DCU gives 'credit' for extracurricular activities

DCU is the first university in Ireland to launch a module that will formally accredit and acknowledge the extracurricular activities of its students. Final year students from all degree programmes are being invited to register for the 'Uaneen module', named in memory of DCU graduate and RTE radio presenter Uaneen Fitzsimons, who died in 2000. The module will allow the university to award internationally recognised credits under the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) for a range of non-academic activities that can range from the sporting, political and creative to the community and social.

The Academic Council of the university has sanctioned this new initiative and will be involved in the monitoring and awarding of the credits. These credits may be used by the students when transferring or applying for postgraduate courses in Europe where the ECTS transfer system is fully recognised. The awards for the module will be made at the official graduation ceremony.

According to Professor Patricia Barker of the DCU Business School, who proposed the introduction of the module, "This module is an important part of students' third level learning. Employers are increasingly looking for graduates with experience and skills that set them apart from those with academic qualifications alone. Students who participate in sport, work with charitable organisations, play an active role in clubs and societies or in other Student Union activities, develop a range of valuable skills that are of benefit not just to employers but to society in its broader sense".

Students who enroll for the module are required to submit a portfolio as a record of the involvement. Supporting documentation such as a learning diary and testimonials may be submitted where appropriate. The reports will be marked with full academic rigour and graded according to the level of commitment devoted to the activity, the learning outcomes and on the degree of responsibility and nature of the initiatives carried out, particularly those involving leadership.

Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, President of DCU said, "DCU has always placed a strong emphasis on creating a balance between the academic and non-academic aspects of university life. Extracurricular activities give students the opportunity to develop skills that will stand to them throughout their lives and enhance their personal development. This new module is intended to encourage students to take part in non-academic activities, and to recognise in a formal way the contribution that these students have made".