“The number of staff at Trinity College Dublin earning over €300,000 per annum more than doubled last year to 13. That is according to the 2020 annual report for the college which shows that TCD’s operating losses also more than doubled to €16.37 million as it grappled with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic …” (more)
[Gordon Deegan, Irish Times, 18 April]
“The latest Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2021 carried few surprises when it was released in September. The usual contestants led the rankings. Yet among these are some institutions, operating under totalitarian regimes, that do not match our expectation of what universities are about …” (more)
[Carsten A Holz, University World News, 17 April]
“John Doyle, Director of DCU’s Institute for International Conflict Resolution, discusses the joint letters sent by the Ukrainian and Georgian embassies to DCU and the Department of Foreign Affairs …” (mp3)
[RTÉ – This Week, 18 April]
“The mystery surrounding Michael Byrne, affectionately known as Old Man Belfield, is no nearer to being solved after a man who contacted gardaí to say he might be his son received a negative result in a DNA test …” (more)
[Niamh Horan, Independent, 18 April]
“As we approach the end of the 20/21 academic year during which most of our teaching has been online rather than face-to-face, a number of students have been asking me whether we will ‘get back to normal’ next September for the start of next teaching year. The answer I give to this is that I don’t know. It depends entirely on the progress of the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic and that has so far proved to be difficult to predict …” (more)
[In the Dark, 17 April]
“The widespread return of students to the University of Limerick’s campus has edged a bit closer with the introduction of a new symptom tracker. For the next three weeks, students attending on campus to use the library or attend lectures will be asked to complete a day-pass form to allow access …” (more)
[Nick Rabbitts, Limerick Leader, 17 April]
“One of the country’s most popular tourist attractions, the Book of Kells exhibition at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) last year sustained a €10m revenue hit due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The college’s Library Shop also felt the full force in plummeting numbers visiting the ancient manuscript with revenues there reducing by €4 million or 77% …” (more)
[Gordon Deegan, Irish Examiner, 16 April]
“The primacy of Waterford Institution of Technology (WIT) needs to be recognised in the Technological University of the South East (TUSE) equation, according to Cllr Mary Roche who set down a motion calling for clarification. The Independent Councillor’s motion, proposed to Thursday’s Plenary meeting, read, ‘That Waterford City and County Council calls on the government to clarify the funding and configuration arrangements for their proposed Technological University before dissolving Waterford Institute of Technology’ …” (more)
[Claire Quinn, Waterford News and Star, 15 April]
“Roll back the clock to the summer of 1989. Linda Doyle has arrived in Dublin and makes her way to Trinity College. She wants to check out the prospect of doing a post graduate degree in the university …” (more)
[Michael Clifford, Irish Examiner, 16 April]
“The Higher Education Authority (HEA) and Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) are preparing the next National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education (‘National Access Plan’). The current National Access Plan was published in December 2015. A Progress Review published in December 2018 extended the plan until December 2021 …” (more)
[Maura O’Shea, HEA, 16 April]
“The Department for the Economy said it remains committed to overseeing the opening of a new multi million pound city centre complex for Ulster University on time despite reports of further delays to the build. The cost of the Cathedral Quarter build, which has been due to open for students in 2018 but has already been delayed until next year, has rocketed by 43% over the original plan, now said to be coming in at around £363.9m …” (more)
[Mark Bain, Belfast Telegraph, 16 April]
“Healthcare students who refused to take a Covid-19 vaccine will now be able to complete placements at hospitals following the National Immunisation Advisory Committee’s (NIAC) recommendation to restrict the use of the AstraZeneca jab. Nursing, medical and other healthcare students who were offered and turned down a Covid-19 vaccine were told last month that they could not complete clinical placements at HSE hospitals and facilities …” (more)
[Laura Colgan, Irish Mirror, 16 April]
“Around £2m is being paid to universities in Northern Ireland by Stormont to administer the £20m student Covid support scheme. All students attending universities here are eligible for the scheme, which provides a £500 grant …” (more)
[Mark Bain, Belfast Telegraph, 16 April]
“A landlord has welcomed a High Court order quashing a ruling by a district court judge which held him responsible for noise pollution emanating from students holding lockdown parties at two of his properties near University College Cork …” (more)
[Barry Roche, Irish Times, 15 April]
“Some teachers felt pressure from their schools and parents to inflate students Leaving Cert marks during last year’s calculated grades process, according to a new study. The findings are contained in a preliminary survey of more than 700 secondary teachers who were involved in last year’s calculated grades process, which required teachers to assess their own pupils for State certification for the first time …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 16 April]
“The Government is investing €9 million to boost the research capacity of technological universities and institutes of technology in the area of science and technology. The move will include the funding of replacement lecturers for academics involved in successful research applications, as well as between 20 and 40 PhD students overall …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 15 April]
“Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD has today (Thursday) announced details of the Science Foundation Ireland Frontiers for Partnership Awards programme, which aims through an investment of €9 million to increase research capacity within Technological Universities (TUs) and Institutes of Technology (IoTs) …” (more)
[MerrionStreet.ie, 15 April]
“Higher education institutions are ‘creaking’ and will struggle to provide additional college places in key areas this year aimed at easing CAO points pressure, universities have warned. The Government has pledged to provide an additional 2,000 third-level college places in high-demand courses this year in response to record number of applicants and expected grade inflation this year …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 14 April]
“There is a pressing need to bring the Leaving Certificate and senior cycle ‘forward into the 21st century’, Minister for Education Norma Foley has said. Speaking at the annual conference of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD), she said the Leaving Cert has come to dominate the entire senior-cycle experience …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 14 April]
“After 429 years, the male dominance of the leadership of Irish universities has been shattered with the election of Linda Doyle as provost of Trinity College. Women now head up four of the 10 universities, or 40%. It is a striking figure when compared with the European average of 14%. This will help break the equation between masculinity and power and it is symbolically important. But will it make a difference? …” (more)
[Pat O’Connor, Irish Times, 15 April]
