selective in what he says and in his interpretation of Adrian Oughton’s remarks at Synod. Trinity College authorities may indeed be willing to accept ‘the Protestant young people who wish to train as primary teachers’, however this would not be as part of any Church of Ireland College of Education (CICE) course …” (more)

[Ian Berry, Irish Times, 15 May]

Woman takes over as head of Royal Irish Academy

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 07:00:07 +0000

“The Royal Irish Academy has appointed a woman as chief executive for only the second time in its 228-year history. Laura Mahoney was acting chief executive from November 2010 and succeeds Patrick Buckley, who died last year …” (more)

[Irish Times, 15 May]

Universities in ‘dangerous’ era for student expectations

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:56:48 +0000

“There is ‘no sign’ that students paying up to £9,000 in tuition fees in 2012-13 are receiving more for their money from universities, according to a survey of contact hours, workload and satisfaction … ” (more)

[David Matthews, Times Higher Education, 15 May]

QS Rankings by Subject

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:54:29 +0000

“… They are very research-focused which is unfortunate since there seems to be a consensus emerging at conferences and seminars that the THE-TR rankings are for policy makers, the Shanghai ARWU for researchers and the QS rankings for undergraduate students …” (more)

[University Ranking Watch, 15 May]

INTO President urges ‘Yes’ vote on strike ballot

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:52:29 +0000

“The President of the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) visited Donegal today. Brendan O’Sullivan met members at the Mill Park Hotel in Donegal Town at 3.30pm urging a ‘yes’ vote in this week’s ballot …” (more)

[Donegal Democrat, 14 May]

Why is Imperial College permitting Westminster public school to sell an internship?

steve — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:49:44 +0000

“This is very odd indeed. Westminster, one of the most expensive public schools in the UK, is holding a fund-raising auction. In this auction, you can buy an internship at Imperial College’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering, on the promise that this will look great on your CV …” (more)

[Ben Goldacre, Bad Science, 14 May]

Croke Park II: Ten unions now likely to back deal

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:06:21 +0000

“Ten unions that overwhelmingly rejected Government plans to slash the public pay bill are likely to agree to a new deal …” (more)

[Lyndsey Telford, Independent, 14 May]

Student Debt and the Crushing of the American Dream

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:03:20 +0000

“… The crisis that is about to break out involves student debt and how we finance higher education. Like the housing crisis that preceded it, this crisis is intimately connected to America’s soaring inequality …” (more)

[Joseph E Stiglitz, New York Times, 12 May]

The 21st century and all that sh**e

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:24:21 +0000

“The 21st century is radically different. We now live in a globalised world. Everything and everybody is connected. We are part of a vast global network. There are six billion mobile phones in the world! The workplace of this century is highly complex and competitive …” (more)

[educationandstuff, 14 May]

Croke Park II: Government looks to strike ‘side deals’ with unions

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:22:19 +0000

“The Government is prepared to strike side deals with unions if an overall agreement on public sector pay cannot be reached. While discussions between industrial relations mediator Kieran Mulvey and unions have been extended further …” (more)

[Lyndsey Telford, Independent, 14 May]

Pay talks: IMO says progress made but no agreement yet

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:19:47 +0000

“The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has said no agreement has yet been reached on many of the critical issues in its talks with the government on the revised public service agreement …” (more)

[Business Post, 14 May]

Online Education, Organizational Diversity, and Higher Education

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:17:27 +0000

“On this blog we’ve tended to celebrate, rather than denigrate, diversity in higher education. While others fear that MOOCs and other forms of online learning will cheapen the product, we think that ‘education’, like ‘health care’, is not a homogeneous blob …” (more)

[Peter Klein, Organizations and Markets, 14 May]

University criticised over expensive artwork

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:15:08 +0000

“A leading university has been criticised for spending £1.4m on artwork, including works by Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol. Durham University added to its art collection as part of a £60m development, which opened last year …” (more)

[Katherine Sellgren, BBC News, 14 May]

How would UK higher education fare if Britain left the EU?

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:12:09 +0000

“Students might benefit in the short term but we risk falling standards and increased taxpayer costs, says Gill Wyness …” (more)

[Guardian Professional, 14 May]

Howlin reports significant progress on public pay deal

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:26:13 +0000

“Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin said today ‘significant progress’ had been made in talks at the Labour Relations Commission between the Government and public sector unions on a new pay deal …” (more)

[Martin Wall, Irish Times, 14 May]

The apparatus of research assessment is driven by the academic publishing industry and has become entirely self-serving

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:23:52 +0000

“Peer review may be favoured as the best measure of scientific assessment ahead of the REF, but can it be properly implemented? Peter Coles does the maths on what the Physics panel face and finds there simply won’t be enough time to do what the REF administrators claim …” (more)

[Impact of Social Sciences, 14 May]

The integrity of universities

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:21:54 +0000

“There’s a very interesting (in my opinion) article by George Monbiot in the Guardian today. The article is called Oxford University won’t take funding from tobacco companies, but Shell’s OK. The basic premise is that universities should be acting for the common good …” (more)

[To the left of centre, 14 May]

Review: The Great University Gamble

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:19:40 +0000

“This new book is more evidence that analysis of higher education is getting better. Other signals include Michael Shattock’s Making Policy in British Higher Education, 1945-2011, which came out last year, and Everything for Sale: The Marketisation of UK Higher Education by Roger Brown and Helen Carasso, which was published earlier this year …” (more)

[Nick Hillman, wonkhe, 13 May]

