April 2006

Guidelines to improve the organisation and effectiveness of Student Support Services in all Irish universities have been published by the Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB) and launched today (Monday 24th April) by the Board's Chair, the Honourable Mrs. Justice Catherine McGuinness. With the increase in the number and diversity of students entering third level education, the role of Student Support Services has become more complex and important as it contributes to the academic, social, financial and personal well-being of students. The booklet – 'National Guidelines of Good Practice in the Organisation of Student Support Services in Irish Universities' - aimed to establish current practice, identify good practice and prepare a national code of good practice, and was the result of inter-university projects conducted by the IUQB in collaboration with the universities. It is intended that each university will take the booklet's agreed statements of good practice into consideration when planning improvements to its own relevant systems. One of a series of booklets from the IUQB, it was funded by the HEA Quality Assurance Programme under the National Development Plan 2000-2006. The IUQB was established in 2002 and was incorporated earlier this year as a non-profit making limited company, with its Board of Directors representative of all stakeholders in Irish universities, in addition to nominees from the European and North American university systems. Based at 10 Lower Mount Street, its mission is to play a leading role in developing and fostering a coherent culture of quality in all activities of the Irish universities in line with the highest international standards. Ends

NUI Galway Societies came out on top with three major wins at this year s Board of Irish College Societies (BICS) national society awards. Best Society went to The NUI Galway Juggling Society who had an exceptional year under the leadership of auditor Brian McGinley (Phd in Engineering). Best New Society went to the Business Society who in their first year have run a number of events and have made a significant contribution to campus life under the auditorship of David Keane (final year corporate law). Best Society Individual went to Donna Cummins (second year medical student), incoming auditor of the Literary and Debating society who had a very successful year which included hosting the Irish Times final. Donna was also instrumental in forming the new Sláinte Society which ran the Teddy Bear Hospital which saw students of medicine interact with local children. Other winners on the night are as follows. Best Event: Teddy Bear Hospital; Best Improved: GIG(Gay in Galway) Society: Best Fresher: Andrew Murphy, Young Greens Society; Best Poster: Art Soc; Best Website: Juggling Society. Riona Hughes, NUI Galway Societies Officer and Vice-chairperson of BICS described the Universities victory as "a recognition of the high standard of the societies in NUI Galway and the commitment of their very talented and generous members who add immeasurably to the life of the campus and to Galway city." Special guest for the evening was Mr. Pat Cox, former President of the European Parliament, who presented the nine awards to the winners. During his opening speech, Mr. Cox praised the members of third level societies and expressed the opinion that everyone present was a winner by virtue of engagement and that societies offered their members the opportunity to turn the knowledge they have internalsied into good for their communities. The BICS (Board of Irish College Societies) National Awards, was hosted by Cork Institute of Technology on April 13th in the Rochestown Park Hotel. Choral Society Success at International Choral Competition in Riva del Garda, Italy The NUI Galway Choral received a gold certificate for coming second in the Youth Choir section at the International Choral Festival in Riva del Garda, Italy. This entitles them to enter the Choral Olympics - 4th WORLD CHOIR GAMES 2006 Xiamen / China, which will be held in July. The winning choir was from Singapore. The NUI galway beat stiff competition from choirs from Wales, Italy, USA, Germany, Croatia and Cork. Well done to Peter Mannion (Director) and all the singers who made the trip. End

NUI Galway students whose performance at their pre-degree examinations in 2004-05 was outstanding were honoured at a special ceremony today (Wednesday) at 11.00 in Áras na Mac Léinn. The President, Dr. Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, conferred the title 'University Scholar', together with a cheque for €250 and a specially designed scroll, on 391 students to mark their achievement in reaching First-class Honours standard at their examinations. The occasion also marked the award of 155 other Prizes across all Faculties, including 27 NUI Scholarships and Prizes won by NUI Galway students. Dr. Ó Muircheartaigh said that the ceremony highlighted for students the remarkable number and range of opportunities provided by this University for recognition of academic performance – a total of some 546 individual awards in 2004-05. "As an institution dedicated to academic excellence", he said, "the University is happy to mark today in this way the dedication of each of you students to developing your academic potential. The public recognition accorded you by this title of University Scholar will, I hope, encourage you further in that direction without neglecting the many other opportunities for personal development offered you by the University in the social and sporting arenas." He added that they were obviously, also well capable of going on in due course to do postgraduate research here and, for that purpose, to avail of the major research funding won by NUI Galway in recent years in all Faculties. Speaking of the Prizes, he said that the number and variety of these awards were a striking testimony of the support enjoyed by the University from industry and companies and private donors, all of whom he thanked for their generosity. Ends

