Orientation is an essential part of your journey to becoming a full UCC student. We're here to help you make a successful transition to university life. Your Orientation is designed to provide resources and information to help you to have a successful university experience.
Welcome to Orientation 2021
Orientation is designed to welcome you as a first-year to UCC and introduce you to university life. You can view all the student support services and student life material and additional learning supports at your own pace. When you complete registration, you will get access to your first-year academic orientation from Monday 13th September. Academic Orientation is compulsory so please complete it before the commencement of lectures on Monday 27thSeptember.
Professor John O'Halloran is the 16th President of University College Cork, taking office on the 31st August 2021. Professor O'Halloran took over as Interim President in September 2020 having served as Deputy President and Registrar since 2018. Further to his duties as President, Professor O'Halloran is the current Director of UCC's Quercus Talented Students Programme. He is the Chair of the Green Campus Forum at UCC which has received many awards in recognition of its activities, including securing the first green flag ever awarded to a university.
Professor O'Halloran was previously Head of School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences at UCC, where he still holds the Chair in Zoology. He is also a former Vice-Head of the College of Science, Engineering & Food Science. He has also held academic posts in Wales and the USA and delivers invited lectures widely across Europe and North America.
2. Academic Orientation. This is provided by your course coordinators and lecturers on Canvas. You will find information on your Academic Orientation below.
Before you can complete your academic orientation, you'll need access to UCC's IT Systems. You will receive your UCC IT password within 2-3 days of accepting your offer. Once you've completed registration and received your IT password, you will be able to access Canvas, UCC's virtual learning environment.
Welcome from the First Year Experience Coordinator, Nóirín Deady.
We will have on-campus activities too! You can book a tour of the campus/library and pick up your student ID Card on the same day. During your tour, you will meet your Peer Support Leader who will guide you around campus and answer all your questions. You will have the opportunity to visit information stands too and meet the Students' Union.
We will schedule the Freshers' Fest on Saturday 25 September so save the date now. This is a fantastic opportunity to meet your classmates. You can attend workshops, take tours, sign up for Clubs and Socs. We will have music and food stalls which add to a carnival atmosphere on campus. Your family and friends are welcome too - we will schedule events/activities for them.
You will receive your Guide to Succes and Freshers' Fest brochure in the post in September.
Registration is when you register online for your programme and modules, complete the HEA Survey (only if you have not previously completed it), provide biographical information, update PPS Number (available from: www.welfare.ie), complete fee payment and download your Confirmation of Registration.
There are a number of UCC IT Systems that you will need during your time here. You'll already have encountered MyStudentAdmin during Registration. And you will be using Canvas to take part in Orientation. One of the first modules that you can complete as part of Orientation is the UCC IT Workshop from Student IT Services. This will further introduce you to the systems you will use as a UCC student.
Watch the video below for an introduction to Student IT Services in UCC.
You can also find further information in the UCC Success Zone on canvas.
How to use Canvas
Canvas is the platform that your online orientation will be delivered through. Canvas is a web-based learning management system, used by institutes of higher education around the world. It will be an important learning support to you in your time in UCC.
When you register with us, you will be automatically enrolled in the "Learning with Canvas" course, which is accessible through canvas.
You can also find further information in the UCC Success Zone on canvas.
Academic Orientation
During academic orientation, you will be introduced to the academic side of your university experience, including: a welcome from some of our leading academics learning how your course is structured and what you will learn during your degree, learning how you will be taught, how exams will take place, what assignments you will get and more, meet peers and current students from your course, opportunities to ask questions during live Q&A sessions...and much more!
Academic orientation is unique to each particular programme.
Learn about some of the things you can expect to find in your academic orientation below.
This material will be available from Monday 13th September, 2021
Understanding how your course works is important. During orientation, you will learn more about:
Your modules (compulsory and elective)
Credit weightings for them
Where you'll need to be for your classes, onsite or online
An outline of your assignments
And what you can expect to learn
Course practicalities
It's important to understand some of the practical elements of what's required of you to successfully complete a course of study. This part of orientation will inform you of:
Whether you'll have small group teaching in a practical, laboratory, seminar or tutorial
How much time you'll need to be dedicating to study outside of the lecture, lab or seminar room
The nature of your assignments
...and more, depending on the unique requirements of your course.
This is to allow you to plan for the year ahead and get a sense of what you will be doing.
Academic support and mentoring
You'll learn about the academic support available to you in your first year. You'll also learn about any mentoring schemes available. This part of the orientation programme will help you understand these supports and how they can help you to make the most of your academic learning.
Changing modules
There's a likelihood that you might want to change a module after you commence your studies. You'll be informed of the practicalities and administration involved in this at your academic orientation.
Your timetable
Your timetable will tell you what classes you have, when you have them and how they will be delivered. This part of orientation will help you understand how your timetable is put together and what the different modes of delivery such as on-campus, online or blended mean for you. You will also learn how to access your timetable via Canvas.
Questions about your timetable should be directed to your course coordinators.
Academic peers
Learn from those who have gone before you and experienced what you are going to experience. During online orientation you'll have the opportunity to hear from people who are currently taking the same course as you, but from a later year. Or you may also hear about the experiences from people who have taken your course in the past (alumni) and how it has affected their lives and careers.
As part of orientation, you'll have the chance to participate in live, online Q&A sessions with classmates, peers and staff. Take the opportunity to ask your burning questions.
Live Q&As take place at different times, depending on your programme.
College of Arts, Celtic Studies & Social Science
College of Business & Law
College of Science, Engineering & Food Science
College of Medicine & Health
Student rules and policies
Our rules and policies are available to all students and are here to help you have a safe and secure experience during your time at UCC.
Make sure to take the Student rules and policies lesson during Orientation to find out more.
COVID-19 Health Module
UCC is commited to ensuring that your learning environment is as safe as possible during the current COVID-19 pandemic. All of our staff members have been trained to ensure that we are fully compliant with COVID-19 regulations as set out by the HSE and our Government.
To ensure that your learning environment continues to be safe and secure for you and the entire UCC community, all students are required to complete the COVID-19 Health Module.
Take part in orientation (you will need your UCC IT details to log in) to access the COVID-19 Health Module.
