DIT staff and students to vote on name of first Irish technological university

IT Blanchardstown and IT Tallaght staff and students will also vote

The staff and students of Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), IT Blanchardstown and IT Tallaght will be given the opportunity to vote in the naming process of what will soon become Ireland’s first technological university.

The three colleges, which together formed a consortium in 2012, operating under the name TU4Dublin, are now planning to merge together in the creation of an official technological university.

According to the Irish Times, plans are now in place for the three colleges to submit a formal application to the Higher Education Authority (HEA). This application if approved will see each of the IT’s concerned granted university status.

A spokesperson for the consortium said they will be inviting staff, students and members of the governing bodies to submit a maximum of three suggestions per individual on what will become the official name of the university.

The submissions will be narrowed down to a shortlist, which will then be examined to ensure the name is both suitable and available for use. The submissions will also need to be suited for adoption into both Irish and English.

Following a HEA panel decision, their recommendations will likely be passed on to Minister for Education and Skills Richard Bruton for approval. A final decision is expected to be made by Autumn 2018.

The Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor, speaking last week after the formal enactment of the technological universities legislation, discussed how it will “radically change the higher education landscape”.

“The creation of technological universities provides the opportunity to drive regional development and provide more opportunities for individuals, enterprise and the community. These institutions will have significant impact and influence regionally, nationally and internationally,” she said.

As of 2018, the TU4Dublin conglomerate aren’t the only IT’s looking for university status. 10 of the states 14 IT’s are working together, forming four separate groups in Dublin, Connacht-Ulster, Munster and the Southeast, each bidding to become technological universities.

Shane Hughes

Shane Hughes is a Deputy Features Editor of Trinity News. He is a Senior Sophister Film Studies student, and a former Assistant News Editor.