Annual 2015 Report 2016 Annual Report 2015/2016 This is the Annual Report of the Limerick Institute of Technology The Annual Report covers the period 1st September 2015 to 31st August 2016 www.lit.ie CONTENTS Section 1: Chairman’s Statement President’s Statement 4 Section 2: Governance and Management 8 Section 3: Academic Development and Student Affairs 14 Section 4: International Activites – External Academic Links 50 Section 5: Research Enterprise and Development 54 Section 6: Campus Planning and Development 72 Section 7: Human Resources Report 78 Section 8: Financial Report 82 Section 9: Equal Opportunities 90 Section 10: News and Events 94 Appendix 1: Supporting Information 104 > 2 LIT Annual Report 2015 - 2016 > 3 The year under review saw LIT broaden the service we provide to the Mid-West region as a whole, by becoming more rooted in the communities that host our education and enterprise centres. 01 CHAIRMAN’S & PRESIDENT’S STATEMENTS > 4 LIT Annual Report 2015 - 2016 > 5 CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT The 2015/16 period saw significant development of LIT’s presence in the education and LIT is a community of over 6,700 students and 560 staff across campuses in Limerick, development infrastructure of the Mid-West. Clare and Tipperary. Our vision, mission and remit is encapsulated in our motto: active leadership in education, enterprise and engagement. Our staff and students engage actively LIT continues to be a generator of social capital and economic benefit in the region. But it is with industry, business and the community, enabling LIT to contribute in many ways to the now obvious that the Institute of Technology sector, and not just LIT, must be financed at a people who live and work in the local region. level proportionate to the tasks it is being asked to perform if it is to sustain its role of contributing to Ireland’s educational, industrial, social and developmental needs. LIT is a positive influence on sustaining and expanding the industry base in the region through our capability to develop programmes and supply graduates with the right skills In a recent report the Higher Education Authority stated that ‘the [third level education] and aptitudes. Our proactive approach to the creation and support of new enterprise system is approaching a point where the available resources will not be able to assure contributes very significantly to the development of the local and regional economy. LIT’s adequate quality of provision’. In fact it is the case that, since 2008, the level of state grants contributions to civic and cultural life is equally important. to the Institutes of Technology has fallen by 35%, while student numbers have risen by 34%. The hallmark of our educational philosophy is active learning through a fusion of theory and It can scarcely be a surprise that among a series of actions identified by the HEA in its practice. Active learning methods are embedded in our teaching and learning approaches Financial Review of the Institutes of Technology is the need for over €130 million to be put and our learning environments. Our students and industry partners frequently tell us that into the sector in the short term just to keep its head above water. The state must match the they value this active learning ethos. LIT scores consistently well in student and graduate value it places on the access to higher education with resources adequate to delivering that surveys which measure key components of learning, such as practical application, value. preparation for the workplace and how students are supported. The role of LIT in the community is a wide one, extending beyond any narrow definition of LIT’s core educational provision across our Faculties/Schools (Applied Science, Engineering education and training. The deep links which LIT has with industry and commerce, with a and IT; Business and Humanities; Art and Design) includes significant and growing wide variety of geographic and social communities, with local government and with the research, enterprise and engagement activities. The institute also contributes in many worlds of arts and sports, make LIT a major facilitator of development in the region. This unseen ways to the wider community through the involvement and voluntary efforts of our critical role has been recognised by the government in, for instance, the Regional Action staff and students across a wide range of social and community projects and groups. Plan for Jobs but not reciprocated in the provision of the financial resources needed to sustain it. In 2015-2016, the year under review, LIT progressed a number of key priorities: For our part, the year under review saw LIT broaden the service we provide to the Mid-West • We registered over 1,700 new students in first year. region as a whole by becoming more rooted in the communities that host our education and • We graduated over 1,800 new graduates and postgraduates at our conferring enterprise centres. We