Institute of Technology, Sligo

Institute of Technology, Sligo
Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Sligeach
Type	Public
Active	1971–April 2022
Affiliation	Atlantic Technological University
President	Brendan McCormack
Academic staff	470
Students	6,000
Address	Ash Lane, Sligo, Connacht, F91 YW50, Ireland; 54°16′41″N 8°27′36″W / 54.278°N 8.460°W
Campus	70 acres (280,000 m2)
Website	www.itsligo.ie

The Institute of Technology, Sligo (ITS; Irish: Institiúid Teicneolaíochta, Sligeach) was an institute of technology, located in Sligo, Ireland. In April 2022, it was formally dissolved, and its functions became part of Atlantic Technological University (ATU).^[2] As of 2021,^[update] the institute had three faculties and nine departments.^[3]^[4]

History

The institute opened in 1970 as a Regional Technical College, and adopted the name 'Institute of Technology, Sligo' on 7 May 1997.^[5] The first students graduated with degrees from Sligo RTC in 1986.^[6]

Con Power served as principal of the college from its foundation in 1972 until 1979.^{[citation needed]} Prof. Terri Scott was the institute's first female president, serving from 2008 until 2014.^[7] She was succeeded by Prof. Vincent Cunnane in October 2014. Dr. Brendan McCormack was appointed president of the institute in September 2016.^[8]

Development

IT Sligo developed a number of distance learning options, and as of 2016 reportedly had 1,800 online learners registered on various online programmes.^[1] This subsequently increased to approximately 3000 online learners.^[9]^{[not specific enough to verify]}

In sports, the college has both ladies' soccer and men's Gaelic football teams, the latter winning the Sigerson Cup three times during the six years up to 2005.^{[citation needed]}

In technology, IT Sligo's "Team Hermes" won the software design category of the 2011 Microsoft Imagine Cup (a world student technology competition, held in 2011 in New York).^[10]

Atlantic Technological University

As of October 2018, Sligo IT was reportedly working with GMIT and Letterkenny IT to potentially form a Technological University for the West/North-West of Ireland.^[11] In October 2020, the constituent IT's were allocated over €5.5 million towards transformation.^[12]

Formal approval was granted in October 2021.^[13] Atlantic TU began formal operations in April 2022.^[2]