Ninth Level Ireland

“Maynooth University has confirmed it was a victim of a widespread cyber hack in which data pertaining to students and alumni was stolen. The attack occurred in May and was targeted at Blackbaud, a software company which provides software and cloud management systems to third-level institutions, including Maynooth University …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 3 September]

“Three weeks ago I was writing about our plans for returning to campus at Maynooth University only to be rudely interrupted the very next day by new restrictions that forced us to put those plans on ice. Now we have about four weeks to get everything in place so we have to crack on. Today the University wrote to all students outlining the general approach we are taking at Maynooth, but the details vary enormously from subject to subject …” (more)

[In the Dark, 1 September]

“… Meanwhile the Third Level sector is also preparing to re-open. Although we have another month to go before teaching is supposed to restart at Maynooth University, I’m already getting quite a few emails from students asking what things are going to be like when it resumes in September …” (more)

[In the Dark, 26 August]

“On Friday I finished correcting the batch of Repeat examinations that were within my remit. I think the other staff have done likewise. All the marks now get uploaded and cross-checked and before another meeting of the Exam Board the year’s examination process to an end …” (more)

[In the Dark, 23 August]

“Foilsíodh tuarascáil faireacháin de chuid an Choimisinéara Teanga inniu ag nochtú go raibh os cionn 47% de chomharthaí in ollscoileanna faoi scáth Ollscoil na hÉireann i mBéarla amháin. Sáraíonn seo na rialacháin faoi Acht na dTeanagacha Oifigiúla …” (níos mó)

[Jennifer Ní Chiara, University Times, 12 August]

“Personal data belonging to former Maynooth University students, including their dates of birth, addresses and educational information, may have been stolen during a cybercriminal hacking attack last May …” (more)

[Laura Coates, Leinster Leader, 11 August]

“Well. Having spent the day yesterday getting our return to campus sorted, the Government last night announced restrictions on the counties of Offaly, Laois and Kildare. Following that a message came round from the President of Maynooth University, Philip Nolan including this …” (more)

[In the Dark, 8 August]

“It’s been a busy day (so far) putting the finishing touches to return to work planning at the Department of Theoretical Physics at Maynooth University. We have improved the signage and decluttered the main corridor to allow the two-way system to operate …” (more)

[In the Dark, 7 August]

“A student teacher has brought High Court proceedings against Maynooth University over not being permitted to graduate this year because she had not built up sufficient teaching experience to enable an assessment …” (more)

[Aodhan O’Faolain, Irish Times, 27 July]

“There was a welcome announcement last week of a package of supports for further and higher education institutions and students in Ireland to cover costs incurred by third level institutions during the Covid-19 pandemic and enable further and higher education students to return to college this September …” (more)

[In the Dark, 27 July]

“On placement, Trinity student nurse Florence Nwaje has had to learn to ignore patients telling her that her skin looks like ‘dirt’. College, she told The University Times, does not provide students with the necessary training for dealing with racism while on placement …” (more)

[Tolani Adeleye, Demilade Adeniran, Melanie Fidel and Cormac Watson, University Times, 18 July]

“Maynooth University (MU) and the University of Limerick (UL) are sticking with their re-opening plans despite the three-week delay in the release of the Leaving Cert results and CAO offers …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 17 July]

“I’m busy today reading a PhD thesis in advance of a virtual viva voce examination tomorrow morning but since a few people have asked, I’m taking a kun break to update about Maynooth University Library Cat. The weather has been fairly grim for the last few weeks so he’s been keeping to the various sheltering places he uses …” (more)

[In the Dark, 12 July]

“The latest results from a survey of Maynooth University students in response to Covid 19 show ‘62% of students indicate that they felt ‘optimistic’ a little, or a lot, less often than usual in the 30 days preceding the survey’ …” (more)

[Leinster Leader, 24 June]

“Not a lot of people know that the 1983 film Educating Rita, starring Julie Walters and Michael Caine, though mostly set in Northern England, was entirely shot in Ireland …” (more)

[In the Dark, 25 May]

“Although we’re still in the middle of this year’s examination period at Maynooth University many of us are having to give considerable thought to how we might manage the forthcoming return to work that is being phased in. The next stage is due to begin on June 8th …” (more)

[In the Dark, 22 May]

“Phase 1 of the Roadmap for relaxation of its Covid-19 restrictions would commence as planned on Monday 18th May. This won’t make a huge difference to those people working in third level institutions because it means that anyone who can work from home should continue to do so …” (more)

[In the Dark, 16 May]

“Friday 15th May is the first day of the summer examination period at Maynooth University. I’ve written posts at the start of every examination period I’ve been involved with over the 11 years or so I’ve been blogging but this is definitely the strangest …” (more)

[In the Dark, 14 May]

“The president of Maynooth University, Professor Philip Nolan has said that the decision to cancel the Leaving Certificate examination this year was the ‘right decision at the right time’ and that Maynooth university expects to admit a ‘near to normal cohort’ of first year students this autumn …” (more)

[Vivienne Clarke, Irish Examiner, 11 May]

“Dublin City University (DCU) has said it is reversing a plan to increase the cost of on-campus accommodation from September. This follows a similar decision by Maynooth University which announced in late April it would reverse a proposed 3% rent increase and introduce a freeze …” (more)

[Sorcha Pollak, Irish Times, 3 May]