Waterford University discussion

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118104667#Comment_118104667

...its a fundamental part of their ideologies, to de-power and de-democratise our critical institutions and systems, and to move them closer towards future privatisation, chomsky would call it 'defunding', its the same idea....

SOPHIE THE DOG

From today's (3/11/21) Irish Times - page 6

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/new-technological-university-to-be-established-next-year-in-south-east-1.4717225

The country’s newest technological university is on course to be established next year with the merger of IT Carlow and Waterford IT.

Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris announced on Tuesday that an application to establish a technological university for the south-east has been assessed and will be established in 2022.

Students graduating in the current academic year will be the first to do so in the region with locally sourced university qualifications.

“This is a really exciting day for higher education in the south-east region, signalling the establishment next year of a multi-campus university presence across the region,” Mr Harris said.

He said the south east stands to benefit from increased access to higher education, enhanced regional development and more opportunities for students, staff, business and enterprise across Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and Waterford.

It follows a decades-long campaign in Ireland’s most populous region without a university.

The journey has been marked by division and distrust over the future status of the two institutions.

In recent times, however, leaders and staff of both colleges have forged a closer working relationship and submitted a joint application for technological university status last April.

The application from the Technological University for the South East Ireland consortium has since been assessed by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and an international advisory panel.

Mr Harris said the HEA will now seek to finalise remaining operational elements in line with the advice of the advisory panel in preparation for establishment next year.

Dr Alan Wall, chief executive of the HEA said he greatly welcomed the progress made by IT Carlow and WIT towards technological university status.

“We look forward to working with both institutions towards their designation as technological university in 2022,” he said.

The Department of Further and Higher Education will shortly be inviting expressions of interest for the roles of chairperson and two external members of what should become the first governing body of the new institution.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar TD said the university will make it easier for the IDA to secure foreign direct investment for the region and is sure to become an incubator for new Irish businesses, which will become major employers in their own right.

“University of Limerick had a transformative effect on the city and mid-west region. I believe the same can happen now in Waterford and the south-east,” he said.

Mr Harris added that investment in this new university will continue with a new campus in Wexford and larger campus in Waterford.

“The footprint of this TU will be felt right across the region,” he said.

The Minister confirmed the decision at a meeting with the south-east Oireachtas representatives on Tuesday afternoon.

Fianna Fáil Senator Malcolm Byrne said it was a “hugely significant and long-awaited step” forward for the region.

“We now need to grow the multi-campus university so that it can further serve the South East as well as contributing to solving national and global challenges,” he said.

Welcoming the announcement of a technological university for the south east, president of IT Carlow, Dr Patricia Mulcahy, said the college was aware that it will be a “great challenge to realise the full potential of our new university and will involve significant effort from all our staff in the months and years ahead”.

WIT president Prof Willie Donnelly said future generations in the area will be empowered by a university degree while living at, or near, home.

“We have long promised we would deliver a university of international standing for the region. Thanks to the hard work and ambition of our staff and students, we are on the crest of creating the first university for the region.”

The move to create technological universities is part of what the Government describes as a “radical shift” in the higher education landscape.

It says technological universities have greater critical mass and capacity to meet local skills and build international links.

They will continue to offer a range of qualifications ranging from apprenticeships to PhDs.

There have, however, been concerns expressed among some staff over employees’ terms and conditions , while some in the university sector fear it will dilute available funding for research.

TU Dublin was the first to be created in recent years, followed by Munster Technological University and the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest.

The Government confirmed last week that a technological university for the west and northwest is also on course to be established early next year.

It follows an application from the Galway-Mayo, Sligo and Letterkenny institutes of technology to come together to gain university status.

SOPHIE THE DOG

Page 6

invara

Two bits in today's newspaper:

https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-40736142.html

Asking how we ended up with a TU with zero funding.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/europe-s-newest-university-town-could-transform-the-mid-west-1.4718465

UL celebrating 50 years with a 375m plan, their previous masterplans were built. Add that to similar masterplans from UCC and UCD announced in the past few weeks.

Not to begrudge any of these outfits their plans, but where is our future?

imacman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118116522#Comment_118116522

Ray Griffins pierce in the Examiner is excellent and cuts through the all the game changer for the Southeast rhetoric. Its sad to see so many people buying into the magical university will solve all out problems party line (except its isn't a real university). I have no doubts that in 5 years they will be complaining about the lack of investment in all the TUs across the country while the real universities will continue to grow unchecked.

