Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement
Peer Review Group Report
Department of
Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology
April 2003
University College Dublin
Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement
Peer Review Group Report
Department of
Veterinary Microbiology & Parasitology
Academic Year 2002/2003
2
Table of Contents
1. The Department
1.1
Location of the Department
5
1.2
Staff
6
1.3
Courses and Programmes
6
2. The Departmental Self-Assessment
7
2.1
The Co-ordinating Committee
7
2.2
Methodology adopted
7
3. The Site Visit
8
3.1
Timetable
8
3.2
Methodology
9
3.3
General Comments
9
4. The Peer Review
10
4.1
Methodology
10
4.2
Sources used
10
4.3
Peer Review Group's View of the Self-Assessment Report 10
5. Findings of the Peer Review Group
6.
12
5.1
Departmental Details
12
5.2
Planning and Organisation
14
5.3
Taught Programmes
14
5.4
Teaching and Learning
15
5.5
Research and Scholarly Activity
17
5.6
External Relations
18
5.7
Support Services
20
Overall Analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities and Concerns
6. Recommendations for Improvement
3
22
25
Members of the Peer Review Group
NAME
AFFILIATION
ROLE
Professor Seán Arkins
University of Limerick
Extern
Dr Diana Williams
University of Liverpool
Extern
Professor John Bannigan
Department of Anatomy, UCD
Chair
Dr Bret Danilowicz
Department of Zoology, UCD
Rapporteur
Professor Jeremy Gray
Department of Environmental
Resource Management, UCD
Cognate
4
1.
THE DEPARTMENT
1.1
Location of the Department
In June 2002 the Department moved from Ballsbridge to the new Veterinary School
on the Belfield Campus of UCD. This move permitted some physical consolidation of
departmental activities, access to teaching laboratories capable of accommodating
whole classes and access to a Category 3 Pathogen Laboratory. It also improved the
opportunity for interaction with other University departments. The Department has
availed of physical facilities in other institutions from time to time as part of research
collaboration. Facilities for infectious disease experimentation are limited within the
University. Some limited facilities are provided for small animals such as rodents or
chickens in the Biomedical Facility and the new Category 3 Pathogen Laboratory, but
limited facilities are only available for the study of infectious diseases in companion
or farm animals. Attempts to use the facilities at Lyons Research Farm for many
infectious disease research projects have failed. However, Lyons Research Farm is
used for animal research in parasitology (liver fluke trials). (Lyons Research Farm is
a UCD-owned farm, at which facilities are largely shared between the Faculty of
Agriculture and Food Science and the Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of
Veterinary Medicine). In addition, farm facilities at Teagasc (the State Agricultural
Advisory Service) centres have been used during joint Teagasc/UCD research
projects. Members of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine also have access to the
farm animal infectious disease facility which is located at the Department of
Agriculture Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Abbotstown, Dublin 15. The
Faculty pays an amount equivalent to one farm labourer’s wages to the Department
of Agriculture in return for access. A joint committee drawn from members of both
institutions manages the facility.
Physical facilities under Departmental control
Preparation/Sterilisation room
Parasitology laboratory
Bacteriology laboratory (Diagnostic laboratory in annex)
Virology laboratory
Fluorescent microscope/Darkroom
Chemical store
Three temperature controlled rooms (37oC, 4oC and –20oC)
Heavy equipment room
Six academic staff offices
One departmental office
Lobby area outside offices
Serology/Immunology laboratory (used for tissue culture – protoza)
Audio visual / meeting room
General research laboratory (including write-up area)
General storeroom
Access to whole school and other facilities
Two conventional lecture theatres
One multi-purpose lecture theatre
‘Wet’ Practical teaching laboratory
‘Dry’ Practical teaching laboratory
Library
5
Category 3 Pathogen laboratory
Molecular Biology suite
Two tutorial / meeting rooms
Farm animal infectious disease research facilities (located at Central Veterinary
Research Laboratory, Abbotstown)
Lyons Research Farm
Facilities in the new Conway Institute building
1.2
Staff
The academic staff of the Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology
consists of 3 Senior Lecturers, 1 Visiting Professor, 1 Lecturer (currently on a careerbreak) and 2 Temporary Lecturers. One Senior Executive Assistant makes up the
administrative staff of the Department. The technical staff is made up of 1 Principal
Technician, 1 Section Head Technician (part-time), 3 Senior Technicians and 1
Laboratory Attendant.
1.3
Courses and Programmes
The department has responsibility for teaching microbiology and parasitology and
immunology to third year students in the Veterinary Medicine programme. Fourth
year students will be starting a rotation of placements into laboratories within the
Department in the upcoming academic year. The department is to a much lesser
extent involved in the Veterinary Nursing programme. Details on each of the courses
are presented in Chapter 3 of the SAR.
6
2.
THE DEPARTMENTAL SELF-ASSESSMENT
2.1
The Co-ordinating Committee
Dr Nola Leonard, Senior Lecturer, Chair of Co-ordinating Committee
Dr Bryan Markey, Acting Head of Department
Dr Grace Mulcahy, Senior Lecturer, Associate Dean for Research
Mr Maurice Scanlon, Principal Section Head Technician
Ms Dores Maguire, Section Head Technician
Ms Patricia Kiersey, Senior Executive Assistant
Mr Donal Sammin, Postgraduate student
2.2
Methodology Adopted
Number of Committee meetings: 9
Number of meetings with facilitators: 3
Allocation of tasks:
Completion of chapters – Self-assessment Report
Chapter 1 - Department Details
Bryan Markey/
Patricia Kiersey
Chapter 2 – Department Planning and Organisation
Nola Leonard
Chapter 3 – Taught Programmes
Nola Leonard/
Grace Mulcahy
Chapter 4 – Teaching and Learning
Grace Mulcahy
Chapter 5 – Research and Scholarly Activity
Grace Mulcahy
Chapter 6 – External Relations
Bryan Markey
Chapter 7 – Support Services
Bryan Markey
Chapter 8 – Overall Analysis and Recommendations
Nola Leonard
Assistance with questionnaires – distribution and collation
Dores Maguire and Maurice Scanlon
Degree of communication with staff not on the Co-ordinating Committee
Staff were kept informed of the progress of the QA/QI exercise through Departmental
meetings. They participated in the process through the Departmental Day in
December 2002 and a subsequent half-day workshop in January 2003.
7
3.
THE SITE VISIT
3.1
Timetable
Monday, 7 April 2003
5.00pm
PRG met
7.30pm
Dinner hosted by Registrar and Vice-President for Academic Affairs
Tuesday, 8 April 2003
Venue : Room 252, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
9.00-9.30
PRG met
9.30-10.00
PRG met Dean of Veterinary Medicine over coffee
10.00-11.00
PRG met with Co-ordinating Committee
11.00 – 12.00 PRG met Head of Department
12.00-1.00
PRG met staff not on Co-ordinating Committee
1.00-2.30
Working lunch, PRG only
2.30-3.15
PRG met technical staff
3.15-4.15
PRG met academic staff
4.15-4.45
Coffee break
4.45-5.45
PRG viewed facilities of the Department
7.30 p.m.
PRG only, working dinner in hotel
Wednesday, 9 April 2003
Venue : Room 252, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
9.30-10.00
PRG met
10.00-11.00
PRG met postgraduate students
11.00-11.30
Coffee
11.30-12.30
PRG met undergraduate students (3rd Years only)
12.30- 1.00
PRG met administrative staff
1.00-2.30
PRG had lunch with graduate employers, the Norah Greene Room,
Main Restaurant
2.30-3.00
PRG met Head of Department
3.00-4.00
PRG met undergraduate students (4th Years only)
4.00-4.30
PRG met Research Assistants
4:30-5:00
PRG met Head of Department
5:00-5:30
PRG available for private individual staff meetings
7.30 p.m.
PRG only, working dinner in hotel
8
Thursday, 10 April 2003
Venue: Room 208, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
3.2
9:30-10:00
PRG rescheduled/requested additional visits
10:00-11:00
PRG met Dean of the Faculty
11.00-1.00
PRG worked on PRG report
1.00-2.30
Working lunch, PRG only
3.30-4.00
PRG met Head of Department,
4.00 – 4.30
Presentation by PRG to all Department staff, Room 115
4:30- 5:30
PRG had coffee with all Departmental staff
Methodology
The work of the PRG involved the following:
3.3

