Limerick Institute of Technology
Vorlage:EngvarB Vorlage:Use dmy dates Vorlage:Refimprove Vorlage:Infobox university Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) is an institution of higher education in Limerick, Ireland and is one of 13 institutes that are members of the Institutes of Technology Ireland (IOTI). The Institute has four campuses in Limerick city, one in both Thurles and Clonmel in County Tipperary and a regional learning centre in Ennis, County Clare. The main campus is located at Moylish Park on the north of Limerick city and houses the Faculty of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology and the School of Business and Humanities. The School of Art & Design is located at the Clare Street and George's Quay and Clonmel campuses. LIT's Tipperary School is based at the Thurles and Clonmel campuses.
Similar to the other institutes of technology, LIT offers courses at Level 6 (certificate) through Level 10 (PhD) whilst also catering for craft apprentices and adult and continuing education. The Institute has twice been named as The Sunday Times Institute of Technology of the Year in The Sunday Times University Guide, firstly in 2008[1] and again in 2013.[2]
History
A series of technical colleges, to be known as Regional Technical Colleges (RTCs) was announced by the Minister for Education, Patrick Hillery in 1963 and the first of the RTCs were opened in Athlone, Carlow, Dundalk, Sligo and Waterford in 1970. A Regional Technical College for Limerick was cancelled after a National Institute for Higher Education was announced for the city in 1972.
The Limerick City Vocational Education Committee (VEC) independently planned to build Limerick Technical College and acquired land at Moylish Park to do this. The college was opened in 1975 and has since developed into the main campus of Limerick Institute of Technology. In 1980 the VEC established Limerick College of Art, Commerce and Technology (Limerick CoACT) to include the newly established Limerick School of Art and Design, the School of Professional Studies, located on O'Connell Avenue and the Limerick Technical College at Moylish Park.
Limerick CoACT became a Regional Technical College in 1993 and was finally upgraded to Institute of Technology status in 1997, along with the rest of the RTCs. The Institute awards its own bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees, which were previously awarded by the Higher Education and Training Awards Council.[3]
LIT Tipperary (formerly Tipperary Institute) is one of the five constituent schools of Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT). Tipperary Institute was founded by the Irish Government in 1998 and opened two campuses in Thurles and Clonmel in September 1999. The then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern officially inaugurated the institute on 7 April 2000. It was formally integrated into LIT on 1 September 2011.
The college was originally known as the Tipperary Rural and Business Development Institute (TRBDI).
Organization
The Institute has four faculties, which are known in LIT as "Schools".
- Limerick School of Art & Design
- Department of Design
- Department of Fine Art
- Applied Science Engineering and Technology
- Department of Built Environment
- Department of Applied Science
- Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
- Department of Mechanical & Automobile Engineering
- Department of Information Technology
- Business & Humanities
- Department of Business Management
- Department of Humanities
- Department of Professional Studies
- Tipperary School
- Department of Business, Education & Social Science
- Department of Technology, Media & Science
The Development Office works with the Registrar and Heads of School/Department to address the widening participation agenda in the broadest sense from Level 5 to Level 10 as per the National Framework of Qualifications by piloting new initiatives and then assisting to mainstream these initiatives within LIT. The Development Office activity includes: enhancing R&D and Technology Transfer; managing relationships with second level education providers; Lifelong Learning; and liaison with enterprise and employment development agencies in the Mid-West region.
Limerick Institute of Technology has a reputation for agility, responsiveness, creativity, inclusiveness and collaboration. It has a track record as a strategic knowledge generator and technology transfer partner of choice for companies and organisations facing the challenges of achieving sustainable competitive advantage in their marketplace. LIT’s focus is on innovative applied research and development in partnership with industry and community stakeholders, supporting international operators as well as indigenous players. We will continue to leverage from the existing and emerging areas of expertise across all of our campuses. LIT has a proven track record in the Lifesciences sector, particularly Biotechnology and Food where The Shannon Applied Biotechnology Centre (SABC) is based on the Moylish campus and is an Enterprise Ireland Technology Gateway. It is joint venture between LIT and the Institute of Technology, Tralee. It provides applied scientific services to industry in the area of integrated approaches to problem solving associated with the better utilisation of natural materials and the novel bio-resources they contain; Also located on the Moylish campus is Foods@LIT, a state of the art facility that has undertaken many projects with leading industry and artisan food producers including scientific and sensory analysis projects. From an engineering perspective a key focus is Industry 4.0 where there is a convergence between many disciplines including Engineering, ICT and Sustainable Energy – Many Innovative projects have been undertaken with industry partners through LIT’s distinctive ACORN research centre. The other core research activities of LIT include Social Sciences and Social Enterprise through Social Sciences ConneXions; Art, Design and Creative Multimedia through it ACADEMY Research Centre; and Sport - Strength and conditioning though the Health and Wellness Community of Practice.
