PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2012/13 President’s Report Page 1 President’s Report Page | 2 Contents Page 1. Introduction and Review of 2011/12 Report 1 2. HE Strategy 1 2.1 Submission in Response to HEA Landscape Document 1 2.2 HE Strategy Implementation 1 2.3 Meeting with Secretary General (Education & Skills) 1 2.4 Meeting Joint Oireachtas Committee 2 3. Connacht-Ulster Alliance (CUA) 2 3.1 Introduction 2 3.2 Executive Board Meeting 2 3.3 Functional Area Meetings 3 4. Research 4 4.1 Colab Activities 4 4.2 North West Regional Science Park Update 4 4.3 WiSAR Technology Gateway Programme 5 5. Finance 5 5.1 Internal Auditors Meeting 5 5.2 HEA Budget Meeting 5 6. Estates 6 6.1 Car Parking 6 7. Institute Events 6 7.1 Executive Board Strategy Day 6 7.2 Launch Irish Language Scheme 6 7.3 Barry McNamee Event 7 7.4 Class Reunion 7 7.5 MBE 7 7.6 Science Week 7 7.7 Guidance Counsellors 7 7.8 Sports Scholarship 8 7.9 Architectural Technology Showcase 8 7.10 Scifest Competition 9 7.11 Memorial Services 9 8. Conferences/Seminars 10 8.1 Enterprise Ireland Annual Report – Donegal 10 8.2 Local Authorities Members Association (LAMA) Conference 10 8.3 British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly 10 8.4 Irish Signals and Systems Conference (ISSC) 10 8.5 Advisory Board U-Multiranks 11 8.6 APP Conference 11 8.7 Eurashe Conference 11 9. Visitors 11 9.1 Natalay Ritter Visit 11 President’s Report Page | i 9.2 Visit by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD 11 9.3 Meeting with Sinn Féin TDs 11 9.4 Visit of Secretary General & Deputy Assistant Secretary – DoES 12 9.5 Meeting Pat Colgan, SEUPB 12 9.6 Boston Delegation 12 9.7 John Cullinane Visit 12 9.8 Taiwanese Ambassador 13 9.9 Meeting Safety Technology Ltd (STL) 13 9.10 Engineering Visitors 13 10. Miscellaneous 14 10.1 North South Ministerial Council 14 10.2 Tip O’Neill Centenary Commemorations Celebrations 14 10.3 Finn Harps Scholarships 15 10.4 Donegal Branding Initiative 15 10.5 Meeting with Board Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) 15 10.6 Graduation – NUIG 16 10.7 Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce Ball 16 10.8 FOI Training 17 10.9 Hillsborough Castle 17 10.10 Regional Tourism Briefing 17 10.11 CIOB Competition 17 10.12 Donegal Food Provenance Event 18 10.13 Relay for Life 18 10.14 Donegal Enterprise Week 2013 18 10.15 Zhida Ice 19 10.16 Non-EU International Students 19 10.17 Pramerica Presentation 19 10.18 New Frontiers 2013-15 20 10.19 Donegal TV Launch 20 10.20 Donegal Airport Consultation 20 10.21 Springboard Announcement 20 10.22 Church of Ireland, Bishop of Derry & Raphoe 20 10.23 Prize Givings 20 10.24 Launch of Health Innovation Corridor 21 Appendix 1: HEA Landscape Submission Appendix 2: Minister’s Speech November 2012 Appendix 3: A Study of Future Demand for Higher Education in Ireland International Panel Report Institutional Responses to the Landscape Document and Achieving the Objections of the National Strategy for Higher Education - A Gap Analysis President’s Report Page | ii 1. Introduction and Review of 2011/12Report The academic year 2012/13 was dominated by the ongoing implementation of the National Higher Education Strategy. LYIT moved from its own submission to the process in July 2012 to the interpretation of these submissions and the Ministers final comments on the HEA’s position in May 2013. In the midst of this LYIT has continued to remain active on a number of fronts including the Connacht Ulster Alliance with IT Sligo and GMIT. The first year of work on this alliance has allowed the development of better working relationships among the Institutes and the progression of a number of projects of mutual benefit. This has proven difficult as the impact of cutbacks has been felt on our own financial position. The Governing Body has worked to deliver a solution to our budgetary position with an increased emphasis on our Killybegs campus. However, the financial situation requires an all-encompassing solution that does not in any way point the finger at any specific Institute activity. At the end of the academic year 2012/13, a three year financial plan has been submitted to the HEA and the Institute is awaiting a response. 2. HE Strategy 2.1 Submission in Response to HEA Landscape Document The above submission was made by the Institute to the HEA on 31 July 2012. This followed an extensive consultation process and excellent work by Dr Paddy Hannigan in compiling the document internally. The final submission is attached at appendix 1. Since the submission, each higher education institution has been invited by the HEA to meet with representatives of the HEA and an international panel assessing the higher education landscape. LYIT’s meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, 10 October 2012. 