Review of the Self Assessment Report (SAR) and the accompanying
documentation, in advance of the site visit.

Meeting with the Director of Quality Assurance on 7 April 2003 for a briefing on
the site visit procedure and assign tasks to individual members of the PRG.

Meetings with the Departmental Co-ordinating Committee, Head of Department,
Dean of Veterinary Medicine, academic, technical and administrative staff,
research assistants, postgraduate students, Third- and Fourth- Year
undergraduate students, and employers.

Visit to the teaching and research facilities within the Department, involving
informal discussions with academic staff.

Private meetings of the PRG during the site visit.

Preparation of draft PRG report.

Preparation and delivery of the Exit Presentation at the completion of the site
visit.

Preparation of final PRG report.
General Comments
The site visit was very useful in clarifying issues expressed in the SAR, and in
comparing these issues among different interest groups. We greatly appreciate that
the staff and students of the Department responded to our questions with candour
during our visit. We would like to thank the staff of the Department for the abundant
supply of refreshments, and the QA/QI office for prompt responses to our queries
during the course of the site visit.
The PRG noted with disappointment that the majority of the post-graduates and all of
the post-doctoral fellows are stationed at locations off campus and we did not have
the opportunity to meet with them. Therefore, we cannot comment on their
perception of the policies and practices of the Department.
9
4.
THE PEER REVIEW
4.1
Methodology
The PRG initially met on the evening of 7 April 2003. The PRG group worked
together during the entirety of the site visit. The tasks of overseeing the various parts
of the review were subdivided initially into the following areas:
Departmental Details:
Professor John Bannigan
Planning and Organisation:
Professor John Bannigan
Taught Programmes:
Professor Seán Arkins &
Dr. Diana Williams
Teaching and Learning:
Professor Seán Arkins &
Dr. Diana Williams
Research and Publications:
Professor Seán Arkins &
Dr. Diana Williams
External Relations and Diagnostic Services:
Professor Jeremy Gray
Support Services:
Dr Bret Danilowicz
During the drafting process, there was extensive communication among the
members of the PRG, and all members had input into each part of the review listed
above. The exit presentation, SWOT analysis, and overall recommendations, were
developed by all members of the PRG. The finished report was produced by
iterative editing by the PRG until all members were agreed on its contents.
4.2
Sources Used
The sources used by the PRG in the review and preparation of the report comprise
the following:
4.3

