Ninth Level Ireland

“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]

“Two 22-year-old DCU students have spoken about their experiences with ‘couch-surfing’ as a way to get through the academic year without paying extortionate rents. A student from Co Mayo found himself effectively homeless last summer after his accommodation fell through …” (more)

[Gabija Gataveckaite, Independent, 25 May]

“There is no such thing as the right way to finish a race, only the best way, and Infinite Tucker may well have found it. With a name like that who could forget him now? Caught somewhere between hope and the hope not, and the gravity which might pull him through, Tucker performed the perfect Superman dive to win a college 400m hurdles race in America last Saturday – the Southeastern Conference Championships, staged in Fayetteville, Arkansas …” (more)

[Ian O’Riordan, Irish Times, 18 May]

“Enda Fitzpatrick has expressed his ‘hurt and disappointment’ over Dublin City University’s (DCU) decision not to pursue an extension to his position as the university’s Athletics Academy director. Fitzpatrick, a former international 1,500m runner and sub-four minute miler, has held the full-time position since 2005, on a secondment basis, having previously worked as a teacher in Holy Faith secondary school in Clontarf …” (more)

[Ian O’Riordan Irish Times, 16 May]

“A lecture theatre at Dublin City University is being named after journalist Veronica Guerin. It is part of the university’s Women in Leadership initiative, which plans to name half of its major buildings after inspiring females …” (more)

[BreakingNews.ie, 14 May]

“Inconsistencies in the level of training and guidance provided to postgraduate research students who teach undergraduates at Dublin City University (DCU), have been highlighted in a new quality report card on the institution. Practice varies depending on individual programme chairpersons and module co-ordinators, according to a report carried out for the higher education regulatory watchdog, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 8 May]

“Concern over the lack of training for doctoral students who are given teaching roles has been flagged in a new review of Dublin City University by the State’s regulator for higher education qualifications. It is the first wide-ranging quality review to be carried out of an Irish university by a team of academics commissioned by the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 8 May]

“Dublin City University is planning a significant new student accommodation building, with 1,240 bedspaces. It comes amid a surge in the number of such facilities being built around the capital …” (more)

[John Mulligan, Independent, 12 April]

“A new Dublin Bus route, stretching from Ballymun to Bray, will link Dublin’s three universities. Dublin Bus has already started operating the new 155 route, which will travel along the N11 from Bray until Dublin city centre, through Phibsboro and along Ballymun Rd as far as IKEA. This will create links between University College Dublin (UCD), Trinity, and Dublin City University (DCU). The service will also stop near some of the Technological University of Dublin (TUD) city campuses …” (more)

[Malachi Ó Marcaigh, University Times, 4 April]

“The fact that there was no bus that directly connected UCD, Trinity, DIT and DCU, had been the bane of students’ life in the capital for decades, but the newest Dublin Bus route finally resolves the third level bugbear. Until today there were no direct routes between the universities, other than the number 11, which is accessible only by a hike to Clonskeigh Road at the edge of UCD’s 330 acres …” (more)

[Mícheál Ó Scannáil, Independent, 24 March]

“Following discussions between IFUT and SIPTU a joint agreement has been reached on representation of staff in Dublin City University (DCU). The new agreement provides a very strong mandate for working together in a spirit of partnership to advance the cause of all trade union members in the university …” (more)

[Irish Federation of University Teachers, 11 March]

“Sustainability has become a buzzword in universities around the world as third-level institutions write sustainability strategies and policies into their strategic plans – and pit themselves against each other in international ranking systems …” (more)

[Sylvia Thompson, Irish Times, 28 February]

“Student societies have condemned Dublin City University Students’ Union (DCUSU) for showing ‘a clear disregard for democracy and transparency’, after the union executive voted to support disaffiliation from the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) without consulting class representatives …” (more)

[Jack Synnott and Orla Murnaghan, University Times, 23 February]

“Concerns have been raised over Queen’s University’s plans to enter a partnership with a Saudi Arabian university. The move will see a number of Queen’s academics provide training to staff at Princess Nourah Bint Abdulraham University (PNU) …” (more)

[BBC News, 12 February]

“The long-term health of teenagers is being put at risk by the race for CAO points, according to health and fitness expert Professor Niall Moyna. His warning comes as a new study shows a sharp fall in fitness levels among second-level pupils, particularly girls, after the age of 15 …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 11 February]