Inside NCI

Inside NCIThe magazine for friends of National College of Irelandwww.ncirl.ie

Sept 09Issue 3

News Features Interviews

Nora Owen Interview

Career BootCamp

Early Learning Initiative

Student Advice

Welcome to the third edition of Inside NCI, themagazine for friends of the National College ofIreland. We circulate this three times a year, to keepyou up to date with key initiatives happening at theCollege.

September is certainly a busy and exciting time atthe College. With our new students coming throughthe doors there is a sense of hope and optimism inthe air, which is particularly refreshing in thecurrent climate. We’ve included plenty of tips andadvice for all our new first years within these pages.My own advice is to relax and enjoy youreducational journey. Time really does fly and beforeyou know it, you’ll be wearing that graduationgown.

The same spirit of optimism permeated our recentCareer BootCamp, a week of free events andactivities at NCI to support people who areunemployed. The aim was to give people real skills,hope and the confidence to re-launch their career intoday’s tough employment market.

A silver lining to our current economic woes is themood of extraordinary generosity that prevails.There is a real sense of working together to build amore socially just community, in which everyonecan participate. The Career BootCamp was a strikingexample of that spirit, with all of our career expertsdonating their time and expertise without charge.We couldn’t have done it without them.

Intelligence is evenly distributed across all sectorsof society. At NCI our central role is to release thisinnate talent, making third level accessible to all.And, maybe, have a bit of fun along the way.

Enjoy the magazine.

Best wishes

Dr. Paul MooneyPresident

President’sWWeellccoommee

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Welcome to the third editionof Inside NCI, your regularround-up of news, views andevents from across NationalCollege of Ireland.

The next issue will be out inJanuary 2010, but we will havelots happening between nowand then. See page 16 forupcoming events or visit theNews & Events section of ourhomepage: www.ncirl.ie. Youcan also follow us on Twitter(http://twitter.com/ncirl) orbecome a fan of our Facebookpage.

We even have a few NCI bloggersyou can check out if you’re soinclined:

derycktormey.wordpress.com;eoloughlin.blogspot.com;jimmyhill.wordpress.com;leocasey.blogspot.com,nellatnci.wordpress.com.

Each has a unique voice that willreally give you a flavour of life atNCI.

We’ve enjoyed getting yourfeedback on the magazine soplease keep it coming; [email protected] or write to:

Emma HendersonNational College of IrelandMayor SquareDublin 1

Special thanks as always to thecontributors to this publication:

EditorEmma Henderson (nee Kytzia)

EditorialCorrie AdamsSinead BheilbighJosephine BleachBeatrice CantalejoRobbie CarsonJonathan LambertNeal NewmanSinead O’SullivanPaul Stynes

DesignGrainne McElroy

PhotographyBeatrice CantalejoBonnie CullenDeryck Tormey

NCI: 01 4498500www.ncirl.ie

In this issue

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2346891012

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2009 so far in pictures

Dr No Says Yes

Change Your Life Winner Announced

NCI Welcomes All Our New Students

Learning Outside the Classroom

Foundation Maths: In Perspective

Career BootCampSupporting Continuous LearningJourneys: ELI @ NCIFeature Interview: Nora OwenNCI Foundation

NCI Noticeboard

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Cover Image:Niamh Fleming,Noel Ryan andCatriona Flood(ELI) enjoy somereading at NCI

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EdTech 2009, the 10th annual Irish EducationalTechnology User’s Conference, took place at NationalCollege of Ireland in May. Pictured (L-R) are NiallSclater, Director of Learning Innovation at the UKOpen University, ILTA’s Paul Gormley and RichardKatz, Vice-President of Educause.

Paul Rellis, MD of MicrosoftIreland, opened proceedingsat NCI's School of ComputingProject Showcase in May.Fourth year students gavedemonstrations of their finalyear projects to an audienceof fellow students, ITprofessionals and potentialemployers including Telefon-ica O2 Ireland, Oracle, ABNAMRO Bank and The MaxolGroup, among others.

June saw the return of Discover University to NationalCollege of Ireland. 31 secondary school students, fromthe Docklands and Liberties areas, were given theopportunity to experience student life at NCI. Theprogramme was organised by NCI’s Early LearningInitiative. See page 12 for more on ELI.Carla Ryan and Cody Hanlon, both 9 years old from St. Laurence

O’Toole’s School, Dublin (pictured with their mothers) were

among 150 young people presented with a Stretch to Learn

Award from NCI’s Early Learning Initiative in May.

2009in picturesso far

In August, 30 NCI students from 2nd and 3rd year were trained as peermentors. The group will support and encourage new students and ensurea positive first year experience.

In June, NCI’s Robert Wardand Emma Kytzia werepresented with aprestigious PRCA Awardfor Excellence in PublicRelations by Mr BrianLenihan TD, Minister forFinance. NCI won in theNot-for-Profit category forits popular Legends InYour Lunchtime eventseries, which is run inpartnership with Metroand Newstalk 106-108 fm.

On September 7th then o m i nations wereannounced for the 2009Irish Web Awards. NCIwas delighted to benominated by thepublic in the ‘BestEducation and ThirdLevel Website’ categoryfor www.ncirl.ie. Thewinning websites willbe announced at aceremony on October10th in Dublin. Seehttp://awards.ie/ formore.

Pictured:NCI webmaster Bonnie Cullen.

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Dr. Ian Paisley was the latest in the stellar lineup of speakers for NCI’s Legends In YourLunchtime sessions – the series of freeleadership events run in partnership withNewstalk 106-108 fm and Metro. Dr. Paisleywas interviewed by George Hook, presenter ofThe Right Hook on Newstalk 106-108 fm.