Limerick college ‘challenges idea of education’ through course for the disabled

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:17:16 +0000

“Mary Immaculate College has seen its first crop of students graduate from a programme designed to empower people with intellectual disabilities …” (more)

[Mike Dwane, Limerick Leader, 14 May]

Watchdog to review how ITT degrees are validated

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:30:53 +0000

“Ireland’s qualifications watchdog is to carry out a statutory review of the validation processes for postgraduate research degrees at Institute of Technology Tralee in light of the ‘unintentional’ plagiarism in a thesis by the chairperson of the Institute’s governing body …” (more)

[Noel Baker, Irish Examiner, 14 May]

Leftfield: Teachers and parents set out a vision for the future of education

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:25:48 +0000

“Parents, teachers and schools need a coherent voice on how education can improve and develop, with the experiences of all secondary students at heart …” (more)

[Jim Moore, Irish Times, 14 May]

I’ll be fast asleep when dad lands on Earth, says TCD student Kirsten

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:23:26 +0000

“As people around the world tuned in to watch Canadian space hero Commander Chris Hadfield return to Earth, his Dublin-based daughter planned to be fast asleep …” (more)

[Allison Bray, Independent, 14 May]

Life breathed into Croke Park II but new agreement still a long way off

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:11:06 +0000

“Over the last few days new life has been breathed back into the proposed Croke Park II agreement which many believed to have been dead …” (more)

[Martin Wall, Irish Times, 14 May]

Teacher’s Pet

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:08:44 +0000

“Plagiarism row: what next? It’ll be interesting to see what happens next in the Institute of Technology Tralee plagiarism story. On the one hand Flan Garvey, chairman of its governing body, is under pressure to step down …” (more)

[Louise Holden, Irish Times, 14 May]

Realising the dream, with a bit of support

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:05:20 +0000

“As recently as the 1980s, the idea of assistance for a student with a disability was unheard of. Now support is the norm, and 8,000 students with disabilities are in higher education …” (more)

[Brian Mooney, Irish Times, 14 May]

Students angry as action hits in middle of exam time

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:03:12 +0000

“The bus network in Waterford came to a standstill as did its expressway links with other destinations as over 100 employees joined the industrial action affecting bus users …” (more)

[Conor Kane, Independent, 14 May]

Labs, lectures and luring young people into science

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:01:09 +0000

“My Education Week: Cormac O Raifeartaigh, lecturer in physics at Waterford Institute of Technology. On Monday morning, I give a talk about our physics degree course to students from secondary schools in Waterford and Kilkenny …” (more)

[Irish Times, 14 May]

Probe into awarding of degrees at college

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:58:29 +0000

“An academic watchdog is to investigate a college which awarded a postgraduate degree to its own chairman. The Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) said it is concerned how Flan Garvey, the chair of IT Tralee’s governing body, received his masters degree in 2008 …” (more)

[Barry Duggan, Independent, 14 May]

Howlin warns dissenting unions as pay talks are extended

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:55:41 +0000

“The Government last night warned dissenting unions it would take ‘whatever action we need’ to cut the public service pay bill as it gave the go-ahead for a further 48 hours of talks to reach a deal …” (more)

[Martin Wall, Irish Times, 14 May]

Minister admits we can’t afford labs for compulsory science

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:53:02 +0000

“Science isn’t compulsory in Irish secondary schools because the Government couldn’t afford to build enough science laboratories, according to the Education Minister …” (more)

[Eoghan MacConnell, Independent, 14 May]

2,200 students still awaiting grants

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:50:45 +0000

“more the 2,200 students are still awaiting grants as the college year ends because of problems with the Susi processing system. Fianna Fáil education spokesperson Charlie McConalogue branded the situation unacceptable this close to end of the college year …” (more)

[Shaun Connolly, Irish Examiner, 14 May]

Chatterbox

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:48:37 +0000

“What’s the talk of education? Fee-paying and Gaelscoil students are the most likely to go to university: …” (more)

[Irish Times, 14 May]

Academics up in smoke

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:45:50 +0000

“I should start this post by declaring that I have never been a smoker. When in my youth all around me were smoking, I somehow avoided it. I tried it of course, it just didn’t do anything for me …” (more)

[Ferdinand von Prondzynski, University Blog, 14 May]

Academics and activism: Stephen Hawking and the Israel boycott

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:43:50 +0000

“The news that famous physicist Stephen Hawking has decided to join the academic boycott of Israel has attracted some heated commentary …” (more)

[Brian Martin, The Conversation, 14 May]

IMI only Irish business school in global FT ranking

steve — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:41:41 +0000

“The Irish Management Institute (IMI) has been ranked for the fifth year running as the only Irish business school providing customised executive education in this year’s Financial Times Executive Education Rankings …” (more)

[Sorcha Corcoran, Business and Leadership, 13 May]

Some agreement in principle at Croke Park 2 talks

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:01:05 +0000

“The head of the Labour Relations Commission says agreement in principle has been secured from a significant number of groups involved in talks on the Croke Park 2 deal …” (more)

[BreakingNews.ie, 13 May]

Yes vote still needed from Teacher Unions on Industrial Action

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 19:58:50 +0000

“In familiar fashion, the past 24 hours have been of a frantic nature, in the media and from Government sources regarding the Croke Agreement. However, this hyperactivity will only to serve as a distraction for what is at the centre of teacher unions’ (INTO, TUI, ASTI) activity at present; balloting for a Yes vote on Industrial Action …” (more)

[TJ Clare, 13 May]

Should university students use Wikipedia?

