National College of Ireland

Not to be confused with National University of Ireland.

National College of Ireland

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Former names	National College of Industrial Relations The Catholic Workers College
Type	Public
Established	February 1951
Chairman	Denis O'Brien
President	Dr. Phillip Matthews
Students	5,000
Location	IFSC, Dublin , Ireland
Campus	Urban 0.8 acres (0.32 ha)
Colours
Affiliations	HETAC (2001-present) NCEA (1976-2001) Jesuits (1951-1998)
Website	www.ncirl.ie

National College of Ireland (NCI) is an Irish third-level education college. Founded in 1951, it offers full and part-time courses from certificate to degree and postgraduate level in areas related to commerce, industry, and management. All courses are delivered from the IFSC campus in Dublin and across a network of regional centres. The college's specialist areas include business, computing, psychology, marketing, cloud computing, human resource management, accountancy education and finance. NCI is also known for its free public events which include the dot conf digital and web technology conference, the Legends In Your Lunchtime series, the Seven Deadly Skills, In the Psychologists' Chair and Marketing Mavericks.

History

File:NCICollege.jpg

IFSC Campus

In 1951 the National College of Ireland started out as the Catholic Workers College in Sandford Lodge, Ranelagh. Founded by Fr. Edward Coyne S.J., others involved in the college in its initial years included Professor Thomas A. Finlay S.J., and Rev. Edmund Kent S.J. among others.

Lectures were led by a handful of dedicated Jesuits two nights a week, with 103 registered students in the first year. Within 10 years, student numbers had dramatically increased. Links with trade unions deepened, as did formal collaborations with employer and management groups.

By 1966, nearly 1,300 students from trade union and business management backgrounds were learning together at the re-branded National College of Industrial Relations (NCIR).

In 1976 the college achieved recognition by the states National Council for Educational Awards (NCEA), the forerunner of HETAC, for a number of its programmes.

The college again re-branded as the National College of Ireland (NCI) in 1998, with an expanded National Campus Network, and an array of outreach programmes across the country.

As the College continued to grow, the land and buildings at Sandford Road were transferred by the Jesuits to the NCI Board of Management.

The college's Higher Certificate, Degree, Higher Diploma and Masters courses are accredited by the Irish governments Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC); a number of other short term courses are unaccredited.

NCI relocated to a 0.8 hectare site on Mayor Street in the Dublin Docklands. A €25,000,000 fundraising campaign resulted in the development of a modern campus including 53 residential apartments accommodating 286 students and a new Business and Research Building.

In 2009 and 2010 the college ran a series of free debates called the Insight Debate Series, organised in partnership with The Irish Times and the radio station Newstalk 106-108 FM. The college's Legends in your Lunchtime series saw public figures such as Ben Dunne, Willie Walsh and Giovanni Trapattoni interviewed live by a Newstalk presenter.

In February 2010 former Irish rugby captain Dr. Phillip Matthews joined as president of the college, succeeding Dr. Paul Mooney.

Courses

Both full and part-time, undergraduate and postgraduate courses in business, psychology, marketing, digital marketing, human resource management, accountancy, finance and computing are offered through the College's Schools of Business and Computing. A number of professional development programmes are also offered.

Presidents of NCI

Main article: President of National College of Ireland

References

• ncirl.ie, 27 February 2010

External links

• National College of Ireland Website