Tributes have been paid to Dr Phillip Smyth, the outgoing head of University of Galway’s Shannon College of Hotel Management who has retired after 34 years.  Dr Smyth is succeeded by Adrian Sylver, who becomes the fifth Head of School in its 71-year history. University of Galway President, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, said: “Dr Philip Smyth has devoted decades to the teaching and learning of students and his legacy is the reputation for the quality of graduates who come through Shannon College of Hotel Management and work in Ireland and around the world. Our University values of respect, openness, excellence and sustainability are evident in the lived experience in Shannon but more so in the standards which the alumni bring with them on their careers. I wish Phillip a long and enjoyable retirement and thank him for his work. Dr Smyth joined Shannon College in 1988 after a career in the Defence Forces, with Army duties in border control, overseas and as a lecturer in the Military College. His background had a major influence in his management style at Shannon College of Hotel Management, with attention to detail, impeccable presentation, discipline and hard work, all integral parts of the learning. In his role, he successfully guided Shannon College of Hotel Management through three decades of immense change, from his start at the College with only four staff and 150 students, to the renowned institution it is today with more than 40 staff and more than 450 students.  Speaking of Dr Smyth’s legacy, incoming Head of School Adrian Sylver said: “Phillip’s contribution to Shannon College of Hotel Management and the hospitality and tourism sector over the last 34 years has been immense. His tenure and leadership has brought the College to where it is today, a School of the College of Business Public Policy and Law, University of Galway.” Dr Phillip Smyth said: “I have worked closely with Adrian Sylver for 16 years, and he has been my Deputy for the last five. He has the leadership skills and the drive to take Shannon College of Hotel Management to new heights. He is devoted to his students both educationally and personally and is deeply committed to maintaining our unique educational ethos.” Through his time at Shannon, Dr Smyth oversaw and contributed to important milestones including Shannon’s integration within University of Galway, development of its own honours degree, extensive international placements, internationalisation of the student body, maintaining close alumni connections with the class patrons programme, and continuing Shannon’s 100% employment rate for undergraduates.  The educational system at Shannon College is unique. Programmes offer a rich mix of practical training, extensive placements at operative and trainee management level, business education, all combined with development of the student as an individual and leader.  Dr Phillip Smyth played an integral role in creating this environment that allow students to thrive and develop their own management style. He also ensured the history and ethos of Shannon College were preserved, along with the emphasis on practical, hands-on learning, while still developing with the ever-changing needs of industry.  Adrian Sylver, a native of Galway, will lead Shannon College with Deputy Head of School Tracy Hegarty. Mr Sylver has worked as a lecturer in Accounting and Finance at Shannon College since 2006, having joined from Dublin Business School where he worked as a senior academic lecturing on undergraduate, postgraduate and professional accounting programmes. Tracy Hegarty, a graduate of Shannon College, lectures in Revenue Management, Rooms Division and Information Technology and has been with the College since 1996. For more information on Shannon College visit https://www.universityofgalway.ie/shannoncollege/  Ends

Minister of State Anne Rabbitte officially opens Access Centre offices at University Minister of State at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and at the Department of Health, Anne Rabbitte, T.D. has launched University of Galway’s first annual report on Widening Participation and officially opened the Access Centre’s new office. Research by the University shows the overall number of students from traditionally underrepresented groups are continuing to grow at University of Galway. With that growth in participation, the new Access Centre offices will provide an important source of support to ensure that students can access, participate and succeed at third level. Minister of State Anne Rabbitte T.D. said: “Over the past 20 years, staff in the Access Centre along with their University colleagues have worked to offer the best student experience, to advocate for and to impart their knowledge to students, many of whom face significant obstacles on their educational journey. With the opening of the Access Centre at University of Galway and the publication of the annual Widening Participation report I am confident that the University is committed to building on what has been achieved to date and to finding ways to help others to enhance their educational future, and to remain committed to diversity and equality of opportunity, to combating educational disadvantage in the region and beyond, and to ensuring university education is for everyone.” The University’s Widening Participation report outlines key achievements to increase the equality of opportunity for students who traditionally would be regarded as underrepresented in higher education, including, the number of students entering University of Galway through specific entry routes other than the Leaving Certificate and CAO system.  Students registering for disability supports Since 2015/16 to 2020/21, there has been a more than 100% increase in students registering for the Disability Support Service at the University. The service is available to University of Galway students who need support or reasonable accommodations due to the impact of a disability, ongoing physical or mental health condition, or a specific learning difficulty. Further Education and Training (FET)  The establishment of the Further Education to Higher Education Working Group at the University brought together key stakeholders from across the University and local Further Education providers to expand the number and breadth of undergraduate opportunities available for students coming through from Further Education and Training.  This opening up of opportunities at University of Galway has produced significant results with a 211% increase in the number of students entering University of Galway from Further Education and Training over a four year period. HEAR and DARE The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) and Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) are two national schemes developed by HEI’s to increase the number of students entering HE who have a disability (DARE) or who come from socio-economically disadvantaged groups (HEAR) in society. Over 10 years since the 2010/11 academic year, more than 4,100 students were welcomed to the University under the two Government initiatives. Socio-Economic Almost one in 10 of our University’s student population have a socio-economic profile of disadvantage and 32% of students have a socio-economic profile of marginally below average.  Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, President of University of Galway, said: “A key component of this report is looking at the data we have on underrepresented students and learning from what has been achieved so far, so that we can continue to develop a university community that is more reflective of society and that leads the way in changing our society. This is a challenge and responsibility for us all. The widening participation activities outlined in this report are a testament to our commitment to our values of openness, respect, excellence and sustainability, and in this report, we see the outcomes of this commitment for the public good.” Imelda Byrne, Head of Access Centre at University of Galway, said: “This report outlines the broad range of work that has been done to increase the diversity of the University population and the efforts being made to ensure a whole-of-institution approach to widening participation. We are proud of the progress we have made so far but recognise that more still can be done to further extend opportunities to under-represented groups.” Dr Daniel Savery, Widening Participation Officer at the University’s Access Centre, said: “This report provides clear evidence that we have made significant progress in widening participation and creating a more inclusive environment for students from traditionally underrepresented groups in University of Galway. It is through collaboration that this has been achieved to date, and we look forward to building on these achievements.” A copy of the report is available at https://www.universityofgalway.ie/media/access/Widening-Participation-Report-2022.pdf  Ends

The archive of the award-winning Pan Pan Theatre Company has been donated to the University of Galway Library Archives. Established in 1993 by Gavin Quinn and Aedín Cosgrove, Pan Pan Theatre Company have established international recognition as one of Ireland’s premiere theatre companies, touring throughout Ireland, Europe, the United States and from China to New Zealand. The archive is fully catalogued and available to researchers at University of Galway Library. A new digital online exhibition will share the Pan Pan archive with a global audience at https://exhibitions.library.nuigalway.ie/s/panpan/page/introduction  The Pan Pan archive consists of annotated scripts, production notebooks, photographs, designs, programmes, posters, and a vast collection of digital show recordings, spanning more than 50 boxes of materials from the last 30 years. The papers document the early years and development of the company led by Quinn and Cosgrove, who have directed and designed the majority of Pan Pan productions.  Dr Barry Houlihan, Archivist, University of Galway, said: “Working on the Pan Pan archive and cataloguing its vast array of materials is a reminder of the immense contribution that Pan Pan have made to contemporary Irish drama in Ireland and internationally. The archive will be in an immersive and fascinating resource for anyone interesting in the company and modern Irish theatre and culture.” Gavin Quinn and Aedín Cosgrove, co-founders of Pan Pan Theatre Company said: “It's an amazing opportunity that University of Galway has given Pan Pan to make our work available in this archive, we are blown away by the dedication and curatorial excellence of the Archive team. We are delighted that our little contribution to the theatre scene in Ireland will be preserved." Pan Pan were established as “Ireland’s first deaf ensemble”, producing work for and with deaf practitioners and audiences, creating a new space of accessibility for Irish theatre in the 1990s. New original works by Pan Pan at this time included Tailors Requiem (1996), Cartoon (1998), and Standoffish (2000).  Dr Charlotte McIvor, Head of Drama, Theatre and Performance at University of Galway said: “The acquisition of the Pan Pan archive gives us another opportunity to bring together history and practice in our Drama and Theatre Studies classrooms and across the School of English and Creative Arts.  Pan Pan have always been at the vanguard of moving Irish theatre forward as a landscape since their founding, and we are now delighted to be partnering with them to bring the transformative story of their history and their future directly to our students.” John Cox, University Librarian, University of Galway said: “We are delighted to have secured the archive of such an innovative company as Pan Pan. This archive is a tremendous collection in its own right and complements our archival coverage of other Irish theatre companies, including the digitised archives of the Abbey and Gate Theatres and others in paper format such as those of the Druid, Lyric and Taibhdhearc.” In later years Pan Pan adapted Irish and European classics in new and innovate productions.  Oedipus Loves You by Simon Doyle and Gavin Quinn (2006), which starred Ruth Negga, toured to international acclaim. The Crumb Trail by Gina Moxley (20009) revisited the form of the fairy tale for a modern technology-driven society.  Pan Pan engaged with the works of Samuel Beckett and William Shakespeare across a number of productions. Pan Pan produced Beckett’s radio plays, All That Fall in 2011, and Embers in 2013, and also Beckett’s Quad (2013) and Endgame (2019). Shakespeare’s works were explored in Mac-beth 7 (2004) and The Rehearsal: Playing the Dane (2010), a reworking of Hamlet. In 2006, Pan Pan staged an all-Chinese cast production of J.M. Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World in Shanghai, translated into Mandarin, setting the production in a contemporary hairdresser’s salon. Pan Pan are today producing new works and regularly touring nationally and internationally. The recipients of many international awards as well as Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards, the Pan Pan archive documents a company that has always sought to innovate, reinterpret, and connect Irish theatre and culture to the worldwide audience.  The Pan Pan archive digital exhibition, curated by Aafke Van Pelt with Eimhin Joyce and Dr Barry Houlihan, includes more than 400 digital objects from across the Pan Pan archive, all freely accessible online via the University of Galway Library Digital Repository. The Pan Pan archive and digital exhibition will be launched at an event in University of Galway by Willie White, Director of the Dublin Theatre Festival on 29th November. All are welcome to attend.  Ends