HIGHLIGHTS:

• Seven strategic priorities outlined by University President to tackle issues and challenges facing NUI Galway in what will undoubtedly be challenging times for the third-level education sector as a whole
• Implementation of Plan will establish NUI Galway as a world class centre of learning and research
• Plan focuses on attraction of students, research capabilities, recruitment and retention of highly motivated staff, national and regional influence of the University, the Irish language, organisational structures and funding
• Initiatives to be undertaken in year one of Plan include: developing a new student cultural and recreational centre, an awards scheme to recognise teaching excellence, a proactive policy in relation to third-level education through Irish and a fundamental re-appraisal of the 1929 Act
• Targets and deadlines to be put in place on an annual basis to ensure strategy is implemented in full

National University of Ireland, Galway today (Thursday 6 March 2003) publicly unveiled its strategic plan for the next five years. The Strategic Plan for NUI Galway 2003 – 2008, which will cost over €250m to implement, is a clear statement of the strategic direction and aims of the University over the next five years.

Wide-ranging consultation with staff, students and other interested groups took place in the development of the Plan, to ensure their full involvement in the strategic planning process, and detailed background research was undertaken. Seven strategic priorities have been identified under the Plan which aim to:

• Enhance the relative attractiveness of the University for Irish and international students;
• Further strengthen the research reputation and ethos of the University;
• Attract and retain high-quality staff through recognition and reward;
• Maximise the University's contribution at national and regional levels;
• Promote the Irish language in the work of the University;
• Improve organisational structures and;
• Secure resources to implement the Strategic Plan.

Commenting on the strategic planning process and the future direction of the University, Dr. Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, President of NUI Galway said: "The Plan launched today builds on an era of development for NUI Galway. Since 1995, the University has had a number of successes in terms of building and enhancing upon its research and teaching experience. What we have set out to do with this Plan is to continue the momentum and build upon those successes, and in a real and practical way (and I can't over emphasise this enough) deal with, and overcome a range of challenges facing the third level sector as a whole. Make no mistake about it – this is not just another report – this is a blueprint for the future success of this institution, a blueprint that my management team and I are committed to over the coming years to ensure that it is implemented in full."

Continuing he said, "Attraction of students in a declining population and an ever increasing competitive marketplace is a key priority. Under this plan a number of student-centred measures including the development of campus facilities, enhancement of teaching quality, student supports and services, will take place to ensure that increased numbers of traditional and, importantly, non traditional students will choose to study at NUI Galway. Our second priority is to strengthen our growing research reputation – so important to the University and the country as a whole. We see NUI Galway playing a leading role nationally and internationally in this field. Our strategic focus will look at new and innovative ways of recruiting and motivating staff – it will also look at new structures and approaches to support the sustainable development of the Irish language. This process will include a full review – completed by this summer - of the provisions of the 1929 Act".

The NUI Galway Strategic Plan clearly sets out actions that will take place within the first year of the plan and actions to be carried out over the full period of the plan. Commenting on its implementation, President Ó Muircheartaigh stressed that the Plan was ambitious, but realistic.

He maintained that the Plan would be revisited on an annual basis to review activity against pre-set action plans. "Each member of the management team, including myself, has taken responsibility for specific strategic priorities, to ensure that on an annual basis, plans and initiatives are being implemented," he said.

Concluding he said: "Delivering on the seven key priorities will ensure that we retain the competitive edge which has established NUI Galway as a first-rank educational institution by international standards. While acknowledging and being fully cognisant of the particular challenges which the changing economic climate may present to NUI Galway and indeed the wider third level educational system, we look forward with enthusiasm to the next five years, confident on the basis of this Plan that NUI Galway will continue to show dynamic leadership in research, teaching and student support".

Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press and Information Officer, NUI Galway. Tel: 091 750 418

Preas ráiteas: 6ú Márta, 2003

BUAICPHOINTÍ:

• Seacht dtosaíocht straitéiseacha arna leagan amach ag Uachtarán na hOllscoile chun dul i ngleic le saincheisteanna agus le dúshláin atá i ndán do OÉ, Gaillimh agus d'earnáil an tríú leibhéal i gcoitinne.
• Ionad foghlama agus taighde ar chaighdeán domhanda a bheidh in OÉ, Gaillimh ach an Plean a chur i ngníomh
• Leagann an Plean béim ar mhic léinn a mhealladh, ar chumais taighde, ar earchú agus ar choinneáil foirne, ar thionchar náisiúnta agus réigiúnach na hOllscoile, ar an nGaeilge, ar struchtúir eagraíochtúla agus ar mhaoiniú
• Áirítear ar an tionscnaimh a dhéanfar i mbliain a haon den Phlean: pleananna críochnaithe d'ionad nua mac léinn; scéim dámhachtainí chun aitheantas a thabhairt do shártheagasc; polasaí gníomhach i leith oideachas triú leibhéil tré Ghaeilge agus athbhreithniú bunúsach ar fhorálacha Acht 1929
• Spriocanna agus spriocdhátaí le leagan síos ar bhonn bliantúil d'fhonn cur i ngníomh iomlán na straitéise a chinntiú

Nocht Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh a plean straitéiseach do na cúig bliana amach romhainn inniu (Déardaoin, 6 Márta, 2003). Is ráiteas soiléir é Plean Straitéiseach OÉ, Gaillimh 2003 – 2008, a chosnóidh thart ar €250 milliún lena chur i ngníomh, faoi threo agus aidhmeanna straitéiseacha na hOllscoile do na cúig bliana amach romhainn.