We are being sold a pup here and rest assured that will reveal itself over time but for now let's revel in the panacea to all out the problems in Waterford the magical TU which will have university in its name but will always be a cheap imitation.

SeanieW1977

The position of David Cullinane & Sinn Fein here is very strange, but perhaps could be explained simply below;

david & sf are supporting the one for everyone in the audience approach of university status for all - simply because it’ll help drag his party colleagues in the region & nationally over the line - thus allowing them to govern.

in doing so, Cullinane is no better then the rest of them, party first, waterford later.

imacman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118119499#Comment_118119499

Completely agree, the cold political equation is there is nothing to be gained for Cullinane opposing the TU. He will get elected either way and probabaly bring in a running mate in next time. But Sinn Fein want to up their vote in Carlow/Kilkenny and Wexford constituencies where the TU idea is extremely popular. (no surprise) So if he did oppose it and made a stand on a university for Waterford it might bring in a few more votes (which he doesn't need) but it would hurt Sinn Fein in the other southeast constituencies. So party comes first as always

vriesmays

Local school leavers with 600 points can now attend Technological University of South-East instead of UCD.

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118126957#Comment_118126957

they always could

914

Cullinane seems to be getting a bit of a backlash for bashing the "negitive" people towards TUSE

https://www.facebook.com/1431782527125333/posts/2684827078487532/

imacman

This is the TU situation on the ground in MTU, staff ignored, and the merger pushed through without getting staff onboard. From what I have heard it's the same in WIT with ITCarlow bully boys running rings around the weak WIT management and completely controlling the merger process and WIT staff in the dark with an uncertain future.

A WIT staff member told me that WIT play by the rules and compromising all the time while Carlow are scheming and only working for Carlows interest. They think Carlows plan is to push the politicians to make the Carlow president Patricia Mulcahy TU president and the massive new administration block they are building at the moment in Carlow will become the TU HQ building.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-40738722.html

SeanieW1977

It’s exactly that.

People are hung up on the HQ, I don’t see it as that big a gig.

the issue for is 10,000+ full time students in Waterford & 3-4 new schools built out along with investment in Crystal site (not becoming a car park) and carriganore finish original master plan.

BBM77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118139875#Comment_118139875

When WIT has more than enough to become a full stand-alone university and has been denied the upgrade for no other reason than petty self-serving external interests, I think the location of the HQ is a big BLOODY issue.

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118140022#Comment_118140022

HQ goes three ways.

1. A rumor starts that it goes to KK or Carlow and our representatives "fight" and get it to Waterford (make it look like we won something) and most likely all admin work goes to Carlow and HQ is floating

2. HQ goes to KK or Carlow and is sold as the regional benefit, central between campuses, stop complaining Waterford and get onboard the regional train

3. Waterford gets it, but will be some sort or floating HQ between campuses so we don't actually get it.

Either way no one will be fighting our corner.

garyscargo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118139875#Comment_118139875

Make no mistake, if Waterford isn't HQ and at the hub of this TU thing, it will be absolutely disastrous for us as a City and whatever smoking bones of WIT remain. Carlow/Kilkenny and Wexford politicians will happily plunder Waterford and hog any TU investment to fellate local votes, and get off on giving Waterford City another kicking too. Ridiculous and immature but true.  

If Carlow is made TU HQ (which it will be de facto if Mulcahy is installed as president) then Carlow will be the focus of any future expansion, you can bet your life on it. Waterford will just be seen as one campus of many regional TU campuses. Oh, and the Waterford campus will probably be seen as "big enough" by Carlow HQ, and "sure isn't it Wexford's turn, and Kilkenny's turn, etc." for regional campus investment. "Sure, that's only 'fair' as Waterford have had 50 years of a third-level institution already" is the sort of shyte that I can just hear being spouted from asshats still bitter at Waterford getting an RTC over Kilkenny and Wexford 50 f-cking years ago, and actively working to stymie it ever since. So I don't see any big infrastructural investments or building in Waterford if we don't get TU HQ, frankly. I really don't. HQ, plus Crystal site, plus an externally sourced/impartial president (like MTU), is the minimum we need early days or we're toast.

BBM77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118141391#Comment_118141391

The whole TU thing is absolutely disastrous for us as a City. It is not an impending disaster the disaster has happened.

