Assoc ProfessorSara O'Sullivan

I have been a Lecturer at University College Dublin since 2000, and an Associate Professor since 2014.

I have two research specialisms: (1) My gender equality research examines evolving gender roles, employment patterns, and societal attitudes in Ireland, with particular focus on workplace equity issues and gender in Irish society. I am currently researching gender pay reporting in Ireland, developing an evidence base to drive effective organisational interventions towards pay equity; (2) My research on teaching and learning (T & L) in higher education explores strategies for enhancing student engagement and success. I recently co-chaired the School of Sociology's Athena Swan Self Assessment Team and led on our successful Athena Swan Bronze Award application (March 2025).  I  teach qualitative research methods to graduate students and have a particular interest in the process of analysing qualitative data. I am a member of the UCD Centre for the Study of Higher Education, the UCD Geary Institute and the UCD School of Sociology Diversities and Inequalities research group.

In 2022 I was PI on two projects:
(1) A systematic review of published, unpublished, and ongoing teaching and learning (T&L) research in Irish higher education funded by the National Forum for Teaching and Learning. The methodology is based on an earlier study carried out in 2015 by myself and colleagues at UCD (O’Sullivan et al 2015). The aim is to enable them to create an up-to-date and comprehensive database of research on teaching and learning in higher education conducted by researchers affiliated with Irish institutions. In a time of major change in Irish higher education, the findings will provide an important evidence base for teachers, policy makers, the National Forum and others seeking to enhance and develop teaching and learning in Irish higher education.
(2) Building meaningful relationships through structured and reflexive dialogue: Academic advising in the Social
Sciences undergraduate curriculum. Myself and a team of colleagues in the College have been awarded funding for a project on Academic advising in the Social Sciences undergraduate curriculum. This project aims to systematically review, evaluate, and enhance the current approach to better support meaningful learning conversations, and shift the focus from academic mentoring to more focused academic advising. Funded by the HEA/ National Forum.

From 2015-2019 I served as Associate Dean of Social Sciences and led the development and delivery of a new four year social sciences programme, launched in September 2018. Schools, faculty and staff worked together, adopting students as partners, widening participation and universal design principles in the development of curriculum, administration and student support. Central to the design was the introduction of a learning outcomes based curriculum. Programme design supported transition for incoming students. Learning communities were created by aligning student registration for first year seminars by subjects. The acquisition of skills was supported by tutorials attached to a mandatory ‘Societal Challenges’ module. Another key feature was a curriculum that offered all students the opportunity to take at least one high impact undergraduate experience including internships, experiential learning, study abroad and capstone research projects. Curriculum awards were introduced to support faculty develop modules to meet specific learning outcomes and support partnership working initiatives. Student representation on the programme board, committees and working groups was enhanced. Students partnered with staff to redesign orientation and a new website and on communications to students about the launch of a new programme office.

In 2015 I completed an interdisciplinary project, involving 18 colleagues from across UCD 'Existing Research Output focused on Higher Education Teaching and Learning in Ireland' (funded by National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning in Higher Education). This report was the first systematic survey and analysis of teaching and learning research in Irish higher education. A copy can be accessed by clicking on publications. The publication included as an appendix a comprehensive bibliography of Irish teaching and learning research publications (2275 entries). The National Forum later used this resource to create a searchable database of Irish teaching and learning scholarship to be used by researchers

In 2007 I edited Contemporary Ireland: A Sociological Map, published by UCD Press, reissued as an ebook in 2016 with a new postscript. I was a UCD Fellow in Teaching and Academic Development 2007-2009 which allowed me to develop my interest in SoTL, with a particular focus on the sociology classroom. I recently completed a research project titled 'Investigating links between attendance at small group sociology classes, student attainment and student motivation' (HS-E-10-190-OSullivan).