Students of Fiontar on the DCU Glasnevin Campus have been informed that their lectures will take place on the All Hallows campus next year.
The move comes as part of the incorporation between DCU, St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, Mater Dei Institute of Education and Church of Ireland College of Education. “The New DCU” will be rolled out from September 2016 with a wide range of changes taking place across campuses and across disciplines.
It has been decided that some faculties will be relocated in the incorporation process. The Incorporation Board have come to a decision that due to the expansion of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Fiontar and Scoil na Gaeilge will be relocated to the All Hallows campus which is currently not in use.
According to the Board:
“Following incorporation the vision for the New DCU includes a new Institute of Education and an enhanced Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences that will benefit from the combined strengths of the four institutions.”
This enhanced Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences will also see the School of English and the International Office relocate to the All Hallows Campus this September. These changes will affect students on all DCU campuses.
“From the perspective of Fiontar and Scoil na Gaeilge, this will involve the relocation of almost forty academic and research staff and will allow for the growth and development of a completely new and unique School that will deliver a broad range of disciplines through Irish,” Head of Fiontar, Ciarán Mac Murchaidh said.
Staff and students who wish to take up a place on any course taught through the medium of Irish will discover that most, if not all of their lectures will not take place on the Glasnevin campus in the coming academic year:
“Clearly, such an ambitious move will pose logistical challenges for all involved and will require the cooperation of many sections of the University administration so that issues such as having in place all the requirements for staff and students, as well as the location of teaching spaces and the organisation of the timetable will be handled as smoothly and efficiently as possible.”
Students who study Irish as part of the joint-honours programme may see themselves travelling to and from both campuses for lectures which may also be the case with students taking either Fiontar course. Arrangements in relation to accessibility and timetables have yet to be made.
Aine Monk and Cáit Ní Cheallacháin
Leave a Reply