2.2 HE Strategy Implementation The heads of all Irish higher education institutions were summoned to a meeting with the Minister for Education & Skills on Thursday, 22 November 2012. A copy of the Ministers speech on that occasion is appended (see appendix 2). In advance of the meeting the HEA published the following documents: 1. A Study of Future Demand for Higher Education in Ireland 2. International Panel Report 3. Institutional Responses to the Landscape Document and Achieving the Objectives of the National Strategy for Higher Education: A Gap Analysis These reports are included in appendix 3. 2.3 Meeting with Secretary General (Education and Skills) The President and Head of Development met with the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills, Sean O’Foghlu and Anne Forde, Principal Officer on Thursday, 21 February 2013 in advance of the Institute’s meeting with the HEA. President’s Report Page | 1 The meeting touched on a number of issues including: ▪ HEA Strategy Implementation ▪ All-island initiatives in Higher Education ▪ Current funding model for Higher Education ▪ Proposed visit to LYIT As a result of the meeting the Secretary General did visit Letterkenny on Friday, 19 April 2013. 2.4 Meeting Joint Oireachtas Committee The three Presidents from Letterkenny IT, IT Sligo and Dundalk IT appeared before the above committee on Thursday, 30 May 2013. The topic under discussion was cross border undergraduate mobility. The opportunity to meet the committee arose from the meeting of the British Irish parliamentary Assembly hosted by the Institute earlier this year. 3. Connacht-Ulster Alliance (CUA) 3.1 Introduction The Strategic Alliance Agreement between the Institutes of Technology at Galway-Mayo, Sligo and Letterkenny was signed on 9 July 2012. The Chairmen and Presidents of the three Institutes signed the agreement and an implementation plan for the alliance was to be developed by the end of 2012. The Registrars from the three Institutes (Billy Bennett LYIT, Michael Hannon GMIT and Dr Brendan McCormack IT Sligo) have produced a draft implementation plan. Project Managers from each of the three institutes (Dr Seán Duffy, LYIT, Tom Reilly, IT Sligo and Gerard Mac Michael, GMIT) co-ordinated activities detailed in the plan. Following a meeting (October 16) of the Registrars and Project Managers a draft C-U Alliance Implementation Plan was presented for consideration to each Institute’s Executive Board. A series of meetings of the Project Managers was scheduled in IT Sligo (October), GMIT (November) and LYIT (December). A draft template for recording on-going activity for the C-U Alliance has been prepared. This was used to record all activities/projects. Over time, summary reports will be issued detailing the status of projects and will serve as evidence of progress made on the objectives detailed in the implementation plan. 3.2 Executive Board Meeting The Executive Board members from the C-U Alliance Institute’s (GMIT, IT Sligo and LYIT) held a joint meeting at the Castlebar Campus of GMIT on Monday, 19 November 2012. The purpose of the meeting was to provide an opportunity for Executive Board members to meet one another, attend a brief presentation on each Institute and participate in a group exercise to discuss the development of the Connacht Ulster Alliance. The majority of members attended the meeting; Professor Terri Scott (President IT Sligo) was unable to attend due to a family illness. At the start of the meeting presentations were made on each of the three Institutes detailing organisation structure, school/department/functional areas, staff and learner numbers. After an informative discussion on the President’s Report Page | 2 presentations, the members focused on recent reports on Higher Education in Ireland and the role that the C-U Alliance should play in the development of higher education in the Connacht Ulster region. The group exercise (which was facilitated by GMIT) focused on (i) what the C-UA Technological University (TU) will look like in 5 years’ time (ii) the ranking of each Institute against the TU criteria, (iii) in terms of achieving TU status, what is the greatest potential for success?, (iv) what is the biggest hurdle to achieving TU status?, (v) key actions that will most raise awareness and engage staff across all three partner institutions? The feedback from the meeting was collated. 3.3 Functional Area Meetings Following the initial meeting (November 2012) of the Executive Boards from each of the CUA Institutes, a series of meetings were scheduled in January 2013 and February 2013. The meetings were structured around nine functional groups: the four academic areas (1) Business, (2) Science, (3) Engineering, (4) Tourism/Hospitality and (5) Development, (6) Research, (7) International, (8) Finance/Human Resources and (9) Registrars.