Dr. Paisley shared his experiences ofleadership throughout a career spanningmore than 5 decades, during which time hewitnessed and led dramatic changes inNorthern Ireland. His decision to enter apower-sharing Government with his age oldopponents Sinn Fein prompted Tony Blair’sstatement: “The man famous for saying Nowill go down in history for saying Yes."

Dr. No says Yes

On the 31st of May last year, Dr. Paisleyretired as Leader of the Democratic UnionistParty and First Minister of the new devolvedgovernment in Northern Ireland. At the timeof his retirement, Sinn Fein's MartinMcGuinness said that: "The historic decisionhe took to go into government with Sinn Feinhas changed the face of Irish politics forever.I think that he will be fondly remembered bythe people of Ireland – north and south – forthe very courageous leadership that heshowed."

Martin McGuinness

Legends In Your Lunchtime continues with businessconsultant Leslie Buckley on Wednesday 30thSeptember. Currently Chairman of Saon Group, Mr.Buckley is a founding director of telecomms groupDigicel. He was involved in the start-up of EsatTelecom and Esat Digifone, holding the position ofacting COO at Esat Telecom in 1996/97. In 1990 heestablished his own consultancy business and hisappointments included the restructuring ofWaterford Crystal, the restructuring and sale of IrishSteel plc, consulting work with Irish Rail and therestructuring of Aer Lingus.

Mr. Buckley has recentlyestablished Haven, a charitythat builds and upgradeshouses for impoverishedpeople in Haiti. He will betalking to Newstalk’sEamon Keane, host ofLunchtime between 12 and2, and a new addition toour line-up of Legendspresenters.

Further speakers include: Maeve Donovan, ManagingDirector, The Irish Times, on Wednesday 7thOctober; Fergus Finlay, Chief Executive of Barnardos,on Wednesday 28th October, and Eamonn Fallon,Chief Executive of Daft Media on 11th November.Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams rounds off the currentseries. All events take place at National College ofIreland in the IFSC, are free of charge and open to thepublic – but attendees must register at www.ncirl.ie.

Legends in Your Lunchtimewith business consultantLeslie Buckley30th September1-2pm

Legends in Your Lunchtimewith Irish Times MD,Maeve Donovan7th October1-2pm

Innovation DublinUrban Folklore Project14th - 20th October

Insights Debate Series15th October5.45pm - 7.45pm

Leaving Cert RevisionSessions27th October10am-5pm

Legends in Your Lunchtimewith Barnardos CEO,Fergus Finlay28th October1-2pm

Legends in Your Lunchtimewith Daft Media CEO,Eamonn Fallon7th November1-2pm

Undergraduate Open Day18th November10am-3pm

NCI Graduation19th & 20th NovRDS

Legends in Your Lunchtimewith Gerry Adams25th November

Undergraduate Open Day15th January - 10am - 3pm16th January - 11am - 2pm

www.ncirl.ie

NCI Events

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In August NCI and Metroannounced that Karl Kilmartinis the winner of the ChangeYour Life Education Fund.

Karl was chosen from 7finalists and will receivea life-changing prize thatincludes an educational fundworth €20,000 and €15,000in other supports, suchas mentoring, computerequipment and even a style package worth €1,000.

Entrants were asked to submit their personal stories andanswer the question: Why do you want to change your life, andhow could education help?

NCI President Paul Mooney said that the judges had a verydifficult task: “The overall standard of entries was incrediblyhigh. We had a really strong response and each entry includeda powerful 2000 word essay that outlined how education couldchange that individual's life for the better. It was a tough choicebut Karl’s honesty and determination stood out. His personaljourney is a real-life story of survival and success against theodds. Karl is passionate about getting ahead and he believesthat an education is the only thing now missing from his life. Weare delighted to make that dream come true.”Karl has been a participant on Jobcare’s FAS-sponsored TrasnaProgramme since January 2008 – a project designed forex-offenders. Jobcare’s Founder, also called Paul Mooney, saidthey were delighted to see such a successful result for Karl andthe Trasna Programme. “It shows that, given opportunity,support and development, ex-offenders like Karl have thecapacity to change their situations and provide a future forthemselves and their family. Trasna provides a good balance ofwork, training, and mentoring and has arrested the cycle ofre-offending for many of the 30 participants who have beenenrolled on the programme, helping them achieve a stablepersonal and social balance.”

Kieran Forde, Marketing Manager for Metro,said they were delighted to be approachedabout partnering the College in this initiative,which offered people from all walks of life theopportunity to use education to improve theirlives.

He went on to say: "Having been part of theselection process from start to finish, it wasempowering for me to see both the amount ofpeople who took the time to tell us their storiesand the importance people place on usingeducation to make a positive life change. Ipersonally was delighted Karl was the overallwinner - a moving story, a great guy and a reallife example of someone who came back fromadversity and turned his life around.

I am sure he will be a huge success in his newlife as a student at NCI. We were also thrilledthat the 6 other worthy finalists were given theopportunity to take advantage of the scholarshipoffered by NCI. Well done to all who took partand our thanks to NCI!"

Karl secured a place on the BA in Managementof Technology in Business which commencesthis September.

CHANGE YOUR LIFEWINNER ANNOUNCED

Left: Karl withpartner Donnaand their two children

Runner - Up ScholarshipsThe seven finalists who progressed tothe interview stage of the contest wereso inspiring that the judges resolved todo something for each and every one ofthem. Each finalist was offered ajoint NCI/Metro Change Your LifeScholarship, which will cover awhopping 75% of the cost of theirchosen course.

Commenting on the scholarship,Paul Mooney said: “We want to help asmany people as possible to fulfil theireducational ambitions. The ChangeYour Life Scholarship means we canhelp each of the finalists to achieve theirpotential, regardless of their financialsituation. In addition, we have invitedeveryone who entered the competitionto a special advice clinic at the college,where we give one-to-one sessions onhow people can move forward with theireducation and career.”