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 19:56:07 +0000

“It goes without saying that students use Wikipedia extensively, probably more than any other social group. Although the website’s founder Jimmy Wales once warned readers not to use the website for academic purposes …” (more)

[Adam Coomer, Guardian, 13 May]

The managerial humanities; or, Why the digital humanities don’t exist

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 19:52:50 +0000

“As we all know, the digital humanities are the next big thing. A couple of years ago, I gave a presentation at a digital humanities colloquium, explaining what I saw as the major reasons for this …” (more)

[Daniel Allington, 31 March]

Croke Park: main points

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:08:13 +0000

“An overview of what has been agreed so far during negotiations on a new public sector pay deal …” (more)

[Irish Times, 13 May]

Country cannot afford public sector pay fudge

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:17:52 +0000

“… Is the government about to ‘give in’ or concede significant ground? Or are the unions actually moving? Certainly some concession seems evident from the government, including the promise to grant increments at 18 month intervals to staff in the €65,000 to €100,000 bracket …” (more)

[Cliff Taylor, Business Post, 13 May]

NUI Maynooth and Athlone IT to form strategic partnership

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:31:28 +0000

“NUI Maynooth and Athlone Institute of Technology have this morning announced a new strategic partnership aimed at facilitating collaboration in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, as well as in student access and progression, research, commercialisation and entrepreneurship, and internationalisation …” (more)

[Grainne Rothery, Business and Leadership, 13 May]

More Than 2,000 Students Still Waiting On Grants – And The Year Is Nearly Over!

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:28:35 +0000

“The Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Education Charlie McConalogue has revealed that there are still more than 2,200 students waiting for grants as the college year comes to an end …” (more)

[Donegal Daily, 13 May]

Govt to talk to health unions as higher earners make talk breakthrough

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:26:04 +0000

“Talks between the Government and public sector unions will resume at the Labour Relations Commission this afternoon in a bid to revive the Croke Park 2 deal …” (more)

[BreakingNews.ie, 13 May]

Day in the life of an economics lecturer

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:23:47 +0000

“I hate mornings. Really. If mornings were my bed, I’d sleep on the floor. But we’ve all got to deal with the things. So up I get around 7, grumpily dig our three kids out of bed, and get the middle one off to Montessori school …” (more)

[Stephen Kinsella, 12 May]

John Naughton and Education for a Networked World

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:51:36 +0000

“Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week’s programme, Professor John Naughton, who is Vice-President of Wolfson College Cambridge, explains the difference between the internet and the world wide web and why the difference matters for educators …” (more, mp3)

[Inside Education on 103.2 Dublin City FM, 13 May]

Hopes raised for breakthrough on public sector pay

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:43:38 +0000

“Hopes for agreement on the Croke Park II package of public sector pay cuts were revived yesterday as last-minute talks continued with unions. It is understood agreement has been reached in principle with garda groups …” (more)

[Caroline O’Doherty and Shaun Connolly, Irish Examiner, 13 May]

Education and training key to ending two-tier economy

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:40:12 +0000

“Today we bring you another ‘tale of two economies’. For a long time we have known that the export economy has been doing well while domestic demand has struggled due to the hard times we are battling through …” (more)

[Independent, 13 May]

Support for research is available – why not make use of it?

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:35:56 +0000

“… I was put in mind of supermarket freebees when discussing Irish small to medium enterprise uptake of research grants with staff from Enterprise Ireland and Teagasc, looking in particular at the food sector. These state bodies have a wide range of support services to help SMEs conduct research and increase innovation within their organisations …” (more)

[Dick Ahlstrom, Irish Times, 13 May]

Significant progress in talks between Government and unions on pay bill

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:33:12 +0000

“There have been significant breakthroughs in the Government’s bid to secure reductions in its pay bill by agreement with a number of trade unions. Last night the Government revised key elements of its original proposals regarding pay cuts and freezing increments for higher earners …” (more)

[Martin Wall, Irish Times, 13 May]

Fears bus unrest may spark wave of public sector strikes

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:29:47 +0000

“The Government fears that the Bus Eireann strike, which has already left thousands stranded, will motivate workers across the public sector to mount industrial action …” (more)

[Allison Bray and Michael Brennan, Independent, 13 May]

First past the post when it comes to pride

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:27:18 +0000

“Last week Robert Winston, the media-loving scientist with the big moustache, revealed that he doesn’t like hiring people with first-class degrees. Much better, he said, to go for someone with a 2:1 who has done things …” (more)

[Lucy Kellaway, Irish Times, 13 May]

Teachers wait for thousands owed in back pay

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:24:53 +0000

“Hundreds of teachers will have to wait until next month before receiving thousands of euro owed in back pay because of Department of Education problems with its payroll system …” (more)

[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 13 May]

Is College Moving Online?

