Ninth Level Ireland

“University College Cork Students’ Union (UCCSU) has launched a food bank as part of its student hardship fund to help students in financial difficulty. UCCSU is seeking to address the issue of student poverty in a ‘tangible manner’, in the wake of reports showing an estimated 36% of students in Ireland are currently experiencing ‘severe financial problems’ …” (more)

[Robert Quinn, University Times, 27 October]

“NUI Galway’s Students’ Union has officially confirmed the closure of Caifé na Gaeilge, located in Áras na Gaeilge. The Students’ Union released a statement, stating that the Caifé was closed, having been ‘operating on a loss since 2008’ …” (more)

[Conor Brummell, Irish Times, 26 October]

“Trinity’s libraries are to employ a team of postgraduate students for the upcoming revision and assessment periods to monitor study spaces and prevent ‘desk hogging’. The monitors will leave notes on desks that appear to be unoccupied but have possessions such as books and laptops on them. The notes will inform the ‘desk hogger’ that if they do not reclaim the space within a certain period of time, the belongings will be removed …” (more)

[Emer Moreau, University Times, 25 October]

“The owner of student accommodation on the Western Road will not be allowed to carry on letting apartments on a short-term basis outside of the third-level academic year after An Bord Pleanála overruled its own inspector …” (more)

[Robert McNamara, EchoLive, 25 October]

“Radical plans that would see Maynooth seminary leaving the college’s neogothic buildings in favour of a new purpose-built home on the same campus are being considered by the hierarchy, Primate of All-Ireland Archbishop Eamon Martin has told The Irish Catholic …” (more)

[Greg Daly, The Irish Catholic, 24 October]

“A recent scandal wherein a young female tenant was offered an exchange of sexual favours in lieu of paying rent represents the exploitative, opportunistic and dangerous reality of Dublin’s current rental market. Students in the latter years of their degree will undoubtedly know people who have had, or will themselves have been victim to, landlords who are desperate to capitalise off of the rising prices of accommodation in the most expensive city to live in within the Eurozone …” (more)

[Ursula Dale, Trinity News, 26 October]

“Recently there has been some interest in ranking higher education systems in addition to institutions or departments. See here and here. But both of these efforts, from Universitas 21 and QS, rank only 50 countries …” (more)

[University Ranking Watch, 26 October]

“A leading Queen’s University academic has called on the institution to release more information on its historical involvement in electrical aversion therapy on gay men. BBC News NI previously interviewed a student who was shown pictures of naked men and given electric shocks if he was aroused. It took place during the late 1960s and early 1970s …” (more)

[Niall McCracken and Robbie Meredith, BBC News, 24 October]

“Students at the University of Limerick have been reacting to the new brand refresh. Earlier this week the university launched its first re-brand since 1989 …” (more, video)

[Katie Martin, Limerick Voice, 24 October]

“… In an update sent to staff and students of both colleges this week, which was seen by the Cork Independent, said that the project team is working towards a designation date of 1 September 2020 and that this is subject to a final decision by the Minister for Education and Skills …” (more)

[Niamh Aine Ryan, Cork Independent, 24 October]

“Ireland ranks 13th out of 23 European countries when it comes to pay levels for graduates with a bachelor’s degree. Those leaving college here can expect to earn around €31,075, just over a quarter more than the average salary of someone who finishes their education after secondary school. The figures come in a report from insurance and consulting group Willis Towers Watson …” (more)

[Ellie Donnelly, Independent, 25 October]

“Warnings have been issued to university students in Dublin after the HSE confirmed that mumps cases have increased as students return to schools and colleges. Earlier this month, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), Ireland’s specialist agency for the surveillance of communicable diseases, confirmed that the national mumps outbreak that started in 2018 is still ongoing …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 25 October]

“The Minister for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD today (24 October) launched a call for applications for financial support for eligible Irish higher education institutions (HEIs), in advance of the second call of the European Universities Initiative by the European Commission …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 24 October]

“Maureen O’Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the action he has taken on the reports that UCC and Trinity College Dublin have been involved in experimentation on thousands of live animals each year; and his plans to deal with banning vivisection …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 23 October]

“Sir, – That students from affluent backgrounds are more likely to study ‘high points’ courses should come as little surprise to anybody (News, October 21st). However, the findings of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) report make clear the need for significant additional, targeted investment across all levels of education to afford students an equal opportunity to fulfil their own potential, irrespective of their postal address …” (more)

[Letters, Irish Times, 24 October]

“The consistent failure of the government to restore funding levels to higher education is a major impediment to access by students from disadvantaged backgrounds, the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) has stated. Responding to new data from the Higher Education Authority (HEA) which found that only 10% of the national student population is from a disadvantaged background …” (more)

[IFUT, 23 October]

“The ‘relentless pursuit of CAO points’ is having an extreme influence on how students are engaging with teaching and learning, according to a senior State Examinations Commission official. Tim Desmond, head of examination and assessment, said moves by higher-education institutions to develop more specialised courses is intensifying the points race and inflating the public’s perception of certain courses …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 24 October]

“The growth in the proportion of international students attending Irish third-level colleges is significantly outpacing that of Irish students, new figures show. International student numbers grew by 26% in the past three years, climbing to 14,412 this year. Irish student numbers grew by 5% over the same period, or some 122,257 in 2019 …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 24 October]

“Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has received an application from Athlone Institute of Technology and Limerick Institute of Technology to come together to form a new technological university for the region pursuant to the Technological University Act 2018; when a decision will be made thereon; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 22 October]

“Controversy has flared up in the University of Limerick (UL) after the college revealed its new logo amid a rebranding effort that’s costing around €100,000. Students have launched a petition calling on the college to scrap the ‘childish, sloppy, and classless’ redesign and restore the college’s colours of maroon, gold and navy after they were changed to a new forest green and lime green get-up …” (more)

[Ana Bravo, University Times, 22 October]