Main: Karl at work with the Trasna Programme

A version of this article first appeared in the Irish Independent Special Educational Supplement on 17/08/09.

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On behalf of the Students’ Union and all thestudents at the College, I am delighted towelcome you to National College of Ireland.You’ve chosen well: NCI has a greatatmosphere and a friendly, community vibe.With a whole host of social activities andsports facilities, you will quickly get to knowpeople and make lifelong friends. The Unionis here to help and support you through eachstep of your College journey.

This is an exciting time, but can often be a little overwhelming, too.I’ve put together some top tips to help ease the transition to collegelife:

•Sort out your living arrangements as quickly as possible.At NCI student accommodation is guaranteed for first yearstudents, so make the accommodation office your first stop. Youcould also opt to live off campus, with other students or with afamily in lodgings or 'digs'. Whatever you choose, give yourselfplenty of time and start looking as early as you can.

•Drag yourself to lectures. It can be very tempting to miss theodd lecture and this can soon turn into a bad habit. It might soundboring but trust me, regular attendance will make your life so mucheasier in the long run. You can't rely on textbooks and course notesalone, lecturers will explore topics and provide helpful advice.You'll get to know your lecturers too, which will make it easier toapproach them if you ever have a question or an issue they canhelp with.

•Find the right balance: Many students struggle to balance theiracademic workload with clubs and societies, social activities andpart-time work. It’s a common mistake to take on too manyactivities and you can start to feel overwhelmed. It’s important thatyou strike the right balance between work and play. They are bothessential parts of the college experience, so don’t neglect one infavour of the other.

•Get involved with the Students' Union. Every registered studentis automatically a member of the SU, whose job it is to protectstudents' rights and promote your interests. So get to know yourelected officers. Stop by and say hello, or if you don't fancy thedirect approach, you can also contact each officer individually. Ourcontact details can be found at www.ncisu.ie. There are greatfacilities in the SU and it's generally where a bit of craic can be hadthroughout the year.

•Sign up for a club or society. This is a fantastic way to meetnew people, go on trips and maybe even win an award at the endof the year. Everyone has different interests, so if what you'reinterested in isn't already represented, then set it up yourself!

Some top tips for settlinginto your new life

NCI welcomes all

Robbie Carson, President,NCI Students’ Union

Meet your StuName: Robbie CarsAge: 22Position: PresidentEmail: president@nAdvice to new stuUnion is there to henot for a serious chmad place sometim

Name: Ciaran MulqAge: 22Position: Vice PresEmail: vicepresidenAdvice to new stuan open mind andboat. Study hard anreally does help.

Name: Shane DoyleAge: 21Position: Clubs & SEmail: clubsandsocAdvice to new stuand attend NCI nigeveryone!

Name: Niall CarberAge: 19Position: EntertainEmail: [email protected] to new stusocial side. It’s the

Name: Colum O’KaAge: 21Position: Student SEmail: [email protected] to new stusocial activities. Ifand can’t remembeclass topic is aboutfew more classes.

Name: Shane MooreAge: 19Position: PR OfficerEmail: [email protected] to new studWeek. And go to claaround the college,

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our new studentsudents’ Union Six Steps to Academic Success:

A Lecturer’s Advice

Paul Stynes is a lecturer in the School ofComputing at the National College of Ireland.Here, he offers advice that he wishessomeone had told him, when he started hisfirst year of college:

1. Attend your lecturesYou will probably be tired of people sayingthis but it’s worth repeating: college life isvery different to school. The emphasis is onindependent learning – which means thatyour lecturers won’t be on your back in thesame way that your parents or teachersmight have been.

This makes it very tempting to miss the odd lecture: however, I can’t emphasiseenough that for most students, attendance is fundamental to academic success.I will often cover areas that aren’t in the textbooks and go into topics in muchgreater depth. I will also give advice on assignments, on studying and on examswhich will help you to successfully get a degree. I’ve noticed a definite correlationbetween the students who fail and those who don’t turn up for their lectures.

2. Know your learning styleAt NCI, we work with students to identify their preferred style of learning, whichhelps people to revise better and ultimately, to perform better academically.Individual preferences can be used to help develop more effective strategies forlearning, and can determine how you take in information, how you should studyand how you should prepare for an exam. One of my mantras is “learn more withless effort”.

3. Get to know your lecturersIntroduce yourself after the lecture or alternatively stop by their office or emailthem if you have a question. It might sound intimidating but by and large, we area fairly approachable lot. Getting to know us means that we’re getting to knowyou, too – don’t be just another face in the crowd.

4. Take all the help that’s on offerAvail of all the learning development support that is provided. This can rangefrom study skills to time management and critical thinking. It’s free and it willhelp you with your course.

5. Make friends in your classApart from all the usual social reasons, befriending someone in your class willgive you more incentive to attend your lectures and you’ll also have somebodyto discuss things with. Also, just in case one of you really, really has to misssomething (and see point number 1 before you do), you’ll also have somebodyto trade your lecture notes with.

6. Hit the ground runningMy students always seem surprised when the exams loom - they come aroundsooner than you'd think! Try not to let things overwhelm you. Keep up with yourreading, do plenty of library research, complete assignments and attend lecturesfrom the outset.

This might sound boring, but start as you mean to go on and you'll have takenthe first step towards academic and personal success.

son

tncisu.iedents: Have a great year. The Students’elp you so please come down to see us, ifhat then come down for a laugh. It can be ames, with any amount of craic!

queen

[email protected]: Make as many friends as possible, keepdon’t be nervous: all first years are in the samend party harder – and go to your lectures! It

e

Societies [email protected]: Don’t be shy, get to know your class,hts out; after a few drinks everyone knows

ry

ments Officeriedents: Get involved in class and on theonly way to enjoy college.

ane

Services & Equality Officeredents: Don’t be afraid to get involved in theyou don’t know the name of your lecturer,

er which room the class is in or what thet, then you should probably start going to a

e

rcomdents: Attend everything during Fresher’sass, it’s very important. Make yourself knownvisit the SU and introduce yourself.

