Comments on: Oh dear oh dear, here we go again: Irish university merger chatter

By: OMF

OMF — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 22:59:40 +0000

I personally feel the whole report is a Trojan horse. The UCD/TCD merger was proposed to a) emphasise that universities must be closed/merged and b) to protect TCD and UCD from any such outcomes by precipitating early arguments against their downsizing.

By: Niall

Niall — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 10:26:59 +0000

Why not merge all Irish universities and ITs, giving Ireland one very large institution! More seriously, would a mergers with universities outside Ireland be more advantageous.

By: Kate O'Hanlon (@KeyboardCouch)

Kate O'Hanlon (@KeyboardCouch) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 15:13:38 +0000

Just the administrative cost of a UCD/TCD merger seems like it would rule it out of the question for the foreseeable future.

By: cormac

cormac — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 11:36:39 +0000

Excellent post, i couldn’t agree more. not that old chestnut again. Another point that is rarely raised; if you’re going to go for size, it would be far simpler to put what used to be four NUI colleges back into one university. I don’t believe in arguments on size (or rankings) but if one does, surely that is the way to do it…UCC and UCD make a formidable combination together

By: no-name

no-name — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 10:26:56 +0000

What TD will want to be known as having graduated from a university that no longer exists, much less for having caused its demise?

By: kevin denny

kevin denny — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 09:10:22 +0000

A bit crazy but I suppose one shouldn’t judge a report by one or two headlines. These leaks have th effect of discrediting the report before its published. Which will suit some. A conspiracy theorist might see this report as a veiled threat “Do what we want or else…”
Personally, and I may be biased, I think merging ucd and TCD is a mad idea.

By: MunchkinMan

MunchkinMan — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 08:57:06 +0000

The importance or necessity of a further reveiw of the HE sector should not be dismissed so readily. The HE sector is in a crisis (like most other sectors here). This crisis, apart from our economic funding worries, is in my view,partly the fault of successive Government policies and partly the fault of university presidents and their supprting academic cohorts. A rigorous analysis of the university sector was WAY overdue before the first meaningful review was undertaken some years ago. Even then, senior academics were bleating on about the threats to their independence and their academic freedom. What’s to hide? Except that such reviews will question the role of the academic? In relation to mergers and size issues impacting on the subsequent position achieved in any relevant ;’league table’ – it’s quite simple: show me a university with poor or irrelevant academic programmes, unimaginative research projects, inadequate student and workplace facilities, and lack of vision of senior academics (who, in effect drive the ethos of a university), then quite frankly I ‘ll show you a university that is WAY down the university league tables (and don’t say tables don’t matter – they do if you’re at or near their summits), where staff are demoralised, where money is wasted, where Governments and the general public question their relevance and where many academics are fighting a rear-guard action to defend their once-resepcted positions. Another review from the HEA should be welcomed: while the review’s modus operandi can be questioned (and no better person than an academic to pose such questions) the review’s provenance is unquestionable. Look: academics are quiet willing (and are expected) to make comments on issues of public interest and importance, to write reviews, and organise international conferences on a multitude of issues. But, shine a light on their own dark academic backyards and out they’ll tumble, rubbing their eyes, yelling: LEAVE US ALONE…

By: Donncha Kavanagh

Donncha Kavanagh — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 08:25:01 +0000

As usual, an excellent comment by Ferdinand. Why, I wonder, does a managerial role (at whatever level, and few of us are immune) seem to lead to an obsession with restructuring?

By: Al

Al — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 23:14:03 +0000

One could be easily distracted by the TCD/UCD shotgun proposal, but to me the greater question is what, beyond international comparisons and metrics, Irish higher education needs to be at present and into the future…
We have to decide that!
By “we” I mean the people on the big money!