Playing the name game

DOES IT matter what a college is called - whether it is a university, a polytechnic, an institute or a college? Apparently, it does. The two new universities, DCU and UL, were originally National Institutes of Higher Education (NIHEs) and they campaigned long and hard to get university status, arguing that outside of Ireland nobody understood what an NIHE was.

The term `polytechnic' held strong attractions until the UK dropped it overnight, re naming all former polys as universities, thus dramatically undermining the status of the word.

The Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) was originally an amalgam of a series of colleges of technology, colleges or commerce etc which are still only reluctantly in some cases abandoning their original titles.

But there is no doubt that the DIT designation has been a very successful brand name, to use a commercial concept and one of which the RTCs were envious.

Cork RTC has campaigned long and hard unilaterally to become re designated as the Cork Institute of Technology, raising the prospect of a CIT as well as a DIT. Meanwhile in Waterford a local industrial and business lobby has run a strong campaign over a period of time for Water ford RTC to be re designated as a university.

The Higher Education Steering Committee on the Future Development of Higher Education rejected this, but recommended the title "Institute of Technology" instead. That could have resulted in a WIT, not to mention a GIT in Galway or - perish the thought - a TIT in Tralee if the proposal were extended to all RTCs.

The HEA report's final recommendation - of the title of Regional Institute of Technology for all RTCs - would mean changing the now well established brand name of RTC to RIT. If the RTCs own proposal of "University Institute" is accepted, given what is regarded as the central importance of including reference to geographical location in college titles, we could have a UIG in Galway as well as a UCG - or would it be GUI?

When the NIHEs were re designated, both were adamant that they wanted geographical location in the title, international research having generally proved this crucial - the newly re vamped polys in Britain have overwhelmingly gone for this option as in Liverpool John Moore's University.)

And despite misgivings at the time, the existence of a UCD and DCU in Dublin does not appear to have given rise to any confusion; but with the possibility of the DIT acquiring university status once the RTCs are upgraded, will we now have a DTU - Dublin Technological University - as well?