2022
UCC launches inaugural student forum
University College Cork will launch the first student forum in its history this weekend.
Born from UCC’s strategic plan, the UCC Student Forum is an exercise in deliberative and participatory democracy that places students at the heart of important strategic and policy issues facing UCC as a community. UCC is committed to widening participation, an intention that goes beyond mere access but extends to active involvement in decision-making.
The Forum will provide space to consider ‘hot topics’ and ‘wicked issues’ at the heart of the student experience. Recent challenges, including climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic, accommodation shortages, and mental health issues require meaningful participation from students.
This initiative will also further enhance the student experience for all students.
The model chosen for the Student Forum is based on that of the Irish Citizens’ Assembly. Some of the main aims of the Forum are to strengthen transparency and integrity in decision-making and to facilitate good decision-making. As a University we are consciously cultivating citizens who shape society for the common good and betterment of humanity and the planet. Therefore, we are committed via ‘sortition’, to create a truly representative assembly of students who can develop civic and leadership capacities through constructive participation.
UCC’s current student population is almost 23,000 and growing. Furthermore, the University has over 2,000 Continuing and Professional Development students, 1,100 Adult and Continuing Education short course students and a Language Centre cohort.
The Student Forum brings together 68 randomly selected students on Sunday 9th & Monday 10th October, 2022 to learn about, discuss, and deliberate on the question: “What kind of university experience would you as good ancestors create for UCC students of the future?" They will then, after facilitated deliberation give a considered opinion on what should happen.
Commenting Professor John O’Halloran, President of UCC stated, “The UCC Student Forum is a sector leading initiative that seeks to ensure the voice of our student body is enabled and heard.”
Asha Woodhouse, President of UCC Students’ Union stated she is “…proud to be a student representative at an Irish University that is using deliberative and participatory democracy as a way to consult students as key stakeholders in their University.”
For further details please see: https://www.ucc.ie/en/student-forum/ or email studentforum@ucc.ie