March 2021
The Technological University of South East Ireland (TUSEI) is reaching an exciting stage in its development – creating the brand of the new organisation – and is inviting internal and external stakeholders to help define new university’s brand, attributes and values.
As preparations continue for the TUSEI consortium to submit its application in April with the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, a brand working group from WIT and IT Carlow is engaging with specific cohorts inside and outside both institutes to seek their input on what they want from the new university. The results will inform the TU brand as well as the new university’s ambition, vision, attributes and core values.
The cohorts include current WIT and IT Carlow staff and students, prospective students currently in 5th and 6th year, and their parents whose insights are being sought via online surveys and smaller online focus groups.
A radio and social media campaign is currently underway across the region inviting prospective students and their parents to take part in the survey and an email has been issued to all WIT and IT Carlow staff with a link to the survey.
Separately, the TU branding work group is running in-depth interviews with leaders in industry, second-level and higher education and with the institute’s leadership team in interactive sessions.
These undertakings are part of a larger programme of research and design taking place in collaboration with design consultants RedDog and research agency MCCP that have been contracted to deliver a new brand for the TU.
“This engagement with important stakeholders is a valuable undertaking for the new organisation. We are asking our current staff and students, leaving certificate students and their parents to help us define that brand and, in doing so, help us shape our new university, our new name and what we will stand for”, commented Mr. Declan Doyle, Vice-President for Development and Research at IT Carlow.
“As we progress on in our journey to achieve technological university designation, it is important that we communicate effectively to our current and future students and staff the vision and ethos which defines the new organisation. The TU brand is an important communication tool in achieving this”, said Dr Suzanne Denieffe, Head of School of Humanities, WIT.