This article was first published in Herald AM

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When you think about all the things you’re going tolearn at college, ultimate frisbee probably isn’t the firstthing to spring to mind. Or karting, table tennis,fashion shows or poker, either - but you’ll find all ofthese activities, and more, on offer at your newcollege. And the advice from Corrie Adams, theStudent Support and Recreation Co-ordinator atNational College of Ireland, is that getting involved inextracurricular activities means you’ll get a whole lotmore out of your college experience.

According to Corrie, whose role is to promote anddevelop sports and recreation programmes at NCI,the college experience is about so much more thanwhat you learn in the classroom. “Use your time atcollege to discover, explore and challenge yourself”,he said. “Take advantage of all the availableopportunities to develop new interests and skills. Thechance to get involved and make really close friendswill be an amazing part of your educational journey.”

The best way to experience thestudent lifestyle is to get involved in eventsand activities organised by students forstudents. By joining a club or society youcan explore your interests, hone yourtalents and meet new people. Becoming amember of a club or society also offersopportunities to represent your collegein spor ts leagues, in terco l leg iatecompetitions, and a range of specialinterest trips and events. As well as beinggreat fun, these provide even moreopportunity to meet other students withsimilar interests.

The drive, commitment and achievements of the studentswho run clubs and societies are celebrated at the annualcollege awards ceremonies, and there’s a chance ofbeing nominated for the National Society Awards, too.“Clubs and societies are operated by the Students’Union”, explains Corrie, “and my role is to support them inany way that I can.”

Another way to get involved is through the peer mentoringprogramme. Corrie explains that students are more likelyto seek help and advice from their peers, so manycolleges operate peer mentoring programmes to help firstyears settle into college life. Through training and ongoing

guidance, peer mentors developimportant skills includinglistening to the needs of thestudents, assisting them infinding a social outlet, andidentifying students at risk andreferring them to the appropriatesupport service.

It’s not just about meeting peopleand having fun. Participating inextracurricular activities helpsyou in other ways, too: you’lllearn valuable life skills liketeam work, communication andtime management, which are allhighly sought after by employers.Successfully balancing youra c a d e m i c w o r k l o a d w i t hinvolvement in various initiativesdemonstrates that you’ rere l iab le , wel l - rounded andresponsible.

So don’t be afraid to sign up for the ultimate frisbee club:it just might set you apart when you apply for that dreamjob...

Learning Outside theClassroom

Corrie Adams is the StudentSupport and RecreationCoordinator at NationalCollege of Ireland.

Use your timeat college to discover,

explore andchallenge yourself

Arts SocietyBadminton ClubBasketball ClubChess ClubChristian Union SocietyDarts ClubFashion SocietyGaelic Football ClubGolf ClubReachout SocietyRotaract SocietySurfing ClubTennis ClubUltimate Frisbee ClubWargames Society

Some of the clubs andsocieties available at NCI:

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2 Minute Interview: Sarah Duignan (Admissions Officer)

1. A common misperception of me is...I'm quiet (no, really, people have thoughtthat)

2. I`m good at... working underpressure

3. I`m not-so-good at... being patient(but I hide it well)

4. The ideal night out is... going down toDunmore East with friends and sitting be-side the fire listening to trad music

5. The last book I read was… Warand Peace, nah it was Wicked - thelife and times of the Wicked Witchof the West - Brilliant

6. The last cd I listened to was…Florence and the Machine - Lungs

7. My favourite part of my job is…doing reports and graphs, I can'tget enough of graphs

8. It frustrates me when…I can't do everything on my'To Do' list within the week

9. A phrase I use far toooften is... Hello AdmissionsSarah speaking...

10. In a nutshell, myphilosophy is… what goesaround comes around so benice!

returned to education after a gap ofmany years, or with little prioreducational attainments. NCI pridesitself in its ability to attract andprogress this student cohort throughthe rigors of third leveleducation. The key is to buildc o n f i d e n c e a n d i n c r e a seself-efficacy levels among ourstudent population. The first stepalong this road has to be with theteacher and the way we teach maths.Firstly, we need to create energy inthe classroom for our topic.

Last year, 6210 students were told that they might not qualify for a place at third level - and that ifthey did, their choice of course could be limited. These students were excluded from college oruniversity because of a decision they made when they were 15/16 years old; the decision to sitFoundation Maths at Leaving Cert level. National College of Ireland is removing this barrier and is nowaccepting Foundation Level Mathematics as part of the minimum entry requirements to all courses.

This change will make asignificant difference to thehuge number of students whomeet all other requirements butstruggle with this one particularsubject. NCI provides adedicated Mathematics SupportService which will help studentsto improve their maths skillsonce they get here.

The College is now one year intothe development of theMathematics Support Service.The objective of this service is toempower students with theconfidence to take responsibilityfor their own mathematical learning. Theservice provides an environment for studentswho are experiencing difficulties or wish toimprove their understanding of andconfidence in mathematical concepts.

It is well documented that many students whoproceed from second to third level bring withthem an underdeveloped mathematical ability.This should not become an obstacle to ourteaching. As mathematics teachers we shouldrelish the challenges and equip ourselves tomeet these with whatever means available,whether through technology or hard work. Inour experience at NCI, lack of Honours Mathsat Leaving Cert level has never been a barrierto academic success. Consider the part-timestudent population, many of whom have

Secondly, we need to develop the use of learningenvironments and innovative examinationtechniques. Thirdly, weneed to go back to basics asteachers and harness thebenefits of problem solvingthrough the use of“chalkboard”, a techniquethat has lasted the test oftime with regard tomathematics teaching.

