First, we met with Dr. Fleming, the Director of Adult Education, and Dr. Rhonda Wynne, a team member of UCD in the Community, about their roles at UCD and how UCD is responding to the needs of underrepresented groups in Ireland. We had the privilege to enter a dynamic discussion around adult education and college access for different populations of people in Ireland, which sparked even deeper conversation for our group later in the evening. Dr. Fleming identified multiple groups of people that UCD and Ireland hope to broaden access to. This included people who belong to a lower socioeconomic status, mature first-entrance students, people with disabilities, part-time students, and Irish travellers. She was proud to say that nearly 30% of the student population is a part of one of the underrepresented groups. They have experienced difficulty with funding, but recognized that policy change can help make progress.
Dr. Rhonna Wynne spoke about UCD’s new program, called UCD in the Community. She explained that this is a fairly new initiative, and they are working on growing volunteers and community relationships. Two main priorities of hers are mapping the campus’ current community engaged work as well as working toward common language around engagement. This will help UCD better understand and communicate their community work and relationships. She noted that taking time to build the relationships with community members is key, and that is what she is looking for as she tracks the campus/community interactions. Having community engagement as an objective within the strategic plan has helped move this work forward.
Shifting focus, we got to learn about student life at UCD from Jason Masterson, the Head of Service at UCD and the current International Director of NASPA Region 1. He gave us a tour of the campus as we discussed student unions, student services, and athletics. While talking about student services and events, student alcohol use was brought up. We learned that alcohol is allowed at events legally, however, he believed that this made it easier to regulate alcohol consumption, and also explained that alcohol brands cannot sponsor events. They recently switched from 3 bars and 1 gym to 1 bar and 3 gyms, which Masterson connected to less instances of alcohol misuse on campus. We were impressed by their student center, especially the movie theater, and look forward to possibly seeing Masterson again at NASPA.
We covered so much information on our trip, so we hope this gives some insight to our experience at UCD. We had a great visit and look forward to seeing even more colleges soon!
-Sierra and Casey
Hi Sierra and Casey!
ReplyDeleteHaving been at Trinity College earlier in the day, I was unsure of what to expect out of University College Dublin (UCD). It differs greatly from the old English style of Trinity, and I almost found myself in another world. As you mentioned above, UCD is very into supporting students no matter their background. This was evident as we toured campus with Jason. He provided a glimpse into the Student Service Center and how they run new student orientation, and how integrated and involved the Student Unions, organizations, societies, and clubs are. It was truly remarkable to see just how involved and dedicated to campus the students were. While we were visiting during the technical Easter holidays, there were still a remarkable number of students on campus, rehearsing for a production, preparing for elections, or working to set of spaces. It was refreshing to see engagement at this level of intensity. I would be interested to see what engagement would look like once the new student accommodations are built that will house 2,000 students. I would hope that this would only increase the number of students that the campus is able to engage. UCD is headed in a great direction, and I am hopeful to see where it goes!
Thank you for this insightful blog post! I can definitely tell from the details above and from my own observations that UCD has an vibrant student experience vibe, which is reflected from its large campus environment and supportive student services. The campus feel overall reminded me of American campuses back home. The concept of balancing open space with functional space was a nice break from the bustle of Dublin city. What always impressed me was the consistent student engagement component with the Student Union. These Unions are highly organized and hold a lot of influence within the realm of college management. It would have been even more invaluable if we attended an student unions committee meeting to see how they function. Nonetheless, Jason, a man of many hats, was able fill us in and take us on a comprehensive campus tour. Merrimack College could benefit from a student cinema theatre in the future!
ReplyDeleteI was incredibly impressed with how much Jason does at UCD! I couldn't help but think about what if they had more staff members to delineate the many hats he wears as Leanne rightly described above. This would make his job easier and allow for the expansion of student affairs profession there. I would also enjoy seeing a student union executive board meeting, hearing how the decisions are made and what conversations the students are having. Finally, I think the facilities at UCD really impressed all of our group - from the fitness center to the cinema. I even saw signs for a rock climbing wall. I think having these facilities are incredibly important as Jason indicated many students commute. Having everything easily accessible and in one building is convenient for a commuter population. I'm sure with how the building was set up, it is really easy for students to find out what is going on around campus and be able to get involved or attend events.
DeleteThis visit to the UCD campus was nearly in complete contrast to the Trinity campus; UCD was bigger, had newer facilities, and overall had a more modern "American college" feel. As I reflect to compare the two, even with better facilities it still seemed as though Trinity College had a much more involved and active student body. UCD certainly is growing in regards to student societies and extra-curriculars, and I can imagine it being hard to manage especially being under the supervision of one individual (being Jason). Overall, I was impressed by the opportunities students have at UCD. It was refreshing to hear about Dr.'s Wynne and Fleming's work towards building relationships with the community in order to better serve non-traditional students. This conversation definitely kick-started our critical lens and thinking about access to higher education in Ireland. I was also thrilled to hear of civic engagement being a component to UCD's strategic plan -- again, this definitely sets the tone for what the institution values in regards to relationships being built between the college and the community.
ReplyDeleteHi Casey and Sierra!
ReplyDeleteI really wanted to echo your information from our visit with Dr. Flemming! That conversation was extremely interesting and gave a nice overview as to the pertinence of creating a better access plan for the students at UCD. The amount of underrepresented students was at such a large volume that it would make me interested to see the future of this population once any policy or legislation comes into play. The strong commitment from Dr. Flemming clearly shows a definite plan to help this population of students and was something I find to celebrate!
Andrew