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:22:14 +0000

“Gregory Nagy, a professor of classical Greek literature at Harvard, is a gentle academic of the sort who, asked about the future, will begin speaking of Homer and the battles of the distant past …” (more)

[Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 13 May]

US universities beat the best of British: on teaching and social mobility

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:20:02 +0000

“The combined endowments of the three top US universities alone is more than Britain’s entire defence budget. Luckily the risk of American invasion is still one of graduate students seeking a cheaper option, with old-world charm and brand name …” (more)

[Sophie Moullin, Spectator Blogs, 12 May]

How Colleges Are Selling Out the Poor to Court the Rich

steve — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:17:43 +0000

“A new report finds hundreds of schools are charging low-income students obscene prices, even while lavishing tuition discounts on their wealthier classmates …” (more)

[Jordan Weissmann, The Atlantic, 12 May]

LRC Proposals for Public Service Agreement – Clarification on Pay Cut for those earning between 65k and 100k

steve — Sun, 12 May 2013 19:24:20 +0000

“On Sunday 12 May 2013 the LRC provided the relevant public service unions including the teacher unions with a briefing on the application of the pay cut proposed for those earning between 65k and 100k …” (more)

[Teachers' Union of Ireland, 12 May]

EU graduates ‘cannot evade’ loan repayments

steve — Sun, 12 May 2013 18:13:41 +0000

“The government has warned overseas graduates who borrowed money to study in the UK that they cannot evade their obligation to repay by moving overseas. The response came after a Freedom of Information request by the Independent on Sunday revealed EU students owe the UK £50m in unpaid tuition fee loans …” (more)

[BBC News, 12 May]

In Britain, a Return to the Idea of the Liberal Arts

steve — Sun, 12 May 2013 17:59:07 +0000

“Until very recently, students in Britain who wanted to study more than one or two subjects at college received some blunt advice: ‘Go west’ — to the United States or Canada …” (more)

[DD Guttenplan, New York Times, 12 May]

UL researcher could be heading to space

steve — Sun, 12 May 2013 09:29:34 +0000

“A University of Limerick researcher has been selected to undergo two days of ‘gruelling’ tests in London this summer to determine if she has what it takes to go into space …” (more)

[Anne Sheridan, Limerick Leader, 11 May]

LYIT senior management to attend public meeting in Killybegs on tourism college’s future in the town

steve — Sat, 11 May 2013 20:26:34 +0000

“Paul Hannigan, President Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT), and Dr Seán Duffy, Head of School of Tourism, will attend a public meeting in Killybegs on Monday night where concerns over the possible relocation of the Tourism College to LYIT in Letterkenny will be discussed …” (more)

[Donegal Democrat, 11 May]

Erasmus loans for masters students will greatly expand mobility

steve — Sat, 11 May 2013 17:15:05 +0000

“Recently University World News carried a report on the call by the European Students’ Union to scrap the proposed new European study loan guarantees and to use the funds instead for traditional Erasmus grants …” (more)

[Adam Tyson, University World News, 11 May]

U-Multirank works to improve quality of indicators

steve — Sat, 11 May 2013 17:12:33 +0000

“The consortium running the European Commission-backed U-Multirank is working to ensure the quality and reliability of the indicators it will use to measure universities, University World News has been told in an exclusive interview …” (more)

[Carmen Paun, University World News, 11 May]

New ranking of 48 national HE systems – But same results

steve — Sat, 11 May 2013 17:09:15 +0000

“For the second year running, the network of 24 research-intensive universities called Universitas 21 has published a report on global rankings of national higher education systems rather than their universities …” (more)

[Geoff Maslen, University World News, 11 May]

French academia in war of words over plan to teach in English

steve — Sat, 11 May 2013 17:06:39 +0000

“Socialist ministers accused of sabotaging French language by relaxing ban on English being used in French universities …” (more)

[Angelique Chrisafis, Guardian, 10 May]

Croke Park talks resume ahead of Monday’s deadline

steve — Sat, 11 May 2013 12:37:37 +0000

“Talks between unions and public service management on reducing the State’s pay and pensions bill by €1bn over three years are resuming this morning. The move comes in advance of a deadline of Monday set by the Government …” (more)

[Martin Wall, Irish Times, 11 May]

Synod warned of threat which could close majority of Church of Ireland schools

steve — Sat, 11 May 2013 12:34:20 +0000

“… The synod also heard that Church of Ireland College of Education in Dublin was effectively prevented from being taken into the Trinity College centre. ‘Trinity by its actions in effect refused to accept as undergraduates Protestant young men and women who wish to be primary teachers’, Mr Oughton said …” (more)

[Dan Keenan, Irish Times, 11 May]

Government told to ‘lay off’ public servants

steve — Sat, 11 May 2013 10:06:55 +0000

“The Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants also warned private sector workers that once the ‘slashing’ of pay, terms and conditions had been completed in the public sector, it would be used as a model by private sector employers to ‘dumb down’ their pay and conditions …” (more)

[Marie O'Halloran, Irish Times, 11 May]

College chairman asked to quit over thesis row

steve — Sat, 11 May 2013 07:06:47 +0000

“Lecturers at a third-level institute have called on their chairman to step down from his position after he was cleared on appeal of plagiarising his thesis …” (more)

[Barry Duggan, Independent, 11 May]

IT Tralee chair under pressure to quit

steve — Sat, 11 May 2013 07:04:04 +0000

“There is growing pressure on Flan Garvey, chairman of the Institute of Technology Tralee, after lecturers voted through their union that it is not in the college’s best interest for him to continue in the role …” (more)

[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 11 May]

The hard business of funding ‘soft science’

steve — Sat, 11 May 2013 07:00:40 +0000

“EU commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn made a strong pitch for the indispensability of the humanities in understanding issues such as climate change …” (more)

[Paul Gillespie, Irish Times, 11 May]

University of Limerick gets nod as Reds abandon twin-base training system

steve — Sat, 11 May 2013 06:57:42 +0000

“Munster will base their main squad training centre at the University of Limerick from the start of the 2014/15 season …” (more)

