Welcome to the Office of the Vice-President for Teaching and Learning

Hello and welcome to the web pages of the Office of the Vice-President for Teaching and Learning.  This website is designed to provide a broad overview of this Office.  More detailed information is contained in the various links provided throughout this site.  If, however, you don't find the information that you are looking for here, please let us know.  Thoughtful feedback is always welcome, so please feel free to contact us.

Vision:

Our vision is of a community of scholars which includes all our staff and all our students, a university where effective and imaginative teaching and learning approaches including innovative and creative curricula design, are fostered and supported, where teaching and learning enjoy parity of esteem with research, where a student-centred approach to research-led teaching is rooted in the culture, and where students and teachers enjoy their teaching and learning experiences.

Mission:

We will continue to develop an effective and research-informed array of teaching strategies and build capacity of teachers to adapt to the needs of students, including the encouragement of transferable skills to support the academic and personal development of our students. High quality research enhanced teaching and learning is at the core of our mission.We will support innovative and inclusive teaching and learning activities and strengthen the fundamental linkages between research, teaching and learning. We will maximise opportunities for all students’ intellectual and creative development so that our graduates are effective life-long learners and inquirers. We will provide access to the best learning facilities, both campus-based and online, where students and academics will work as communities of scholars. There will be opportunities for all students to engage in scholarly activity from their first year of undergraduate studies and enjoy the highest quality learning experience

We will continue to establish significant links with first and second level education and further education providers. Reflecting national educational strategic priorities, we will continue to widen educational participation to include all sections of the community, through collaborative partnerships with educational providers, community groups and other relevant stakeholders in the region.  We will develop pathways of progression to the university from UCC’s Centre for Adult and Continuing Education (CACE) and other educational providers and in this regard, demonstrate recognition of prior learning.  We are committed to the best utilisation of learning technologies in support of flexible learning that will provide inclusive access opportunities for the lifelong learner.

We will encourage, recognise and reward good practice in teaching and learning, and the role of assessment in learning. We will endeavour to attract the finest staff and students and provide high quality graduates who are ready to take their place in the workforce and the world.

What we do:

We offer professional development programmes like the Certificate, Diploma and Masters in teaching and learning in higher education, regular seminar programmes, training for postgraduate tutors, as well as general advice and support.  More details can be viewed by clicking here.

Who we are:

Professor Grace Neville is Vice-President for Teaching and Learning.  Dr Bettie Higgs and Dr Marian McCarthy run Ionad Bairre, UCC's Teaching and Learning Centre, on a day-to-day basis. Patrick Kiely, the Online Learning Development and Delivery Coordinator works closely with the Office of the Vice-President for Teaching and Learning and Ionad Bairre to support online education in UCC. There are a number of UCC staff members who very generously give of their time to help run the various staff development courses and we're exteremely appreciative of their efforts.  More details on these staff can be viewed on Ionad Bairre's website.