The SAR and accompanying appendices

Interviews with the Co-ordinating Committee, the academic, technical and
administrative staff of the Department, research assistants, undergraduate
and postgraduate students, the Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
and an employer of graduates

Copies of postgraduate theses

The Faculty’s strategic development plan

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine circulars

External examiner reports

Examination papers

Student timetables
Peer Review Group's View of the Self-assessment Report
The review group considered the Self-assessment report to be a thoughtful, honest
and useful statement of where the department was at and its aspirations for the
10
future. It highlighted the essential issues that affect the effectiveness and morale of
the department. The SAR had clarity, insight and objectivity. The department should
be congratulated on preparing the report at a time when the department was
undergoing major changes as a result of the retirement of the former Chair, loss of a
valued technical colleague and the relocation to Belfield. In addition the curriculum
was being reorganised which led to the revision of the teaching programme for both
microbiology and parasitology. The Head of Department should be congratulated on
his leadership and having achieved a considerable amount in terms of departmental
reorganisation and improved departmental communication as well as sustaining the
quality of the teaching programme.
We wish to thank the department for their hospitality and reception during our visit.
We were provided with all the necessary material, additional meetings were arranged
at our request very efficiently. The staff were open and honest and provided all
necessary information. It was apparent that the process of the QA/QI review had
been helpful – every group we met commented on how helpful the preparation days
had been.
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5.
THE FINDINGS OF THE PEER REVIEW GROUP
The Department of Microbiology and Parasitology provides an essential input into the
veterinary paraclinical curriculum. The European Association of Establishments for
Veterinary Education (EAEVE) requires that these subjects are taught as part of the
veterinary curriculum. The diagnostic laboratory also provides a valuable service to
the clinical division and to veterinary practitioners, and offers a valuable research link
and source of teaching material. The Department staff are all involved in teaching
and the academic staff are actively involved in research. It is within this context that
we frame our findings.
5.1
Departmental Details
The Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology has recently located to
a new purpose-built building on the Belfield campus. Space is adequate and the
laboratories are of a very high standard. If student numbers increased in the future
there might be some problems with space, particularly in the practical teaching
laboratories. The department should continue to advocate their research ethos by
showing their research prominently in their allocated teaching and research areas.
Planning and Organisation
The PRG are aware that the Faculty is reviewing the possibility of amalgamating
some or all of the eight departments. Should this happen, we urge that the
disciplines of Microbiology and Parasitology should retain their identities within any
new departmental structure.
Staffing
Academic
At present, the department has three full-time permanent staff all at senior lecturer
level and all of similar age. One lecturer is on leave of absence and is replaced by a
temporary lecturer. A temporary visiting Professor also replaces the recently retired
chairman of the department. Another part-time temporary lecturer is on maternity
leave. The latter's contract expires in May 2003. We note that the procedures for
filling the chair were put in train promptly on the retirement of Professor Quinn.
Nonetheless, it will be September 2004 at the earliest before the new professor takes
up duty. We think it essential that a temporary lecturer be in place in the interim to
ensure that the teaching load on the rest of the staff is not excessive. In addition,
replacement of the member of staff on leave is essential.
Technical Staff
The department has 5.5 technical staff with one temporary 8-month appointment
bringing the total to 6.5. In this context, we wish to draw attention to the fact that the
Faculty Strategic Plan states that the department has 7 technical staff.
The department is well served by its technicians. The latter contribute significantly to
practical teaching and operate the diagnostic service. However, their involvement in
12
research is not presently optimised. There is some disquiet among the technical
staff in the matter of promotion opportunities. In fact, there is a considerable lack of
confidence amongst them concerning the fairness and consistency of the procedures
of the TQPC (the University Committee that regulates promotions within the
technician and laboratory attendant grades). The absence of an appeals procedure
against the decisions of the TQPC was also seen as a deficiency. The PRG viewed
as positive the commitment of the Faculty to fill a vacant technical post, initially with a
temporary appointment but with the possibility that this would be made permanent.
The age profile of the technicians is towards the senior end of the scale. The
technicians fear that replacements will not be appointed as retirements occur and
that their skills and experience will be lost to the department.
There is a perception among the technicians that the chain of command is
undefined. Specifically, they say that they can be reassigned to different tasks on a
moment’s notice. The PRG recommends that there should be a clearer mechanism
of line management through the principal technician.
The PRG also strongly recommend that the technical staff should be more involved
in the research activity of the department. Assigning a technician to each academic
staff researcher might help to achieve this. There is also a pressing need for upskilling in the technician pool. The Department is encouraged to consider innovative
mechanisms to use the technician pool for the introduction and survival, within the
department, of novel research technologies. This encouragement could take the form
of continuing professional development courses, day release opportunities or
summer sabbaticals in other research laboratories. Failure to cultivate this resource