[Conor George, Independent, 11 May]

Howlin doubts all unions will sign up to pay deal

steve — Sat, 11 May 2013 06:52:53 +0000

“Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin has signalled it will be ‘very difficult’ to get a deal over the line with all unions on the public pay bill by Monday …” (more)

[Juno McEnroe, Irish Examiner, 11 May]

Muddled Earth

steve — Sat, 11 May 2013 06:50:04 +0000

“It’s hard to decide whether JRR Tolkien would be pleased that the Burren is holding a festival in his honour (Irishman’s Diary, May 10th), or if – on the contrary – the news would have him spinning in his grave …” (more)

[Frank McNally, Irish Times, 11 May]

Mon Dieu! Researchers Fret as France Debates More English in French Universities

steve — Sat, 11 May 2013 06:47:50 +0000

“The French Parliament is soon to debate a draft bill that would establish a new framework for the nation’s higher education and research systems. Many scientists have already criticized the proposal for how it addresses funding and employment issues …” (more)

[Elisabeth Pain, ScienceInsider, 10 May]

The Ultimate Absurdity of College Rankings

steve — Sat, 11 May 2013 06:45:46 +0000

“Before anyone interprets this blog as an exercise in sour grapes, let me state for the record that Rochester Institute of Technology, where I serve as President, has recently (in various print and online publications) been ranked 27th in the world in engineering, 11th in the world and 2nd nationally in industrial design …” (more)

[Bill Destler, Huffington Post, 10 May]

To stay in the global race, British universities may have to go private

steve — Sat, 11 May 2013 06:42:23 +0000

“If the devil were to conduct an experiment into mankind’s ability to resist temptation, it would look something like Stanford University. It is built in one of the world’s most agreeable climates and everyone dresses as if they have just stepped off the beach …” (more)

[Fraser Nelson, Spectator Blogs, 10 May]

QS (ie, the Quirky Silliness Ranking) Strikes Again

steve — Sat, 11 May 2013 06:40:21 +0000

“Here are the top 20 US departments according to the ‘academic reputation’ survey they allegedly conduct – they provide no information on how many responses they got, from where, who the evaluators were, etc – the results are a hodge-podge of ‘halo effect’ of university name (I am told they only ask about university names, not actual faculty lists) …” (more)

[Leiter Reports: A Philosophy Blog, 10 May]

Have PhD … Will Travel – Part II

steve — Sat, 11 May 2013 06:37:22 +0000

“Because newly-minted PhD graduates far outweigh the number of tenure-track positions (read about the sobering statistics here), many will have to travel if they want a job in academia …” (more)

[Randy Clemens, 21st Century Scholar, 10 May]

Obama issues Executive Order in support of open data

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:41:05 +0000

“Yesterday President Barack Obama issued an Executive Order requiring federal government information to be open and machine-readable by default. This Order is the latest in a series of actions going back to 2009 in support of increasing access to and transparency of government information …” (more)

[Timothy Vollmer, Creative Commons, 10 May]

Sector-specific talks on table as Howlin prepares for defeat on pay deal

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:39:42 +0000

“The public expenditure minister tells TheJournal.ie that some unions would need a dramatic U-turn – and that the next option is negotiating with unions on an individual basis …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 10 May]

Percentage of Academic/Non-Academic Staff

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:37:39 +0000

“Figures were released (via Dáil written answers) for Irish third-level institutions of the percentage of staff that are academic and non-academic …” (more)

[The World According to Gar, 10 March]

Department of Education & Skills hosts first meeting of the European ePortfolio project group

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:35:46 +0000

“The Department of Education & Skills has hosted the first meeting of the European ePortfolio project consortium. The project is a trial of the use of ePortfolios in teaching, learning and assessment. An e-portfolio, or digital portfolio, is a collection of electronic material which can include texts, electronic files and images …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 10 May]

Drop entry tariffs for summer-born students, says study

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:31:33 +0000

“Universities should lower their entry tariff requirements for students born in August to reflect the lower achievement levels of children born in the summer, a new study suggests …” (more)

[Jack Grove, Times Higher Education, 10 May]

Mooc completion rates ‘below 7%’

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:29:29 +0000

“The average completion rate for massive open online courses is less than 7%, according to data compiled by an Open University doctoral student as part of her own Mooc studies …” (more)

[Chris Parr, Times Higher Education, 9 May]

Croke Park Agreement Issues – Reduction of GDP Growth

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:26:21 +0000

“Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No 319 of 16 April 2013, if he will confirm that his Department did not calculate the specific reduction of GDP growth directly attributed to the proposed Croke Park 2 cuts to public sector pay and pension of €1 billion between 2013 and 2015 …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann Written Answers, 9 May]

Student Grant Scheme Delays – Athlone IT

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:21:57 +0000

“Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will explain the position that many students at Athlone Institute of Technology are now facing due to ongoing problems with the Student Universal Support Ireland …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann Written Answers, 9 May]

Munster to establish training base at University of Limerick

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:42:19 +0000

“Munster will establish their main squad training centre at a new purpose-built facility at the University of Limerick which is expected to be fully operational from 2015.At present the Munster squad train between bases in Limerick and Cork …” (more)

[Irish Times, 10 May]

Debate Over MOOCs Reaches Harvard

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:58:21 +0000

“Ambivalence about MOOCs, which has increasingly been voiced on campuses across the country, is also being heard among the faculty of Harvard University …” (more)

[Dan Berrett, Chronicle of Higher Education, 10 May]

