Strategy

The Community Knowledge Initiative has made great developments in terms of embedding and institutionalising a civic engagement ethos and practice across University of Galway. The following represents a number of strategic developments that place our work at the core of the university.

University of Galway Strategy 2020 - 2025

University of Galway is for the public good.

University of Galway belongs to the people. We are here for our students, our society and our planet. We are distinctive for our transformative and impactful teaching, research and innovation, our inclusive student experience, and our passion for culture and creativity. By engaging in our region, nationally and across the world, we deliver sustainable societal change.

University of Galway is a university for our time.

We are dedicated to nurturing global citizens and addressing key questions facing the world. We recognise how critical this moment is for our planet, and our students demand that we respond to the challenges through our research, teaching and actions. We invest in our students and research community, confident that they will be the critical thinkers, entrepreneurs, social activists, public servants and innovators of the future.

University of Galway is globally distinctive and research-driven.

We are a wellspring of creative energy and believe in the transformative power of knowledge. Like all great discoverers and adventurers, we look with curiosity over the horizon. We build on the unique strengths of our people, purpose and place for the benefit of individual, societal and environmental wellbeing.

Read the full strategy document here.

Teaching, Learning and Assessment Strategy

The design, operation and evaluation of courses is guided by the University's comprehensive Learning, Teaching & Assessment (LTA) Strategy. This is periodically reviewed and updated. It reflects strategic priorities, national and international best practice. It applies to all University of Galway undergraduate, postgraduate (and other) programmes.

The current QA271 LTA Strategy 2017-2020 can be viewed here.

IRIS (Institutional Research Information System)

University of Galway has recently launched a new institutional research information system. IRIS (Institutional Research Information System) enables researchers and academic staff at NUI Galway to easily maintain an up-to-date CV and showcase their research expertise.

In 2012, IRIS was upgraded to include a new Community Engagement section under the Professional tab. This section holds information on a range of community engagement activities that both researches and academic staff may be involved in and these are categorised as follows: Advocacy, Board Membership (Boards of Community Based Org, NGO), Consultancy (Pro-bono), Outreach, Policy Development, Research (e.g. Community based research) and Teaching (e.g. Service learning / community based learning).

College Representatives for Civic Engagement

Under the University of Galway Teaching, Learning and Assessment Strategy, each College has nominated a member of academic staff with responsibility for Civic Engagement & Service Learning.

Their responsibilities include ‘championing' the civic engagement agenda within their broad cognate areas, supporting colleagues (in constituent Schools) in the implementation of relevant programmes and activities and act as a point of contact for the College on these issues.