The University Times

Hazel O’Brien|Contributing Writer/p>

The Trinity College Campus is a realm of diversity – so much so, that we dedicate an entire week to the celebration of all of the cultures and backgrounds that TCD students have to share. Although brought together by a sheer love of education and a hunger for knowledge, our paths here are what sets us apart from one another. For myself and approximately 1000 other students, that path was the Trinity Access Programme.

The Trinity Access Programme (TAP) enables young adults and adults who come from under-represented socio-economic groups, such as those who are financially disadvantaged, members of the travelling community or members of ethnic minority groups to attend third level education at Trinity College. The Access Programme began in 1993 and currently about 1000 students at TCD entered the college through the foundation course scheme. TAP offers foundation courses, similar to a Post-Leaving Certificate course, for students who have the potential to succeed in higher education but otherwise would not have the opportunity. In this way, they provide a pathway to education for those who were failed by the Leaving Cert system, or those who came from backgrounds that couldn’t give them the opportunities they needed, economic or otherwise, to go on to University.

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They provide a pathway to education for those who were failed by the Leaving Cert system, or those who came from backgrounds that couldn’t give them the opportunities they needed, economic or otherwise, to go on to University.

I did not come from a background that had a family history of third level education. Neither of my parents finished second level, and we were rarely encouraged to aim for University level courses when filling out the CAO in school. University just wasn’t seen as something that was accessible to ‘people like us.’ That was until my sister Siobhan was accepted on to the Trinity Access Programme Foundation Course for Young Adults in 2001, and later completed her degree in English Literature and Language. Two of my older sisters followed suit and returned to education, both via the TAP Foundation Course for Mature Students.

My family is just one minor example of the opportunities that TAP offers to students who have the potential to succeed but belong to a group that have low higher education progression rates. Deirdre McAdams, a JS Medicinal Chemistry student, TAP ambassador and Trinity Scholar talks about how TAP paved the road to third level for herself and her family, ‘TAP has opened so many doors to me, everything I have achieved to date has been because of them. My sister has just started this year on the Foundation Course and my family are so proud to have the two of us here.’

Aside from the Foundation courses for both young adults and mature students, TAP run a range of programmes for primary and secondary school students alike. These include but not limited to summer camps for students on campus, revision programmes and parents evenings all geared towards providing students from communities that are under-represented in education with the tools that they need to navigate the third level system. Perhaps the most significant of these programmes is newly launched CFES (College for Every Student) coordinated by Dr Ronan Smith. This mentoring programme connects second level students from eleven DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) schools in Dublin and focuses on building a three year relationship between mentors and mentees, in order to create a ‘college-going culture’ in the participating schools.

The College for Every Student programme focuses on building a three year relationship between mentors and mentees, in order to create a ‘college-going culture’ in the participating schools.

Dr Smith states ‘Mentoring is extremely beneficial regardless of background but it has been identified as a critical tool in helping students from non-traditional backgrounds both access and succeed at third level.’ This is key to many non-traditional students who are the first of their family or peer group to go to University and may not have the frame of reference within their community. Three hundred and twenty current students have jumped on board to act as mentors for the programme. Megan Thompson, a volunteer Mentor, describes her enthusiasm for CFES. ‘TAP is such a great course and opportunity that it should be known and not just mentioned once in career guidance.’

Though TAP are working diligently to promote the access programme within college, there are still persisting struggles that post-Foundation Course students are more likely to face than students from traditional backgrounds, especially when college place severe budget cuts in certain areas that are of huge assistance to Access students. The potential exam resit levy of 250 euro for example, would have a devastating effect to a household such as mine. College has also cut services such as free screenings for disabilities such as dysgraphia or dyslexia, which means that students now have to pay for these tests before they can receive any provisions. As research has shown that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to have a learning disability, inability to pay for these services results in students being forced to go without exemptions during assessments, thus impeding their overall performance. The same goes for cuts put in place in the counselling services offered on campus, making them inaccessible to students with social emotional behavioural disorders who simply cannot afford them. Unfortunately, this is one particularly significant way that Access students, as well as students who are part of the Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) or Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) programmes fall under the radar, as college as a whole tends to cater to the majority and disregard the needs of the minority.

One would assume that a community that is 1000 strong would be widely recognised in college. However, this is often not the case. Leah Kenny, a current student on the Foundation Course for Young Adults refers to her Fresher’s Week experience; ‘None of the societies had heard of the foundation course during Fresher’s week. We had to explain it to almost every person that we spoke to.’ Due to a lack of open dialogue on campus about the Access Programme, some TAP students feel that they will face a prejudiced opinion from traditional students. They feel that they may be perceived as ‘less able,’ (though studies have shown that Access students receive the same results, on average, as traditional students) so they choose not to bring up the Access Programme. The assumption of some members of the college community that students who have a disability or even a Dublin accent must have come through TAP only works to reinforce stereotypes and stifle any true understanding about what the programme achieves.

‘None of the societies had heard of the foundation course during Fresher’s week. We had to explain it to almost every person that we spoke to.’

However, it needs to be noted that the majority of Access Students are incredibly proud of their path to education, and traditional students are more often than not supportive of the programme. This level of support has been consistently echoed by the TAP students and staff. Megan expresses that in regards to traditional students ‘there has been nothing but interest and support. It says a lot about the college and the people in it.’ Dr Smith recounts the support among Trinity staff: ‘Without the generosity of staff members scattered throughout the campus, The Access Programme could not have grown as quickly as it has.’ This level of endorsement among students is evident in the recently appointed first SU Access Officer, Gabriel Adewusi who believes that ‘having someone who can represent you in places that matter can make a huge difference for you regardless of whatever cohorts you belong to.’ Along with this new SU position, this year’s SU sabbatical officers have been working towards new policies in order to promote the inclusion of access students in college life.

TAP could not survive without the support it receives from students and staff, and we are well on our way to the Trinity Access programme and its students receiving the full amount of recognition and inclusion in college life as they deserve.