ONE HUNDRED and thirty two Irish students have completed their first term at Thames Valley University in London - without ever leaving Dublin.
Textbooks for their course have been flown in by the university. So too have their lecturers. In an exercise that adds a new dimension to the term distance learning", they spent their first 11 weeks as Thames Valley students attending lectures in rented premises in Dublin's Temple Bar.
On January 6th, the start of the new term, they joined the general student body on the west London campus for the first time. Because of their late arrival, which means they have missed out on the socialising that takes place during the first term, from membership of student unions and societies to finding the campus layout and even the best student bars, special "orientation" classes are being organised to help them to integrate quickly into university life.
Residential Problem
The 132, from different parts of the Republic, have been accepted for a three year nursing diploma course at Thames Valley, one of the main training centres for nurses in the UK. Subsidised residential accommodation for the students, who receive a £5,000 a year grant, is traditionally provided by the trusts which run Britain's National Health Service.
The problem for the bulk of this year's intake of 180 Irish students arose when it was discovered that the accommodation which was expected to be available for them had been allocated instead to qualified nurses recruited by the trusts from Australia, New Zealand and Finland to fill staff shortages in Britain's troubled national health service.
The head of the university's Wolfson School of Health Sciences, Lois Crooke, flew to Dublin to discuss the problem with the students and their parents.
"We met in the Marine Hotel in Sutton," she recalls. "There were three options. We could leave the students to find their own, unsubsidised accommodation in London, which would be virtually impossible on their £5,000 a year bursaries. We could cancel their enrolments which would be unfair to them as well as adding to the shortage of qualified nursing staff in the UK. Our third option was that we set up temporary teaching facilities in Dublin for the 11 weeks of the students first term, then welcome them to London when suitable accommodation was available for all the group."
£25,000 Expenditure
The students and their parents, though upset and disappointed by the unexpected development, backed the plan. "It was not an ideal arrangement," admits Ms Crooke, "but it has succeeded because of the enormous goodwill shown by all concerned."
Setting up their temporary Dublin campus has cost Thames Valley £25,000 in extra expenditure. Two of the university's senior lecturers, Penny Russell and Penny Reid - who has only recently married - volunteered to stay in Dublin - with the students, flying home at the weekends.
Other university staff were flown in to deliver lectures at the temporary premises in Temple Bar. Books and photocopied texts were brought over, building up "a small library" for the students, according to Ms Reid. A special project manager, June Saunders, was appointed to oversee arrangements and there were regular visits from Ms Crooke and the Thames Valley's pro vice chancellor, Suzanne Hazelgrove.
Many of the students came from outside Dublin. To minimum their accommodation costs the 15 hours of lectures each week were spread over just two days for different groups, with work on special projects being done in the students' own communities. "It was fairly intensive for the two days, but you had time during the rest of the week for reading and research," said one of the students, Pat McEntee, from Thomastown, Co Kilkenny.
Of the course in general, he said: "We were very disappointed at first, as we had been all geared up to go to London. But it's all worked out very well. We've made friends and mixed together, so we won't be strangers when we arrive on campus next term."
Pat, who is 27, previously worked as a porter cum nurse's aide at St Columba's Hospital in Thomastown. Now, after his diploma at Thames Valley, he hopes to take a degree in nursing and then "work abroad for a time before settling down".
Another student, 20 year old Maura Prenter, of Boghall Road, Bray, Co Wicklow, said she had "greatly enjoyed" the Dublin course. "Initially, like everyone else, I was disappointed at not getting to London, but I'm glad now that we did have the course here."
The university, which has academic links with Ballyfermot Senior College and Cavan's College of Further Education, is the main supplier of nursing staff for the hospitals of west London. According to Ms Crooke, it "greatly values" its intake of nursing students from the Republic and receives more applications for places than it can meet. She praises Irish nurses as "quality professionals, very dedicated, very committed".
Assurances
Geoff Bourne, assistant director of the board that oversees the education of nurses, said: "Thames Valley University raised a difficulty and we've worked with them. They have acted in a very responsible manner. We've had assurances that the students won't be disadvantaged in any way."
Even if it is not to be repeated, the 11 week exercise has left some of those involved with happy memories. Last word to Ms Saunders, who had charge of the Temple Bar project: "We had a marvellous time in Dublin. We'll all miss it".