Beyond Programs: Leadership Lessons from Ireland’s Inclusive Universities

During a recent sabbatical studying inclusive postsecondary education in Ireland, I visited four universities—University College Cork, Trinity College Dublin, Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, and Mary Immaculate College—participating in the country’s Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH 4), a nationally funded initiative designed to expand opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities. Although each institution differed in mission and size, they shared one characteristic rarely seen in the United States: They viewed inclusive postsecondary education not as the responsibility of a specialized program but as a core institutional commitment. That distinction has important implications for academic leaders.