Proto-Provost: College Head seeking highly paid minions

Sweet, I might apply.

Seriously though, I received this in an e-mail from USI earlier on today (through their press cuttings). Thought people may wish to comment on this.

The article itself seems to be slightly anti-Fellows, especially given this line: "All Fellows are entitled to certain privileges in the college which may include dining at High Table." It makes them appear like bitter old men arguing for the sake of arguing. Whether they are is your own opinion

Sunday Independent 27/05/2007

www.independent.ie/national-news/academics-furious-at-plans-by-trinity-chief-to-increase-his-powers-685302.html

Academics furious at plans by Trinity chief to increase his powers

THE Provost of Trinity College Dublin, Dr John Hegarty, is facing a revolt by the Fellows of his college over radical plans to expand his powers and alter his primary duties. An emergency meeting has now been called to discuss the unprecedented proposals.

It is believed that the reforms include delegating the current duties of the Provost to two senior vice-Provosts at salaries in excess of €100,000, which would allow Dr Hegarty to become an international head-hunter for the college.

Trinity College is Ireland's strongest performing university in international comparisons and is currently undergoing substantial reforms which has led to considerable unrest among many of its leading academics.

However, this latest proposal has greatly angered and dismayed a significant number of the college's leading Fellows, who have called an 'extraordinary' meeting for the earliest available time.

Fellows are high-ranking academic staff 'of distinction' who form the governing body of the college. All Fellows are entitled to certain privileges in the college which may include dining at High Table.

"It's unbelievable what is going on here," said one Fellow. "On one hand, academic positions are not being filled because of a lack of funds, yet on the other, we have increased management and bureaucracy and highly inflated wages. We will meet as soonas we can but this arrogant and incredible move by the Provost is for many a bridge too far."

Dr Hegarty is seen as being in the same school of aggressive reforms as his UCD counterpart, Dr Hugh Brady, and the former UCC president Dr Gerry Wrixon, who have courted considerable controversy during their reigns. Many of their critics have accused them of introducing reforms that are contrary to the true ethos of the college.

Yesterday, Trinity College Dublin released a statement to the Sunday Independent, saying: "Trinity College Dublin is engaged in an extensive restructuring programme which includes academic, administrative and support services reorganisation, and the role and responsibility of existing annual academic officers. The purpose of this review is to strengthen the Office of the Provost and the overall management of the college.

"Draft proposals are currently being discussed as part of a college-wide consultation process and final decisions have not yet been taken. The statutory role of the Provost will not change as a result of the proposed restructuring. There is no proposal to award a salary of €250,000 to any officer under the proposed new arrangements."

Under the reforms, many small humanities' departments and schools have been targeted for closure or downgrading because they are not "great money-makers".

Greater importance and emphasis has been put on science, engineering and business schools which are more likely to attract higher research funds.

One vocal critic of Dr Hegarty and his peers is Economics professor Dr Sean Barrett. In previous comments to the Sunday Independent, Dr Sean Barrett said: "The heads contribute nothing to the academic success of Irish universities and their students. It is an appalling period in Irish universities. Those responsible are the heads.

"We have seen under the restructuring plans carried out in places like UCC, UCD and Trinity the emergence of a new managerial class. In all the colleges there has been a significant increase of 'managerialism' which is coming at a cost of collegiality."

Tacitha

On the other hand, the author very generously restitutes the fellows as the governing body of college, so perhaps just scraping the barrel for fellow-related 'facts'.
How many times are they going to use that Sean Barrett quote?

shay_562

Kinda shocking, really. No money to run courses, but the Provost wants a massive pay rise and a few henchmen to do the job he's supposed to be doing while he swans around the world 'head-hunting' (which I'm assuming involves plenty wining and dining) - the man lacks decency and shame in equal measures.

Tacitha

Tacitha wrote:

How many times are they going to use that Sean Barrett quote?

Maybe he says it a lot

Time Magazine

Myth wrote:

Maybe he says it a lot

The man likes to repeat himself.


The man likes to repeat himself.

Newb

Ibid wrote:

The man likes to repeat himself.


The man likes to repeat himself.

Déjà vu




Déjà vu

bright

I made up a list of pros and cons for my two prospective colleges (UCD, TCD)a while ago. Top of the list for TCD cons- Hegarty.

Stargal

bright wrote:

I made up a list of pros and cons for my two prospective colleges (UCD, TCD)a while ago. Top of the list for TCD cons- Hegarty.

Really? Why? He seems to be operating at about the same level of evilness as Hugh Brady.

Dubliniensis

Trinity is very little to do with teaching undergraduates anymore... College seems more preoccupied with recruiting/retaining its senior academics (particularly in the sciences) and its international status (namely the THES World University Rankings). Students are nothing more than "income"...
Not surprised Hegarty wants more money...I'm sure he's looking across the Pond to what the Heads of US Universities are making...

