President of Ireland inaugurates DCU state-of-the-art U Student Centre
President Michael D Higgins unveiled the new €15 million state-of-the-art Student Centre in Dublin City University on Thursday 27 September.
Funded completely by donations, ¡®the U¡¯, is a purpose-built facility housing a broad range of activities and support services, with an aim to serve the needs of DCU¡¯s rapidly growing student community, now numbering over 17,000.
The major facility is the Student Leadership and Life-Skills Centre, which will deliver programmes in resilience, mental fitness and mindfulness and provide students with 24/7 access to qualified counsellors. Other key facilities include Performing Arts and Cultural spaces for students and the wider community, an Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub for national and international student initiatives, and a student radio station. 'The U' will also contain two ¡®escape pods¡¯ to provide a social space for students with autism.
DCU was declared the world¡¯s first autism-friendly university by autism advocacy charity AsIAm after completing an 18-month project last March.
Addressing DCU staff and hundreds of students, President Higgins emphasised the importance of mental health issues and warned that "any society that neglected mental health loses a rich resource¡± and that the "quality of our citizenship was tested by the extent and depth for the care of others¡±.
¡°In a student¡¯s world there are particular stresses and worries associated with self-image, exams, awakening sexuality, shyness, bullying, family dysfunction, prevailing social and cultural attitudes about mental health,¡± he said while appreciating the active role played by DCU in creating consciousness around challenges of mental health issues, adding that any mix of these could overwhelm people.
He also encouraged students to speak openly about mental health issues among themselves and to be alert for signs that their friends or colleagues might need professional support. "Everybody will encounter through the life-cycle experience of what may seem to be at that time impenetrable problems," Mr Higgins said while asking the audience to deliver such support non-judgmentally.
President Higgins also spoke of the value of the arts and of the contribution the new venue will make by hosting cultural events. He expressed it was his "fervent wish" that some of the students present would make their contribution to helping solve the two major challenges of our time ¨C climate change and sustainable development, which was received by the audience with a rapturous applause.
Prof Brian MacCraith, President of DCU, thanked President Higgins for accommodating the event in his busy schedule.
¡°Today¡¯s opening of ¡®the U¡¯ represents a major milestone for everyone associated with DCU, a day where our commitment to the personal and professional development of our students is reflected in a magnificent facility," Prof MacCraith said while adding that the day is also significant because it demonstrates what can be achieved by partnership and generosity.
Out of the €15 million, some €8 million for the centre was raised by students after they voted in March 2014 in favour of a levy to help fund it. The remaining amount was donated by the Tony Ryan Trust, Bank of Ireland and DCU commercial activities.
The Irish President received long standing ovations by hundreds of people present at the ceremony following his speech and after unveiling a plaque marking the centre¡¯s opening.
Located within DCU¡¯s Glasnevin campus, the building spans more than 5,500 sq m and will host more than 150 student clubs and societies. 'The U' will also be the home for DCUfm, the DCU student radio station, and the student newspaper, The College View.
Additionally, it will house a ¡®global village¡¯ to encourage more cultural diversity among the 115 different nationalities currently represented in the student population.
¡°This day marks the collective contributions of generations of DCU students,¡± said the president of the DCU Students¡¯ Union, Vito Moloney Burke. ¡°Once again, we have a centre of activity that DCU students can call home," he added.
¡°The place will be alive with club and society life, and will serve as a platform for increased student engagement. Today is a representation of what a culture of collaboration between students and the university can achieve ¨C the legacy starts here!¡±