Rinneadh ceiliúradh inniu (Dé Ceadaoin) ag 11.00 in Áras na Mac Léinn ar na torthaí den scoth a bhain mic léinn Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh amach ina scrúduithe réamhchéime in 2004-05. Bronn an tUachtarán, an Dr. Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, an teideal 'Scoláire Ollscoile', seic de €250 agus scrolla speisialta ar 391 mac léinn a bhain Céadonóracha amach ina scrúduithe. Chomh maith leis sin, rinneadh ceiliúradh ar 155 Duaiseanna eile a gnóthaíodh sna Dámha éagsúla, ina measc 27 Scoláireachtaí agus Duaiseanna de chuid Ollscoil na hÉireann a bhain mic léinn na Gaillimhe amach. Dúirt an Dr. Ó Muircheartaigh gur léirigh Lá na nGradam do mhic léinn go gcuireann an Ollscoil iliomad deiseanna ar fáil le haitheantas a thabhairt dóibh siúd a léiríonn a gcumas acadúil: i mbliana, mar shampla, iomlán de 546 Scoláireachtaí/Duaiseanna i leith 2004-05. "Mar institiúid arb í an feabhas acadúil an chéad chloch ar a paidrín", dúirt sé, "tá áthas ar an Ollscoil aitheantas a thabhairt inniu don díograis atá léirithe agaibhse go léir, a mhic léinn, i leith bhur gcumas acadúil a fhorbairt. Tá súil agam gur spreagadh díbhse iad an teideal seo Scoláire Ollscoile a bheith bronnta oraibh agus an t-aitheantas poiblí seo le coinneáil libh ar an mbóthar sin, ach ar ndóigh go dtapóidh sibh freisin na deiseanna go leor eile a thugann an Ollscoil seo díbh chun forbairt phearsanta a dhéanamh oraibh féin sna réimsí sóisialta agus spóirt." Dúirt sé freisin gur léir go raibh an cumas iontu go léir dul i mbun an taighde iarchéime amach anseo agus, chuige sin, teacht i dtír ar na deontais mhóra taighde atá bainte amach ag OÉ Gaillimh le blianta beaga anuas i ngach Dámh. Ag trácht dó ar na Duaiseanna, dúirt sé gur rí-léir ó líon agus éagsúlacht na nduaiseanna sin leibhéal na tacaíochta a tharraingíonn an Ollscoil chuici féin ón tionscal, ó chomhlachtaí agus ó dheontóirí príobháideacha, agus ghlac sé buíochas leo sin uile as a bhflaithiúlacht. Críoch

John Baldessari is one of the best known conceptual artists in the world and has been credited as having invented a new form of photography. The influence of his work on younger artists is far reaching and longstanding and his work may be seen in major art museums across the world. He has been a member of the Advisory Council of Burren College of Art since it opened in 1994 and has visited the college on four occasions since then. On Tuesday April 18th he will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Art from the National University of Ireland, as part of the Burren College of Art/NUI Galway MFA Graduation ceremony. Professor Timothy Emlyn Jones, Dean of Burren College of Art said, "It is both an honour and a pleasure to have John Baldessari involved with the Burren College of Art. It is an honour because he is one of the most distinguished artists currently working anywhere in the world, and it is a pleasure since his work connects so well with the ideas-led, enquiry based education at Burren College of Art. He is not only an important artist but also an inspirational teacher who is warmly remembered by those of our students and teachers who have been fortunate enough to have met him. We are delighted that the National University of Ireland, Galway accepted our nomination for the award of an honorary doctorate to honour and celebrate this important artist." John Baldessari was born in National City in 1931. He attended San Diego State University and did post-graduate work at Otis Art Institute and Chouinard Art Institute and U.C. Berkeley. He taught at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia until 1990 and is currently teaching at UCLA. He has been a major influence on several generations of artists. His art has been featured in more than 120 solo exhibitions in the U.S. and Europe and in over 300 group exhibitions. His projects include artist books, videos, films, billboards and public works. His awards include the Governors Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Visual Arts in California, the Oscar Kokoschka Prize from Austria and the Spectrum-International Award for Photography of the Foundation of Lower Saxony, Germany. Current projects include; solo shows in New York and Europe, books, films, an upcoming project at the Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin, and retrospectives at Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Vienna, Austria and the Kunsthaus, Graz, Austria, and at the Musee d Art Contemporain de Nimes, France. He has been made an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts by Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of Design of the New School of Social Research, and by San Diego State University and the California State University. END

