Title:	The Barry Foley Sociology Essay Prize
Award Type:	Medal
Long Description:	Barry Foley was an outstanding student of sociology who died unexpectedly on the 12th of March 2016. In the final semester of his degree progamme, Barry had already impressed staff and students alike with his creativity, imagination and intellectual daring—qualities exhibited in his written assessments as well as in his oral contributions to classes and to discussions that overflowed classes into the corridors of UCD. Indeed, for his classmates, Barry was also an inspiration—a model student with an infectious passion for knowledge and learning and an example of how university students can be active citizens in the republic of letters that universities represent. As a result, the proposal to create a prize in his honour has been developed with a view to recognising and rewarding these qualities in current and future sociology students. 1 Overview: That the prize be awarded on an annual basis at the end of the second semester to the sociology undergraduate student who, in the course of their ordinary assessment for sociology modules, produced the best essay-style written assignment as judged by a committee of no less that three members of the School of Sociology. 2 Eligibility: Any undergraduate student enrolled on a second or third year sociology module that involved the production of an essay-style written assignment for assessment. Assessment Criteria: Any written assessment in essay form submitted for a sociology module, and awarded a grade of ‘A+’, in any given academic year, automatically qualifies for consideration. Should the number of such essays total more than 10, and/or include more than one from the same module, then Module Coordinators will be asked to nominate the best essay from their module. The final set of short-listed essays will then be read and examined by an Award Committee, comprising the Head of Teaching and Learning, and two other faculty members, typically drawn from the Committee for Teaching and Learning. The essay that shows, besides the highest standards of academic and scholarly competence, the greatest measure of daring, creativity, and imagination will be nominated for the prize. Assessors will identify and describe what constitutes ‘daring, creativity, and imagination’ in the particular essay they nominate for the prize, and may, in exceptional circumstances, issue more than one award should they deem it appropriate.
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