With the acceptance of Foundation Level Maths atNCI, widening participation has been advancedone step further. We are in a position to lead andset the scene for the future of mathematicseducation at third level and to build a model thatcan be applied across the industry.

Foundation Mathematics: IInn PPeerrssppeeccttiivvee

Jonathan Lambert, Maths Support Tutor, NCI

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Between Monday 31st August and Saturday 5th September more than 1,000 people attended NCI’sCareer Boot Camp, run in partnership withIrishjobs.ie, The Sunday Times and Dublin’s 98 FM.This weeklong programme of free advisory eventswas designed to provide people with real skills andinsights to cope with the new rules of job searching.

Career Boot Camp was a response from the Collegeto the unprecedented numbers of people who arecurrently unemployed. It provided help and supportacross a number of areas including the hidden jobmarket, the new rules of the job search and copingwith the stress of redundancy.

Practical events included education advice, CV clinics,interview workshops, networking events and more.

CCAARREEEERR BOOTCAMP

“The content and delivery of each of the workshops were of the highest quality. I have come away with

knowledge, skills and confidence anda large network of like minded friends. The NCI staff could not have been more helpful and friendly with constant smiles on their faces. ”

Patti Thompson

Leading experts volunteered their time withoutcharge to help people overcome the challengesof the current economy.

Speakers included career experts Rowan Manahan, Brian McIvor and Aine McKevitt DublinJob Club founder Aaron Downes; business psychologist Johanna Fullerton; venture capitalist Maura Moore; trainer and consultant Conor Morris, and Krishna De, anaward winning expert in the areas of brand engagement, digital marketing and social media.

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…their hard work earned the Fashion Society acoveted award at the ’08 Clubs and Socs Ball.

BOOTCAMPNCI President Dr. Paul Mooney explainedthat the background to the event was rootedin the College’s mission and Jesuit history.

He said: “NCI’s mission is to help peopleachieve their full potential, so we wanted torespond in a practical way to the recordnumbers of people who have lost their jobsor feel that their job is at risk.

The whole week was aimed at givingpeople the tools to take back their careerand their future.”

He went on to say that recession haschanged the employment landscape: “It’s abit of a minefield and people need adviceand support to navigate their way through.”

“It was great to meet with other people in a similar situation

and it was an extremely positive experience. The event was exceptionally motivating and inspiring. I feel re-energised and empowered to take control of

my future”Caroline Kehoe

"Thanks for this Boot Camp. It was exactly what I

needed to get the energyback and to get new ideason how to enter the job

market."

Petra Bangemann

The week also incorporated the successfulThink2act conference (www.think2act.org)which took place on Monday 31st October.

NCI was delighted to support this advisoryevent for the second time, following thesuccess of the inaugural event on 30thJune.

The conference incorporated one-to-onecareer coaching and inspirational speakersthat left attendees motivated to take action. The event was the brain-child of Celine Mullins, Act 4 Business(www.a4b.ie) and Eibhl in John s t o n ,f rom ThinkCoaching (www.thinkcoaching.ie).

Robert Ward, NCI’s Director of Marketingand Student Recruitment, said: “NCI is delighted to have helped so many peoplethroughout the course of the week and wecould not have done it without the extraordinary generosity of all of our experts.

By gifting their time and their expertisethey allowed us to really make a differenceand to help so many people who have beenaffected by the current economy. Times aredifficult but there are jobs out there andwe’ve hopefully educated and motivatedpeople to find them.”

in Partnership with...

Top: Brian McIvor

Bottom Left: NCI staff welcomeattendees

Bottom Right: CV clinics and Interview workshops were included in the programme

Alumni On the Move

The Sligo Chamber has recently appointed NCIAlumni Hilary McParland as aBusiness Executive for thegroup. A native of Sligo, Hilary graduated with a BAin Human Resources Management through the National College of Irelandoff-Campus Network. In addition, she holds a Business Degree from theSligo Institute of Technology.Hilary, who has a backgroundin e-business, marketing andrecruitment, has joined theSligo Chamber with extensiveexperience from the CountyEnterprise Board where she was a Programme Co-ordinator for Sligo andLeitrim. Best of luck Hilary inyour new role!

NCI Alumni wins Network Mayo Businesswoman of

the Year

Congratulations to NCIAlumni Olwen Dawe who recently won the NetworkMayo Businesswoman of theYear award in the employeecategory. Olwen graduatedwith an Honours BA in Industrial Relations from theNational College of Irelandin 2004 and has sincew o r k e d i n v a r i o u s operations and managementroles including HR positionsin Tesco Ireland Head Officeand Daiwa Securities. In2007 Olwen took her currentrole with Celtic Invoice Discounting Limited openingtheir second office in CountyMayo. Celtic offers cash flowsolutions for small tomedium and developingbusinesses and has recentlyopened a new division toprovide support and adviceto businesses on a range ofissues.

What would you dowith €1000?

Join the NCI Alumni onlinecommunity today and startthinking what you could dowith the €1000 prize thatwill be raffled amongst itsmembers. The NCI AlumniOnline Community offersyou plenty of benefits in-cluding a friends tracingservice, an exclusive NCIAlumni Career Centre, acomprehensive discountscheme, regular e-zines andother College publications,invitation to professionaland networking events…andmuch more!

Register Now @

http://alumni.ncirl.ie

Alumni

News

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Parent who attended theParent Together Community Course

It helped with thepraise, I realised Iwasn’t praising thebaby, After the training I found that Iwas praising himloads, like with everylittle thing saying“that’s great son”. SoI find myself doing itmore, it helped mewith that.

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Deryck Tormey hasbeen appointed School

As part of the School of Community Studies, the Early Learning Initiative (ELI) atNCI is a community-based educational initiative. It is funded by a small numberof private sector companies, who identified early years education, and parental involvement in their children’s education, as the key to greater educationalachievement and prosperity. Their goal was to improve the educational attainmentin the inner city communities surrounding NCI using best practice programmes.

