Ninth Level Ireland

“Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD has today (Tuesday) published the plan for a safe return to on-site activity for September 2021. Higher and further education and training, and research, are essential activities, and the plan for the 2021/22 academic year is for mainly on-site activity for all students, learners, and staff …” (more)

[MerrionStreet.ie, 16 June]

“The IUA warmly welcomes the publication of the Plan for a safe return for further and higher education and research in 2021/22 by Minister Simon Harris. Staff and students in our universities eagerly anticipate a safe return to as comprehensive a range of on-campus activities as possible for the next academic year, including large scale teaching …” (more)

[IUA, 15 June]

“Sinn Féin spokesperson for Further and Higher Education Rose Conway-Walsh TD has welcomed the government’s announcement that further and higher education campuses will be open in September but called on the Minister to provide greater clarity. The Mayo TD said …” (more)

[Sinn Féin, 15 June]

“The Union of Students in Ireland welcomes the plan published today, which aims to re-open campuses and have most third-level activity back on site from the start of the new academic year. Along with getting students back into lectures and classrooms, that the plan also allows for the reopening of libraries, cafes, canteens and bars, as well as the restarting of club, society and sporting activity is particularly welcome …” (more)

[USI, 15 June]

“Thousands of international students are calling for their visas to be extended because they have not been able to fullfil ‘a vital part’ of their reason for studying in Ireland – the chance to work in graduate level employment. The Third Level Graduate Programme allows Irish educated non-EEA graduates remain here after their studies, for the purpose of seeking graduate level employment. The graduates are generally permitted to work here for between one and two years …” (more)

[Sharon Tobin, RTÉ News, 15 June]

“The Irish Government has just produced its plan for A Safe Return to on-site further and higher education and research that outlines what is basically a full return to on-campus activity from September 2021. I quote from the preamble to the document linked to above …” (more)

[In the Dark, 15 June]

“On 29 April 2021 the government made a commitment to a significant increase in on-site further education and training, higher education and research from the beginning of the next academic year. Higher and further education and training, and research are essential activities, and so the plan for 2021/22 is for mainly on-site activity for all students, learners, and staff …” (more)

[gov.ie, 15 June]

“Large-scale lectures are set to resume as the Government gives the green light for the reopening of college campuses in September. After more than a year of online learning, all students in higher and further education will be back on site in the autumn. Chief medical officer Tony Holohan has told Minister Simon Harris that colleges can prepare for the resumption of maximum attendances, including large-scale lectures …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 15 June]

“Report calls for access targets and supports to be focused on disadvantaged communities as well as expanding opportunities for part-time learning. The number of people aged between 15-64 years who have achieved a third-level qualification in Ireland has increased by 5% in the past decade, with educational attainment rates remaining high, new research has shown …” (more)

[Maura O’Shea, HEA, 14 June]

“President Michael D Higgins gave a stirring address at an online conference on academic freedom this week. He suggested we are in danger of losing not just academic freedom at the level of the individual scholar but of losing the institution of the university itself …” (more)

[Breda O’Brien, Irish Times, 12 June]

“A rapid testing and surveillance system has commenced in four universities today in an effort to support the return of third-level students to campuses. Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris confirmed the rapid testing pilot will begin today at NUI Galway, Trinity College Dublin (TCD), University College Dublin (UCD), University College Cork (UCC) …” (more)

[Eoghan Moloney, Independent, 14 June]

“Low numbers of mature students are entering higher education due to financial barriers, family commitments and a lack of flexible study options, according to a Higher Education Authority (HEA) report. The report also shows the number of 25-44 year-olds with a college degree has climbed above 50% …” (more)

[Marie O’Halloran, Irish Times, 14 June]

“With the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on the higher education environment in mind, we are proposing to look forward and venture a few preliminary observations. At the beginning of the crisis, we provided two assessments – and by and large, we think that we were right in our analysis …” (more)

[Philip G Altbach and Hans de Wit, University World News, 12 June]

“The impact of Covid-19 on children’s education will widen the gap between rich and poor and impose long-term losses of income for all students, according to a policy document by Social Justice Ireland. It warns that pupils affected by the pandemic face long-term losses in income and an average student can expect about 3% lower earnings throughout their lifetime …” (more)

[Marie O’Halloran, Irish Times, 14 June]

“Simon Harris, Minister for Further and Higher Education, said last week that he expects that both staff and students will be back on campus for the next academic year. A new plan is being finalised by the department and is expected to be announced next week. It has been suggested by the Minister that this plan will result in a full return to campus activity …” (more)

[Muiris O’Cearbhaill, The College View, 13 June]

“There is nearly always a theme for the publication of global rankings. Often it is the rise of Asia, or parts of it. For a while it was the malign grasp of Brexit which was crushing the life out of British research or the resilience of American science in the face of the frenzied hostility of the great orange beast …” (more)

[University Ranking Watch, 13 June]

“The University of Limerick (UL) is conducting a review of its controversial €8m purchase of a site in Limerick city centre to examine what oversight was in place before the sale. It comes after the Sunday Independent revealed last month there are no records at the university of an independent valuation, raising concerns about due diligence …” (more)

[Wayne O’Connor, Independent, 13 June]

“Students hoping to live on campus at UCD for the next academic year will have to pay up to €14,000 for their accommodation, it has been announced. The college has released details of its on-site accommodation for the 2021/22 academic year, with options ranging from €8,059 to €14,465 for returning students looking to rent for the standard two semesters. Broken down, the students would pay €203 per week at the campus’s two cheapest halls …” (more)

[Ellen O’Riordan, Irish Times, 11 June]

Abstract: New managerialism and the pervasive neoliberalisation of universities is by now a wellestablished phenomenon. Commentaries explore the political and economic drivers and effects of neoliberal ideology, and critique the impact on higher education and academic work. The impact on the health and well-being of academic staff has had less attention, and it is to that we turn in this paper. Much academic interest in neoliberalism stems from the UK, Australia and the United States. We draw particularly on studies of public Irish universities, where neoliberalism, now well entrenched, but something of a late-comer to the new public management party, is making its presence felt. This conceptual paper explores the concept of neoliberalism in higher education, arguing that the policies and practices of new public management as exercised in universities are a form of bullying; what we term institutional bullying. The authors are researchers of workplace culture, workplace bullying and incivility. Irish universities are increasingly challenged in delivering the International Labour Organisation (ILO) principles of decent work, i.e., dignity, equity, fair income and safe working conditions. They have become exposed in terms of gender imbalance in senior positions, precariat workforce, excessive workload and diminishing levels of control. Irish universities are suffering in terms of both the health and well-being of staff and organisational vibrancy. The authors conclude by cautioning against potential neoliberal intensification as universities grapple with the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper reviews neoliberalism in higher education and concludes with insight as to how the current pandemic could act as a necessary catalyst to stem the tide and ‘call out’ bullying at the institutional level.

Hodgins, Margaret and Mannix-McNamara, Patricia, The Neoliberal university in Ireland: institutional bullying by another name? (2021) 11 Societies 52.

“University College Dublin (UCD) recently published the pricing for all on-campus student accommodation for the next academic year. Fees for September 2021 to May 2022 range from €8,059.33 to €14,465, depending on the residence. During the 2020/21 academic year, the cheapest on-campus residences, Belgrove and Merville, were priced at €6,696.95 from September 17 to May 17 for continuing undergraduate students. Also last year, the most expensive residence, Roebuck Castle, cost continuing undergraduate students €10,612.27, which included catering …” (more)

[Bella Salerno, Trinity News, 11 June]