will seriously impinge on the department’s future development.
Administrative Staff
The department has one Senior Executive Assistant who is academically well
qualified. She has a BA in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management as well
as qualifications in Human Resource Management. She provides administrative
support to the academic staff and the diagnostic service. She interacts with students
when preparing class lists and co-ordinating teaching and exam timetables, and she
also deals directly with the veterinary profession through the diagnostic service.
The SEA is a very important post within the department and acts as a focal point for
people (students and others) coming into the department. The management of the
SEA is key to the effective running of the department. The PRG felt that there could
be improved communication between the SEA and the Head of Department and that
she could be used more effectively to enhance the image of the department. We
therefore recommend that the Head of Department has more formal monthly
meetings with the SEA to define and discuss her responsibilities. We also suggest
that the SEA might develop and maintain the department’s Web page, which is not
well designed or informative at present.
Diagnostic Service
The diagnostic service is a valuable resource for the hospital and the profession
nationally. In addition it is a source of teaching material for the department. It also
keeps the members of the department in touch with veterinary practitioners. There is
an aspiration among the staff to have the service accredited. We recommend that
13
they carefully consider the cost-benefit implications of such a move. The PRG
supports the department’s plan to establish links with the newly instituted Food
Safety Laboratory within the same Faculty.
5.2
Planning and Organisation
The Department undoubtedly succeeds in its day-to-day mission of providing
teaching to undergraduates and diagnostic services to some industry sectors. It is
apparent that the Department does not have either short or long-term strategic goals.
The absence of a Chair of Microbiology and Parasitology undoubtedly contributes to
this situation. There appears to be some uncertainty among technical staff as to
their exact role in the department. Communication between the academic and
technical staff needs to be improved and a clear definition of the functions of the
latter in research.
Within the department there seems to be poor social cohesion. This is probably due
to the location of the department to a new building on a new campus. Many
members of the technical staff expressed a sense of nostalgia about the old
Ballsbridge campus. We have no doubt that this situation will improve in time. In the
meantime the leadership should be aware of the problem and try to encourage a new
sense of belonging. The PRG felt that the away days to discuss the SAR had been
helpful in bringing the department together and had improved the social interactions
between staff members. The head of department might consider having subsequent
away days to foster these links.
The department has a number of postgraduate students and post-doctoral fellows on
distant sites such as Abbottstown. These personnel have little or no contact with the
“home” department and its laboratories, limiting the exchange of ideas across staff
and students. We urge that individuals working offsite be drawn into the workings of
the department. This could be done, for example, by way of a regular research
seminar programme.
5.3
Taught Programmes
The department has responsibility for teaching microbiology and parasitology and
immunology. The curriculum is in the process of being revised. This academic year
the department has taught third year students using the new curriculum and fourth
year under the old system. The total contact hours have been reduced to a limited
extent under the new curriculum, from 196 to 169 for microbiology and 116 to 108 for
parasitology. However immunology is no longer taught within microbiology yet the
contact hours have not been reduced significantly.
The courses are broad based and provide both a basic and applied perspective to
microbiology and parasitology. The Chief Veterinary Officer commented on the high
quality of graduates from UCD but also on the need to emphasise the links between
infectious diseases and food hygiene. The department should be encouraged in
their efforts to link with the new appointment in Food Safety, both in terms of
teaching and research.
The move to Belfield campus has resulted in provision of high quality teaching
facilities – there are two excellent lecture theatres and two well-equipped teaching
laboratories that provide bright and airy teaching space.
14
The department uses a comprehensive array of teaching methodologies and
presentation styles including lectures, tutorials and laboratory practicals. Computerassisted learning and specific veterinary programmes are not used within the
curriculum. The PRG felt that the teaching was of high quality and this was borne
out by discussions with students and with the one employer we met. The academic
staff were highly rated by the students, both in terms of their teaching ability and their
inter-personal skills. The contributions of the technical staff were also highly valued
by students; students considered the practicals to be a particular highlight of the
course. However students did question the relevance of and the emphasis on some
material.
The department highlights in the SAR that there is an inappropriate balance in the
knowledge-based components and the development of concept based skills. The
PRG group agrees with this statement and considered that the number of contact
hours and the detail and volume of material were excessive. This has implications
for the students and their ability to absorb and retain subject matter and for staff time.
Staff contact hours with students are estimated to be 124 hours per year for each
staff member in microbiology, i.e. 372 hours total contact time for 3 members of staff
and 93 hours in parasitology, 186 contact time for the two members of academic
staff. The total contact hours per student is 169 hours for microbiology and 108
hours for parasitology. It is the view of the PRG that this is inappropriate and uses
too much staff time that could be better spent on other activities such as research.
The department will need to consider a number of approaches to remedy this
situation; these might include some or all of the following:

Electing for a less comprehensive taxonomic coverage.

Greater use of technical and postgraduate staff in practicals and tutorials1.

Keeping carefully selected core material but integrating and fully embracing
problem based learning (PBL). This would avoid the repetition in the curriculum,
which was highlighted during interviews with students.

Imaginative use of staff from other departments e.g. clinical staff, could enhance
the teaching and help integrate subjects into the curriculum.
There is a need for an interim curriculum review of both the parasitology and
microbiology courses to reduce contact time of staff, embrace PBL and to introduce
new examinations appropriate to the new curriculum structure.
It was evident from discussions with present and former students that Microbiology
and Parasitology is delivered in the midst of a crowded curriculum. These
professional students work particularly hard, starting lectures at 8.00a.m. and
continuing throughout the day. This practice needs to be critically reviewed,
particularly against the background of PBL where students need time to cogitate and
assimilate. This could also aid in alleviating the excessive amount of student contact
in which staff are involved (see Section 5.4).
5.4
Teaching and Learning
External Examiners comments were unanimously favourable and supportive on
1
There is at present an unfilled half-time technical post available to the department. These funds
might be used to pay demonstrators to contribute to practicals, tutorials and PBL sessions thus freeing
academic staff time.
15
quality of the students and the examination process. They recommend oral
examinations only for students on the pass fail or honours thresholds. This is in line
with established practice within most UK veterinary schools.
One external
commented that the small number of academically weak students that had remained
in the programme through their third year should have been identified earlier in their
university training.
Some thought needs to be given to the relative weighting of the oral examination. An
allocation of 20 – 25% of the total marks to the oral examination seems to be
inappropriately high. We suggest that practice in other veterinary schools be
considered.
The examination process has not kept pace with the changes in the teaching
curriculum. It is a matter of urgency that the current examination system is revised
and examines the material as it is taught i.e. on a systems and problem based level.
Despite this criticism, the department should be congratulated for introducing
continual assessment throughout the course and the research project initiative in
parasitology. Alternate assessment methods must be considered – for example
multiple choice questions and short answer formats. This would reduce the time
spent marking essay scripts and might examine a greater proportion of the taught
course. The inclusion of more objective assessment methods in addition to more
traditional formats, such as essays may help in the spread of marks.
Overall the distribution of final marks appears skewed towards the lower end of the
spectrum. There seems to be few First or upper Second class marks awarded in
view of the effort displayed and the quality of the students. The department might
wish to re-evaluate the mark distributions.
There appear to be no grade descriptors used within the department for marking
examinations. Students commented that they were not aware what constituted a
first, second or pass answer. Grade descriptors would assist in the distribution of
marks and some form of formative assessment would help.
Some thought needs to be given to the allocation of research projects. At present the
majority of students choose literature-based research projects rather than laboratorybased projects and, if the department is successful in encouraging a research ethos
amongst students, this could change with obvious resource implications.
The PRG felt that the department has not fully embraced PBL in its true sense – that
is structuring PBL to replace didactic lectures, rather than to consolidate taught
material. If PBL was used to its full extent, then the number of lectures could be
reduced significantly, again, freeing staff time, since facilitators should be recruited
from the post-graduate and technical staff (i.e. be non-experts). Academic staff
would be involved in the final presentation of the results of the PBL course.
Third and fourth year students were interviewed and questioned about the quality of
the course, the presentation style, the usefulness of the material covered and the
examination style. Students in both third and fourth year were very positive about
the course material and about the quality of teaching. However the students did feel
overwhelmed by the sheer volume of material and the number of contact hours.
They commented on the fact they had no free time to read journals and reflect on the
course material. There were strong comments in support of the practical sessions –
their usefulness and the opportunity they provided to interact with staff members.
The department should carefully consider the impact of additional taught
16
programmes on their contact time, for example the introduction of an MSc
programme or involvement in the Veterinary nurses programme.
5.5
Research and Scholarly Activity
The three permanent members of academic staff are research-active and show
evidence of successfully competing for external research funding. The two
temporary lecturers have strong CVs and solid research credentials.
Two of the permanent academic staff have been recognised for their research
contributions by appointment to the Conway Institute.
The publication output in international and national peer-reviewed journals is
respectable. The department is also respected for publication of a number of
veterinary text-books that are used in Veterinary Faculties throughout the world.
The timely appointment of an internationally-recognised Chair of Veterinary
Microbiology and Parasitology will be essential to the research success of the
Department. At present, the Department lacks critical mass and may suffer a lack of
competitiveness. The move to Belfield, the association with the Conway Institute
and the filling of the Chair and other Departmental Lectureship should alleviate the
current constraints. We strongly advise that both positions are filled as soon as
possible so that the Department has its full complement of five permanent positions.
The three research-active academic staff have heavy teaching and administrative
loads. We have suggested ways in which teaching contact time might be reduced or
used more efficiently. Nevertheless the PRG strongly recommends that some
means are found to protect research time, leaving staff with no teaching
commitments for blocks of time. This is particularly important when the lecturer is
appointed. We advise that some consideration is given to providing a research
mentor for the new appointee. The present permanent faculty core should also be
facilitated with sabbatical research leave so as they can remain current in their
research areas.
In the SAR, 15 post-graduate students, five research assistants and two postdoctoral associates are listed. However only four of the 15 post-graduate students,
one of the RA’s and neither of the post-docs are actually based physically within the
Department. While the associations with groups such as Teagasc and Central
Veterinary Laboratories are valuable to the Department, within the department there
is a lack of critical mass. Strong consideration should be given to focussing efforts to