Heavy metal degree is a ‘waste of time’ claim campaigners

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:56:24 +0000

“A two-year degree in heavy metal music has been branded an ‘easy option’ by education campaigners. The foundation degree – believed to be the first of its kind in the world – is being offered by New College Nottingham …” (more)

[BBC News, 10 May]

Science: better messy than messed up

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:53:28 +0000

“I am fascinated by the psychology of scientific fraudsters. What drives these people? If you are smart enough to fake results, surely you have the ability to do research properly? You should also be clever enough to realise that one day you will get caught …” (more)

[Stephen Curry, Reciprocal Space, 9 May]

ITT chair in spotlight over hefty expenses

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:39:21 +0000

“The chair of Institute of Technology Tralee’s governing body may soon have to review his position after being embroiled in controversy over high expenses payments and a plagiarism investigation, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has indicated …” (more)

[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 10 May]

Croke Park II is an unjust targeting of public sector

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:35:49 +0000

“In June 2010, the members of the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants voted an 85% Yes to the first Croke Park agreement. We did so in a spirit of good faith and social solidarity …” (more)

[Dave Thomas, Irish Times, 10 May]

4,000 Irish students seek ‘sugar daddies’

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:33:04 +0000

“More than 4,000 hard-up Irish students have signed up to a ‘sugar daddy’ dating service to pay their way through college. Some 4,464 female undergraduates here have joined SeekingArrangement.com, a US-based online-dating website, which pairs off young women with wealthy – and usually much older – international businessmen …” (more)

[Nick Bramhill, Independent, 10 May]

College chairman cleared in thesis plagiarism row

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:29:24 +0000

“The chairman of a third-level college has been cleared of plagiarising his masters thesis, but admits he was naive in preparing the dissertation. Flan Garvey said he was delighted that ‘a long six months of torture have ended’ after a ruling that he’d plagiarised part of his thesis was overturned …” (more)

[Barry Duggan, Independent, 10 May]

Technology firms are struggling to find skilled graduates for 2,500 posts

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:24:46 +0000

“There are thousands of technology jobs available here that can’t be filled because Irish people don’t have the required skills, according to the head of Microsoft Ireland …” (more)

[Peter Flanagan, Independent, 10 May]

Investment in pre-school year needs to add up

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:22:03 +0000

“Education Minister Ruairi Quinn wants a debate on how we allocate some of the €2bn of taxpayers’ money we spend on children. Any talk about child benefit scares parents and TDs, but these fears are likely misplaced …” (more)

[Stephen Kinsella, Independent, 10 May]

Minister orders probe into colleges’ expenses claims

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:19:46 +0000

“Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has ordered a probe into the level of expenses claims at institutes of technology …” (more)

[Ralph Riegel, Independent, 10 May]

Computer students on cloud nine after graduation

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:17:01 +0000

“They’ve been in the same class for 18 months, but these students only met for the first time yesterday — at the graduation ceremony to mark completion of the country’s first dedicated degrees in cloud computing. The courses were delivered online by Cork Institute of Technology …” (more)

[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 10 May]

One in three students wears ‘lucky exam underwear’

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:14:07 +0000

“One in three students admits to wearing ‘good luck underwear’ to try to boost exam chances, a poll suggests …” (more)

[Judith Burns, BBC News, 9 May]

IMPACT warns of action if pay cuts introduced

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:11:47 +0000

“Health sector workers belonging to the IMPACT trade union have pledged to ballot for industrial action if the Government imposes changes to their pay and conditions worse than those agreed under the Croke Park II proposals …” (more)

[RTÉ News, 9 May]

US Government Accuses Open Access Publisher of Trademark Infringement

steve — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:09:51 +0000

“Submitting a paper to a new open access journal can be a risky venture: More and more companies are popping up with an offer to publish a report for a fee but deliver less than expected …” (more)

[Jocelyn Kaiser, ScienceInsider, 9 May]

‘Six months of torture’ over for former mayor

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:57:59 +0000

“A former Fianna Fáil county councillor has expressed his delight that ‘a long six months of torture’ has ended but said questions remain to be answered after a complaint of plagiarism was made against him relating to his masters’ thesis, four years after he graduated …” (more)

[Nicola Corless, Clare Champion, 9 May]

Ireland must secure political agreement on new European research funding, argues Sherlock

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:39:47 +0000

“Ireland must secure an EU-wide deal for research funding for the European Union’s new programme for research and innovation Horizon 2020 before the end of its term as President of the Council of the EU. That’s according to Minister Sean Sherlock …” (more)

[Carmel Doyle, Silicon Republic, 9 May]

Nurses vote for strike action

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:37:09 +0000

“Nurses have voted for industrial action up to and including a strike at a union conference today with one delegate comparing the Government to the Taliban …” (more)

[Greg Harkin and Caroline Crawford, Independent, 9 May]

Research heavyweights deny ‘ganging up’

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:34:59 +0000

“A new research alliance that includes five of England’s top six research powers is not a case of the institutions ‘ganging up’ on the rest of the university sector, one of its founders has insisted …” (more)

[Paul Jump, Times Higher Education, 9 May]

MOOCs: old narratives v new narrative – open, scalable, diverse & relevant

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:32:33 +0000

“Narratives. There’s been a lots of different reactions to MOOCs and a few fixed narratives have emerged …” (more)

[Donald Clark Plan B, 9 May]

