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Education and Student Experience Strategy 2009-13 Academic Governance and Management - implementing Academic Council recommendations Proposed revised Grade Approvals Process |
Dear Colleagues
Welcome to the first bulletin from UCD Academic Affairs for the 2008-09 academic year. We may not have had much of a summer in the sense of good weather, but I hope that you still feel the benefit of a vacation during the summer period, as we now find ourselves well into the teaching year. Once again, we have surpassed expectations and delivered a successful registration session for our new and continuing students. I wish to extend sincere thanks and congratulations to all colleagues involved in making registration a positive experience for both students and staff. As we start the year, I would like to draw your attention to a number of new appointments and role clarifications within the Office of the Registrar and Vice-President for Academic Affairs:
Deputy Registrars: it gives me great pleasure to announce the appointment of Professors Bairbre Redmond and Julie Berndsen as Deputy Registrars for Teaching & Learning and Graduate Studies, respectively. These part-time roles are made possible by UCD's award from the HEA through the Strategic Innovation Fund (cycle II). Bairbre and Julie will be coming back to you in my November bulletin to update you on their plans to support staff over the next three years.
My view of the coming year is of one that will be characterised by reflection on our significant progress and achievements of recent years, especially the introduction and bedding down of UCD HORIZONS and the UCD Structured PhD, and the approval and first-steps towards implementation of an Education and Student Experience strategy for the 2009-13 period. This strategy acknowledges our progress and will prioritise the investment of collective energies in planned areas for improvement and innovation. The Education and Student Experience strategy is impressive, both in its content and ambition, but also to the extent of constructive engagement in strategy formulation by Colleges, Support services and the Students' Union. I am extremely grateful to Professor Joe Mannion and to the members of the Education Strategy Working Group for their work in achieving this, and would strongly encourage a sustained staff and student engagement as we move into implementation - even more vital in the context of external and internal financial constraints. As ever, I hope you find this bulletin useful and look forward to a productive year ahead for the learning community at UCD.
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Education and Student Experience Strategy 2009-13 Following almost 18 months of dedicated work to develop a strategy for the 2009-13 period, Professor Joe Mannion, Chair of the Education Strategy working group has proposed a Strategy, which the Registrar now recommends to Academic Council for decision. Joe is now taking his leave of UCD, having supported the Registrar in this critical task. Sincere thanks and heartfelt good wishes are extended to Professor Mannion from all those involved in the Strategy's development. The Strategy, as recommended to Academic Council, can be viewed at www.ucd.ie/registrar/educationstrategy |
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Academic Governance and Management - implementing Academic Council recommendations The Academic Council's set of governance and management recommendations are now well on their way to full implementation, managed by Professor Gerry Doyle's University Implementation group. Significant progress has been made on a formal register of academic subjects, and management sub-structures for larger Schools. In addition, role descriptions for Heads of Subject and Heads of Section, a new position in larger Schools, are being developed. Such developments will bring increased clarity to roles and responsibilities within Schools, facilitate stronger academic leadership, and academic peer group interaction within defined subject areas. The Academic Council's sub-committee structure is also being updated to better reflect and cater for the governance needs of the re-structured curriculum. The group has also proposed a new policy for the governance and management of Academic Centres at UCD, to include a revised application process for Centre status. Detailed implementation planning on the implications of the project outputs is now underway. |
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Proposed revised Grade Approvals Process A working group, chaired by Professor Mark Rogers has recommended a revised process for the recording and approval of grades. The aim of the revisions are to streamline the current process and create efficiencies in terms of time, for staff and students, while safeguarding the quality of the process and ensuring equitable application across programmes. In addition, the roles and responsibilities of the different groups involved in delivering, approving and publishing grades are clarified. An extensive communications exercise on the proposed revisions will begin shortly, with further consultation on the defined policy scheduled for the Academic Council Standing Committee on Exams and the University Undergraduate and Graduate Programme Boards. Further details will be available in the November bulletin. |
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UCD successfully moved to a new Blackboard 7 system in July 2008. As a result there are a number of new features and enhancements available to instructors and students, including a revamped discussion board, more user-friendly tools and a new facility for students to view course material offline. For more IT news and information visit www.ucd.ie/itservices |
