Today was our 3rd of 5 institutional visits during our time here in Ireland. After breakfast we headed down the road a short distance to University College Cork, where we were greeted by the sweetest host we've had so far in the most amazing student center I've ever seen! UCC in general is the most beautiful campus we have seen here thus far. I personally was impressed with the way they have blended modern architecture in with the old. Everything seems to fit together here, whereas on the other campuses we've visited, newer buildings seem to stick out like a sore thumb among the historical buildings.
After a tour of the student center, we settled in a conference room to listen to presentations about UCC's student services. We were greeted by the new Vice President for the Student Experience who has only been in place since February. For all of my USC HESA folks, this man's position sounds very similar to DP's position, with the added bonus of having a VP for Teaching and Learning (which sounds like an academically focused AVP position) to help him out. It was interesting to hear him and his colleagues (who I noticed were all male ... at the other schools the student services employees have been predominately female) discuss how much more integrated and cooperative student services had become with the addition of his position.
After hearing presentations on students services in general at UCC and the individual aspects of student health, chaplaincy, counselling and development, and accommodation (housing), it was apparent that UCC is the most closely aligned with U.S. student affairs out of all the schools we've visited thus far. I appreciated that UCC not only demonstrated that they do well, but also were honest in where their student services are lacking and where they hope to grow. A few aspects of their programs and a few of their concerns about their students particularly caught my attention:
1. I immediately noticed that UCC draws far more international students (nearly 3000) than NUIG and GMIT.
2. I found it interesting that all of UCC's students are full-time students except for a handful of continuing education students. I appreciate that they recognize that this causes a lack of flexibility for students, and that they are looking to add part-time programs.
3. I thought it was impressive that UCC was the Irish University of the Year twice in the last 5 years. They also have a ranking of 286 on the THES. Check out how your institution falls on the world rankings! (Boilermakers, we're tied with U. Pittsburgh for 77th in the world!) ... Trinity College Dublin (which I'll visit later this week) is 53rd. Impressive!
4. I found it interesting that there is currently no assessment of student services (or any aspect of the student experience at UCC) currently, but that they are working toward implementing survey systems to improve what UCC can offer.
5. Like those of us who work in higher education in the U.S., the Irish institutions are seeing an increasing amount of students who are dealing with mental health issues which have become common to the millennial generation.
6. The Irish culture in general has an issue with suicide (hence mention in an earlier post of people throwing themselves off the Cliffs of Moher), particularly among young males (i.e. those in higher education). While UCC has had no completed suicides in the last 6 years (which is extremely RARE), they OFTEN deal with suicidal students.
7. The Students' Union (like Student Government in the U.S.) used to get a LOT of funding from alcohol companies to sponsor programming on campus (particularly from Murphys). However, the SU recently formulated and passed a new alcohol policy banning any form of association with alcohol sponsorship or advertisement on campus. I thought this was a bold move (since it forced them to lose about $20,000 euro, or $30,000 dollars in sponsorship money) to assist in the alcohol problem on Irish campuses. (However, the campus does still have a campus bar, which is pretty amazing, I might add.)
8. UCC has created CALM (Computer-Aided Lifestyle Management) and higher someone on a 3 year term to provide e-counseling for students, bringing technology into the student counseling realm for the campus. Innovative for them considering the lack of technology they expressed!
9. While approximately 9700 (59%) of students request on campus housing, UCC has limited accommodations, like most Irish schools, with only 780 beds. YIKES!
10. UCC recently appointed a coordinator of first-year experience (YAY!). They are also wanting to appoint a PASS (Peer Assisted Student Services) coordinator soon to increasing their peer mentoring efforts. (Hmmm ... wonder if I could get them to hold off a year so I could come work here?!)
After hearing about student services, we had a professor of Irish culture lecture to us about "matching and marriage customs" in Ireland. (Reed, it totally reminded me of the marriage e-mail you forwarded to the U101/NRC crew!) So interesting! Some definite similarities to the history of marriage in the U.S., but some great differences as well.
We then went on a campus tour. Like I said before, UCC is beautiful. The church has beautiful, extremely ornate stained glass windows and tiled pictures of the astrology signs in the floor. The original campus building is also HUGE and well-kept, and contains a great deal of preserved history.
So, speaking of sex education. We have learned during our time here that the Irish are much more open to talking about the taboo topics that we avoid in the U.S., one being sex. While premarital sex is obviously still looked down upon by the church, the country has grown with the times and realized that education is best. Sabrena was particularly amused by posters in the bathroom on campus today. One stated "Be careful, it only takes one sperm." Another showed pictures of a bed and of a wooden floor and said, "It doesn't matter where you do it," before explaining the risks of unsafe sex. There were several sexual education posters and advertisements around campus that definitely caught our attention today. Considering the head of student health talked about the rise in STIs in recent years in Ireland, I'd say they are appropriate.
After our visit at UCC we all headed to the Jameson Heritage Center in Midleton, where we learned all about how Jameson whiskey is made and several of our group members got to become certified whiskey tasters. (I, personally, did not try my free glass of Jameson.) (Duff ... I thought of you lots today ... Midleton and whiskey!) We then spent some time around Cork before heading on a ridiculous journey to dinner (it was much farther away than anticipated, in the middle of nowhere, and we got a little lost). However, it was great, and we had some great laughs on the way home.
Tomorrow we're off to Dublin where we'll spend the remainder of our trip. It's been so much fun so far, and I'm excited to see the big city and the other 2 schools. I miss everyone greatly, and am looking forward to seeing some of you Friday. (And no, Mom, a banshee or little person has not kidnapped me yet; I'm alive and well. Though I did see a Leprechaun Crossing, and Sabrena and I did have a haunted hotel room in Limerick.)
I have internet access at UCD in Dublin, so I'll post more from there if not before. Till then, goodnight !
P.S. Leanne ... Siemens is in Cork! I think you should go back to work for them, and we'll move here together. What do you think? :-)
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Is it too soon to start packing my bags?
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