1st Annual Conference on Community Responses The CESI Conference brought together contributors from the fields of science, sociology and politics with campaign advocates to discuss issues of environmentalism and secularisation, in the context of the patterns of social change which impact upon people's lives in an age of accelerated risk or shifting values. The conference included contributions from Professor Emer Colleran of the Environmental Change Institute who called for greater dialogue between the disciplines engaged with environmental research. Drawing from her experiences during the Mullaghmore dispute, Prof. Colleran emphasised the need for increased cooperation between the sometimes competing layers of the environmental lobby. Dr. Liam Leonard, NUI Galway, Chairman of the CESI, discussed the significance of environmental advocates in relation to the maintenance of a pluralistic civil society. Brendan Flynn NUI Galway presented an analysis of environmental complaints and responses amongst EU member states, while Brendan Smith looked at the issue of community engagement with local moves towards community empowerment through increased involvement in green issues such as tree planting and river bank cleanups. The second stream of the conference examined secularisation in both the Irish and international contexts. Vesna Malesevic NUI Galway presented an analysis of the linkages between religious belief and spatial location or demographic age groupings. A study of local mobilisation around secular issues in Galway in the 1970s was presented by Dr. John Cunningham NUI Galway, who included local accounts of student debates from the then UCG as part of his study. The third stream of the conference welcomed our visiting speakers, who returned to environmental themes. The writer Robert Allen gave us an insight into his latest work Ireland Unbound, where he examines themes of an environmental nature. Dr. Mark Garavan of the GMIT, Castlebar discussed the underlying themes of community and risk in relation to the Shell to Sea campaign, which he is spokesman of. Both visiting speakers allowed the conference to consider certain themes surrounding the issue of community responses to perceived intrusion due to infrastructural projects as Ireland continues on a path of accelerated growth. Ultimately, the debates around issues of community responses to change and risk are at the heart of much of what is occurring in an Ireland moving from traditional to post-modernity. The CESI conference brought together competing voices for a day, allowing for an extension of these debates which can move from contest to dialogue when minds are focused. The CESI would like to thank all who took part and contributed as speakers or within the subsequent debates. We look forward to next year's event with renewed confidence that this form of academic dialogue which is interdisciplinary while also reaching out to the wider community of activists and writers is a significant step towards a better understanding of community and environmental issues in a changing context, both nationally and globally. Ends

The President of NUI Galway, Dr Iognáid ÓMuircheartaigh today expressed his sadness at the death of John McGahern. Mr McGahern had a very close association with the University during his lifetime. Dr ÓMuircheartaigh extended his sympathy to Mr McGahern's family making the following statement: "The entire University community at National University of Ireland, Galway is deeply saddened to learn of the death of John McGahern. On behalf of the campus community, I express our sincere sympathy to his wife, Madeline; his sisters and his extended family. For over 30 years NUI Galway is proud to have had a close association and friendship with John and Madeline McGahern. From his involvement with the University s Writing Programme in the 1970s to his appointment at Adjunct Professor in the Centre for Irish Studies in 2001, faculty and students of this University have been privileged to gain insight into the literary mind and creative process of John McGahern - a writer who is foremost among the great Irish novelists. It is a source of deep pride that John chose the University to be the repository of his literary archive and papers. In holding this valuable archive in the West of Ireland, the University holds in trust a treasure for the world of literary scholarship and for the Irish nation. On the sad occasion of his death we reflect on John McGahern s literary legacy which may be summarised as a deep understanding of the human condition tempered with a genuine care for the world of the imagination and the world of the word." ENDS

A range of postgrad courses will be offered this autumn by Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, NUI Galway's Irish language college, as part of its continuing development of third-level education through Irish both on the main university campus and in its centres in the Connemara Gaeltacht. The courses include a new M.Sc. research scholarship programme in information technology; an M.A. in language teaching methodologies which is aimed primarily at Irish teachers and primary teachers; an M.A. in translation studies; and Higher Diplomas in information technology, drama, and applied communications. The M.Sc. trí Thaighde sa Teicneolaíocht Faisnéise is offered by the Acadamh in conjunction with NUI Galway's IT department, and is based in Carna. This new research initiative is supported by Údarás na Gaeltachta and aims to develop a new R+D culture in IT in the Gaeltacht, in areas such as information retrieval and filtering, artificial intelligence and machine learning, multimedia, information technology and society, networks and wireless technologies, E-learning, E-commerce, and computational linguistics. The M.A. i Modheolaíochtaí do Theagasc Teangacha (An Ghaeilge) draws on the significant advances in language teaching methodologies in recent years in an effort to promote best-practice teaching of Irish. The course is offered on a fulltime basis over one year or part-time over two years and is based in An Cheathrú Rua. The M.A. i Léann an Aistriúcháin is a fulltime course over two years and is also based in An Cheathrú Rua. It is designed to capitalise on the rapid growth in the demand for translation services in the public sector following the enactment of the Official Languages Act and aims to prepare students for a career as translators or interpreters with Irish as a target language. The Ard-Dioplóma i gCumarsáid Fheidhmeach is a wide-ranging course in broadcasting and radio and television journalism with a strong emphasis on practical skills and work experience. It is a one-year fulltime course based in An Cheathrú Rua. Subjects covered during the Ard-Dioplóma sa Drámaíocht include writing for theatre, acting, criticism, puppet work and theatre-in-education. This one-year fulltime course in offered in conjuction with NUI Galway's Scoil na Gaeilge and is based in Seanscoil Sailearna in Indreabhán. The Ard-Dioplóma sna Dána (Teicneolaíocht Faisnéise) is a fulltime course over one year and covers a range of issues in information technology including software programming and design. It is a fulltime course over one year and is based in Carna. For more information contact Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, NUI Galway at 091 492428. Ends