UCD Terms and Conditions

Last updated 14 July 2023

Rules of the University

Please make yourself familiar with the Rules, Policies and Regulations of University College Dublin and with any further regulations or policies relating to your Programme. (opens in a new window)Read the Academic Regulations, Student Code & Policies or ask your Programme.
Programmes that lead to a professional qualification and/or licence to practise that require students to undertake practical training in a professional environment with patients, clients or other service users may be subject to the University’s Student Fitness to Practise Policy. Students registered to such programmes should be aware of the policy and their programme’s fitness to practise requirements.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

The University is entrusted with students' personal information on the understanding that it is treated in strict confidence. The use of student information is consistent with the teaching, learning, research and administrative functions of the University and is used in an appropriate manner by staff in carrying out their duties relating to the operations and mission of the University. Students' personal information is made available to Colleges and Schools only where such access is appropriate to the process or task in question.
The University processes student information and data generated through individual use of services over the lifespan of the student (admission, registration, assessment and graduation) to deliver and develop specific and shared services. Student information and data are also processed to facilitate UCD Residences Bookings and Property Management services. These services are provided by UCD and by outsourced service providers contracted to process data on behalf of the University, such as Brightspace, Google, career service providers, library service providers, and targeted communications services.

Your personal email address and SSPR

It is important that you provide a correct personal email address as it will be used to communicate with you when using the  (opens in a new window)Self Service Password Recovery tool (SSPR) in UCD Connect. If you do not wish to allow SSPR to use your personal email address then you must delete it. 

You can add, change or delete your personal email address by following these instructions.

Third-party disclosures of personal data (updated 29/05/2023)

In addition to cases where UCD is by law required or permitted to disclose your details to others, third-party disclosure may take place to:

• Funding bodies and agencies that support or sponsor your education. Please note that once registered and where appropriate, fees will be claimed on your behalf from the relevant funding body
• Professional, educational or similar institutions and individuals that you have authorised or with whom UCD is collaborating in respect of your education. Includes parent/guardian
• Organise conferring ceremonies where your graduate status or other award is publicly acknowledged
• A debt collection agency where necessary because of outstanding UCD fees or other charges
• UCD Students’ Union for the purposes of Union membership, representation and elections.  Read the (opens in a new window)UCDSU Privacy Notice about what they do with the information they collect
• UCD Sport & Fitness and UCD Clubs and Societies to manage your access to membership and facilities
• UCD Alumni Relations Office and UCD Foundation to facilitate future contact between you, UCD and fellow alumni e.g. university mailings, events, reunions and university-related fundraising activities
• The Higher Education Authority for funding allocation, statistical analysis and policy formulation purposes. The data shared include personal data such as name, address, Eircode, PPSN, grant status and CAO data. Read the HEA Data Collection Notice. If you wish to object to the processing of your personal data in this manner, or if you have any queries in relation to the processing of your personal data generally, please contact the HEA Data Protection Officer at (opens in a new window)dataprotection@hea.ie
• The HSE to support the contact tracing work of the public health authorities

Offers of Admission to UCD

1. All offers of admission are subject to these terms and conditions.

2. Offers of admission do not become legally binding on the University or the applicant until the applicant undertakes formal online registration and fulfils document verification procedures where required and subject to the exclusions below.

3.  It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide full and accurate information in an application and to notify the University of any changes or corrections to the original application.

4. An offer of admission will be made in good faith taking into account information as supplied by the applicant and/or referee at the time of the application. Any offer of admission is made without prejudice to the right of the University to vary or withdraw it if information comes to the notice of the University (whether relating to events occurring before or after the date of the offer) which could reasonably have influenced the University's decision if known at the time the offer was made.

5. The University reserves the right to withdraw an offer of a place or terminate a student's enrolment if it discovers subsequently that the student has given false, inaccurate, incomplete or misleading information in the application, or has provided false, fraudulent or modified documentation in support of the application, or does not provide original documentation for verification on request.

   UCD may request verification from the issuing authority of any or all details on documentation presented. If documents are found to have been falsified or modified the issuing body will be notified.

6. The University cannot accept responsibility and expressly excludes liability, for loss or damage to applicants' and students’ property. This includes such documentation as may be submitted by the applicant in order to secure admission (for example, but not limited to, degree certificates, birth certificates, transcripts and references).

7. The University reserves the right to exclude an applicant who is considered on justifiable grounds to be unsuitable for a place on a particular programme according to individual circumstances. For example, including but not limited to, in accordance with the University’s Garda Vetting Policy, Fitness to Practice Policy, Fitness to Continue in Study Policy or Relevant Offence Risk Assessment Policy.

