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What’s Unique about the Irish First
Year Experience?
Claire Laudet
Trinity College Dublin
Colleen Blaney
University College Dublin
21st International Conference on the 1st Year Experience
Dublin
24 June 2008
Presentation Outline
1. Irish Jargon Buster
2. Higher Education Sector in Ireland
3. Educational philosophy
4. Student Demographics
5. Application Process to Irish Universities
6. The Irish First Year Experience
7. Costs of attending university
8. Funding of higher education in Ireland
9. Student Service Professionals in Ireland
1. Irish Jargon Buster
• Leaving Certificate (LC) : end of secondary school state examinations
• CAO: Central Applications Office
• School leavers : students who have just finished high school
• 3rd level: Higher Education up to undergraduate degree
• 4th level: Higher Education, postgraduate level
• HEIs : Higher Education Institutions – IT or IoT: Institutes of Technology
– National University of Ireland (NUI): UCD, UCC, NUI Galway, NUI Maynooth
– UCD – University College Dublin
– TCD – University of Dublin, Trinity College
– University of Limerick
– Dublin City University
2. What is the higher education sector like
in Ireland?
• 7 universities
• 14 Institutes of Technologies
• 6 Colleges of Education
• 12 other colleges inc. some private Colleges
• 40 HEIs in total- 125,000 students (2003)
• Admission rate : in 2004, 55 % of school leavers go on to
3rd level ( 20% in 1980)
• +105% from 1990/91 to 2003/04
• 1st generation college attendees still common: only 30% of
parents of new entrants have 3rd level qualification (2004)
National Policies
• National Development Plan 2007-2013 on higher
education:
– Increased participation and improved access;
– Encourage greater flexibility of course offerings to meet diverse student needs in a lifelong learning context;
– Promote the quality of teaching and learning;
– Significantly increase PhD numbers and research activity;
• HEA Strategic Plan 2008-2010 does not explicitly
mention student services
Field of Studies
Field of Study %
General Programmes 0.1
Education 7.6
Humanities & Arts 15.1
Social Sciences, Business and Law 26.9
Science, Mathematics & Computing 13.7
Engineering, Manufacturing & Constr. 14.1
Agriculture &Veterinary 1.5
Health & Welfare 11.2
Services 4.5
Combined 5.4
Total 100
Source: O’Connell P et al, 2006, p.24
3. The Irish universities and their
philosophy
• 2nd level schools focus on coaching for the Leaving Certificate,
rather than teaching and learning of material
• Gap exists; modularisation in 3rd level may widen it
• Universities not proactively bridging gap
• Degree track prescribed – little student choice in subjects (courses)
they pick, particularly in 1st-2nd years
• Major subject(s) started upon entry – no liberal arts approach
• Learning skills training poorly resourced nor integrated into
university teaching
• No university has an official Orientation Office!
4. 1st Year Student demographics
• 80% + Irish residents
• Predominantly female (04: 58% in Univ., 86% in CoEs, 47 % in ITs)
• Young: 13.5 % are 17, 43.5 are 18, 24% are 19, 10% are 20-22, 8% are 23-39, 1.5% over 40
• 89% full-time
• 41% from Employers, Managers & Professions, 22% Manual & Agricultural Workers
• Commuting: over half of students attending UCD (60%) and TCD (58%) live at home.
• 21% of 1st years at TCD live in university accommodation.
• Across Ireland, most students choose to study at a university close to home
• Commuter campus feel – empty campuses on weekends
• Student engagement generally good (???)
Reason for choice of college
Course not available elsewhere 17.4
College factors & reputation 37.3
Friends/family advice 7.6
Location to home 21.2
Only place offered 10.7
Other 5.7
Source: O’Connell P et al, 2006, p. 83
Reason for choice of course
Interested 56.7
Good general
qualification
27
Good job 10.9
Other 5.3
Source: O’Connell P et al, 2006, p. 84
5. How students apply to Irish universities
• Students apply to a
Central Applications Office
• Number of LC points used
to match supply and
demand for 3rd level
places.
