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Parents, Teachers and Students FAQs What you really need to know about the new TU
Parents, Teachers and Students FAQs (contd.)
Will I be more employable with a TU qualification?
Yes, your qualification is recognised by the National and European Qualifications Frameworks like any other university qualification. As a graduate of a TU, you will have the knowledge and skills to excel in your chosen profession. In the new TU we will continue to focus on practical learning and work placement as we did when we were institutes of technology. Employers tell us that they want graduates who are well-rounded and ready to hit the ground running. As well as giving you valuable work experience, your work placement will give you the chance to make contacts in your chosen profession. Many of our graduates often end up finding employment with the company or organisation where they did their work placement. Our careers services have recently developed a new employability model which we will use to ensure you are placed in the best possible position to get a job after graduation. See page 24 of this newsletter for more information.
You will still have access to many and varied courses at different levels in the new TU. We will continue to offer the courses we always have. We are constantly introducing and improving our course offerings, based on what employers tell us they are looking for in graduates. Due to our close links with industry and our flexible approach to learning we can develop and introduce new courses quickly to meet the skills demands of the region and beyond. You will have more choice in the new TU due to the increased range of courses available. We are also developing and introducing new post-graduate courses and research opportunities for students in the new TU.
Will there be any changes to the courses being offered by each institute?
Communicating with our Stakeholders
The CUA Communications Subgroup was established in September 2018 with a primary objective of developing a Communications Strategy for the TU Project. Approved by the CUA Steering Group in May 2020, the strategy is the subgroup’s roadmap in their efforts to ensure staff, students and all stakeholders are informed in a timely manner of significant CUA developments and achievements as the three institutes transition to a TU.
Regina Daly,
Chair of the CUA Communications Subgroup
The subgroup is comprised of the CUA Executive Project Lead, Dr Seán Duffy, three communications leads Aidan Haughey (IT Sligo), Samantha Lynch (Letterkenny IT) and Regina Daly (GMIT), together with marketing leads from the three institutes, the three CUA Project Managers, IT and academic staff and union representatives. Recently, the committee was reconfigured and renamed CUA Communications and Marketing Subgroup. Regina Daly, GMIT Communications and Press Officer, was appointed Chair of the subgroup in December 2019. A member of the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD) since 2013, Regina worked as a journalist for national and local print and broadcast media for almost a decade prior to joining GMIT. She holds an MA in Journalism and a postgraduate Higher Diploma in Applied Communications - Journalism & Public Relations from NUI Galway. The subgroup has completed the following to date: • CUA Communications
Strategy • Interim website • CUA internal and external newsletters • CUA Press Releases, video scripts and social media posts • Communicating to students and staff
Strategic communications are key to success in any organisation particularly at a time of major change. Keeping our students and staff regularly updated during the change management process helps build and maintain trust, openness, and transparency. The same principle applies regarding our external stakeholders and we are lucky in the west and north-west to have a great number of long-established traditional media organisations helping us get our message out to them and the public in their newspapers, radio and tv programmes, internet news sites and digital channels.
Reaching out to our Future Students
Marketing and School Engagement Activities
It’s that time of year again. Students are considering their third-level course choices for 2022 and staff in the marketing, student engagement and school liaison offices across the three institutes are here to help. They are busy organising open days, school talks, and answering any queries about the various courses on offer in their respective campuses. One of the key messages for students this year, is that anyone applying to a Level 7 or Level 8 course on any of the TU’s eight campuses will graduate with a TU degree.
Are the CAO course codes changing?
There will be no change to the CAO course codes for this year. Applicants should use the course codes listed in the CAO handbook and website for each institute and campus.
For more information on the CAO application process go to: www.cao.ie
Key dates for applications to the CAO for 2022/23
January 20th
February 1st
Closing date for normal applications, including mature students
February 4th
Online facility to change course choices opens
May 1st
Closing date for late CAO applications
May 5th
CAO change-of-mind facility opens
July 1st
Final date for changes to course choices
Interview with Fiona Kelly,
Marketing Manager, LYIT
The new technological university (TU) is all about strength in unity, being ‘better together’ and giving choices to the learner. The TU will provide much greater choice for learners across the region – that’s what excites me!
Fiona has worked in Higher Education for over 15 years. Prior to her new role as Marketing Manager at LYIT, she worked as the Schools Engagement and RPL Officer. She has been a member of the CUA Communications and Marketing Subgroup since 2018 and brings a wealth of experience to the new TU from her daily interactions with full-time, part-time, postgraduate and online students.
What does your typical working day look like?
This would depend on the time of year. Between August and September, my role focuses on supporting incoming Leaving Certificate, Further Education and Mature students returning to campus. I also start liaising with Guidance Counsellors in schools to book school visits, and I coordinate the on-campus and online events. My role is busy throughout the year, and I am always available to support teachers, parents, and prospective students at any time by phone, email or video chat.
Were you involved in the submission for designation as a new TU?
Yes, in 2018, I was nominated by the LYIT President, Paul Hannigan, to represent LYIT on the CUA Communications and Marketing subgroup. I have worked with CUA colleagues on events and projects such as the Higher Options Open day, the Higher Education 4.0 RPL Project, and in supporting the development of the branding tender for the new TU.
What are you looking forward to most about working in a new TU?
It’s an exciting time to be involved in the new TU and I look forward to being part of this period of transformative change. I am a parent to a 17-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter; the future in the west and north-west is very bright for young people. I see this as a parent and as a Marketing Manager. The TU provides more choice for young people and will also attract new talent and more people to our region.
How will our future students benefit from being part of a new TU?
There is so much potential, it is difficult to list them all! Future students will have a wider pathway of advancement from undergraduate level to postgraduate level. They will have increased networking opportunities, more access to research opportunities, and increased employment opportunities. The benefits are limitless!