obtain funding to increase critical mass of post-graduates and post-docs on site.
Resident post-graduate students felt divorced from the other research activities
based in the department.
Research students should be given every opportunity and encouragement to attend
campus-wide seminars and go to scientific meetings. Some consideration might be
given to using departmental funds to support students’ travel.
The department’s technical staff are a highly trained, skilled resource who are
appreciated by academic staff and students alike. They are loyal and dedicated to
the department and from our discussions with the group it was apparent that they
take a pride in their contribution to the teaching activities of the department.
Traditionally, the technicians have not been involved in research. However since the
University is a research led institution, all staff should be involved in the research
17
activities of the department. Outside the peak teaching times technical staff could be
productively involved in research. There needs to be more interaction between
research post-grads and technical staff. Technical staff need to be encouraged to
become familiar with current research techniques and become a repository of those
techniques for the department. To facilitate this, first of all the vacant position needs
to be filled on a permanent basis. The additional half position noted within the
Faculty Strategic Plan needs to be reviewed strategically to best use the resource to
free staff time, both academic and technical. Technical staff need to have their
training needs assessed and addressed. Technical staff should be encouraged to
attend research seminars. Their contributions to the research programme should be
recognised by inclusion in the author list on papers and attendance at scientific
meetings.
There appeared to be poor awareness amongst the undergraduate students of the
research strengths within the department. This to some extent is symbolic of the
students’ lack of interest in research and in careers in research. The department
may wish to consider introducing students to the research activities of the
department through seminars or as a part of problem-based learning. The
opportunities for introducing summer vacation research bursaries is to be
encouraged.
The postgraduate students we interviewed were generally very positive, and happy
with both the contact and mentoring they received from their supervisors. They
expressed an interest in participating in practicals, and learning how to teach in
practical classes from the departmental technicians. They also stated that they
would be interested in teaching the technicians how to help them in their research
projects. Potential exists for a mutually beneficial exchange between post-graduates
and technicians and should be investigated further.
The progress of PhD students is reviewed yearly by a committee comprised of staff
members across the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. The students were generally
satisfied with the review process, but suggested that someone from outside the
Faculty should sit on the committee as an extern to bring more impartiality to the
process. The postgraduate students give a seminar to the Faculty each year on their
progress, which is an excellent training exercise and invaluable for feedback from a
broad spectrum of scientists.
5.6
External Relations
Education
There are strong relations with several departments within the Faculty, particularly
those that make up the Division of Clinical Veterinary Services. Frequent contact
with members of these departments occur in relation to the provision of diagnostic
services and there are also informal teaching arrangements. There appear to be no
formal teaching links with departments in other UCD Faculties, perhaps reflecting a
lack of communication but also the heavy teaching pressure that the staff of the
department are under. Seminars by visiting scientists are given on a regular basis in
the Faculty and subjects of interest to the department occur frequently. Occasionally
colleagues in CVRL (DAFRD - Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Development; the State Ministry of Agriculture) are invited to give specific lectures to
students.
There is increasing collaboration in the running of student projects that are based in
18
other UCD Faculties, for example Industrial Microbiology
Environmental Resource Management (Agriculture).
(Science)
and
Outreach activities occur and consist of educational presentations to clinical
societies, farmer groups and secondary schools, though there were no indications in
the SAR of the frequency of such activities. The SAR pointed out that there are
human and resource implications to be considered here.
Members of the
department also appear occasionally on national television and in the press as
experts on animal disease issues of public interest.
The department has had a long and active relationship with the Association of
Veterinary Teachers and Research Workers (AVTRW), a UK and Ireland
professional society, that provides important opportunities for interaction with
colleagues in cognate subjects. The external examiner system also has an
important role in establishing and maintaining links with similar departments
elsewhere. Although farm animal facilities are reportedly available at the CVRL for
infectious disease research (see page 6), it is not clear whether any formal
relationship with DAFRD exists.
Research
Very active research-based collaboration occurs with many institutions, including
other university departments, Teagasc and DAFRD. The university departments
involved include some within the Faculty, one or two in other Faculties (e.g.
Agriculture), departments in other Irish universities (e.g. Dublin City University), and
some within UK and continental European universities. The department also
participates in EU COST actions, which results in links to many other European
institutions. There is also collaboration with at least one American university (Tulane
University, Louisiana). The department has links with industry arising from research
funding and also as a result of contract work, for example anthelmintic and antibiotic
trials.
These relations appear to be based on personal contact between members of the
academic staff with their counterparts in the other organisations. The only formal link
that appears to exist is with the Conway Institute, a UCD-based research facility,
which offers space and facilities on a project-by-project basis to all departments in
the biomedical area. Two members of staff are currently involved in this way. It is
perhaps surprising that no formal links exist with DAFRD in view of the common
ground that exists between the department and sections within this organisation.
Diagnostic Service
The diagnostic service offered is a valuable departmental asset. Not only does it
result in important links to practising veterinarians, but it also provides a high quality
service to the University Veterinary Hospital, and educational opportunities for
students. It is maintained by technical staff who are also required for other duties
within the department. An exhaustive questionnaire survey established that the
service is of value for both internal and external clients. However, there were many
comments suggesting that efficiency could be improved and costs decreased. In
view of the cost and technical commitment implications of maintaining this service,
re-examination of the academic and commercial ethos involved is warranted.
Decisions are required on the issue of possible accreditation (which would require an