Letterkenny Institute of Technology – Killybegs Campus

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:29:03 +0000

“Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that the Killybegs Campus of Letterkenny Institute of Technology will continue to be supported as part of Letterkenny IT to ensure that the campus can continue to contribute to the provision of third level education in South West Donegal …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann Written Answers, 8 May]

Higher Education Institutions Staff – Proportion of Non-Academics

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:24:20 +0000

“Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Education and Skills in regard to each separately of the seven universities and 14 institutes of technology, the percentage of staff that are academics and or lecturers and the percentage that are administrators; the contracted working week for administrators in each institution; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann Written Answers, 8 May]

The academic backlog

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:07:55 +0000

“Here’s an interesting question to ask any scientist: If you were to receive no more research funding, and just focus on writing up the data you have, how long would it take? The answer tends to go up with seniority, but a typical answer is 3 to 5 years …” (more)

[BishopBlog, 9 May]

Open access requirements will erode academic freedom by catalysing intensive forms of institutional managerialism

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:04:56 +0000

“In response to last week’s piece on how open access will enhance academic freedom, Kyle Grayson responds by outlining three key reasons why open access will directly – and indirectly – erode academic freedom in the arts, humanities, and social sciences …” (more)

[Impact of Social Sciences, 9 May]

Colleges, universities tighten security for graduation ceremonies

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:01:20 +0000

“The Massachusetts university where one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects attended is restricting the number of people who can attend this weekend’s graduation ceremonies as colleges and universities around the country tighten security for commencement in reaction to the deadly April 15 attack …” (more)

[Valerie Strauss, Washington Post, 9 May]

Union vows not to give an inch on pay, conditions

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:58:06 +0000

“Meanwhile, members of the Impact trade union are calling for a ballot on industrial action if any changes to pay or working hours for public and voluntary sector employees are implemented …” (more)

[Caroline Crawford, Independent, 9 May]

TD raises fears School of Tourism may relocate from Killybegs to LYIT

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:56:08 +0000

“Thomas Pringle, independent TD for Donegal South West, on Wednesday raised concerns in the Dáil that there may be considerations being given to relocating the School of Tourism campus of Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT) from Killybegs to Letterkenny …” (more)

[Donegal Democrat, 9 May]

No justification for paying VEC chief executives €12,500 a year allowance, court told

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:53:57 +0000

“There is no justification for paying the chief executives of two VECs a €12,500 a year allowance ‘in perpetuity’ to administer the student transport scheme given they no longer do that work …” (more)

[Mary Carolan, Irish Times, 8 May]

INMO to ballot on possible industrial action

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:51:22 +0000

“Delegates to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation’s annual conference will debate an emergency motion proposing that an alternative to Croke Park II be explored, but allowing a ballot on possible industrial action …” (more)

[RTÉ News, 9 May]

Ireland’s private leader aims to be accommodating

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:49:05 +0000

“One of the Republic of Ireland’s leading private providers has launched a scheme that could allow British students to study there for free. With about 7,000 students, Griffith College is the most prominent private higher education institution in the country …” (more)

[Matthew Reisz, Times Higher Education, 9 May]

Key to success is a first-class degree in the university of life

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:45:51 +0000

“Science is supposed to be impeccably objective, but it turns out that one of its most famous practitioners, Lord Winston, is prejudiced. The doctor, academic and TV presenter admits discriminating against people with first-class degrees …” (more)

[Darragh McManus, Independent, 9 May]

Social network just for students

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:43:26 +0000

“A new social network designed to protect students from the prying eyes of parents or employers has been launched and could rival Facebook at universities …” (more)

[Independent, 9 May]

Students turning to legal stimulants for exam edge

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:41:01 +0000

“Caffeine was once the stimulant of choice for students to enhance concentration. Not any more. Cognition enhancing pills, most often prescription drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), are the new study tool …” (more)

[Rita de Brun, Irish Examiner, 9 May]

Students aren’t customers … or are they?

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:38:05 +0000

“With the rise of mass higher learning, tight public funding and intense competition for students, universities are often encouraged to see students as ‘customers’. But should they? …” (more)

[Geoff Sharrock, The Conversation, 9 May]

Over 2,200 students still without grants as college year draws to a close

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:34:23 +0000

“Over 2,200 students remain without their college grants as the academic year for 2012/2013 draws to a close …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 8 May]

Stephen Hawking boycott of major Israel conference ‘unjustifiable and wrong’

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:31:27 +0000

“Physicist Stephen Hawking’s decision to pull out of attending a major conference in Israel next month has been met with the expected mix of praise and opprobrium …” (more)

[Paul Gallagher, Independent, 8 May]

Higher Education Institutions Issues – LYIT School of Tourism

steve — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:28:40 +0000

“Deputy Thomas Pringle: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing this Topical Issue. The school of tourism of Letterkenny Institute of Technology, LYIT, is currently located in Killybegs, in what was formerly the Cert training college. The college has been providing high quality training in the catering and hospitality industry for over 40 years …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann, 8 May]

INTO must vote yes for industrial action

steve — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:33:11 +0000

“The following is a press release issued by Joe Higgins TD and Paul Murphy MEP, both from the Socialist Party, in response and in support of Irish National Teachers’ Organisation members looking to engage in industrial action against legislated pay cuts, and against austerity policies …” (more)

[Paul Murphy MEP, 8 May]

Essay writing service’s ad banned for implying ‘guaranteed’ grade

steve — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:30:37 +0000

“Oxbridge Essays, which charges from £95 to £10,000-plus, said its work was only an ‘example’ and should not be submitted …” (more)

