The University Observer reports from a packed-out Fitzgerald Chamber as President Orla Feely and Registrar and Deputy President Colin Scott delivered a powerpoint presentation on Strategy to 2030, marking a significant first in UCDSU Council history
Both UCD President Orla Feely and Registrar and Deputy President Colin Scott attended the fifth meeting of UCDSU Council tonight, January 27, to present the UCD Strategy to 2030 to students. A UCD President has never attended a council meeting of the Students’ Union before, allowing students to engage in direct discourse with their President; a historic first strongly pushed for and achieved by UCDSU President Miranda Bauer.
The presentation given by President Feely stated that the UCD Strategy to 2030 will “guide UCD through very disruptive times.” The Strategy was launched in November 2024, and President Feely stated it was built on consultation and dialogue between the University and students, and that the “geopolitical, economic, environmental disturbances, all that is going on in the world, was central to thinking when planning the strategy.”
The Strategy also envisions reducing UCD’s carbon emissions by 51% from baseline by 2030, and being on a path to net zero carbon by 2040.
The UCD Strategy focuses on three pillars of ‘transforming learning’, ‘advancing research and innovation’, and ‘engaging for impact’, with UCD committing to expanding access to its education programmes, facilitating ethical partnerships with research institutions, industries, third-sector organisations and policy-makers, and cultivating impact through research and innovation. The Strategy also envisions reducing UCD’s carbon emissions by 51% from baseline by 2030, and being on a path to net zero carbon by 2040.
The Strategy places an emphasis on the student experience, and aims to improve faculty-student ratio, to ‘establish an Office of Student Experience and Wellbeing to enhance the initiatives, services and supports that we provide to our students’, and to ‘reform our curriculum, timetabling, assessment modes and credit weightings to optimise teaching and learning across all modes and all levels.’
SU Council Chair Niall Torris expressed his gratitude for the attendance of Professor Feely and Professor Scott. The pair delivered a short powerpoint presentation on Strategy to 2030 to a packed Fitzgerald Chamber. Torris noted that this is the first time in his ten years of attending council, that he could recall, that there was a greater attendance than at the first council of the academic year.
After the presentation, Torris opened the floor to questions from members of Council. Student Eoghan Ryder started by asking the President if the Strategy was “BDS-Compliant.” President Feely responded, “No, not necessarily. And it doesn’t have to be.” She continued, "BDS is not a University Policy" and stated, “we [UCD Management] have a very detailed agreement with UCD BDS and UCDSU, and we enact every part of that.”
She continued, "BDS is not a University Policy" and stated, “we [UCD Management] have a very detailed agreement with UCD BDS and UCDSU, and we enact every part of that.”
President Feely and Professor Scott were asked by one student about the “inclusion” aspect of Strategy to 2030. The student stated that they felt UCD does a “good job” at talking about initiatives that support inclusion, but they felt that the university can do more. The student referenced the cost of rent as a particular point of interest, “UCD could do more in terms of cost of rent, it is crippling” and continued,
“What student can pay €1,300 a month if their parents can't pay it for them.”
President Feely responded to the comment, stating “We would dearly love to be able to address these issues,” but continued, “This is part of living in Dublin at this time,” and that “We [UCD] would love to do more” but that their “hands are tied” due being “underfunded from the Government.”
There is a notable commitment in the Strategy to enhancing a ‘digital campus’, and driving ‘advances in AI and technology research and learning in important areas.’ UCD will establish a ‘New AI and digital technologies institute’ centred around education, research and innovation, and engagement.’ The strategy further promises to provide students with ‘structured opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills in areas such as AI and digital skills, innovation, sustainability, leadership, well-being, and languages.’
President Feely was questioned by The University Observer on what the new AI institute will look like in practice, how this will align with UCD’s plans to have Net Zero carbon emissions by 2040, or more broadly with commitments to ethical investments and partnerships, given the devastating impacts AI has on climate through the use of Data Centres.
She stated that these caveats were a work in progress, but that the AI and Digital Technologies Institute will largely focus on research, and that this is something UCD “wants to do much more of, because we have to.” President Feely also commented that energy consumption within UCD should include ethics, law, and all other relevant aspects.
The University Observer also asked a question regarding repeated delays to renovations and building projects for student spaces, such as the two year delay to the Astra Hall renovations, which are funded through the student levy. Registrar Colin Scott responded that these projects had to be delayed due to insufficient funds to carry them out; increases in costs, inflation, and costs of building have all risen significantly. The Registrar continued that although the Astra Hall extension has been delayed, there are current plans to develop the existing space with additional specs such as lighting equipment.
Multiple students raised questions on inaccessibility across certain campus buildings, namely Newman and Richview. One student, who began by saying they were going to “flog a dead horse and bring up Newman,” claimed that despite constant speculation that Newman is due renovations, these have never transpired. President Feely stated in response that renovations to Newman are currently underway, such as the building of additional floors at the back of the building.
However, she stated that she accepts there are “significant challenges” of accessibility in Richview, and that any accessibility challenges in both Richview and Newman are of great concern and will be followed up on.
The Registrar further stated that work to redevelop the Newman basement and concourse is currently on the capital project schedule, and will happen in the next five years.
The Registrar further stated that work to redevelop the Newman basement and concourse is currently on the capital project schedule, and will happen in the next five years. Both the Registrar and President have recently visited Richview to assess the challenges in the building, and have placed it at the “front of the agenda.”
Other questions asked to President Feely and Registrar Scott concerned Phd working conditions and the standing of their student/employment status. Jack McNicholl, a stage 3 PhD candidate in Mathematics and acting head of the UCD branch of the Postgraduate Worker’s Organisation detailed some personal experiences and argued that UCD is not supporting “the PhD candidates that this University benefits from.” McNicholl advocated that UCD support calls for employment status for PhD candidates.
President Feely noted that she strongly advocated for the rise in PhD stipends in UCD, but added that, “We try to do what we can, we can’t do everything”, highlighting this as an issue for the current Government as well.
Other areas of interest concerned The Smurfit Campus, availability and accessibility of student spaces, inclusion for Mature students, the role of campus media in student life, and the nature of the Ethical partnerships with research institutions referenced in the Strategy document.
The full strategy is available to read at ucd.ie/strategy/
A full report by the University Observer on the fifth meeting of UCD Students’ Union Council can be found here.