Leading universities around the world are teaching students about wellbeing to support their success in learning and life. Students increasingly value their wellbeing and personal development while employers seek self-efficacy skills including resilience and self-awareness.    Here in UCC, in September 2025, incoming first year students on selected modules will have an opportunity to 'learn to be well' so they can 'be well to learn'. Twenty-four module leaders across the four colleges in UCC are devoting time and space in their semester 1 curricula for 1500 students to take 'Jumpstart Your Success: Everyday Matters', a bespoke self-paced online unit that is available to students on their Canvas dashboard. In this unit, students will explore what being a successful student means to them, learn what mental wellbeing means, describe how the brain develops in the late adolescent years [up to 24 years, 80% of all undergraduates in Irish universities within this age band], analyse their time use, learn how to build healthy habits that stick and strengthen their resilience by considering their support network. 

Throughout Summer 2025, a major suite of enhancements has taken place across our teaching estate. A total of 44 rooms have undergone upgrades. These upgrades are part of UCC's ongoing commitment to creating an inclusive and accessible learning and teaching environment. IT Services led out on these upgrades, made possible through funding from Access UCC, and in collaboration with Buildings & Estates and the Centre for Digital Education. 

The annual President’s Pride Lunch took place on Tuesday 29 July in the Hub Atrium as part of Cork Pride 2025. Last year, we made murmurations.  This year, courtesy of the LGBT+ Staff Network, attendees were invited to take part in making a Living Pride Quilt – a lovely initiative and a shared celebration of unity and pride and started this year to commemorate the 10th anniversary of both the Marriage Equality referendum and the Gender Recognition Act.