The Forum, TARA, Mary Immaculate College. Monday 30 April 2012 at 6pm. Students, Colleagues and Friends,

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1 Address by Prof. Michael A Hayes, President of Mary Immaculate College, Limerick on the occasion of the Presentation of: MIC Foundation Awards for Excellence; Certificates to MISU Class Representatives and MISU Executive Committee and Awards to MISU Clubs & Societies Winners The Forum, TARA, Mary Immaculate College Monday 30 April 2012 at 6pm Students, Colleagues and Friends, You are all very welcome to the Forum this evening for a celebration of excellence and of achievement. This is a very proud day for Mary Immaculate College, when we recognise various outstanding achievements through the presentation of: the MIC Foundation Awards for Excellence, Certificates for MISU Class Representatives and the MISU Executive Committee, and Awards for MISU Clubs & Societies winners. This is the third year of the MIC Foundation Awards for Excellence, which is a collaborative initiative between the College Foundation (MICF) and the MISU (Students Union). Each recipient of an Award for Excellence will receive a bursary of 500. These awards are given in recognition of students who demonstrate excellence in an area of endeavour, such as music, arts, sport etc. The competition for the receipt of the awards was open to all full-time undergraduate MIC students who had successfully completed the first year of their studies. Applicants had to be able to demonstrate excellence in an area of endeavour as well as academic progression, in addition to involvement in various college activities. 1

2 This year ten students were shortlisted for interview by the Awarding Panel, which was comprised of Ms Deirdre Carroll, who is the Director of the College s Foundation Office, Ms Deirdre Kennelly, who is the General Manager of the MISU and Prof. Gary O Brien, who is the Associate Vice-President of Administration in the College. As a result of their decision, which I am told was not an easy one, I have the honour of presenting Awards for Excellence to five very deserving students, Ailbhe Costelloe, Cillian McHugh, Caitríona Ní Luasa, Muireann Ní Luasa and Monica Lisa Ward, and a further five awards will be presented to Sinéad Deegan, Sheena Geraghty, Tess Kilroe-Joslin, Orla McEvoy and Fionnuala Mulroy, who have all been highly commended. All of these recipients have shown great talent and commitment in their individual fields. Prof. Gary O Brien will go into more detail about these achievements in a few moments as we present the awards. It is always so impressive to see students who contribute to student life here in the College, both academically and in extra-curricular activities, and then also manage to engage with the wider community through voluntary work, music, singing, performance, sport and athletics. It is important to support and nurture this creativity, energy and community spirit so as to allow these qualities to flourish. In another change to the format of events this year, we have incorporated the presentation of certificates to MISU Class Reps and to the MISU Executive Committee and the presentation of awards to MISU Clubs and Societies Winners. We have approximately 80 Class Reps, spanning all courses in the College and all chose to represent their classes on a voluntary basis. Class Reps play a very important role in the Students Union as they are the people on the ground, who give the MISU an insight into what is going on in the lives of the 3,000 students in the College. They represent the views of the various classes, which are in turn communicated by the MISU representatives who sit on various College Bodies, 2

3 and so can be vital to the decisions that are made about the running of the College. Without them, we might not be aware of the issues that students are facing or of how they would suggest they could be progressed. I am told that throughout the 2011/12 academic year, attendance of Class Reps at Union Council meetings (every second week), has been particularly high. This year Class reps were more involved than previous years as they attended more departmental meetings, which we would hope will continue in the years to come, as this is an important medium through which the student voice can be heard. I want to say thank you to you all and to acknowledge your conscientious representation of your peers throughout the year. The Executive Committee consists of nine officerships. These roles are devised to ensure that various aspects of student life are catered for by a dedicated SU officer. In addition to the President and Vice President/Academic, the part-time officers are: Welfare & Equality; Entertainments; Societies; Clubs & Sports; Culture & Irish; Postgraduate and the Union Council Chairperson, who chairs the Class Rep meetings. It is important to note that the part-time officers are doing this work voluntarily for the greater good of the student population of the College, which can, at times, take up a great deal of their own time. The Executive Committee meets on a weekly basis and is responsible for the running of the Union. Throughout the 2011/12 academic year, the Exec. Committee have helped to organise various campaigns and events, covering a wide range of topics, from Clubs & Societies Day, to drug and alcohol awareness, to Seachtain na Gaeilge, to sexual health awareness & guidance week, as well as various charitable events, including HOT Week. On behalf of the College community, I would like to record our appreciation for the enthusiasm and drive that has characterised the work of the Executive Committee in the past year. I am delighted that you are all receiving the recognition you deserve this evening. 3

4 You might notice as the names are called that are a few Ní Luasa s mentioned! Three sisters are all receiving awards today. Both Caitríona Ní Luasa and Muireann Ní Luasa will receive Awards for Excellence, as well as a Class Rep Certificate and a Exec. Committee Certificate respectively, while Maighréad Ní Luasa, who received an Award for Excellence herself last year, will be receiving a certificate for her role on the MISU Exec. Committee. The final group to receive awards this evening will be the MISU Clubs & Societies winners. As you all know, Clubs & Societies are an integral part of college life and I am delighted that there is such a range of extra-curricular outlets in this College for students to join and become involved in. I am told that there are approximately 20 active clubs and societies, covering badminton, equestrian football and hurling, dodgeball, a Cake and Marshmallow Society, the International Students Society, MIDAS, the One World Society and many more. They offer the opportunity to engage in activities such as trips away, music sessions, musicals, workshops, fundraisers, table quizzes and social nights. Most importantly, Clubs & Societies are run by students themselves with support from the MISU, in particular through the Societies Officers and Clubs and Sports Officers. I think you will all agree that for the past year, your Societies Officers, John and Gearóid, and Clubs & Sports Officers, Sarah and Philomena, have done excellent work and deserve a special mention. Mary Immaculate College has been successful over the past few years in winning national titles in various sporting outings, and this is what led to the suggestion that we should present MISU Clubs & Societies Awards. The tremendous contribution of Clubs and Societies to the life of this College is greatly appreciated and it is good to have the opportunity to emphasise that at an event such as this. The awards which will be presented this year are Best Event, Best Club, Best Society, Best Fresher, Best Poster and Best Civic Contribution. 4

5 Just before we initiate the presentations themselves, I want to express my thanks to Prof. Gary O Brien, our Associate Vice-President and James MacEoin, Chair of the Union Council and to MISU President, Mairéad Collins, for being here to assist me in the presentation of the awards and certificates. It is also worth mentioning that one recipient of an Award for Excellence will be Cillian McHugh, who is going to be taking over from Noel Byrne as Vice- President of the MISU next year. I want to say a very heartfelt thank you to Mairéad and Noel and to Deirdre Kennelly in the MISU and to Deirdre Carroll and Geraldine Hayes in the Foundation Office for co-organising this evening s event. Thank you to our traditional musicians for making this event all the more special and to Campbell Catering for the refreshments. I would like to conclude by returning to the students, whose hard work and ability we celebrate tonight. I am thankful for the opportunity to find out more about your hard work and achievements and to share in your celebration with you this evening. Each of you is putting the mission statement into practice in your own individual way. You are making a difference and strengthening your impact on the world around you, while living increasingly flourishing lives. I wish you all the very best as you pursue excellence and fulfilment in your chosen fields of endeavour. Congratulations again to you all. Go raibh maith agaibh. Prof. Michael A Hayes Uachtarán 2 April