have seen the first cohort of students to come through the Go4IT ceremonies. programme, and start their studies in Moylish. These students are typically drawn from communities within Limerick regeneration areas. At the same time, we have launched our • We progressed our alliance with our Shannon Consortium partners. drive to create a €1 million scholarship fund for students in DEIS schools in the region. • We partnered with the Limerick & Clare ETB and Clare County Council to offer an LIT We are pursuing our application for planning permission for a new engineering-focussed degree in Ennis for the first time. campus at Coonagh on the northside of Limerick - which is a major new piece of educational infrastructure serving the community and local and regional industry. The new • We strengthened our links and profile in the region, for instance through taking a lead Coonagh Campus will enable LIT to grow our presence in the city core. role in initiatives that brought additional jobs to the region through our involvement in the Regional Skills Forum and delivery of the National Plan for Jobs. The International Fashion Incubator Limerick (IFIL) was launched in late 2015 and is • We continued our success in the HEA Performance Based Assessment Compact, one of integral to our already wide ranging support for entrepreneurship in the city centre. LIT and only five institutes designated as Category 1 by the HEA. its Limerick School of Art and Design were major contributors to Limerick’s bid to become European Capital of Culture, underlining again the critical role the institute plays in the • We submitted our planning application for the Coonagh Campus development. cultural life of Limerick and the region. And in Ennis we have commenced the delivery of degree-level education, for the first time, with the result that our educational footprint is • We grew our numbers of postgraduate and international students significantly. now well extended over the three counties of the Mid-West. • We took a significant step towards blended learning and technology enhanced learning. The new Questum Enterprise Centre was opened in Clonmel. LIT Thurles also expanded its • We opened up a new discipline area in Tipperary by offering an Early Childhood Care and role as a focus of community activity and enterprise development. Education degree in Thurles. While slightly outside the scope of the formal report for 2015/16, it is important to record I would like to thank the Governing Body of LIT and all the staff for their wonderful support that a new President of LIT took office on 1 September 2016. Professor Vincent Cunnane during my time as Interim President and I wish the incoming President the very best. I am has a distinguished record of achievement in teaching, research and management in the sure LIT will continue to be an excellent place where students and staff can develop their Univeristy of Limerick, Shannon Development and Sligo Institute of Technology. The full potential. Governing Body has no doubt but that he will skilfully guide LIT through the challenges it faces and help to maximise its contribution to the many communities it serves. Terry Twomey Interim President LIT The end of the 2015/16 academic year was also the end of the five year term of the Governing Body. I would like to thank all the outgoing members for their commitment to LIT and for the diligence with which they carried out their work of ensuring that the highest standards of governance are applied throughout LIT’s diverse operations. The year presented many challenges to the leadership and staff of LIT. I commend them all for continuing to provide programmes of the highest quality to all those who study and do research with us and for maintaining their commitment to the continuous improvement of everything we do. Niall Greene Chair, LIT Governing Body > 6 LIT Annual Report 2015 - 2016 > 7 A Governing Body was appointed from September 2011 to 31st August 2016. Seven ordinary meetings of this Governing Body plus four special meetings were held in the period under review. 02 GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT > 8 LIT Annual Report 2015 - 2016 > 9 2.1 GOVERNING BODY 2.2 EXECUTIVE AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT A Governing Body was appointed from September 2011 to 31st August 2016. Seven ordinary meetings of this Governing Body plus four Executive Management special meetings were held. In addition, nine Audit subcommittee meetings, three Strategy subcommittee meetings and three Finance Committee meetings were also convened. One Joint meeting between the Audit and Finance Committees was also held in the year under President Dr. Maria Hinfelaar (To 31st March 2016) review. Interim President Mr. Terry Twomey (1st April 2016-31st August 2016) Fees and/or expenses (including relevant fees for interview boards) paid to members of the Governing Body for the year 2015-2016 Vice-President Academic Affairs and Registrar Mr.