Student Charges & Fees Forum

This Forum was established in 2015 to consider applications for funding from the additional capitation provided from international and part-time students (as capitation was introduced for these students in 2015/16). 

The membership of this Forum is as follows:

Professor Stephen Byrne, Deputy President & Registrar - Chair

Ms. Olive Byrne, Head of Access 

Mr. Colm Foley, President, SU

Mr. Cormac McSweeney, Finance Officer (Bursar’s representative)

Mr. Paul Moriarty, Director of Student Experience

Ms. Kaley Nolan, Commercial & Fundraising Officer (member of SU Executive, nominated by SU President)

Ms. Hayley O'Connell Vaughan, Communications & Engagement Officer (member of SU Executive, nominated by SU President)

In attendance:

Ms. Anne Marie Cooney, Deputy President & Registrar's Office

Mr. Vincent O'Brien, SU Administrator

Ms. Emer O’Driscoll, Secretary to Forum

The primary objectives of this Fund are:

  i.          Enhance the student experience

 ii.          Support and develop student-led activities and projects

iii.          Support projects that compliment themes identified by the Forum.

 The Process, Types of Proposals Supported, Principles and further information is available in the SCFF Principles, Feb 2017

Some of the Projects Funded to date

Future focused:  Make your final year count  [Student Development & Employability via SEO]

Aim of Project:  This is an outduction programme for final year students which would from part of the UCC series of themed initiatives based on the “Acorn to Oak” proposed brand.

Scoping and planning year: 2015/16

Pilot year for implementation and delivery: 2016/17

Although initially focusing on final year students, it will ultimately engage all UCC students, facilitating them to consider their future from the moment of their arrival in UCC, through to their graduation and beyond.

Residential Life Programme [Student Experience Office (SEO)]

Aim of Project:  To develop and implement Residential Life programmes in university-owned complexes, leased and/or private complexes. These programmes will emphasise student engagement, community building and student leadership, based on a ‘Living Learning Communities’ model and developed in partnership with UCC and the participating complexes. The programme will also provide advice and guidance for all UCC students regarding accommodation matters, aiming to present a ‘seamless’ service in partnership with CAU Ltd.

Increase provision of charging facilities and devices to students in Boole Library [SU]

Aim of Project:  Installation of Additional Sockets in the Library (old part) and the Installation of a 36 bay laptop loan and charging station in the Library

Supporting Student Health & Wellbeing [Student Health & Wellbeing via SEO]

Aims of Project:

• To increase the health and wellbeing supports directly available to students through an increase in provision of student and staff development workshops, the development of new workshops, an increase in the provision of exam stress emergency cover, an increase  in number of Consultant Psychiatry appointments available and an increase in the number of Student Health STI Free miniscreens
• To support the University’s efforts to achieve a target of  a first year retention rate of 93%
• To support the University’s efforts to  increase the proportion of students from overseas to 17%
• To support the University’s efforts to Increase the proportion of postgraduate students level to 30%

A physical activity intervention exploring enablers and constraints to social inclusion within a third level institute

Aim of the project:

• Explore physical activity, exercise, and recreational sports opportunities for students at risk of social exclusion through quality collaboration.
• Assess and identify who the student population are.
• Measure (objectively and subjectively) levels of habitual physical activity participation from the student population.
• Plan, develop and design an intervention programme with an inclusive ethos which is led by the stakeholders, in this instance the students themselves.
• Implementation of the intervention programme over a specific period of time.
• Evaluation: Ongoing and summative evaluation of the programme throughout its tenure and at the end of the allocated time period.
• This collaborative initiative would involve input from UCC Sports Department, UCC Health Matters, Sports and Law Clinic, Sports Studies and Physical Education, Centre for Contemporary Living and The Mardyke Arena. 

A Culture of Sexual Respect at UCC through Training and Education

Pilot 5 credit undergraduate compulsory module to be developed in 2016/2017 and commenced by way of pilot to first year undergraduate students in the School of Law at UCC.

Aim of project: To introduce to the student curriculum in UCC, a taught, compulsory 5 credit module which requires (ultimately) all students to engage with the issues of sexual respect, consent and other key related social challenges often faced in the course of student life. By developing a module as part of the learning experience this project will encourage a greater understanding and engagement with these important issues; both on an individual and on a cross campus cultural basis. 

Providing and Supporting Student Research for Community Groups through CARL (Community Academic Research Links)

The following are the aims of the project:

• To facilitate independent research by students to support the needs of community and voluntary groups.
• To provide students with the option of undertaking high impact research, present at national conferences, publish and the ability to demonstrate research skills to potential employers.
• Research is undertaken by students, from different disciplines, in collaboration with community partners and facilitated through CARL.
• To give students the opportunity to develop research analytical skills by addressing community problems, while being supervised by experienced researchers.
• To develop increased links between community groups and student researchers in order to identify valuable projects and align final year undergraduate and postgraduate students to relevant and ‘real world’ projects.
• Projects (e.g. provisions for the elderly, disability, youth work, environmental issues and develop IT solutions) carried out through UCC’s structures are regarded as being scientifically impartial and thus can provide community organisations with increased legitimacy in political debates or enhance their lobbying activities.

Learning & Development Supports

The aim of the project is to develop a co-ordinated suite of learning and development supports ready to be launched in the HUB in 2018.  UCC has been effective in the delivery of learning and development supports for Access Students. It is proposed that these supports are expanded and mainstreamed for the benefit of all students.

The project aims to co-ordinate the learning and development support available in UCC; to benchmark against other institutions, and to develop a co-ordinated sustainable model for the delivery of learning and development support for all first year students.

 The project will run over a three year period:

 Year 1:  Get the project up and running, expand the access supports and make them available to all students; i.e. drop- in clinics, workshops; commence internal consultation and benchmarking exercise.

 Year 2: Assess impact, uptake, and student feedback; develop and deliver new models of support where gaps have been identified.

 Year 3: Roll out a co-ordinated suit of supports ready to be launched in the HUB.

Support Student Counselling & Development Space Needs - Reconfiguration of SCD Rooms in Student Centre

Aim of project: To deliver 6 new Counselling Rooms in Áras na MacLeinn for the start of academic year 2016-17