First and second-year law students have been assured that they will not be forced to complete a dissertation during the final two years of their degree, after an email from the head of the school raised alarm about the potential effect it could have on their degrees.
Last month, the Head of the Law School, Prof Oran Doyle, called on students to make their views on the potential for a mandatory dissertation module known in the “strongest possible terms” to those working on the Trinity Education Project.
Vice-Provost Linda Hogan has, however, told The University Times that there were inaccuracies in information being circulated by the Law School, emphasising that the level of credit weighting with regards to modules has still to be decided, and may indeed differ between programmes.
Speaking about the potential for mandatory dissertation modules in an email statement to The University Times, she said: “Trinity has always prided itself in the fact that our students have the opportunity to do a significant piece of independent research, and University Council reinforced the importance of this principle a number of years ago.”
She confirmed that any changes would only come into effect for students entering Trinity in the 2018/2019 academic year. In an email to all law students on April 1st, she said that “current students will be unaffected by this new architecture”. Additionally, the Vice-Provost explained that the proposal of a mandatory dissertation “is exactly that, a proposal”.
In an email to all law students on March 29th, Doyle said that a mandatory dissertation module would “disrupt the carefully thought-out integration of modules in the JF year”. He also said that for students studying joint degrees, a 20 ECTS dissertation would mean they “could not meet all their professional body requirements”.
This was in response to an email from the Vice-Provost on March 22nd to all staff and students about the current proposals of the Trinity Education Project steering group, which is chaired by the Provost, Patrick Prendergast. The proposals include a mandatory 20 ECTS dissertation in final year and 20 ECTS worth of courses outside a student’s course in first year.
Currently, law students require 150 credits in certain core modules, under the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), to take the professional exams required to become either a solicitor or barrister. However, the proposed changes to the course architecture would have meant that many joint degree students, such as those studying law and business or law and French, may not be able to obtain the 150 ECTS required prior to graduation.
Noting that he would make a formal response to the Vice-Provost, Doyle explained how the proposed changes might not only adversely affect future students, but also the current first-year and second-year students: “It cannot be ruled out that the College will try to introduce this for students entering the SS year in 2017/18.”
In response to questions from The University Times in relation to the email he sent to students and the clarification by the Vice-Provost, Doyle stated that he has made a formal submission to the Vice-Provost and has “nothing further to say while this consultation process is ongoing”.
Law students have welcomed the clarification, however. Speaking to The University Times, second-year law and French class rep, Chloe O’Reilly said: “A lot of people are already going on Erasmus next year, and have accepted those places, and were very unsure about what was happening when they went away … It’s very positive for all those students.”
O’Reilly, along with second-year law and political science class rep, Emily Fitzpatrick, and second-year law and German class rep, Emma Brady, helped organise an email that law students across all disciplines could send to the Vice-Provost.
Speaking to The University Times, Fitzpatrick said: “We really appreciate the College acknowledging our email, and taking our concerns on board. A lot of students, in particular those going on Erasmus, were worried they wouldn’t be able to fulfil their professional requirements when coming back, and it’s important for Trinity to consider the specific nature of each degree when they’re bringing in these changes.”
The Vice-Provost did, however, seem to suggest that the mandatory dissertation will almost certainly come into effect: “However the number of credits attached to the dissertation has still to be decided, and may indeed differ between programmes.”
Dominic McGrath also contributed reporting to this piece.