• Student earn place based
solely on points in the
Leaving Certificate
• Students must do 6 subjects
• Mid-August: Students find out LC results
• Late August: allocation of places
• September/October: Start of academic year
• Final year 2nd level = pressures: studying for LC and completing CAO form
• Very short transition time
Impact of Admissions system on course
choices:
• “[…] the overwhelming influence of the CAO
points system on student choices, with
considerable parental and other pressure on
many individuals to choose courses requiring the
highest points they can achieve, rather than
those best suited to their interests and needs.”
Completion rates for students taking full-time
programmes of study in Institutes of Technology,
p. 40
Students relationship with university pre-
entry
• Marketing is different in Ireland
• Mostly based on Web sites, Open Days and College prospectus/literature
• Role of personal connection with college (family, friends, guidance counsellor) not as important as used to be
• Some advertising in the media
• Personal relationship marketing non-existent
• Generally no interview prior to entry for admission
• Personal connections, written recommendations, legacy status DO NOT play role in admission
6. The Irish First Year experience
• Retention rates
– Nationally 83% retention (Rand corporation)
– Universities 3-years: 84% retention (2003)
– IoT Certs & dips: 70 %
– IoTs Degrees: 87.4 % in 2004
– UCD 16-17 % non-completion
• Issues for students
– What they consult support services about
– Concerns and expectations
• Role of parents
What do 1st year students consult services
about - TCD Tutorial Service Survey
(2007): Problems experienced in College and reasons for contacting tutor
All UG 1st years
Experiencedproblem
Contactedtutor about it
Experiencedproblem
Contactedtutor about it
Academic Problems (e.g.
Dif ficulties with course or
study)
34.6 38.3 35.9 46.7
Personal issues (e.g.
Family problems,
bereavemen t, pregnancy)
25.6 20.2 18.3 19
Financial problem 39.7 6.5 41.4 7.2Problems with exams
(failed, not sitting an
exam)
18.8 30.9 11.5 11.2
Health Problems 17.5 17.2 11.7 13.1Insufficient Attendance 9.8 6.4 9.5 7.8Administrative formalities 33.6 29.4Other 5.6 13.5 4.2 13.7Disciplinary action 1.4 1.7 0.8 0.7None 29.2 34.3
Concerns and expectations of TCD new
entrants 2007
Expectations
• Meeting new people
(40%)
• Social life and parties
(18%)
• Getting involved in clubs
& societies (18%)
• Starting new course
(9%)
• Passing exams (2%)
Concerns
• Exams (25%)
• Difficulties making
friends (12%)
• Workload (11%)
• Not liking course (7%)
Source: Senior Tutor’s Office
survey, TCD, Oct. 2007
TCD Counselling Service Data
% of
students in
counselling
Refer
ral %
All students 100 4.87
1st years 18 4.82
2nd years 17 5.39
3rd years 17 5.45
4th years 19 6.05
Main Referral Reasons %
Depression 17.4Family Problems 13.8Academic Problems & Anxiety 8.0Bereavement 6.5Unhappiness 5.8Anxiety 5.1Stress 5.1Adjustment to college 3.6Eating Disorder 3.6Panic 3.6Phobias 3.6
Unknown 3.6Relationship 2.9Self-Esteem 2.9Crisis 2.2Time Management 2.2
The role of parents in the Irish first year
experience
• Increasingly, helicopter parents are hovering at
Irish universities
• Why?
