In a time when the country's students need all the opportunities they can get, audiology students from Athlone IT have been left devastated by the news that their course has been cancelled after one year. The Higher Education Authority (HEA) told AIT on Aug 1, 2012, not to proceed with the BSc in audiology. It said it would not fund the course because it did not accord with national policy outlined for the training of audiologists.
The basis given by the HEA for the cancellation of the course is that it would not receive accreditation from the British Academy of Audiology. The question arises as to why the course was offered without the proper accreditation. A college representative said that this is not an usual situation for new courses.
The students have been offered an alternative course in Southampton but this course carries fees of €9,000 per year and this cost is too high for many students. Jessica Molloy, one of the AIT students who contacted us said; “Thirteen of us have been accepted to study audiology in Southampton but the financial weight of moving country and paying tuition fees is overwhelming.”
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When asked to give a response on the situation FF Deputy McConalogue commented, “It beggars belief that this four-year programme was allowed to start last year without any clear prospects with regard to clinical placements or employment opportunities for students."
The students have received strong support for their college student union but at the time of writing had been waiting for over a week for any response from the USI. We contacted the USI directly but their representative was unavailable for comment at the time.
The students have started a petition online to gather support. It can be found at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/375/134/298/support-the-audiology-students-from-ait/