But I agree, national politics and the governments that come from it consistently work to hold Waterford back, simple as that. Don’t know how anybody could look at what has happened over the decades in general, not alone with WIT and not come to that conclusion.

garyscargo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118141636#Comment_118141636

Can't disagree about this looking like a disaster already, unfortunately. Hard to see any upside for us, but I would be happy to be proved wrong.

So, what can be done at this late stage? The point of no return for the TU has been crossed, so the focus has to be on securing HQ and remaining at the hub of this thing (which will be a political rodeo, with regional in-fighting for every phantom bean of promised and long-fingered investment into the future, no doubt about it). As a poster above noted, Carlow seem to be trying to get Patricia Mulcahy installed as TU president. That would make Carlow de facto HQ as Mulcahy is a long-established Carlow creature and, in fairness to her, would have roots in Carlow and it would suit her to stay there, etc. Being female will also count in her favour, as at least one (if not both) of the new TUs will have female presidents (currently 2-to-1 male-to-female). So, if there are still any players with fight on Waterford's side, the focus has to be on making sure that Mulcahy (in the first instance) is not made TU president (again, nothing against her personally, but she is not an impartial player in this; she is all about Carlow). A truly impartial external appointment is needed, much like the MTU president. So, behind the scenes, headhunting has to quietly commence to find someone to apply for the TU president's position once it is advertised who, on any objective grounds, will beat Mulcahy to the post.  

Groups like the Waterford Chamber of Commerce, local business leaders, senior WIT academics/managers, etc. could take an active interest in identifying and alerting (through their networking channels) world-class international candidates to the TUSE President post and "sell them" on the idea and challenge of heading a new TU out of Waterford. It's also important to ensure that the post appears on the big UK/EU/American academic recruitment websites too (and that expenses for travel/interviewing are covered too to reach international candidates). Through such networking channels, much "bigger fish" in the world of academia than Patricia Mulcahy can be reached. Carlow will not be doing this, as they will only want Mulcahy for president, so this is an opportunity for Waterford to try and influence the outcome of the TU President competition in its favour. If any local fight, foresight or initiative remains, that is. It's only our future, after all.

914

Are we not going to have a temporary president to start with anyway which you would expect to be either Willie Donnelly or Patricia Mulcahy.

So even if we get a very good president in the damage could already be done regarding HQ

garyscargo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118142073#Comment_118142073

No, there will be no caretaker/temporary president. Under the Technological Universities Act 2018, the inaugural TU president will/must be formally appointed by Minister Harris before establishment day for a term of no more than 10 years.

SeanieW1977

It’s going to be Patricia Mulcahy isn’t it?

mart 23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118144204#Comment_118144204

Yess Gender equality.

imacman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118144204#Comment_118144204

Maybe not, I heard today that the job description will be like the MTU and TUD roles. They all had 10 years or more experience working to a full university as an essential requirement. She doesn't have that as she has only worked in Carlow. TUD appointed a UCD academic and MTU a woman from a university in Scotland. Also, the LIT president was made president of TUS, but he had only been in the job just over a year and he had come from UL where he had worked for 20 years. So, if that is the case she won't even be able to apply for the job.

Figerty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118148385#Comment_118148385

You might want to recheck that statement re LIT president.

Had been President of IT Sligo, President in LIT for a number of years. Ex UL and had been MD of Shannon Development.

imacman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118150014#Comment_118150014

Yes fair enough, got mixed up on that one. But he had a much more robust and varied CV than Patricia Mulcahy who has only worked in a management/leadership capacity in ITCarlow . I think her chance of getting it are remote. Of all the TU mergers that have gone on this one needs an independent president from the outside with no skin in the game the most. I think that's how it will play out and I think the politicians will want that to happen

SeanieW1977

Patricia Mulcahy can not be left anywhere near the wheel. She is dangerous & completely in league with KK/Carlow politicians. It will be an absolute disaster for Waterford should she get it.

Also - did i not see on facebook or twitter that Carlow are already building a huge shared services building? AKA HQ for TUSE?

imacman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118151660#Comment_118151660

Yea they broke ground on that building a few weeks ago. And the 12 years of waiting continues into next year for a start on the engineering building at WIT

vriesmays

No clever kid in Waterford would go to that Mickey Mouse university.

Finnbar01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118152109#Comment_118152109

I wouldn't hold my breath on

that building going ahead.

Deiseen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118160968#Comment_118160968

The Carlow or Waterford building?

Finnbar01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118162971#Comment_118162971

Waterford one.