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16 February 2012
WIT must prove it’s worthy of university status
By Sandra Quinn
IT’S getting close to crunch time for Waterford Institute of Technology, as the conditions for applying for Technological University status were published yesterday (Monday).
The new conditions demand that the current Institutes of Technology change the way they are run both academically and as a place of work, in order to reflect the practices of the existing universities.
WIT has been fighting for university status for two decades but now the Institute must link up with Carlow if it is to realise its dream of becoming what will most likely be Technological University.
As we went to press chairman of the WIT Governing Body, Dr. Donie Ormonde expressed confidence that when seeking a multi campus Technological Univwersity, for the region, both Water-ford and Carlow would present a strong case to the HEA outlining their complementary missions.
RESEARCH
He also said they would present their “strong national and international alliances, their distinctive research activities, their unrivaled commitment to lifelong learning and their proven agility and responsiveness to business and community needs.”
A strategic planning group had been established between the two Institutes, and this group will coordinate all of the plans for the application process.
The group is made up of the chairpersons of the Governing Bodies, both presidents of the Institutes, Professor John Davies, Michael McGrath, the former CEO of the Irish Universities Association and Professor Patrick Fottrell.
All applications for upgrades status will be assessed by a panel of international experts but it is expected that no final decisions will be made for at least two years.
There will be four stages in the process. They must first express their interest, and state how they will finance their change in status – they will be advised within six months about whether or not they can go on to the next stage.
They must then prepare a plan to meet the criteria.
EVALUATED
This plan will then be evaluated and again they will know within six months if they were successful.
If an Institute is unsuccessful at this stage, they cannot apply for Technological University status for another five years.
The final stage is the application itself, which will be assessed by the panel of experts.
At the time of application, at least 4% of the students must be at masters and doctorate level, and this must increase to 7% within ten years.
90% of the teaching staff must be at masters level, while at least 45% of them must be at doctorate level, and this must go up to 65% within ten years.
30% of students must be enrolled on professional focussed programmes that work on industry up-skillling and incorporate part-time work related programmes and work study aspects.
NEWER ROLES
The Higher Education Authority wants the new technological universities to cater for the newer roles in the technological world.
The individual Institutes must also meet the social and economic needs of the area and add to the region they are in.
The Union of Students of Ireland (USI), have welcomed the publication of the criteria and said that the targets are ambitious but achievable. The president, Gary Redmond said that they have welcomed the fact that the first step in the process towards technological university status has been taken, but the application process needs to be transparent and free from political interference.
It emerged last week that there will be at least three other applications for technological university status.
The IT’s in Cork, Limerick and Tralee are going to pool together to become the Munster Technological Univsersity, three institutes in Dublin, including DIT, Tallaght and Blanchardstown are to come together and Athlone, Dundalk, Galway, Mayo, Letterkenny and Sligo are also to join forces for a border, midlands and West technological university.
DILUTING
However, some local politicians have said that other Institutes of Technology are trying to rain down on WIT’s application by diluting the Technological University status with too many applications. Independent City Cllr. Mary Roche said, “The only region in the country that doesn’t have a university and suffers from a lack of a university is the South East. I’m not one to point fingers, but it does seem to me that there’s a certain amount of malice afoot in what the other ITs are doing.”
She added, “They have never supported the upgrading of WIT, and now Carlow, into a university of the South East.”
Meanwhile, Independent TD, John Halligan has argued that technological university status is not enough.
He has said that after fighting for university status for so long, that being a technological university would dilute the status of WIT and it would not be up there with the other universities around the country
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