– Smaller families – children more precious
– Middle class syndrome
– Customer service mentality
– Parents are used to having relationship with their child’s school and habits are hard to break
• Programming for parents non-existent
• UCD: Parents “day care” during Orientation and 2
parent nights (engineering and business)
Retention Issues in Ireland 1
Reasons for withdrawal:
• Wrong course choice
• Lack of commitment
• Academic difficulties
• Financial worries
• Difficulties settling into college (academic & social)
• Concerns about career prospects
• Under-preparedness in mathematics
• Poor interaction with school career guidance services,
• socio-economic background,
• Little motivation to avail of student support
• mismatched expectations
Retention Issues in Ireland 2
• Difficulties with social integration or financial hardship
not often mentioned (Rand corporation, 2007)
• Only 13% of students who withdrew consulted career
guidance in 2nd Level school (Baird, 2002)
• 2/3 happy with their decision to leave; most continue
in 3rd level (Baird, 2002)
A Few Examples of First Year Support
Initiatives in Ireland: UCD
• Orientation @ UCD
– Week before term
– Orientation Guides (peer mentors)
– President’s Welcome Reception
– Academic Advisory Meetings
– Computer System Induction
– Campus, Library, Sports Hall and Language centre tours
– Orientation kick-off BBQ
– Entertainments
– Parents’ Crèche
A Few Examples of First Year Support
Initiatives in Ireland: TCD
• Orientation @ TCD – Week prior to term
– Includes campus, library & sports centre tours
– Info meeting on support services
– Course meetings
– SU organised social activities
– Clubs & societies fair
• Students’ Union led Peer Orientation Programme (POP)
• Peer Learning programmes (languages, programming, maths)
• New entrants web-site and orientation e-mail address
• Chemistry pre-entry course (one week)
• Regular e-mail shots from personal tutors
• NUI Galway Student Connect Mentoring
Programme
• University of Limerick: Mathematics and ICT
Learning Centres
• University College Cork: pre-entry Science
programme, chemistry and physics (2 weeks);
intensive revision programme (Easter break)
A Few Examples of First Year Support Initiatives in Ireland: other institutions
Student engagement with services in 1st
year
In Trinity College
• 4.8% % of first years went to Student Counselling
• 72 % of Freshers went to see tutor in Fresher’s week.
– 14 % did not go because they ‘had too much to do’, 7% did not think it was valuable thing to do
• 40% of 1st years had a problem but did not go to
tutor. 28% did not see how tutor could help, 12% did
not think of going, only 3% went to another service
instead.
In UCD
• Link found between different academic disciplines and
student engagement
7. Costs of attending university in Ireland
• No tuition fee for full-time EU students (unless repeat)
• Registration Charge – €825 in 07-08 ($1300)
• Everything else is charged: repeating courses or
exams, part-time study, doing additional degree,
graduate programmes
• Annual cost of living is €10,000+ ($15,500) per
academic year
• Grant system for financially needy students: 36% in
ITs, 32% in CoE, 26% in universities
• Full grant awarded €3,400 ($ 5,300) + “top up” if on
benefit (€6,700).
8. Funding of Higher Education in Ireland
• State expenditure per student (2006) €10 272
• State funding:
– Recurrent Grants
– Capital Funding
– SFI & PRTLI research funding
• Student Service Charge (Registration, exams and student services):€ 825
• Some Private Funding
• Additional strategic funding for pilot projects (3 years), some for Student Services
An illustration: The TCD
Case
• Income
– 39% State Grants
– 28% Student Fees (mostly paid by State)
– 26% Research Funding
– 7 % Other income
• Expenditure
– 1,9 % go to Student Services inc. funding for SU, Clubs & Societies
9. Student Services Professionals in Ireland
• Traditional areas (careers, counselling, chaplaincy)
have clearly defined professional requirements and
career paths
• New areas (disability, access, advising) are growing
but are less well defined. Unclear professional
requirements.
• Many are part-time or temporary because of short-
term pilot-type funding
Conclusion: What does all this mean for
student services staff?
• Scale is much smaller
than in other countries
• Resources are much
more limited
• New appreciation of 1st
year experience
• Services tend to be
reactive to student’s
needs rather than
proactive/preventative
• Growth of peer support,
orientation guide model
• Many initiatives funded
short-term –
mainstreaming not
always possible
Bibliography
• Baird, K. (2002). An inquiry into withdrawal from college – A study conducted at Trinity College Dublin.
• Harrington, H., O’Donoghue, A., Gallagher, M. & Fitzmaurice, D. (2001). The first year experience: An insight into non-completion. Report compiled for Student Counselling Service, Trinity College Dublin.
• HEA (2008), Higher Education Key facts and Figures 06/07,
• Inter-University Retention Network (2004), Submission to OECD Review Team, IUA
• Matthews, N. & Mulkeen, S. (2002). Staying the course? A study of student retention: UCD entrants 1999-2001. Dublin: University College Dublin.
• Van Stolk C., Tiessen J. , Clift J. & Levitt R. (2007) Student Retention in Higher Education Courses International Comparison , Rand Corporation
• O’Connell P., Clancy D., McCoy, S.,(2006), Who went to College in 2004?, A national survey of new entrants to higher education, HEA
Questions & answers
Claire Laudet – Trinity College Dublin
Colleen Blaney – University College Dublin