John

While he's looking over there he should have a look at their student services.

paperclip

The US colleges are pretty much just factories for students. My cousin is doing the same degree as I am, except in America. When she graduates, she's going to owe €120,000. Me? Significantly less. The thing is, over there they see the whole thing as essentially paying for a piece of paper, rather than the mind-edification that we have here.

Er...

Danger Bob

Very intersting article, but more because it's clearly one fellow trying to raise hysteria.

"THE Provost of Trinity College Dublin, Dr John Hegarty, is facing a revolt by the Fellows of his college over radical plans to expand his powers and alter his primary duties. An emergency meeting has now been called to discuss the unprecedented proposals."

When this was discussed at Board, the fellow reps were concerned about a few other items but not this one. This particular item received general support as far as I recall. And there's no emergency meeting happening.

"It is believed that the reforms include delegating the current duties of the Provost to two senior vice-Provosts at salaries in excess of €100,000, which would allow Dr Hegarty to become an international head-hunter for the college."

This isn't exactly true either. There would be one Vice Provost whose job would consist of the current Senior Lecturer and Vice Provost roles and on Chief Operating Officer whose job would cover a lot of the responsibilities taken on by the Bursar, Treasurer and Secretary. Ie. They're making new officers, with the plan of losing officers in the future. It'll work out to a zero sum when it all settles.

"It's unbelievable what is going on here," said one Fellow. "On one hand, academic positions are not being filled because of a lack of funds, yet on the other, we have increased management and bureaucracy and highly inflated wages. We will meet as soonas we can but this arrogant and incredible move by the Provost is for many a bridge too far."

I've seen every document on this and at all times, it's been clear that the plan is to streamline processes and reduce the number of college officers and committees. It's all pushing towards less bureaucracy.

I've never been 100% in support of anything that the college has done in terms of restructuring but the main issue I have with this is the inaccuracies. They did the same with an Acting Studies story about a month ago, which was slightly forgiveable as it was a slow news day but to jump on a few points made by an anti-change fellow and print a story like this on the weekend of an election seems a little irresponsible. Even when the journalist claims that the fellows constitute the governing body of the college, he clearly betrays a lack of understanding of third level governance which no education correspondant should be forgiven for.

I may be ranting (apparently I do that sometimes) but it's rather annoying when you read through thousands of pages of this stuff, engage in the process for your members and do your best to return the best results and then someone goes and fills some journalist's head with this kinda stuff which creates further unrest.

I think I might write a letter.

Hitchhiker's Guide to...

Nice post Danger Bob. Nice to have a bit of realism introduced into the subject!

Hitchhiker's Guide to...

bright wrote:

I made up a list of pros and cons for my two prospective colleges (UCD, TCD)a while ago. Top of the list for TCD cons- Hegarty.

This baffles me. You let the presence of a Provost who will have minimal influence on your education influence your college rating??!! Are you sure you've thought it through??!! I'd say any rating exercise should assign:

1. 60% to the reputation of the university
2. 25% to the reputation of the course you want to do
3. 10% to the quality of student life
4. 5% to the state of bureaucracy (sic)

Provost = approx 0% influence on your education here... (unless you want to do Drama!)

Tacitha

I agree that the article is inaccurate, but think it's more the Sunday Independent getting things wrong than anything else: that nonsense about how fellows 'may' be able to eat at high table is pretty indicative of the general quality (subject to a test perhaps, in table manners? or congeniality?)

All of their articles on TCD have been pretty poor, but the errors tend to be weird and random, with much use of out-of-date information.

On the proposal itself - everything we have done these last few years has been sold as reducing bureaucracy, and everything we have done has increased it. It's a truism in American academia that all academic restructuring results in more administrators. It certainly seems to work that way at TCD.

The main thrust of the article - that even in an ideal world this will involve payment of new and high salaries - seems correct, because most college officers aren't paid for being college officers - they have their salaries as academics and will go back into the pool if these two new posts replace them. Senior Lecturer, Bursar, Registrar, Vice-Provost are all just lecturers on lecturers' salaries. Treasurer and Secretary are different, but I thought there were no plans to absorb the treasurer's post at least? And that is all the fellow quoted says.

I imagine fellows (like everyone else) hold fire at board when strategically necessary, and suppose it's up to the fellows whether they have an emergency meeting - attended by three or three hundred. They don't need a mandate even from the board representatives for that.

As for this sort of inaccuracy - on the one hand, I don't like to see misrepresentation of anything in the press (though I do expect it). On the other hand, college produces and circulates much misinformation of its own, and doesn't exactly welcome dissenting voices. So I'd be more pleased than otherwise that this was printed.

