LIT was a hive of activity this week as over 1800 graduates, proud parents, friends and relatives descended on its main campus this week for the conferring ceremonies. It was the largest number of graduates in the Institute's history and for the first time included graduates from LIT's new school LIT Tipperary who received their parchments at LIT's Thurles campus.

Qualifications ranging from Higher Certificate through to PhD were presented to the graduates, who attended from all over Ireland. In her graduation speech LIT President Dr Maria Hinfelaar encouraged graduates not to judge future success on their professional accomplishments alone but also on how they contribute to society as active citizens: "In ten years' time when you all meet again for your college reunion I hope you judge yourselves not on your professional accomplishments alone, but also on how well you have developed as active citizens."

On the 1st of September this year LIT formally launched its fifth and newest school, LIT Tipperary, increasing LIT's student numbers to over 7000 full-time and part-time learners and extending its campus locations. LIT now has three campuses in Limerick City (including the state-of-the-art Limerick School of Art and Design at Clare Street), two campuses in Tipperary as well as outreach centres in County Limerick and County Clare.

In her conferring address Dr Hinfelaar promised further growth and laid out plans for LIT's ambitions towards technological university status, "LIT is a rapidly developing organisation, and in our new strategic plan we have stated our ambition to develop into a Technological University as set out in the new national strategy for Higher Education, the Hunt report. So we cannot rest on our laurels after the integration of Tipperary Institute – we will not get to Technological University status on our own and will have to work with partners. So if I am to stand here again in a few years' time we may be called something else and be part of something bigger – that is how the landscape is being redrawn and LIT is at the forefront of this evolution".