“How do we recognise ‘world-class’ universities? One criterion seems to be their hotel facilities. This means, in Dublin anyway, on-campus, en-suite bedrooms rented out to students for (in real terms) around 1,200 € per month …” (more)
[In a Strange Land, 6 March]
“I thought I’d share the above picture part of an occasional series of updates about the new building going up on the North Campus at Maynooth University. This artist’s impression of what the new building will look like has appeared on the fence surrounding the construction site; you can see cranes and part of the skeleton of the new structure behind the board …” (more)
[In the Dark, 6 March]
“Students are asking to be allowed study at home rather than come to College, after the first confirmed case of the disease was confirmed in Trinity last night. An online petition, with over 500 signatures, claims that students should be allowed to study online rather than in College …” (more)
[Donal MacNamee and Cormac Watson, University Times, 6 March]
“Schools and third-level colleges are ramping up their preparations in the event that they have to close because of coronavirus. The education sector is bracing itself for serious and widespread disruption, and at short notice, in the face of the rapid and unpredictable spread of infection …” (more)
[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 6 March]
“A section of Trinity College Dublin’s city centre campus was closed as a precautionary measure on Friday after one of the 13 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Ireland was connected with college. An email sent to around 17,000 students and about 2,600 staff on Thursday night said a positive case of coronavirus had been confirmed ‘within’ the university …” (more)
[Irish Times, 6 March]
“This morning. RTÉ reports: ‘Trinity College Dublin has written to staff and students to inform them that a case of Covid-19 is connected with the campus …'” (more)
[Broadsheet, 6 March]
“NUI Galway is set to splash €180,000 on hotel accommodation, including five-star hotels. That’s quite a lot of public money for any institution to spend on hotels. But the timing of this invitation to tender for hotel accommodation is, well, unfortunate – in the midst of a rent-rise controversy on campus …” (more)
[Dara Bradley, Connacht Tribune, 6 March]
“NUI Galway has warned its Erasmus students studying in Italy to immediately return to Ireland, amid fears of the rapid spread of Coronavirus in the country. One student, who has just returned from the University of Genoa, spoke of the sense of panic felt among Irish students in the affected region …” (more)
[Paddy Henry, Connacht Tribune, 6 March]
“Almost €370,000 has been allocated for the development of a new sports campus on lands owned by Letterkenny Institute of Technology in the Knocknamona area of Letterkenny …” (more)
[Highland Radio, 6 March]
“Trinity has its first confirmed case of the coronavirus, the College announced tonight. In an email sent to staff and students tonight, Provost Patrick Prendergast wrote that the College was informed of a positive case of coronavirus ‘late on Thursday night’ …” (more)
[Donal MacNamee, University Times, 5 March]
“A number of students in Limerick have been told to self isolate following confirmation this Thursday that there are four patients with the coronavirus receiving treatment in a local hospital. In a notice circulated, students from a specific course have been told to ‘self isolate immediately’ until Thursday March 12 …” (more)
[Ryan O’Rourke, Limerick Leader, 5 March]
“Trinity College in Dublin has confirmed a positive case of coronavirus within the University. Staff and students were alerted that a positive case of Covid-19 had been identified and that tracing has started to find anyone who has been in contact with the individual …” (more)
[Ian Mangan, Irish Mirror, 5 March]
“The vice-chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast has called for assistance from politicians to change the perception of the university as a ‘cold house for unionism’. Addressing the Economy Committee at Stormont on Wednesday, Professor Ian Greer said there were concerns over the way the university is viewed by some sections of society and that he did not wish for Queen’s to be seen as an unwelcome place for any group …” (more)
[Mark Bain, Belfast Telegraph, 4 March]
“There are no confirmed cases of the coronavirus on any of Limerick Institute of Technology campuses, according to a spokesperson from the college. The announcement comes in the wake of a number of rumours that were circulating social media this Thursday. LIT remains open and all classes will continue as usual, the spokesperson also stated …” (more)
[Ryan O’Rourke, Limerick Leader, 5 March]
“There is no evidence fee-paying schools do better than others in maximising the academic performance of students, according to new research. The finding is contained in an academic paper, ‘Good Schools or Good Students? The Importance of Selectivity for School Rankings’, by a team of researchers at Maynooth University …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 5 March]
