Over 157 NUI Galway students received certificates at the annual NUI Galway Annual Access Awards Ceremony recently. The certificates were presented by Professor Chris Curtin, NUI Galway’s Vice-President for Innovation and Performance, for successful completion of the University’s Access courses delivered during the academic year 2011/2012, both on campus and in Outreach Centres in Ballinasloe, Co. Galway, Screebe, Co. Galway and in Longford.

Also receiving awards were 73 Access Students who graduated with degrees in Arts, Commerce, Law, Engineering, Nursing and Medicine. A further 14 students who received post-graduate diplomas in Education, Health, Arts and Business Studies, and post-graduate degrees in Marketing, Social Work, Community Development and Law were also acknowledged. 

NUI Galway’s Access Officer, Imelda Byrne, said: “By the end of this year, a total of 463 graduates and 139 postgraduates will have come through the University’s Access Programme since its introduction in 2001. This ceremony was to mark the wonderful achievement of those inspirational students and to commend all on their perseverance, dedication and hard work.” 

The function of the NUI Galway Access Programme is to address and respond appropriately to the issues of equality of access, equity of life long opportunities and responding to the issues of rural (and to a lesser extent, urban) social exclusion in the Border, Midland and Western Region and County Clare. All of the elements of the access programmes have important initiatives designed to give everyone a chance to benefit from third level education. 

-ENDS-