COLLEGE TRIBUNE Volume XXVI 20th November 2012
Issue 6 Independent Student Media Since 1989
JONATHAN BAXTER LOOKS AT THE RISING OF THE GREEK RIGHT WING
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INSIDE
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UCD academics voice their opinion James Grannell News Editor
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ast week the College Tribune carried out its third academic survey. Academics were asked a series of questions in an attempt to gauge their opinion of issues affecting the university. 82 surveys were returned and their answers were compiled into a series of statistics. Not surprisingly many respondents see the academic staff of the university as its greatest strength. Traditionally high standards of scholarship, availability of facilities, genuine commitment of staff to teaching and research and enthusiastic students were also pointed out as among the strengths of UCD. When asked what the biggest threat facing the university is, finances were high on the list. The funding of third level institutions has become a bone of contention in the current economic crisis with the government planning to raise the student contribution charge while imposing tighter fiscal controls on Irish universities. One academic commented, “fees should be reintroduced as a matter of urgency,” others echoed this sentiment. A lack of international research funding for work outside Ireland and the dumbing down of degrees were causes of concern for some. One academic stated that a “lack of concern with undergraduate teaching and standards [and an] overemphasis on postgrads for financial/prestige reasons rather than being student focused” was a threat to the university. “The mistaken belief that the Internet solves all problems,” was highlighted by one academic. The use of business modals rather than educational ones was also a cause of concern. The availability of “massive online courses” was highlighted as a threat by another.
Interestingly it was also claimed that the “absense of a work ethic among academic and administrative staff makes UCD sclerosal.” The other major concern for those surveyed was intrusion and interference form the government, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the Department of Education. This comes on the back or reports from the HEA on the remodelling of the Irish third level sector while the government is aiming to introduce changes to the 1997 Universities Act that will give more power to the Minister for Education. This trepidation in relation to outside interference in the university was reflected in the qualities the academics surveyed said that they would like to see in the new president who will be appointed when Hugh Brady’s term of office is complete next year. “Willingness to fight the corner of the university sector against pressure from politicians and the USI,” answered one. Another echoed this sentiment saying that the ability to actively defend the university is and important quality as well as the ability to rebuild the shattered morale of staff within the institution. Honest, wise, prophetic, noncorporate, truthful, and trust-worthiness were all adjectives used to describe qualities that respondents would like to see in Brady’s successor. Others wanted the president’s salary to be reduced and for them to possess an “awareness of all disciplines and economic realities,” pointing out that there is more to academic life than the USA and China, and that there was a need for a more creative outlook. Continued on page 3
Above: Students busk in aid of UCD SVP Homeless Week. Photo by James Grannell
Just 360 SUSI grants confirmed for UCD students Ronan Coveney News Writer
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ith nearly 3 months of the first semester completed, Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) has paid out grants to 360 UCD students since it started processing applications in the summer. This is in contrast to the 860 students who received their grant in the same time frame by county councils and VEC’s last year. In figures released to the College Tribune by UCD it is revealed that just 300 undergraduates have received approval for their grants from SUSI along with 60 postgraduate students. This is believed to be one third of all applications SUSI is set to process and approve for UCD. Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn apologised to students affected by the situation in the Dáil last Tuesday saying, “I want to apologise formally to those stu-
dents and their parents for the distress these delays are causing and ultimately, as Minister for Education and Skills, I accept responsibility...If there are mistakes in the system, I didn’t make them but I am responsible for them”. Across Ireland over 66,000 applications have been received by SUSI, but just 3010 grants have been approved by the organisation. It is hoped that 33,000 of these applications will be approved by SUSI before Christmas. SUSI is a new online system that has been put in place to replace the processing of grants via local authorities and VEC’s around the country. Run by the City of Dublin VEC it processes grant applications for all 1st year undergraduates and for students who are new to the grant system. Meanwhile, UCD Administrative Services have confirmed that access
to the library is to be restored to 115 postgraduate students who did not have the use of library facilities due to the delays in processing their grant applications. Speaking to the College Tribune, Director of UCD Administrative Services Michael Sinnott said “of the 400 plus graduate taught students for which we have an indication of an application to SUSI, 115 currently do not have access to the library. On foot of recent indications as to the like[ly] persistence of SUSI issues we will be extending library access to these students.” This decision follows on from a protest held on campus against the curtailment of access and criticism from the CEO of the HEA, Tom Boland towards some institutions for failing to provide for those students affected by SUSI delays.