Déanadh comhchomhairle dhian leis an bhfoireann, le mic léinn agus le grúpaí eile i réiteach an phlean, d'fhonn a rannpháirtíocht iomlán sa phróiséis stráitéiseach a chinntiú. Tá seacht dtosaíocht straitéiseacha aitheanta faoin bPlean agus is iad seo a leanas na haidhmeanna atá acu:

• Tarraint na hOllscoile i measc mac léinn Éireannach agus idirnáisiúnta a mhéadú i gcomparáid le hOllscoileanna eile;
• Éiteas agus cáil taighde na hOllscoile a láidriú tuilleadh; -1-
• Foireann ar ardchaighdeán a mhealladh agus a choinneáil trí aitheantas agus luach saothair a thabhairt dóibh;
• An méid a dhéanann an Ollscoil ar leibhéal náisiúnta agus réigiúnacha a uasmhéadú;
• An Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn in obair na hOllscoile;
• Struchtúir eagraíochtúla a fheabhsú, agus;
• Acmhainní a fháil chun an Plean Straitéiseach a chur i bhfeidhm.

Agus é ag labhairt faoin bpróiseas pleanála straitéisí agus faoi threo na hOllscoile amach anseo, is é a dúirt an Dr Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, Uachtarán na hOllscoile: "Tógann an Plean a seoladh inniu ar thréimhse forbartha in OÉ, Gaillimh. Ó 1995 i leith, d'éirigh go maith leis an Ollscoil ó thaobh taithí taighde agus teagaisc a threisiú agus a fheabhsú. Is é a chuireamar romhainn a dhéanamh leis an bPlean seo ná leanúint ar aghaidh leis an móiminteam agus tógáil ar an rathúlacht sin, agus déileáil ar bhealach réadúil agus praiticiúil (agus ní féidir liom an iomarca béim a chur air sin) leis an réimse dúshlán atá in ndán don earnáil tríú leibhéal ina hiomláine agus na dúshláin sin a shárú. Ná bíodh aon cheist agat faoi – ní gnáth-thuarascáil eile í seo – is gormphrionta í do rathúlacht an fhorais seo amach anseo, gormphrionta a mbeidh an fhoireann bainistíochta agamsa agus mé féin tiomanta dó sna blianta amach romhainn lena chinntiú go ndéanfar é a cur i ngníomh ina iomláine."

Lean sé ar aghaidh agus dúirt sé: "Is príomhthosaíocht dúinne é mic léinn a mhealladh chugainn féin i ndaonra atá ag titim agus i margadh ina bhfuil an iomaíocht ag fáil níos géire de shíor. Faoin bPlean seo, cuirfear roinnt bearta dírithe ar mhic léinn i gcrích, lena n-áirítear saoráidí an champais a fhorbairt, caighdeán an teagaisc a fheabhsú, tacaíochtaí agus seirbhísí do mhic léinn a fheabhsú, lena chinntiú go roghnóidh níos mó agus níos mó mac léinn traidisiúnta agus mic léinn neamhtraidisiúnta, go háirithe, OÉ, Gaillimh. Is é an dara tosaíocht atá againn ná an cháil taighde atá orainn a threisiú – cáil atá fíorthábhachtach don Ollscoil agus don tír i gcoitinne. Chímid ról ceannróideach a bheith ag OÉ, Gaillimh sa réimse sin go náisiúnta agus go hidirnáisiúnta. Féachaidh ár bhfócas straitéiseach ar bhealaí nua agus nuálacha maidir leis an bhfoireann a earcú agus a inspreagadh – féachaidh sé chomh maith ar struchtúr agus cuir chuige nua chun tacú le forbairt inmharthana na Gaeilge. Mar chuid den phróiseas sin déanfar athbhreithniú – a thabharfar chun críche faoin samhradh seo – ar fhorálacha Acht 1929."

Leagann Plean Straitéiseach OÉ, Gaillimh gníomhartha amach go soiléir, gníomhartha a tharlóidh laistigh den chéad bhliain den Phlean agus gníomhartha a dhéanfar i rith thréimhse iomlán an phlean. Agus é ag labhairt faoi chur i ngníomh an phlean, dúirt an tUachtarán Ó Muircheartaigh go raibh an Plean uaillmhianach, ach réadúil san am céanna. Dhearbhaigh sé go bhféachfaí ar an bPlean ar bhonn bliantúil chun athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar an ngníomhaíocht i bhfianaise riachtanas gnímh réamhshocraithe. "Tá gach ball den fhoireann bainistíochta, agus mé féin san áireamh, tar éis cúram a ghlacadh orainn féin as tosaíochtaí straitéiseacha ar leith, d'fhonn a chinntiú go bhfuiltear ag cur pleananna agus tionscnaimh i ngníomh ar bhonn bliantúil," a dúirt sé.

Mar fhocal scoir, dúirt sé: "Má chomhlíontar na seacht dtosaíocht cinnteofar go mbeidh an lámh in uachtar againn san iomaíocht, lámh in uachtar atá bainte amach ag OÉ, Gaillimh mar fhoras oideachais den chéad ghrád de réir caighdeán idirnáisiúnta. Agus sinn ag aithint agus go hiomlán ar an eolas faoi na dúshláin shonracha a d'fhéadfadh a bheith in ndán do OÉ, Gaillimh de bharr an geilleagar a bheith ag athrú de shíor agus, go deimhin féin, an córas oideachais tríú leibhéal a bheith ag athrú, táimid ag súil go fonnmhar leis na cúig bliana amach romhainn, agus muinín againn de bharr an Phlean seo go leanfaidh OÉ, Gaillimh uirthi ag léiriú ceannaireacht dhinimiciúil i dtéarmaí taighde, teagaisc agus tacaíochta do mhic léinn."

Eolas ó: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Oifigeach Eolais, OÉ, Gaillimh. Teil. 091-750418; 087-2986592