UCD’s new strategic plan, up to 2014, proposes to greatly increase its intake of post-graduate and foreign students. Both of these groups generate much more income than undergraduate students. 

This is an attempt by the university to deal effectively with its cumulative debt of €12 million, as well as achieve the 6 per cent cut in operational costs demanded by the Higher Education Authority. 

UCD - which has 24,500 students - has already embarked on a vigorous cost-cutting programme, and claims its debt is now being stabilised and there is no immediate risk of job cuts among its 2,500 staff.

The university’s new strategic plan envisages that by 2014 post-graduates will account for one-third of all students, an increase of 9 percent on current ratios.

Likewise, the number of international students will be increased by 9 per cent, to make up one quarter of the student body, while the percentage of non-EU students will nearly double to 15 per cent of all students.

The new plan also details how the college will help “prepare graduates for life and work across international borders”.

Other key targets include:

• Non-traditional students (mature, part-time, disadvantaged and those with a disability) will account for 25 per cent of all students by 2014, up from 17 per cent at present;
• A new focus on stimulating creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship and active citizenship among students;
• A university-wide teaching quality assessment and internationally benchmarked student feedback survey to be introduced;
• Revenue from academic (graduate and international) commercial and philanthropic areas to be expanded, thereby reducing reliance on State funding.

With regard to research, the plan lists four priority themes;:

• earth sciences;
• energy environment;
• health healthcare delivery;
• information, computation and communications and cultural activities with a global reach.

It promises to support key national recovery priorities through initiatives in biopharmaceutics, ICT, renewable energy and agrifood, and development of the cultural heritage.

The plan also commits UCD to further development of the innovation alliance on research with TCD. This will see the rolling out of joint access graduate and PhD programmes through the Innovation Academy. (Source: Irish Times)