8. The University will use all reasonable efforts to ensure that no errors occur in an offer of admission. In the unlikely event that an error is made by the University, for example, if the University mistakenly assesses the applicant’s academic records, the University may withdraw or amend the offer of admission.  In such instances, the University shall inform the applicant as soon as possible and discuss any alternative options that may be available to the applicant.

9. A programme may be cancelled due to a lack of demand or due to the unavailability of key personnel or resources. If UCD cancels the programme prior to the student commencing the first term of study, the student may either:
   (a) withdraw from UCD without any liability for fees, or
   (b) transfer to another programme offered by UCD, subject to suitable qualifications, availability of places and payment by the student of the balance of any higher fees.

Studying at UCD

1. The University will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver courses and modules as intended in accordance with the descriptions set out in the UCD curriculum available in the (opens in a new window)Course Search and with communications issued by the University to appropriately enrolled students.
   
   The University reserves the right to make variations, including but not limited to, the content, mode of delivery, location, staffing, class sizes, timetabling, online versus on-campus lectures and tutorials, mode of assessment or availability of courses and/or modules, or to discontinue courses and/or modules if necessary.  Changes are usually made for one or more of the following reasons:
   
   (a) to review and update the Academic Regulations or other relevant policies and procedures to ensure they are fit for purpose;
   (b) to reflect changes in the external environment, including legal or regulatory changes, changes to funding or financial arrangements, changes to government policy, requirements or guidance of public health policy, including, for example, restrictions advised due to an epidemic or pandemic disease;
   (c) to incorporate sector guidance or best practice;
   (d) to incorporate feedback from students;
   (e) to aid clarity or consistency of approach;
   (f) the unanticipated departure or absence of key members of University staff; and/or
   (g) where the numbers recruited to a course exceed or fall short of the anticipated intake so that it is not possible to deliver as intended.
   
   Any changes will normally come into effect at the start of the relevant trimester, although may be introduced during the trimester where the University reasonably considers this to be in the interests of students or where this is required by law, government policy, public health guidelines or other exceptional circumstances. The University shall endeavour to ensure that the course learning outcomes and the assessment of modules are not adversely affected.
   
   
2. The University will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver courses and modules as intended in accordance with the descriptions set out in the UCD curriculum available in the (opens in a new window)Course Search and with communications issued by the University to appropriately enrolled students.
   Despite taking all reasonable steps, circumstances beyond the control of the University may mean that it is prevented, in whole or in part, or delayed, from providing its educational offerings. Examples of such circumstances may include but are not limited to:
   (a)        severe weather or acts of God;
   (b)        power or internet failure;
   (c)        fire or flood;
   (d)        acts of terrorism, war or national emergency;
   (e)        damage to buildings or equipment;
   (f)        cyber attack;
   (g)        the acts or advice of any governmental or local authority;
   (h)        industrial action by University staff or third parties;
   (I)        epidemic or pandemic disease; and/or
   (j)         government policy or public health advice.
   
   In these circumstances, the University will take all reasonable steps to minimise the resultant disruption to the education programmes and to affected students, for example by delivering a modified version of the same course or changing the mode of delivery to include online/digital/blended teaching and learning facilities.  The University shall endeavour to ensure that the course learning outcomes and the assessment of modules is not adversely affected.
   
   
3. The University is not responsible to students for any consequential or indirect loss, such as third-party financial costs, that may be claimed as a result of any changes under clauses 10 and 11.
   
   
4. All students must comply with the  (opens in a new window)Academic Regulations, Student Code and Policies of the University.
   
   
5. The University reserves the right to exclude an applicant who is considered on justifiable grounds to be unsuitable to continue their place on a particular programme according to particular circumstances. For example, including but not limited to, in accordance with the University’s Garda Vetting Policy, Fitness to Practice Policy, (opens in a new window)Fitness to Continue in Study Policy or Relevant Offence Risk Assessment Policy. Relevant Offence Risk Assessment Policy.
   
   
6. In order to effectively support students and manage the University, the University may need to change these terms and conditions from time to time.
    

Using UCD’s IT Resources and protecting your and the University's information

There is an obligation for all users of UCD’s IT Resources or who have been issued an IT account or used a device to connect to University IT systems or access and store personal data or confidential University information to ensure that this is done in a secure and appropriate manner. To enable you to comply with these requirements please ensure that you are familiar with and adhere to the following:  

• (opens in a new window)IT Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) provides you with clear guidance on the acceptable, safe, and respectful use of the University’s IT resources.
• (opens in a new window)Device Protection Policy provides guidelines on your responsibility on ensuring that any device used to access University’s IT resources is appropriately patched and protected. 
• Password Protection Policy provides guidelines on the creation of a strong password, the frequency of change/reuse of passwords and the protection of your password. 

The responsibility lies with you to be familiar with these policies and all other relevant policies and procedures.