Minister appoints new members to St Mary’s University College governing body
Date published:
Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald has announced the appointment of four new members to the governing body of St. Mary’s University College Belfast.
Laura Leonard, Christine Magill, Dáithí Murray and Garry Matthewson have been appointed to serve as members from 8 February 2025 for a period of five years.
The appointments have been made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland code of practice.
Notes to editors:
1. Pen pictures are available on the Department’s website.
2. Members of the Governing Body do not receive any remuneration. However, they are eligible to claim allowances, at Northern Ireland Civil Service rates, for travel and subsistence costs necessarily incurred on official business.
3. St Mary’s University College has its origins in a training college established in 1900 by the Dominican Sisters on the present Falls Road site for the education of women students and their preparation for teaching in primary schools. The college has developed and evolved to also include training for male students (for some years on a separate site) and preparation for teaching in secondary schools. The College has had an academic relationship with Queen’s University Belfast since 1948 nevertheless the College is an autonomous institution in ethos, governance and in finance.
4. St Mary's University College is a small Higher Education institution specialising in Teacher Education and Liberal Arts. It offers two Initial Teaching Education (ITE) routes including a BEd degree in either Primary or Post-primary Education and the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in Irish Medium. In addition the College also offers a BA in Liberal Arts Programme, a part-time Masters-level programmes and a full-time MSc in Physical Education and Sport for Young People.
5. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland and in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations requires the political activity of appointees (if any declared) to be published. None of the appointees have carried out any political activity in the past five years.
6. The appointees hold no other Public Appointments.
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8. For media enquiries contact the Department for the Economy Press Office at pressoffice@economy-ni.gov.uk
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