expansion of the existing service and a still greater investment of time and money)
and on the role of the service in supporting research and teaching. Consideration
should also be given to more obvious and formal links with other diagnostic services
19
offered in the Faculty (e.g. by the Department of Pathology), and possibly location of
the entire service in dedicated laboratory space.
5.7
Support Services
Support Services in the SAR was based on an analysis of questionnaires completed
by current staff and students of the Department about services provided from
elsewhere in UCD. In this section, we consider that analysis in light of interviews
held during the site visit.
In the SAR, computing services were general rated poorly by staff, post-graduates,
and undergraduates. For postgraduates, the reason for their unhappiness with
computer services was primarily due to a lack of printers or proximate printing
facilities. This results from the distal location of student desks and labs from the
printer available to them (near the Departmental Office). The issue of insufficient
printing facilities could be most easily rectified within the Department, and is not an
issue that Computing Services generally handles. Undergraduates felt they had
reasonable access to computers in the Faculty building and were generally satisfied
with computer services, therefore their poor rating of Computing Services is not
easily comprehended. Department staff felt that computer glitches occurred
regularly, and they experienced an extended delay in getting those errors rectified by
Computing Services. The "online-classes" facility is well used by academic staff and
their students, and both groups found this service very useful.
The new Library was well appreciated by staff members, and the support staff within
the library were very helpful. Undergraduates were clearly impacted by the reduction
of seats from 90 (Ballsbridge) to 75. This resulted from PBL in 1st and 2nd years
requiring use of library materials, and students from outside the Veterinary Faculty
using seating in the library. Undergraduate students felt that the library hour opening
times (opening, closing, and days of the week) placed a constraint on the amount of
time they wished to spend with the materials. These are Faculty level issues that
need to be addressed in the near future. During the QA/QI process, the Department
staff identified a need in additional photocopying resources for undergraduates, and
arranged for one to be installed outside of library. This type of immediate response
to student needs is highly commendable.
The communication between the Department and the Health and Safety Office
(HSO), and safety practices within the Department, should be re-examined in the
immediate future. Postgraduate students were not aware of courses provided
through the HSO such as Safer Manual Lifting and First Aid/ CPR. No postgraduate
students or staff in the department that the PRG asked were trained in First Aid.
Postgraduate students were not aware of what procedures should be taken in the
event of an emergency, however they were aware that an incident report must be
filed after an accident occurred. When the new building opened, the postgraduate
students were unable to obtain support from the HSO to put warning stickers/labels
on the entrance to laboratories (the postgraduates ultimately arranged for these
materials themselves). The Department should clearly identify their Department's
Health & Safety Officer and Radiation Officer, and all members of the department
should know the identity of these individuals and their responsibilities. Greater
attention needs to be given to increase the general awareness of Health and Safety
throughout the Department, and this should be facilitated by the HSO.
Postgraduate students and staff have keys to the building, therefore they are
frequently in the building "out-of-hours". However, no system was available for
20
recording who was in the building during these periods. A departmental (or Faculty)
policy should be made with respect to reporting out-of-hours activity in the Faculty
building, and ensure that staff working out-of-hours are fully aware of the lines of
communication in case of difficulties, both within and outside normal building opening
hours. Such a policy should be developed with advice from the HSO.
The Biomedical Facility is utilised for holding experimental animals, and the
Department provides some diagnostic services to the facility. While the SAR did not
discuss their opinion of the interaction with this facility, staff indicated in interviews
that the long time delay in obtaining approval for animal experiments through the
Biomedical Facility negatively impacted their research output. This was primarily
driven by the statistical review of the proposed experiments. There was then a
further delay in obtaining final approval by the Department of Health and Children.
The accounts information provided by the Bursar’s Office is provided too late for staff
to find it useful. All staff requested that they require more prompt reporting on
accounts from the Bursar's Office. Further, they suggest these reports would be best
received electronically, and access to view their personal accounts at any time would
be very useful.
Undergraduates had mixed reactions to support services provided. Undergraduate
students were aware of the Student Advisor and the Student Hardship Fund, and
they felt well supported by the Departmental Office. Yet they felt there was no
support from the Careers Office (most had never heard of it), and they were largely
unaware of what types of careers could be developed following their veterinary
degree. This is a Faculty issue, but it directly impinges on the capacity for this
Department to make students aware of research careers within the Department.
Further, students did not feel that they had someone that they could just drop in and
talk to about personal, careers or academic issues. They requested to have an
assigned mentor from their first year through all five years of their residency in the
Veterinary Faculty.
The Staff Development Office (SDO) is being used effectively by some members of
staff. The Department Head, upon taking his new position, found management
courses provided by the SDO useful. The Senior Executive Assistant has taken
various courses, and these were also found to be useful. Other members of staff
have taken courses occasionally. However, uptake of the Staff Development
Programme has not occurred within the Department. The use of the UCD Centre for
Teaching and Learning (CTL) was not investigated, but it was known that the CTL
course on "Effective Demonstrating in Practical Classes" would be useful for their
post-graduates if they became involved with demonstrating practical classes.
The new Common Room for staff was felt to be large and comfortable. However,
use of the room by members of the department has been minimal. This partially
resulted from no facility for purchasing food within the room, and no existing
mechanism for the provision of coffee within the room. This appears to be a Faculty
level issue, but greatly reduces the level of social contact available to members of
the Department. In this time of transition to a new building, it may be particularly
important to develop social meetings over coffee-time and lunch-time to keep morale
high among staff. This issue was mentioned repeatedly by all grades of staff during
the site visit.
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6.
OVERALL
ANALYSIS
OF
STRENGTHS,
WEAKNESSES,
OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS /CONCERNS (SWOT ANALYSIS)
6.1
Strengths
6.2

