Ninth Level Ireland

“Students in Dublin City University (DCUSU) must have felt a sense of deja vu last week when they launched a petition against the deportation of Mehwish Saqib. Just last year, Dublin City University Students’ Union (DCUSU) launched a similar petition to fight the deportation of Shepherd Machaya, who was attending the college under the University of Sanctuary scheme and was under threat of torture if he returned to his native Zimbabwe …” (more)

[University Times, 14 October]

“Dublin City University (DCU) has applied for planning permission for the construction of new student accommodation, which will include 1,240-bed spaces to be added to the existing 1,441-bed spaces across the three academic campuses. A spokesperson for DCU has also confirmed that ‘the University is also considering adding to the existing accommodation on the St Patrick’s Campus.’ According to the plan, an additional 990 beds will be allocated to the Glasnevin campus …” (more)

[Clodagh Healy, University Observer, 9 October]

“Callaghan Commons is the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Dublin City University Students’ Union. Here, he writes about how Budget 2020 should focus on students and access to education …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 5 October]

“Pressure on the Government to boost third-level funding has ramped up after former UCD Professor Hugh Brady, now head of a leading UK university, warned how Ireland’s higher education sector was lagging behind. Prof Brady didn’t hold back as he warned ‘the state of Ireland’s higher education and research system should be viewed as a national crisis’ …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 5 October]

“D’fhógair an tAire Stáit don Ghaeilge, don Ghaeltacht, agus do na hOileáin, Sean Kyne, go gcuirfear maoiniú €1.63 milliún ar fáil do chursaí tríú-leibhéil Gaeilge ar an Luan. Thuairiscigh Tuairisc.ie go dtabharfar tacaíocht do 12 chúrsa Gaeilge i gcoláistí timpeall na tíre …” (more)

[Malachi Ó Marcaigh, University Times, 2 October]

“Students at Dublin City University (DCU) are urging the Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan to stop the deportation of a fellow student. An online petition has been launched today by its Students Union to prevent Mehwish Saqib from being deported …” (more)

[Michelle McGlynn, BreakingNews.ie, 2 October]

“Nine Irish language courses and institutes of higher education including NUI Galway have been approved €1.63 million in additional funding. The funding was announced this week by Galway West TD and Minister of State for the Irish Language Seán Kyne under the Advanced Irish Language Initiative …” (more)

[Briain Kelly, Galway Daily, 1 October]

“Dublin City University (DCU) is developing accommodation for an additional 1,240 students at its Glasnevin campus. The college plans to demolish an existing 252-bed facility where it charges rent of €5,665 for the academic year. In its place will be ‘213 cluster units’ that will include social spaces, a retail area and offices …” (more)

[Kevin Doyle, Independent, 24 September]

“Teachers at Dublin City University’s English language school have said an offer to increase their pay by 50 cents an hour is ‘humiliating’ and ‘insulting’. Teachers at the school are looking to increase their pay from €24.60 to €35 per hour, close to what they were paid before the recession …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 16 September]

“The flaws with college rankings are well documented. They are produced by commercial organisations which sell their expertise on how to perform better. They ignore key aspects of college life such as the quality of teaching and learning. And the science behind some of the indicators is suspect, at best. But there is no denying their influence …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 11 September]

“Trinity College Dublin has called for a ‘national strategy for university rankings’ after dropping 44 places in the World University Rankings today. The university is now rated as 164th best in the world in the Times Higher Education list compared with 120th last year …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 11 September]

“An annual Irish League of Credit Unions survey published on August 19 revealed some dismaying statistics on the financial struggles of third-level students in Ireland. While 74% of students having to work during the college term to cope with costs is generally manageable, 55% of students say they often skip lectures in favour of paid work …” (more)

[Lucien Waugh-Daly, The College View, 1 September]

“Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD today, 28 August, visited DCU and presented the students and staff in 10 of Ireland’s 3rd level institutions with awards in recognition of their efforts to reduce harm experienced by students from excess use of alcohol. The Minister said: …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 28 August]

“Sir, – What a great gesture by Dublin City University to commission a Sandra Bell sculpture on behalf of teachers in Irish society (Julien Behal photograph, page 4, August 22nd). Míle buíochas dóibh! I’ve been a teacher and principal for most of my adult life and I’m delighted we have a beautiful image dedicated to us, the educators of Ireland’s children …” (more)

[Brenda Morgan, Irish Times, 24 August]

“Sir, – Your guide to college life in Ireland (August 13th) details the realities of student life and includes ‘what’s hot’ and ‘what’s not’ for a number of university campuses. For DCU the author unfortunately notes in the latter category, that one would ‘have conquered Everest sooner’ than walk to the library. I can only deduce that he is referring to the O’Reilly Library on the Glasnevin campus …” (more)

[John McDonough, Irish Times, 19 August]

“The President of DCU is to lead an ‘immediate rapid review’, commissioned by the HSE, into the latest Cervical Check controversy. Professor Brian McGrath was appointed as the independent external chairperson for the review after it emerged that 800 women did not receive their smear test results because of an IT glitch at a US lab …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 15 July]

“Dublin City University and Trinity College Dublin successful in the first round of European University funding. The Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor today welcomed the announcement of the first round of successful applicants in the European University initiative …” (more)

[Department of Education and Skills, 26 June]

“Dublin City University (DCU) has announced 20 new scholarships for asylum seekers, including five offering fee waivers for on-campus undergraduate degrees. A tweet from DCU yesterday said the new scholarships, which will offer 15 online courses to refugees and asylum seekers and 5 fee waivers …” (more)

[Andy Keenan, University Times, 21 June]

“University College Cork has told the Dail’s spending watchdog that it is ‘fully financially sustainable’ despite failing to file its 2018 financial accounts on time, it can be revealed. A number of the country’s leading universities, including UCC and Dublin City University, have had to defend the late filing of their annual accounts in correspondence sent to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) …” (more)

[Daniel McConnell, Irish Examiner, 20 June]

“Dublin City University suffered a ‘major, once off’ accounting issue last year which prevented it from filing its financial statements to the State’s spending watchdog on time. The issue arose from the consolidation of different parts of the college, DCU has told the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee …” (more)

[Jack Horgan-Jones, Irish Times, 20 June]