ELI supports children and parents as they make the transitions between educational providers. This begins in early infancy with the Spórt is Spraoi toddlergroups and Parent Child Home Programme (PCHP). Both are focused on helpingparents to develop their children’s social, language and thinking skills. Books andtoys are provided as gifts to the families so they can continue the activities, in their own time and at their own pace. This helps thechildren to develop the skills they need to succeed in school, as well as providingthem with essential early learning materials.

Being a parent is difficult and it can be hard for parents to know the right way todevelop their children’s interests and social skills. ELI developed the Parents Together Community Course in partnership with the Parents Plus Charity, MaterHospital. This highly successful parenting course brings parents together to discuss their relationships with their children and support each other in learningnew positive parenting strategies.

While early years support is essential, to help children progress to further andhigher education, ELI also provides ongoing support to both parents and students. The Stretch to Learn programmes include literacy and numeracy projects, familycelebration awards, andsecond level tuition alongwith support for third levelstudents.

A key element of the EarlyLearning Initiative and the wider School of Community Studies at NCI is to provide on going professional andpersonal development opportunities for local educators.

The aim is to promote t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f successful, high-achievingcommunities and therebyimprove the children’s life chances.

PCHPThe Parent Child Home Programme (PCHP) is aninnovative, home based literacyand parenting programme thatstrengthens families and prepares children to succeedacademically. The Early LearningInitiative has modified the programme, which operates in13 states in the U.S., to meet theneeds of the families in theDocklands.

Trained home visitors visit thefamily over a two year (schoolyear) period, bringing books andtoys to model for parents' waysto increase a child's vocabulary.At the end of the two years thefamily has a library of children'sbooks, a large collection of toys,but more importantly the families have learned that reading together is an enjoyableway to spend time.

The Early Learning Initiative celebrated two PCHP firsts inMay 2009. We were certified asan official PCHP training centrefor PCHP sites and Coordinatorsin Ireland and we held the graduation of first group ofPCHP families in the Kelly Theatre, hosted by the collegePresident Dr. Paul Mooney.

One grandad of a child involvedin the programme wrote thispoem to celebrate the occasion.

All the children here todayAre a credit to every Mum and DadAnd such a source of pride and joy

To every tutor that they had

This really is how good it getsThe children with their nice rosettes

At this stage in their educationAttending for their graduation

This programme has to carry on‘Twould be a shame, if it was goneSo thanks to all the girls and Beth

They’ve done their best since we firstmet

If Jack and Josie should have a babyNearly impossible,

but who knows, maybeWe’d ring up Beth,

and ask if she is ableTo find if Pamela is available

Then put us down on Pamela’s listFor after Molly, she’ll be sadly missedTo have her call, would be a pleasureThat Josie and baby would surely

treasure.

Jack (Grandad to Molly) Byrne.

Left: Kinna Caffrey enjoys playing andlearning at NCI

Above: Students at the ELI’S Discover University Graduation

Supporting ContinuousLLeeaarrnniinngg JJoouurrnneeyyss:: The Early Learning Initiative at NCI

They said things like ‘the college was massive’, ‘the college is very near East Wall’, ‘we could go to university when we getbig’. I think it widened their

life experience.’

Teacher whose class participated in NCI Challenge

For more on the work of theELI see www.ncirl.ie/eli

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What is it like to be the grandniece of Michael Collins?All over the country there are people who just want toshake my hand because of my connection with MichaelCollins. He was admired across the board and I oftenthought about what he would do in certain circumstances particularly when I was dealing with theNorth during my Ministry.

Who have been your biggest influences, both personally and professionally?Garret Fitzgerald really inspired me as a young politician and even now I am amazed at his insight andwisdom in today’s problems. I met Kofi Annan severaltimes and he, together with Nelson Mandela, obviouslyhave inspired me. My mother, Kitty O’Mahony was mybiggest influence. She was widowed in 1949 with 6young children under 10 and she went back to work andp u t 4 o f 6 t h r o u g hUniversity before fees were abolished. She taught endless students in the College of Catering whostill approach me to saywhat an influence she hadon their lives.

What encouraged you toenroll on the Certificate inBusiness Law at NCI? I was anxious to keep mybrain active after I leftelected politics in 2002 so Ihad a look at various options in a number of colleges with a view to doing athird level course. The Certificate in Business Law reallyinterested me as I was now on some charity boards andinterested in governance issues. Also NCI was very convenient for me by train. I attended an open day anddecided to sign on!

Do you have any abiding memories of NCI?I enjoyed re-entering College after a very long gap (40plus years), meeting the others in the class, using thelibrary and challenging the brain to remember facts andlinking them with day to day happenings in our courts!For instance, the Insider Trading case was in court during my year.

What makes National College of Ireland different?The wide variety of full and part-time options available makes the College attractive to older peoplewho may not have had the chance of formal third levelbut have work experience and can now get formal qualifications. It also is a College that really connectswith the people of the area near its base.

You initially qualified as a chemist. What prompted youto change your career and get involved in politics?I had become a full-time mother to care for my three children and got involved in local community activities such as the Community Council, local newspaper, Resident’s Association etc. I was asked tostand in Local Elections in 1979 much to my surprise anddecided to take a chance. In January 1981 there was aGeneral Election and I stood with the sitting TD late JohnBoland (as a sweeper or so they thought) and gotelected. That started my national career and I gotelected until 2002 with a break between 1987 and 1989.

