Ninth Level Ireland

“The Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD and the Minister for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD today invited expressions of interest for a number of vacancies to governing authorities of higher education institutions. Applications are invited from suitably qualified and experienced persons for consideration for nomination …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 24 January]

“British universities have warned students considering travelling home to China to celebrate Chinese new year that they risk being quarantined on their return. The University of Chester said it had warned its Chinese students in the UK that if they returned to their homeland they may not be readmitted without a suitable quarantine period …” (more)

[Nazia Parveen and Libby Brooks, Guardian, 24 January]

“Students and third level colleges have united to call on political parties to commit to invest more in higher education to prevent Ireland ‘losing ground’ against international competitors. In a joint statement, the Union of Students in Ireland, the Irish Universities Association and the Technological Higher Education Association said State funding per student at third level is now 40% less than it was a decade ago …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 23 January]

“‘Crisis, what crisis?’ Three words that helped bring down Jim Callaghan’s Labour government in the 1979 UK general election. The prime minister never actually uttered these words. A Sun subeditor fashioned the headline but it captured the popular impression of an administration unaware of a serious state of affairs which had caught up with it …” (more)

[Lorna Fitzpatrick, Joseph Ryan and Jim Miley, Irish Times, 23 January]

“Higher education colleges and students have come together to push for a pre-election commitment for politicians for an increased €100m a year for the third-level sector. State funding per student to third level institutions is now 40% less than it was a decade ago because of austerity-era cuts that have not been reversed …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 23 January]

“Fianna Fáil has pledged an extra €100 million a year in core funding for higher education, but refused to commit to any of the three options outlined in the 2016 Cassells report. The party is also promising a 20% increase in undergraduate state grants, a restoration of postgraduate grants and the maintenance of fees at their current level, Fianna Fáil education spokesperson Thomas Byrne said at a press briefing this morning …” (more)

[Donal MacNamee, University Times, 23 January]

“Institutional change is an important research area in the context of the evolution of the Irish university sector. 2008-2014 was an eventful period in bringing about changes within the sector. Drivers of transformation led by the state during this time arose from two distinct sources; developments in government policy within the university sector and the impact of the economic recession. This study focuses on institutional change within the Irish university at both the meso level where the academic discipline is located and the micro levels where the experiences of individual academic professionals are examined. Institutional logics comprise the theoretical lens used in this study. In analysing institutional change, three specific institutional logics are identified and examined; representing the societal sectors of the state (the government logic), the business corporation (the corporate logic) and the academic profession (the professional logic) …”

Gannon, Anne Margaret, Institutional change in the Irish university 2008-2014: an examination through the lens of institutional logics. PhD Thesis, University College Cork. 2019.

“Fianna Fáil will spend an additional €100 million per year and freeze higher education fees at their current levels should it be elected, while reducing primary teacher-student ratios to 20:1, the party said. At its education policy launch at party HQ in Dublin …” (more)

[Cianan Brennan, Irish Examiner, 23 January]

“Just two weeks before the Irish general election, higher education interest groups have put out a united call for greater funding for the sector. The Irish Universities Association (IUA), the Technological Higher Education Association (THEA), and the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) have rallied to campaign for a pre-election commitment to hundreds of millions of euros of higher education funding …” (more)

[Madalyn Williams, Trinity News, 23 January]

“Some 13 men have had their names put forward for Trinity’s new Old Library bust campaign – a project designed to commemorate female scholars. And staff and students, in a nomination campaign launched by Provost Patrick Prendergast last September, have nominated 15 living figures for the campaign, despite a stipulation that the subjects must be deceased …” (more)

[Emer Moreau, University Times, 22 January]

“The catering company Aramark, who until recently operated cafés in Trinity’s Hamilton building have said that the student campaign Aramark Off Our Campus ‘was not a factor’ in the company’s decision to end their contract with College in December …” (more)

[Finn Purdy, Trinity News, 22 January]

“A decision on whether to move Ulster University’s allied health and health sciences courses to Derry to align with a new Magee medical school has been delayed. The transfer of these courses which include physiotherapy, medicines management, sport and exercise medicine, podiatry and occupational therapy, amongst others, would attract in excess of 1,300 students, and are deemed vital to Magee expansion …” (more)

[Garrett Hargan, Derry Now, 20 January]

“After years of student opposition, Trinity’s Hamilton cafes have cut ties with controversial catering company Aramark, with new College-run alternatives set to open in the coming weeks. Aramark, which has been criticised for its involvement in direct provision centres, vacated the cafes after terminating its contract last month, according to Moira O’Brien, the head of Trinity Catering …” (more)

[Jordan Nann, University Times, 21 January]

“Trinity will next week play host to a higher education debate featuring education spokespeople from Ireland’s political parties, ahead of a general election in February. Organised jointly by the Irish Universities Association (IUA), the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and the Technological Higher Education Association, the debate will bring politicians from several parties to the Business School for a debate on the future of higher education and research …” (more)

[Sárán Fogarty, University Times, 21 January]

“I’m guessing that even the most ardent of UK wonks haven’t been eagerly awaiting the the announcement from the Alberta (Canada) Government of its hotly-anticipated performance based funding system for tertiary institutions. Maybe they should have been …” (more)

[Jim Dickinson, Wonkhe, 22 January]

“Sir, – Francis Oliver Neary (Letters, January 20th) is correct when he writes that the proposed International Education Mark will provide quality assurance for international students. Unfortunately, despite the relevant legislation passing in the summer, it seems like it will be some time before the mark is fully implemented …” (more)

[Sarah Lennon, Irish Times, 22 January]

“Close to 2,000 students have registered to vote in the general election across colleges and third-level institutions in recent days, the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has said. University College Cork (UCC) saw the most students sign up to be included on the supplementary electoral register in the last week …” (more)

[Jack Power, Irish Times, 21 January]

“Dublin city councillors have voted in favour of progressing plans to turn the former Magdalene laundry building on Sean McDermott Street into a centre for third-level education. The proposed plans, which were presented to councillors by Dublin City Council representatives on Tuesday, also include the development of social housing units for older people and a memorial in memory of victims and survivors of Ireland’s institutional homes …” (more)

[Sorcha Pollak, Irish Times, 22 January]

“The President of University of Limerick has called on political parties to ‘make third-level funding a national priority’ and accused the outgoing government of cutting supports to the sector. Addressing students at the start of UL’s Winter Conferring ceremonies, Dr Des Fitzgerald said: ‘Let’s be honest, our universities are good, but not good enough’…” (more)

[David Raleigh, Irish Examiner, 20 January]

“The Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT) has called for third-level fees to be phased out by the country’s next government, in a pitch to political parties that also sees it demanding improvements to staff working conditions …” (more)

[Ella Connolly, University Times, 21 January]