Development of Student Numbers/Student Accommodation over time

Undoubtedly student life in Cork has altered significantly since the University was founded in 1845. Paramount to this change has been the exponential growth of the University itself from an infrastructural perspective, and also the number of students attending. Since 1908, UCC has grown “from 115 students to over 20,000, from one building to dozens, and from less than 20 staff to more than 1,600 today” (History & Heritage UCC, 2015). From a networking perspective, the opportunities afforded by the sheer amount of students with a range of skills and different ways of thinking are endless. This is perhaps reflected in the First Destinations of Graduates survey (2004), which found that “over 50% of UCC graduates find employment within six months of graduating, with 39% going into further training or study” as seen in the pie chart below. (Browne & Morrissey, 2004)

Undeniably these high employment figures can also be attributed to the reputation of excellence which the college has developed over time, with UCC now “internationally acclaimed as one of the top 2% of research institutions in the world” (IUA, 2015). However the exponential growth of student numbers since those lucky 115 students began in 1845, has undeniably been a critical factor in UCC students being viewed as so attractive by potential employers. If you walk around UCC main campus today, you don’t have to look far to see a “Great minds don’t think alike” banner. Many disregard these as simply a clever twist on a cliché which the UCC marketing team feel is a good slogan for the university. However, with UCC now boasting “2400 international students from 98 different countries” (IUA, 2015) combined with all manner of degree courses which attract people with different passions, UCC has truly turned into a diverse campus which offers an incredible opportunity for intercultural learning and challenging your ideas.

Of course with increased student numbers comes the inevitable increase in demand for student accommodation. This has resulted in the university constructing several new purpose built student accommodation buildings such as the Victoria Cross complex which “was part of UCC's plan to increase its stock of student accommodation to approximately 1,500 beds in 2002.” (Victoria Cross Student Accommodation, 2015) Many students moving to Cork from various regions of Ireland to study at UCC opt to lodge in UCC owned campus accommodation, which includes four locations: Victoria Mills, Victoria Lodge, University Hall and Castlewhite apartments, which are all located within a five minute walk from the main campus and a 15 minute walk to Cork city centre. There are also various other privately owned complexes located around the city. The majority of students living in Cork city and its surrounding area tend to live at home to save on the costs associated with rent, however (Jordyn & Byrd, 2003) argue that these students pay a far higher cost by choosing to remain at home, as research has shown that “young adults who have left the family home, compared with those who remain with their parents, demonstrate higher levels of academic success, personality development and greater feelings of social success and achievement”. Leaving the family home however presents its own set of challenges, which I feel closely resembles Oberg’s “culture-shock model”, in that for students moving from isolated rural areas of Ireland to the country’s second largest city, a degree of acculturation is to be expected. Therefore perhaps the increased “personality development” which Jordyn & Byrd describe is a direct consequence of having to find ways to deal with situational changes, which those who stay at home simply do not experience. This concept is further supported by (Holdsworth, 2006) who notes that “residential status has emerged as a key demarcating factor in how successfully students feel they adapt to being at university”. Adaptation as a skill may be another reason for undergraduates in UCC being actively sought out by companies who work in changing markets, with those who have lived away from home having a distinct advantage in the same way those who have studied abroad do.

Pictured Above: Images from Victoria Mills, University Hall and Victoria Lodge complexes.

How the future of student life will look in Cork is highly dependent on whether or not the university itself can continue to grow as it has done, which in the shadow of recession, will surely prove challenging. In July at the opening of the UCC Beaufort Building in Ringaskiddy, which will provide Ireland with “world-class infrastructure for renewable energy and maritime research” (Cocking, 2015), president of the university, Dr Michael Murphy called upon Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who was in attendance at the opening, to abolish VAT on student housing in order to allow the university to accommodate for its ongoing expansion and influx of more and more students. Dr. Murphy quoted Nobel Laureate Jim Watson who described how “in this era, countries will only be as successful as their universities are” in a speech in Cork some four years ago (UCC, 2015). He went on to state that the University must build accommodation with 800 beds in order to meet increasing student demand, however informed the Taoiseach that “we will only be able to do so in time if we can leverage the private sector to invest as it is currently uneconomical to build; but we can bridge the gap between cost and economic return if zero-VAT rating for student housing were adopted here - as applied in the UK and already in place in Ireland for social housing.”(UCC 2015). In a recent interview with The Irish Times, Dr Murphy acknowledged that construction of student accommodation “will not take place in the near future or at the pace that is needed without an incentive of that type”. (Humphreys, 2015) From a “student life” perspective, the increased competition for accommodation has meant certain students are holding onto accommodation for the summer despite moving back home in order to ensure they will have a place for the following year. According to Dr, Murphy this is because, for many developers “it’s simply more attractive for them to do business with non-students given they typically rent for 12 months rather than eight or nine in the year”. (Humphreys, 2015)

Pictured above from top left going clockwise: 1.Enda Kenny (Taoiseach) speaks. 2. Members of government and UCC cut ribbon at Beaufort Building opening. 3. Plaque unveiling at Beaufort. 4. President of UCC, Dr. Michael Murphy speaks at Beaufort grand opening.