Tacitha

And I don't think you can argue that the Provost has no effect on your education here unless you really believe that ARAM and restructuring have had no educational effects?

Tacitha

Tacitha wrote:

I imagine fellows (like everyone else) hold fire at board when strategically necessary

You'd be surprised how often people on Board hold their fire. Well, bar one or two of the more colourful characters.

Comhra....

Funnily enough the Provost didn't make it to the opening night of this year's Acting Studies students show last night. He must have been off wining and dining someone with all that money he doesn't have to keep the course open.

On a slightly unrelated note the show is really good and is playing till Saturday in the Samuel Beckett. Come along if you can it's only an hour and half and has punk music and a real functioning gallows! Hmm maybe Hego heard about the gallows and that's why he didn't turn up.

Pet

and has punk music

Oh, so THAT'S why I always hear drums when I've been around the Player's recently..

Tacitha

From today's Irish Times

Trinity College Dublin (TCD) provost Dr John Hegarty has strongly defended new proposals which are likely to see the establishment of two new senior posts at the university.

He has also responded to widespread criticism of the college's decision to cancel its renowned three-year course in acting earlier this year.

In an interview with The Irish Times , Dr Hegarty said: "The decision was to stop providing one course. Some people have got the impression Trinity is closing drama. The opposite is true. We want it to expand and grow."

Academic structures have been radically changed at TCD in the past three years. In all, 64 academic departments have been consolidated into 24 new schools. The number of faculties has also been halved to three.

In the past fortnight, TCD management has tabled controversial proposals which would see the appointment of two other senior posts. These are a chief operating officer taking charge of administration, staff and budgets to whom all heads of the different administrative offices and services will report, and a vice provost for academic affairs or a chief academic officer, taking charge of all teaching and learning issues, who will work with the three faculty deans.

Under these proposals, the college will be managed by a five-member management team: the two new posts and the three deans in arts humanities and social sciences, engineering and science and the health sciences.

Dr Hegarty said the new posts would allow him greater time and space to focus on his leadership role, both within the college and externally with government and with fundraising projects. It would also allow him more time to interact with staff and students, the lifeblood of the college.

"Given the way the university has been transformed, it is important that the provost has the opportunity to address these important issues and not be hindered by overly detailed management issues. However, it is important also to stress that that the new posts will not change my responsibilities. I will remain the chief officer of the college and the chief accounting officer of the college."

The new structures have drawn a cool response from many TCD academics who see them as more evidence of so- called "managerialism" in academic affairs. Critics say the new proposals and reporting procedures will undermine traditional academic freedom. It is claimed they are part of a new "pro-business" agenda at third level.

Rejecting this, Dr Hegarty said the starting point for the changes at Trinity was to enhance academic freedom and to boost the student experience. Students and academics could only thrive in an institution which was well-organised and well-managed, he said.

The formation of the new schools was a "mechanism to defend disciplines and to ensure they are no longer out there on their own," Dr Hegarty added.

"Similarly, the new plan to integrate administration and services would help ensure they deliver to the new schools and faculties. The deans, for example, would provide a direct connection between central management and the academic community."

On the drama dispute, he said arts and humanities would continue to occupy a central role at TCD. Trinity is ranked 38th in the world for arts and humanities. This year, the college appointed chairs in Latin and Greek, a sign of its commitment, he said. A forum established by Dr Hegarty is reviewing the needs of undergraduate actor training in Ireland.

"There is an issue here about training versus the broad education needs which the forum is now considering," he said. "I have no pre-conceived views."

kowloon

Roundtower2 wrote: »

1. 60% to the reputation of the university
2. 25% to the reputation of the course you want to do
3. 10% to the quality of student life
4. 5% to the state of bureaucracy (sic)

That makes no sense, why would the Universities reputation be more important than the course? Surely the course itself is of primary concern. You would have to be an awful tool to pick the college over the course.

kowloon

kowloon wrote: »

That makes no sense, why would the Universities reputation be more important than the course? Surely the course itself is of primary concern. You would have to be an awful tool to pick the college over the course.

No - a college with a great reputation in general will look better then a college with a great reputation in one course, but a ****e one overall at undergrad level.
This is based on discussions with many HR people I have had when I was chasing internships.

Obviously, optimal outcome will be one thats got a good overall reputation and a good rep for the course.

kowloon

Deleted User wrote: »

No - a college with a great reputation in general will look better then a college with a great reputation in one course, but a ****e one overall at undergrad level.
This is based on discussions with many HR people I have had when I was chasing internships.

Obviously, optimal outcome will be one thats got a good overall reputation and a good rep for the course.

I suppose it makes sense when your education is being judged by someoe who doesn't know the course but I still think picking on the college reputation is why some places can get away with having crap courses.
In an ideal world....