UCD Students’ Strategic Vision

Final Vision Adopted by UCDSU – 8th April 2019

Following a year long process of preparation and consultation with students, on Monday 8th April 2019 UCD Students’ Union Council voted to adopt the UCD Students’ Strategic Vision as their official policy on campus development. SU Council further mandated the President and Campaigns & Communications Officer to campaign for and support the implementation and realisation of this Vision, and to communicate this position to the University, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and any other bodies which could affect the future development of the campus.

This initiative aimed to prepare a Vision, from the perspective of students, of how the UCD Campus should develop into the future. Throughout the last 6 months we have carried out 250 face to face surveys with students around the campus, interviewed and met with numerous individuals and groups, including a number of clubs and societies, and received and analysed over 110 responses to a very detailed online survey. We also published a Draft Vision in early March 2019, and sought feedback on it before finalising this document.

The purpose of this document is to provide a reference guide, which can be used by the University, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and other organisations to incorporate a student perspective into decisions relating to the campus, and to provide a target to aim towards. It should also assist UCD Students Union in campaigning more effectively on campus related issues.

Download UCD Students’ Strategic Vision

Download Vision Appendices

Download Motion to UCDSU Council

Draft Vision Released – 4th March 2019

Following extensive consultation with students throughout the last 6 months, we are now delighted to release the Draft UCD Students’ Strategic Vision! We now encourage all students to review this Draft and to provide us with any comments or feedback you have, by Friday 29th March 2019.

View Summary

Download Full Draft Vision

Click here to view Appendices to the Vision.

Students – Have Your Say!

  1. Email your comments and feedback to pep.society@ucd.ie, or request to meet up with us if you have more to say.
  2. Add your comments directly onto a Google Doc version of this file, at the relevant sections.
  3. Come along to our launch event on Tuesday 26th March, 5:30pm, Planning & Environmental Policy Building, UCD Richview.

If possible, please submit any comments and feedback by Friday 22nd March, so we can consider and address them, and respond to you before the launch event on Tuesday 26th March. In your comments, please be as specific as possible, making reference to specific sections or measures, and providing suggested wording for any changes you request.

The final date for all submissions is Friday 29th March 2019.

About the Vision

The UCD Students’ Strategic Vision is a student-led initiative to prepare a Vision, from the perspective of students, of what UCD and it’s campus could look like in the future.

This Vision will provide a comprehensive reference document which can be used by the University, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and other organisations, to ensure that the views of students are taken into consideration when making any decisions which could affect the future development of the campus. It will also provide UCD Students’ Union with a clear and strategic statement of how UCD students would like to see the campus develop into the future, which will assist them in campaigning more effectively on campus related issues.

This initiative is being carried out by UCD Planning & Environmental Policy Students, with the support of UCD Students’ Union and UCD Estate Services. To ensure that the Vision accurately represents the best interests of students, there will be two phases of extensive consultation, where students will be asked to provide their views and ideas, while the final Vision will also be subject to approval by the full SU Council before it can be adopted as official policy.

Read more about the Vision

Panel Discussion – 8th November 2018

As part of World Town Planning Day 2018 and the Irish Planning Institute’s Planning Week 2018, we ran a Panel Discussion on the Future Development of the UCD Campus on Thursday 8th November in the Planning & Environmental Policy Building, UCD Richview.


(Photograph by Roisín Moyne)

Speakers included:

  • Chair – Joe Corr, President, Irish Planning Institute
  • Louise McGauran, Senior Planner, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council
  • Barry Murphy, President, UCD Students’ Union
  • Tom Phillips, Managing Director, Tom Phillips + Associates

The event was well attended and various topics were discussed, including Surrounding Area & Local Community, Student Accommodation & On-Campus Services, Environment & Sustainability, and Transport & Parking. For full details see the articles below published in the College Tribune and University Observer.

Panel Discusses Vision For Future Development Of Campus
(College Tribune, 20th November 2018)

The Strategic Campus Development Plan: time for a check-Up?
(University Observer, 21st November 2018)

Walk-Up Information Sessions – 12th to 15th November 2018

Between the 12th and 15th November we held a number of walk-up information sessions at five locations across the UCD Campus. This gave students an opportunity to find out more about the initiative, and to discuss any issues or potential ideas they might have, and it also gave us an opportunity to interview students about what their Vision was for the future of the Campus.

  • Monday 12th November 2018: Richview School of Architecture, 11am to 4pm
  • Monday 12th November 2018: Student Centre, 11am to 4pm
  • Monday 12th November 2018: O’Brien Centre for Science, 11am to 4pm
  • Monday 12th November 2018: Newman Arts Building, 11am to 4pm
  • Tuesday 13th November 2018: Restaurant Building, 11am to 4pm
  • Thursday 15th November 2018: Richview School of Architecture, 11am to 4pm
  • Thursday 15th November 2018: Student Centre, 11am to 4pm
  • Thursday 15th November 2018: O’Brien Centre for Science, 11am to 4pm
  • Thursday 15th November 2018: Newman Arts Building, 11am to 4pm
  • Thursday 15th November 2018: Restaurant Building, 11am to 4pm

If you missed these information sessions, feel free to send us an email to consultation@ucdvision.ie and we can arrange to meet at a time which suits you.