OPPOSITION TO the abolition of the National University of Ireland (NUI), which has more than 250,000 graduates in Ireland and throughout the world, increased yesterday.
Worried students also contacted the body seeking reassurance about their degrees or CAO choices in the nine NUI constituent colleges.
Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe will meet the four presidents of NUI universities next week. But a reversal of the decision appears unlikely.
In a statement yesterday, the NUI said the Minister’s announcement “coming as abruptly as it did, has caused understandable anxiety among students and graduates”.
Students who have applied for courses at NUI constituent colleges have been contacting the body seeking reassurance about the quality of their degrees. At this early stage, there is no suggestion that the constituent colleges which include NUI Galway, and NUI Maynooth will change their names. But there is considerable anger in Galway and Maynooth about the decision.
The degrees of the nine constituent colleges will still be degrees of the NUI – even though the body may not exist after about 2011.
The NUI senate expressed regret at the lack of consultation with Chancellor Dr Maurice Manning or with university presidents .
Concerns were also raised that the move will damage the 102-year-old NUI brand, which has strong international recognition.
The decision to abolish the NUI was strongly supported by senior Department of Education officials anxious to establish a united qualifications and quality assurance agency for higher education.
Yesterday, speakers at the NUI senate meeting pointed out that the organisation could have run in parallel with the new awards body In a statement the NUI said: “Had they been consulted, the Chancellor and Presidents would have emphasised that the abolition of the NUI is not necessary for the achievement of the quality assurance objectives that the Minister is pursuing or for the establishment of an amalgamated qualifications and quality assurance agency.”
Concerns have also been raised by former NUI chancellor Dr Garret FitzGerald that a new awards body could undermine the autonomy of the universities.
In an e-mail to the senate, Dr Manning said he had been informed by the Minister that the decision to abolish the NUI was not based on financial grounds but was part of the streamlining of the qualification process.
In his e-mail, Dr Manning suggested the move could still be reversed given the political instability. The proposed abolition is unlikely to be implemented before mid-2011 at the earliest.
A Bill to establish the new agency for higher education sectors is being drafted and legislation will be published in June. The Minister expects it to be passed by the end of the year.
The NUI has four constituent universities: NUI Galway, NUI Maynooth, UCD and UCC.
It also has five recognised colleges for which it makes awards: the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland; the National College of Art and Design; the Institute of Public Administration; Shannon College of Hotel Management; and Milltown Institute.