Students and staff protest decision to move Dundalk IT graduation to St Patrick's Cathedral

Students and members of the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) have called on the Institute to reverse its decision to hold this year's graduation ceremony at St Patrick's Cathedral in Dundalk.

Graduation 2019 at DkIT takes place from Wednesday October 30 to Friday November 1 at St Patrick's Cathedral. In previous years graduation has taken place on campus.

Speaking exclusively to the Dundalk Democrat, Students Union President, Glenn McCourt said that the Institute was moving the graduation to St Patrick's Cathedral, "without any consultation from the students or staff" at the Institute.

In a statement issued by the Students Union President, Mr McCourt called upon the President of DKIT to "revert [sic] his decision immediately and allow 2019 Graduation go ahead in its normal venue".

_{Above: DkIT SU President Glenn McCourt (centre), with Vice President for Welfare and Equality Taidgh Kavanagh (left) Vice President for Student Engagement Christopher O'Neill (right)}

In his statement, Mr McCourt said that the Students Union (SU) were disappointed to learn of the "DKIT President’s unilateral decision to move the venue of the pinnacle event of the college calender to an external religious venue for graduation".

The SU's primary issue with the decision to move the graduation is, according to the statement, "the damage to the fabric of the DKiT community, over many years the main value of Graduation has been the opportunity of students from all backgrounds alongside their Parents, Family and Friends to meet staff in a place where their education took place."

The Students Union President goes on to add that the event is "without doubt the biggest day of the DKiT Community's calender year. Moving this day out of the college to a religious venue is a reckless move and a blow to the DKIT community.

"A high volume of our students have met with me over the last number of weeks explaining how uncomfortable and discriminated they feel against due to this unilateral decision, as it goes against their personal beliefs and damages our community."

He calls on DkIT President Mr Michael Mulvey to reverse the decision "immediately and allow 2019 Graduation go ahead in its normal venue", which he adds has "been very successful for many, many years."

The Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) members at DkIT have also issued a statement in support of the Students Union. In it they say:

“DkIT TUI members are as bewildered as our colleagues in the Students' Union at the Institute President’s unilateral decision to disrupt completely the biggest event in the DkIT community’s calendar."

They add that they are "deeply disappointed that there was absolutely no consultation with any members of our community; not students, not lecturing staff, not administration or support staff. The first students or staff heard about this decision was its announcement in an email from the President via the Registrar’s office."

The TUI goes on to voice its concerns regarding decisions made at the Institute saying:

"While this unilateral decision and its blasé announcement might indicate a lack of understanding, perhaps indifference, to the Institute's communal culture.

"Major decisions regarding Institute strategy are treated in the same way. The distain [sic] shown towards the customary practices of consultation and consent of students and staff regarding decisions is increasingly frustrating for the members of our community.

"Consequently, TUI members support fully our SU colleagues in their opposition to the President’s unilateral decision, which is creating discord throughout the DkIT community, most especially with regard to this, our most important day of ceremony and celebration.”

The Dundalk Democrat contacted DkIT today, but the Institute had not issued a response by time of publication.