[Mark Sweney, Guardian, 8 May]

Coursera to offer students free online textbooks, with conditions

steve — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:28:19 +0000

“Coursera, a provider of massive open online courses, or MOOCs, from dozens of universities, announced Wednesday a partnership with several publishers to provide portions of certain textbooks free for students to use while they take the courses …” (more)

[Nick Anderson, Washington Post, 8 May]

Uni cuts force students to skip class, meals

steve — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:26:01 +0000

“The Australian government’s recent proposed cuts to university funding and student loans will cost universities A$1 billion a year by 2017 and make it harder for people to balance study and work, the chief of the peak body for Australian universities said today …” (more)

[Bella Counihan and Sunanda Creagh, The Conversation, 8 May]

International Education Strategy

steve — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:23:00 +0000

“Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps being taken in the US to attract third level students to come here to study …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann Written Answers, 7 May]

Student Grant Scheme Application Numbers

steve — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:20:18 +0000

“Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of applicants for third level education grants nationally; the number of students that have been paid grants and college fees to date; the number that were refused; the up to date position regarding the number of students who sought to appeal and are accepted as valid appeals; the number of students that have been requested to supply further information on their claim to proceed or to confirm that they are still seeking a grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann Written Answers, 7 May]

No pay cuts decision yet, says Education Minister Ruairi Quinn

steve — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:45:17 +0000

“Education Minister Ruairi Quinn says the Government has made no decision yet on imposing public sector pay cuts if no Croke Park II deal is struck …” (more)

[Fionnan Sheahan, Independent, 8 May]

Online students and teachers are no different to the rest of academia

steve — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:43:19 +0000

“Demand for online higher education is at record levels – yet the model remains a mystery for many. For David Newton, the only mystery is why everyone thinks it’s so unusual …” (more)

[Guardian Professional, 8 May]

The legitimacy and usefulness of academic blogging will shape how intellectualism develops

steve — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:41:16 +0000

“Academic blogging has become an increasingly popular form, but key questions still remain over whether blog posts should feature more prominently in formal academic discourse …” (more)

[Jenny Davis, Impact of Social Sciences, 8 May]

10 UCC subjects placed in QS world top 200 rankings

steve — Wed, 08 May 2013 09:52:43 +0000

“University College Cork (UCC) said today that it has been has been ranked first among Irish universities for engineering (electrical and electronic) and environmental sciences in the 2013 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject …” (more)

[Grainne Rothery, Business and Leadership, 8 May]

Eight universities in top 200 subject-by-subject ranking list

steve — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:28:27 +0000

“Trinity College Dublin tops a list of eight Irish colleges which feature in the top 200 of subject-by-subject rankings of the world’s universities. It features in the top 200 for 24 of the 30 study disciplines for which tables were compiled by QS World University Rankings, including top-50 placings for English language and literature, politics, history, and modern languages …” (more)

[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 8 May]

Irish universities excel at English literature

steve — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:23:58 +0000

“Eight Irish universities have made the global top 200 for specific subject areas in the QS World University Rankings …” (more)

[Louise Holden, Irish Times, 8 May]

[The QS subject rankings are here.]

State gives extra week to save pay talks

steve — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:19:43 +0000

“The Government has agreed to allow another week for pay talks to be agreed with unions as the deadlock continues over €300m needed in public sector savings this year …” (more)

[Juno McEnroe and Stephen Rogers, Irish Examiner, 8 May]

Who needs grinds when mum has honours maths?

steve — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:17:38 +0000

“The importance of parents in education cannot be underestimated. We may become obsessed with teachers, the minutiae of the curriculum, ministerial directives and class sizes. But research to be presented at the Growing Up in Ireland conference today confirms what seems like common sense: parents frequently make the biggest impact of all …” (more)

[Kim Bielenberg, Independent, 8 May]

Coalition gets set for pay cuts if Croke Park not saved

steve — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:14:57 +0000

“The Government has begun taking advice from the Attorney General on options for legislation to impose public sector pay cuts if there is no Croke Park II deal …” (more)

[Fionnan Sheahan and Michael Brennan, Independent, 8 May]

Stephen Hawking joins academic boycott of Israel

steve — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:12:45 +0000

“Professor Stephen Hawking is backing the academic boycott of Israel by pulling out of a conference hosted by Israeli president Shimon Peres in Jerusalem as a protest at Israel’s treatment of Palestinians …” (more)

[Matthew Kalman, Guardian, 8 May]

Boys far more likely than girls to dislike school, new research finds

steve — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:10:06 +0000

“Boys are far more likely than girls to dislike school, to leave their homework undone and to find any excuse to stay at home, groundbreaking new research shows …” (more)

[Grainne Cunningham, Independent, 8 May]

Social sciences are a compass in demanding times

steve — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:08:19 +0000

“If there is one thing you learn in politics, it is that nothing ever stays the same. The world is constantly changing. And big changes force hard choices, especially for politicians. Science and research are invaluable for decision-makers, and it is usually the so-called ‘hard’ sciences that grab the headlines …” (more)

[Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, Irish Times, 8 May]

Progression to third level, early school leaving and fee vs. non-fee paying schools

steve — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:05:33 +0000

“It’s not often that the first thing you hear when you turn the radio on in the morning is educational statistics. But such was the case today as the media here in Ireland headlined two statistical releases by the Department of Education …” (more)

[Kevin Denny: Economics more-or-less, 7 May]