What would you regard as your finest achievement asa politician?Two things in particular pleased me that I was able tohelp with. I chaired the Development Aid Committee for7 years and helped to raise the issue of third world aid,ensuring increased funds were made available for thisvital work. Also, as Minister for Justice that establishedthe Criminal Assets Bureau, which has been vital to tackling organised crime

Can you tell us about some of the projects that youare currently involved in?I am a member of the Commission for the support of Victims of Crime, established 4 years ago by Michael McDowell. I am an Officer and member of the ConcernWorldwide Board, both in Ireland and the UK. I chair a

Committee on Justiceand Home Affairs in the Institute of Internationaland European Affairs. Ihave been a member ofthe Forum on Europe for the last 6 years untilit was closed down bythe government! I haveb e e n i n v o l v e d i n parliamentary trainingin many emerging de m o c r a c i e s l i k eMacedonia, Cambodia,Albania and have linksw i t h t h e N a t i o n a l Democratic Instituteb a s e d i n Washington.

What are the main goals of the NCI Alumni Leadership Council?The Leadership Council of the NCI Alumni Associationare hard-working volunteers who are committed to supporting the goals of the College, keeping alumni connected to each other and the College. The Councilcomprises up to 18 NCI alumni who are dedicated to theCollege’s mission and to the growth and prosperity ofthe Alumni Association.

We would like to ensure that former graduates feel connected with the college and perhaps give back totheir alma mater in different ways. Alumni associationsare also a great link for graduates who have left Irelandand want to meet fellow Irish men and women.

What do you most like doing when you’re not working?Play bridge, go to the cinema, read a good book, havefood with family and friends and meet for a really goodchat!

Feature Interview:

Nora Owen Nora Owen, Chair of NCI’s Alumni Leadership Council, is a former Minister for Justice and deputyleader of Fine Gael. Born in Dublin in 1945, Nora is asister of Mary Banotti and a grand-niece of MichaelCollins. In 2004, Nora studied the NCI Certificate inBusiness Law.

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Invesco Invests in ProgressInvesco, the largest Irish-owned firm of employee benefits consultants, recently agreed a partnership withNCI’s new workforce development strategy for the financial services sector, Progressions.

Des McGarry, MD of Invesco said “We are honoured toprovide financial support for National College of Ireland’s Progressions programme. As a company we are committed to making a difference in the community,and with Progressions, we’re able to play a part in helping create employment opportunities for 300 people over the next three years.”

Progressions comes at a challenging time for the financial services sector in Ireland. Our partnership withInvesco, and with over a dozen other financial servicescompanies, will help make employment in the sector areality for local people who otherwise may not get thechance to pursue their career dreams,” said Neal Newman, NCI Foundation Director.

Invesco is over 18 years in operation and is owner managed with offices in both Dublin and Cork.

Gill & Macmillan Gift The NCI Foundation is pleased to announce a newscholarship scheme for students from the D12area. The scheme has been made possible by Gill& Macmillan, one of Ireland's oldest publishers.

For students who require financial assistance, the scholarship fund will also include a stipend fortextbooks from the Gill & Macmillan list and anaffinity programmefor NCI alumni, staffand faculty. "We arevery excited by the opportunity to partner with NCI tocreate a scholarshipscheme for local people who live in ourD12 area," said Dermot O'Dwyer,Managing Director."We strongly believein the NCI missionand want to help asmany people as possible change their lives through higher education."

What was your first job?Loading quarters of beef carcass onto container trucksin Clover Meats, Waterford.

Who would your three all-time dinner guests be?Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill and Warren Buffett.

What would you do withthree wishes?1.To be young and fit enough to play hurling for

Kilkenny again.2.A year to travel to the many interesting/different

places in the world that I have not visited, e.g. Alaska, Tibet, Antarctica.

3.To go to Harvard for personal growth, experience and education (or NCI when the new MBA programme comes on stream in 2010!).

Who is the person you most admire?Sam Walton, founder and leader of Wal-Mart.

If they were making a film of your life, the actorplaying you would be: Paul Newman.

How important is Higher Education to the futureprosperity of Ireland?Absolutely critical, our only ability to compete for newbusiness investment relative to many other low costcountry options is to be able to offer business employers young, energetic, well educated people withdrive and ‘can do’ attitude.

If you were An Taoiseach for a day what one changewould you make to ease our current economic difficulties?Reduce the permanent cost of running every Government Department by 10% and accept the consequences, and terminate one out of every two Regulations (at least every second one has no real benefit, i.e. they are only ticking boxes to make the filelook right and adding unnecessary cost to businesses).

As Chair of the NCI Foundation, what attracted youto National College of Ireland? What makes NCI sospecial?The core mission of the College of widening access toquality third level education to many who would not normally obtain it, and the energy, genuine integrity,common sense and action oriented approach to life ofNCI President, Paul Mooney.

What are your hopes for the Access/Success/Citizenship appeal of NCI?To broaden the awareness of the really good work ofthe NCI and raise lots of money so the College growsand reaches many more students.

IInn pprrooffiillee::Tom BarryTom Barry, Chairman of DBL Capital Partners, spent nearly30 years at Allied Irish Bank working across several divisions including Head of Property & Construction Lending, Head of Corporate Banking and Director of AIB Capital Markets. Tom currently Chairs theNCI Foundation Board.

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NNCCII NNoottiicceebbooaarrddThe first group to complete NCI's Progressions programme finished up in September after a 12 week course, including a 4week work placement with our partner financial institutions: theInstitute of Bankers, Irish Funds Industry Association, the IrishBanking Federation and NCI’s founding partners, State StreetFoundation. The group will graduate in November and receivetheir FETAC major award at level 5, in Financial Services. The programme will assist 300 people over 3 years.