Experienced staff who are satisfied with their jobs

Small department size allowing permanent staff to work in close physical
proximity

Located in new purpose built building for veterinary medicine research and
teaching

Nationally and internationally recognised research programme

Good track record in securing external funding

Solid research contacts to research institutions and industry

Diagnostic services which maintain link to practitioners

Undergraduate students are highly intelligent and motivated

New atmosphere of communication among members of the department

Undergraduates rate highly the lectures and practicals which they receive

On-site postgraduates have ample contact with their supervisors and sufficient
opportunities to attend research conferences
Weaknesses

Academic and technical positions are not fully staffed

Lower morale among technical staff

Few opportunities for social contact among members of staff and students

No strategic plan to achieve departmental goals

Small department size means that there is limited breadth of research expertise.

No prioritisation of departmental goals

Teaching is awkwardly divided between didactic teaching and problem-based
learning

There are too many contact hours for both staff and students

Poor safety practices and knowledge among staff and students

The Chair of Veterinary Microbiology is presently unfilled

Poor uptake of the Staff Development Programme

Few post-graduates students or post-docs on site on the Main Campus

All academic staff members have large administrative commitments within the
Department and Faculty

No "out-of-hours" working registration for staff or students
22
6.3
6.4

Lack of communication structure among technical staff

Exam structure is not aligned with systems-based or problem-based learning

Lack of clear marking standards for students for each type of exam

Undergraduate students unaware of academic staff research areas and potential
for research-based careers
Opportunities

New location is proximate to other institutes (Conway), Faculties, and
Departments with which research and teaching collaborations can be built

Staff can be recruited into open academic and technical staff positions

Willingness of some technical staff to become involved with research

Willingness of some postgraduate students to become involved with teaching

Potential to link advances in diagnostic research with diagnostic services

Potential for academic staff to teach in blocks freeing blocks of time for research

New Faculty curriculum of problem-based learning may allow for more effective
learning as well as a reduction in staff contact hours

Potential to develop research-based bursaries during summer periods

Lecturers on temporary positions may be interested in becoming involved in
established research programmes in the department

Potential for increasing the efficiency and morale of technicians through planning
of tasks month by month through the Principal Technician and Head of
Department

The website could be developed to assist in recruitment of undergraduate and
postgraduate students into research of the department

The Staff Development Programme, if fully implemented, will improve morale and
technical capacity of the staff
Threats / Concerns

Potential for the department to lose its identity within the proposed reorganisation of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

Potential for demands on space to increase due to increasing uptake of
undergraduate and postgraduate students

Potential time commitment of staff for accreditation of diagnostic laboratories and
in new taught programmes

Potential impact of the Conway Institute on the deployment of Departmental
technicians

Inadequate promotional prospects for technical and administrative staff

Lack of appeal process in technical and administrative promotion applications

Given the quality of the undergraduate students, marks seem heavily skewed to
23
pass marks below honours.
research funding

This limits the department’s access to IRCSET
Age structure of academic staff and technical staff is uniform rather than evenly
distributed among age categories.
24
7.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT
Despite a demanding workload, the department has a demonstrated ability to
conduct excellent research and provide a stimulating learning environment for
students. Numerous changes have impacted the department in the recent past, and
the department has reorganised and managed these changes with an air of
collegiality. Within these positive aspects of the department, the PRG recognises
that there are opportunities for improvement of the effectiveness of the department.
These do not necessarily reflect shortcomings in the department, and are offered as
ways in which the department may be able to conduct teaching, research and
administration duties more efficiently and effectively.

A greater awareness of sound Health and Safety practices are required in the
Department as a matter of urgency. This includes the designation and training of
a departmental Safety Officer and Radiation Officer. The move towards effective
safety practices will require substantial input from the Health and Safety Office.

An 'out-of-hours' policy on safety should be developed and implemented
immediately.

Fill the vacant chair as soon as possible with an internationally recognised
individual who could provide leadership in research and other scholarly activities.

Fill the vacant lecturer’s position as soon as possible with an individual whose
research portfolio can complement the strengths of the department.

All staff should meet with the Head of Department as part of the Staff
Development Programme on an annual basis to review and agree their progress
within and contribution to the Department.

Investigate methods for keeping post-docs and postgraduate students on the
UCD campus rather than at distant locations.

Re-organise the line management structure among the technical staff to
maximise the use of technical expertise and time in both teaching and research.

Fill the technical post as a permanent position that would have both teaching and
research responsibilities.

Develop a departmental strategic plan, which includes both the vision for the
department and the incremental steps needed to reach specific targets. This plan
should be developed in consultation with all members of the department, possibly
through a series of meetings or away days.

Reduce the didactic teaching load for members of academic staff and introduce
the use of alternative computer marked assessment methods that reduce the
amount of staff time spent on marking essays and match the new curriculum.

Utilise the full calendar year for planning of technical staff responsibilities to
increase their involvement in research.

Staff and postgraduates should avail themselves of teaching and assessment
method courses offered by the UCD Centre for Teaching and Learning.

Identify means to create teaching-free periods of time for academic staff to
enable them to have quality research time.

Make more efficient use of the SEA through regular monthly meetings between
the Head of Department and the SEA.
25