USI Delighted that NCAD to Remain in Central Dublin

national | irish social forum | press release Tuesday May 16, 2006 15:33 by Union of Students in Ireland Union of Students in Ireland, Grattan Street, Dublin 2, Ireland 01 435 3400

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has hailed an important victory in the battle against the creeping marketisation of higher education, following news that the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) will not pursue a profit-driven plan to relocate its central Dublin campus.

USI DELIGHTED THAT NCAD TO REMAIN IN CENTRAL DUBLIN

16 May 2006

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has hailed an important victory in the battle against the creeping marketisation of higher education, following news that the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) will not pursue a profit-driven plan to relocate its central Dublin campus.

A proposal to move the college from the city centre to Belfield – to a hypothetical new facility on the campus of University College Dublin – prompted a series of demonstrations by students, concerned that administrators were trampling on their first responsibility to serve the interests of education.

Students noted that administrators were under intense financial pressure to sell up and move to a cheaper location. If NCAD’s relocation had been approved, a city centre facility and location regarded as ideally suited to students’ needs would have been exchanged for an unsuitable location in the shadow of a much larger university.

USI President Tony McDonnell said: “Rising property prices meant that NCAD administrators were tempted to sell the Thomas Street site in Dublin city centre in favour of a site on the UCD campus, which would have been wholly unsuited to NCAD’s academic focus and ethos as a specialist art and design college.

“Students at NCAD were fully justified in staging demonstrations against the plan to move the college, which would have severely compromised their overall learning experience and entailed potentially massive disruption to their degrees.

“Following the decision of NCAD’s board to reject relocation, the college now looks set to remain in its Thomas Street building, where it is surrounded by important art galleries and museums consulted heavily by students in support of their studies.

“USI welcomes the triumph of education values over the market-driven business ethos.”

Ends

For more information please contact:

Tony McDonnell, USI President 086 8374104
Ryan Brennan, Development Manager 01 4353400