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A Public Statement by the West Inishowen History & Heritage Group
“Relocation of History Courses to Coleraine”
Outline of our concerns at University of Ulster’s plans to move all history courses from Magee campus (Derry) to Coleraine.
The committee members of the West Inishowen History & Heritage Group (WIHH) wish to voice their opposition to the University of Ulster’s plans to move all history courses from Magee College in Derry to the university’s Coleraine campus. The decision will mean that the people of Inishowen and the wider Donegal area will no longer have access to undergraduate and postgraduate history degrees without having to move to Coleraine or endure lengthy round-trips on a daily basis. In these times of austerity, the pursuit of a degree while staying at home is the only option available to many. This move by the University of Ulster closes off the option for school-leavers and mature students to study history, while remaining in their locality.
It is quite possible that the Irish History and Politics BA (Hons), Postgraduate Diploma and MA courses will disappear after the move to Coleraine. The undergraduate course will be merged with the BA History to create a new degree course. The Postgraduate Diploma and MA will still be offered as a standalone course at the new location. However, given that 70% of the students enrolled on the MA course this year are from Donegal, the postgraduate course’s future will most likely be placed in jeopardy. The WIHH committee feel that these courses, which are so popular with Inishowen residents, will soon be abolished if moved to Coleraine.
The history courses offered at Magee are very popular with Inishowen residents. The WIHH chairman and a number of its committee members are either graduates of the courses or currently studying for history degrees at Magee. Also, it seems to the committee that the decision to move the courses makes little sense given that Magee College is the most historic of the University of Ulster’s four campuses. The decision to move history courses away from Magee also coincides with the City of Culture celebrations that will take place throughout 2013. The history of Derry is a central part of its culture, and it is a culture shared with the city’s natural hinterland in Inishowen. The WIHH feels that moving history degrees and postgraduate courses away from the city of culture now is a mistake that will be very difficult to remedy in the future.
The WIHH urges the University of Ulster to reconsider this decision so that the people of Derry, Inishowen and the wider Donegal area can continue to learn about their past together and have the opportunity to avail of the higher education opportunities that many of its members have had in the past.
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Contact: Adrian Grant
Phone: (00353) 860885193
Email: aj.grant@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.buncranahistory.com
To find out more about this topic, or to schedule an interview please contact WIHH Chairman Adrian Grant using the contact information above.