LIT also offers supports to new enterprise through the distinctive LIT Enterprise Ladder accommodating the full spectrum of low to high risk and reward profiles. The Enterprise Ladder runs across our enterprise centres on all campuses and beyond, involving numerous partnerships with relevant State agencies and authorities as well as private enterprise. LIT is the regional host of New Frontiers, Enterprise Ireland’s national entrepreneur development programme and the premier programme for early stage innovative start-ups. LIT has 4 campus Incubation Centres, 1 city centre based Incubation Centre and supports 2 Community Enterprise Centres across Limerick and Tipperary. Spin-in/Spin-out high-potential start-ups are typically located the in the Hartnett Enterprise Acceleration Centre in our main campus in Moylish. In partnership with Innovate Limerick and Limerick Chamber our City Centre Incubator includes the National Franchise Centre, supporting entrepreneurs setting up or growing a business using the franchise model as well as traditional start-ups. IFIL our International Fashion incubator Limerick provides graduates from LIT’s Limerick School of Art and Design with opportunities to set up their own businesses and is located in the proximity of our Clare St. campus. We are closely linked with Limerick City Build, a high-potential social enterprise centre focused on creating start-up opportunities for vocational-led entrepreneurs and those you are seeking help moving from welfare to mainstream employment. In addition we provide support to Enterprise Centres in Croom and Newcastlewest. Two of our campus centres are in Tipperary, the Thurles Chamber Enterprise Centre and QUESTUM in Clonmel.
LIT actively collaborates with the University of Limerick and Mary Immaculate College though the Shannon consortium and has collaborated with many other institutes and Universities and dividends are being realised which have the potential to significantly increase our economic and societal impact. In short, LIT is progressive third level college that supports and drives job creation and innovation creating pathways from academia to commercial success in partnership with regional, national and international stakeholders.
Dr Liam Brown Vice President Research, Enterprise & Development
Sports
LIT has a very strong focus on sport with hurling and rugby being the most dominant. This is hardly surprising as the main campus is located next to the world famous Thomond Park, home of Munster Rugby and only a few hundred yards from the Gaelic Grounds, home of Limerick GAA. The Institute senior hurling team captured the Fitzgibbon Cup in 2005 and 2007 and the senior rugby team captured the All-Ireland Colleges Championship in 1998, 1999 and 2005.
One of the largest sports club in the Institute is the Outdoor Club. This was founded in 2001 and runs on the philosophy "alternative activities for all". It caters for all students, past and present interested in non-competitive activities such as Hillwalking, Orienteering, Mountaineering, Canoeing/Kayaking, Rock Climbing, Windsurfing, Surfing, Caving, Sailing and Mountain Biking.
LIT has a number of sports related courses with the Tipperary School running a course in Strength & Conditioning, in partnership with the online sports college Setanta College, and the Department of Humanities offers a Level 8-degree in Business Studies with Sports Management.
Millennium Theatre
The Millennium Theatre is located at Moylish Park and is host to a variety of live entertainment, concerts, recitals, drama, comedy and dance, with a capacity of 400. It also doubles as the largest lecture theatre on the Moylish Park campus.
Accommodation
There are several student villages in LIT with the most predominant being Thomond and Cratloe Woods Student Village. Other accommodation includes Harriston Student Village.
See also
- Education in the Republic of Ireland
- List of higher education institutions in the Republic of Ireland
References
External links
Vorlage:Limerick Vorlage:Institutes of Technology in Ireland
- ↑ The Sunday Times University Guide 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
- ↑ Owens, Alan, "LIT takes top award in University Guide", The Limerick Leader, 11 October 2012.] Retrieved on 14 January 2013.
- ↑ Delegated Authority, Higher Education Training and Awards Council. Retrieved on 23 March 2012.