Innovation Dublin is a week-long festival of events, fromOctober 14th – 20th, highlighting and promoting innovation in the city. Each event is themed around a keyaspect of urban life: culture, enterprise, people, movement,the environment or the public realm. As part of the festival,NCI has partnered with UCD to exhibit ‘Life in the Docklands’. This will feature screened images from the UCDNational Folklore Collection, with particular emphasis onphotographs from the Docklands Area, which will be loopedin the NCI Atrium throughout the week. Printed material onthe collection will also be available.This is but one event inan exciting citywide programme. For more, please seehttp://www.innovationdublin.ie

Innovation Dublin: Life in the Docklands

FÁS are partnering with National College of Ireland to run a new Entrepreneurship programme designed and facilitated by the College. The programme is targeted at peoplewho have been recently made redundant from International Financial Services companies and associated sectors, and want to become entrepreneurs. FÁS are providing the programmewithout charge, in line with Government strategyto create an enterprise economy.

New Entrepreneurship Programme100% FÁS Funded

Delivered 2 days a month over 3 months, this is a highly interactive programme delivered in workshop format. It aims toinspire people to formulate business ideas that can be presented to a range of potential investors and advisors, from Enterprise Ireland and Business Angels to Venture Capitalists. It is comprised of 3 modules - Entrepreneurship, Strategic Management and Corporate Finance-and facilitated by a very experienced team: Professor Jimmy Hill(Dean of the Business School, National College of Ireland), Fergus Barry (Managing Partner, Fergus Barry & Associates), andAustin Coughlan (Finance expert)

Dubliner Kieran Dooner, from Artane, is going in to hissecond year at the School of Computing in National College of Ireland.

Having heard about the college at a school talk in StDavid’s CBS, Artane, Kieran attended an open day andwas impressed with the central location, size and atmos-phere. He now helps out at open days and talks toprospective students about what they can expect fromcollege life.

“NCI is great because it’s so easy to find your feet. You’llmeet amazing people and because the building is socompact and modern, it’s easy to navigate.”

At school, Kieran’s favourite subjects were technical drawingand woodwork. He likes things that are more hands on,which is why he enjoys computing, and he gets on well withhis lecturers.

“For me, the best thing about college has actually been thelecturers”, he said. “They are so easy to talk to and they’vemade college life really enjoyable for me. They’ve given mesome great advice.”

Ideally Kieran would like to be an airline pilot, but his computing degree will give him something to fall back on ifneeds be. “The college years are a great opportunity to findout what you really want out of life.”

Student Spotlight

Two new Doctor’sin the houseNational College of Ireland recently congratulated twostaff members, Orla Lahart and Leo Casey, who haveboth successfully completed their PhD’s.

Orla Lahart is a lecturer within the NCI School ofComputing. She was conferred on Friday, July 10th withher PhD at Trinity College. Orla's thesis, 'Tutoring theTutor using an Adaptive Educational System', focusedon educating parents in homework strategies. Orlacompleted both primary and masters degrees in NUIGalway (Arts, Computing, Irish and Software Systems).

Leo Casey is Director of Learning, Teaching, Researchand Innovation at NCI. He successfully completed hisViva Voce on Thursday July 2nd. His thesis, ‘Pathwaysto Competence and Participation in the Digital World’, isa study of the learning journey of adults who take upcomputer skills for the first time.

Aideen BlakeAideen Blake knew from themoment she stepped ontocampus that she wanted tostudy at National College ofIreland.

“I came to an open day andI really liked the feel of theplace”, she said. “Thecollege is small and friendly,and everything is so handy:it’s based in Dublin’s IFSCand food, shops and publictransport are all on yourdoorstep.”

The 23-year-old, fromBaldoyle in Dublin 13, isgoing in to the second yearof the BA in Management ofTechnology in Business.

“I took the scenic route,” sheexplains. “I took a PostLeaving Cert course andused that to gain entry tocollege.”

Aideen went on to completethe Higher Certificate inComputer Applications andSupport, which leads in tothe second year of herchosen degree.

“It might not have been themost straightforward way”,she says, “but it worked forme, and I am really enjoyingmy college experience.”

The small class sizes workfor Aideen’s learning style,and they made it easy forher to get to know people:“There are only 11 of us inmy class and I love eachand every one of them. Thelecturers are really friendlytoo and there is lots ofsupport.”

First published in the IrishIndependent on 17/08/09

StudentSpotlight

NCI Institutional Review

The Higher Education & Training Awards Council is the qualifications awarding body forthird level educational and training institutions outside of the university sector in Ireland.All providers of HETAC awards are subject to external quality assurance of its institutions.As NCI is a provider of HETAC awards, HETAC has commissioned a review of NCI activitieswhich will take place on 8th-10th February 2010.

In the case of NCI, the objectives of this review are:

•To enhance public confidence in the quality of education and training provided by theinstitution and the standards of the awards made;

•To contribute to coherent strategic planning and governance in the institution;•To assess the effectiveness of the quality assurance arrangements operated by theinstitution;

•To confirm the extent that the institution has implemented the National Frameworkof Qualifications and procedures for access, transfer and progression;

•To provide recommendations for the enhancement of the education and trainingprovided by the institution.

Preparation for this review officially commenced in January 2009.We are about to commence writing our self evaluation report and the final version will bepresented for debate and approval at the Academic Council meeting on the 4th November2009.

We welcome input to our self evaluation from all those associated with, or who have aninterest in, the College.

If you wish to contribute to this process, you can do so by visiting www.ncirl.ie where youwill find further details and an online survey. You can also contact Sinéad O’Sullivan,Director of Quality Assurance & Statistical Services, on [email protected].

NCI Business Incubation Centre welcomesits newest additions. The centre assists highpotential start up companies in the Finance,Business and Learning TechnologyIndustries.

R -L: Bertie Kelly, NCI; Ciaran McGowan andFiona Flynn,Staff Balance; David Conde,Calom Technology; Iarfhlaith Kelly,Webstrong; Joyce Lloyd, NCI; KieranFitzpatrick, Barracuda FX, and Ian Lucey,Lucey Technology.

For more see www.ncirl.ie/icelt