Widening Participation Committee
The University Widening Participation Committee provides a formal mechanism to oversee, monitor and promote the University’s achievement of a diverse and inclusive scholarly community, where all students feel welcome, and their experience, perspective and opinions are respected and valued. It oversees the communication and promotion of a ‘whole-institution’, mainstreamed approach to access, widening participation and inclusion, characterised as University for All. It plays a key role in supporting the University to recognise, promote and value diversity, foster the spirit of inclusion, appreciate the breadth of talent, experience and contribution of all students, and strive to remove the barriers to access, participation and success. UCD’s Breaking Boundaries Strategy to 2030 sets out UCD’s ambition to support an increasingly diverse community of students and advance the implementation of Universal Design - key areas that fall under the remit of the Widening Participation Committee.
The Committee is chaired by Professor John Brannigan, and reports to the UMT Education Group (UMTEG). Membership is drawn from all Academic Programme Boards, Policy and Support Services, in addition to Student Access Leaders, UCD Student Union and co-opted members from UCD EDI and Global.
The Committee is provided with policy advice, expertise and operational support by UCD Access & Lifelong Learning.
The Committee has a three-year term and meets five times per year. Current membership is as follows:
Chair, University Widening Participation Committee
Professor John Brannigan
Programme Board Leads
Agriculture & Food Sciences - Professor Olaf Schmidt
Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Planning & Environmental Policy - Associate Professor Ellen Rowley
Arts & Humanities - Dr Fionnuala Walsh
Engineering - Dr Md Salauddin
Law - Professor Gavin Barrett
Medicine - Associate Professor Suzanne Donnelly
Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems - Dr Freda Browne
Public Health, Physiotherapy & Sports Science - Dr Sarah Browne
Science - Professor Keith Murphy
Social Sciences - Associate Professor Ernesto Vasquez del Aguila
Veterinary Medicine & Veterinary Nursing - Dr Michael Duggan
Policy & Support Leads
UCD Access & Lifelong Learning - Dr Bairbre Fleming, Dr Lisa Padden and Daniel Elliott
Admissions - Jill O'Mahony
Career Development & Skills - Dr David Foster
Communications - Mary Staunton
Finance - Valeria Baratella
Estates Services - PJ Barron
IT Services - Caroline Hackman
Library - Philip Russell
Recruitment - Noya Fernandez del Cotero Secades
Student Advisors - Dr Niamh Nestor
Teaching & Learning - Dr Leigh Graves Wolf
Co-opted Members
Culture & Engagement - Rory Carey
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion - Marcellina Fogarty
EDI Sub-Committee on Sanctuary - Dr Graham Finlay
UCD Global - Una Watkins