The Bridge: Alumni Newsletter
New Initiatives, Thanks to You: Alumni Giving in Action
The UCC Alumni Fund thrives thanks to the generosity of our alumni and friends, whose donations provide grants for a range of projects that directly impact student life, inside and outside the classroom.
UCC Alumni Fund Impact
Your support is powering improvements across every corner of campus. Achievements so far include underwriting the student forum, where students, in the style of the Irish Citizens’ Assembly, can make recommendations to the UCC Governing Body and help shape the future of major university priorities. You’ve helped us install innovative “hush” pods in Boole Library, perfect for anyone seeking a quiet study spot or managing sensory sensitivities. Alumni donations to the fund have also been instrumental in helping to roll-out the very successful student well-being support dog programme, Promoting Academic Wellbeing Supports (PAWS), providing companionship to stressed or lonely students.
Empowering Students and Staff
This year, UCC Advancement introduced a new process which, for the first time, invited students, staff, societies, clubs, and representatives of the UCC Students’ Union to apply directly for a project grant from the UCC Alumni Fund. The result is a diverse range of student and staff-led initiatives, commencing this term, which will enhance campus life, promote wellbeing, foster inclusion, and help students succeed both academically and personally.
New Projects Commencing this Autumn
- FiRe UP: Accredited online course, teaching students lifelong financial skills.
- Under the Weather: Student-built campus health resources to combat misinformation about infectious diseases and vaccines.
- UCCSU/Green Campus Food Pantry: Permanent pantry tackling waste and student food insecurity.
- Chaplaincy Annex: Inclusive facility enhancements to welcome students of all faiths.
- Dress for Success: Student workshops to boost professional confidence and style.
- Intercultural Communication Training: Helping students and staff develop understanding and respect for cultural differences and diversity in the classroom.
- EmployAgility Awards Videos: Showcasing how extracurricular activities, volunteering, and skill development enhance student employability.
- Wellbeing & Sustainability Resources: Action-focused library collection of books and games to help students live healthier, more sustainable lives.
- Crash Mats: Safer equipment for UCC Trampoline and Tumbling Club training and confidence building.
- UCC Concert Band: UCC community inclusive music group enriching campus life.
- Neurodiverse Voices: Exhibitions celebrating autistic and neurodiverse creativity.
- PGR Lounge: Social and collaborative space for postgraduate researchers.
- UCC Niteline: Expanded confidential listening service for students, run by students.
We look forward to updating you on these projects as their impact unfolds over the coming months.
Your Support
Since the UCC Alumni Fund was relaunched in 2022, hundreds of alumni and friends have contributed in support of transformational projects like these that are not covered by the state yet are critical to enhancing the experience of every UCC student. 100% of your donations to the UCC Alumni Fund make an immediate impact for students.
Every donation, no matter the amount, makes projects like these possible, adding to the collective impact and enriching campus life for every UCC student.