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Changes within UCD Registry As UCD Registry continues to evolve in line with developments across the University, a number of changes have been made to the unit structure. This was done with a view to enhancing services for staff and students and achieving the wider goal of integrated administration. The changes, which affect the overall Registry structure, include changes to titles of units and unit Director personnel as well as the creation of a new unit called Administrative Services which encompasses the areas of SySDEM, the Student Desk, Fees and Grants, Business Support and Transcripts. One of the most significant elements of this change has been the transition of the Fees and Grants Office to Registry. This office, managed by Deirdre Grattan, has a proud history of delivering a very significant service to the UCD community. Deirdre, who formally retired on 30 September 2008, has been working with the Director of Administrative Services to ensure the successful transfer of the office. However, we are fortunate to have the continued benefit of her considerable knowledge and expertise to further support the transition as the Bursar's Office has retained her services for a further year. The new structure at a glance
Karen O'Shea has been appointed as Director of Assessment, having held the post of Interim Director of Assessment for the past year while Sinead Critchley was on a leave of absence. Upon her return, Sinead took on the role of Director of Academic Secretariat. Elizabeth Noonan has moved to a new post outside of UCD Registry as Director of Academic Development, working on projects such as the implementation of the Education Strategy, the learning strand of the Dublin Region Higher Education Alliance (DRHEA) and continuing her close involvement with the Fellows for Teaching and Academic Development. Paula Tarrant, meanwhile, takes on a new role in Registry in the area of Data Integrity. We wish them both the very best of luck in their new positions. Changes have already been made to the Academic Secretariat and Assessment pages of the Registry website and, over the coming months, the website will continue to be updated to reflect the revised structure and new unit names. Registry contacts and support remain unchanged, other than Programme School Liaisons staff changes from 26 September. New contact details have been posted online at www.ucd.ie/registry/sysdem/psl.html#contacts. For more information on the changes within UCD Registry, please visit www.ucd.ie/registry/registry_notice.html. |
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The 2008 registration season is characterised by positive trends with no significant issues arising. Emphasis was placed on making all points of contact for students well supported, informed and working smoothly, so a key factor in the registration season's success is the effective co-operation of many different groups across the university. Overall, this has been a job well done and a good start to the year. Considerable effort went into matching elective module provision to students' interests, with 78% of students getting their chosen places, compared to 68% in 2007. In-programme elective places provided opportunities to 'go deeper' into programmes, while general elective places allowed students to 'go broader' across the university. From over 19,000 elective registrations, 49% of elective modules taken were outside the student's programme area. On a college by college basis: Arts & Celtic Studies saw 43% taken 'outside'; Business & Law 61%; Eng, Maths & Physical Sciences 54%; Human Sciences 52%; and Life Sciences 46%. The following table shows 'outside the programme' pattern across the colleges
Equally important was the number of students registered to the module load needed for the year. 93% of standard undergraduate students were registered to 50 credits on the first day of term, rising to 96% by the close of the change of mind window. As our offering becomes more flexible, such figures help us track trends, identify issues and better support a student body with increasingly diverse personal circumstances. |
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Academic Operational Schedule 08/09 The Academic Operational Schedule for 2008/09 is now available online. Targeted at a University-wide audience, the Schedule is comprised of important operational, academic and administration dates spanning the 2008/09 academic cycle, enabling advance planning and efficient management of key operational activities. Key categories identified within the Schedule include Admissions, Assessment, Careers, Committees, Conferring, Information Capture, Registration, Student Activity, Student Data and Student Recruitment. Information can be sorted either by category or by month, while users are also able to view all categories/months simultaneously. Please click here to view the Schedule. Feedback is welcomed, so we have also provided a form on the site for you to send us your comments. |
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The Graduate Election 2008 to the fourth Governing Authority concludes on Saturday, 29 November 2008. Graduates of University College Dublin may elect three of their number to the Governing Authority. The term of office of the fourth Governing Authority shall be five years from 1 February 2009 to 31 January 2014. Potential nominees can download the 'Notice to candidates' and 'Nomination paper' at www.ucd.ie/GraduateElection. Alternatively, please contact Academic Secretariat, UCD Registry on 01 716 1483. The completed nomination paper must be returned to the Registrar, C/O Graduate Election, Academic Secretariat, UCD Registry, Belfield, Dublin 4 no later than 5.00pm on Friday, 17 October 2008. |
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The final exam timetable for Semester 1 will be available to all staff and students on Friday, 31 October 2008. Over the coming weeks, there will be further communication from UCD Registry to relevant staff, particularly Heads of School, on producing an accurate timetable. A reminder to staff that examination question papers should be returned to Assessment by Friday, 31 October. |
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Prospective students are displaying a strong confidence in choosing to study at UCD, as seen by the 5.2% increase from 2007 in CAO first preferences in February 2008. A successful 'Change of Mind' campaign led to a further increase of 5.8% in May and July. A total of 7,073 students gave UCD their first preference compared to 6,724 in 2007. |
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