Brave new world for third-level colleges

Irish universities are moving towards far greater accountability to both students and the wider public.  Quality is the new watchword for the colleges. But there is much to be done.

The Irish university sector is in the process of re-inventing itself. Whereas the keynote was once privilege and secrecy, there is a new emphasis on accountability.

The new report from the group, which represents the seven university presidents in the Republic, is an important document which points the way to a brave new world.

The Conference of Heads of Irish Universities (CHIU) says students should have an input into the assessment of academics and courses. It wants assessments of staff and the work of various faculties to be made available to the public. It is also establishing a new body - the Irish Universities Quality Board - to ensure Irish third-level colleges match the highest international standards.

It is impossible to generalise about academic standards and what might be called "quality control" in Irish universities. Standards can vary from university to university, from faculty to faculty, from one department to the next. One lecturer in one college may be assiduous and hard working: his or her colleague down the corridor could be resting on his laurels.

At present, most academics are subject to some sort of assessment either by "peer reviews" from those they work alongside them or from visiting external assessors. The examination process is subject to external review. Research funding is also linked to peer review and can only be drawn down after an intensely competitive process.

For all that, routine reviews of academic staff take place well away from the prying eyes of the public. Despite the huge public investment in colleges, information about these internal reviews is tightly controlled.

Once appointed, Irish academics enjoy an enviable level of job security. It is virtually unknown for a lecturer to be sacked. Tough disciplinary action - even for what one might consider serious transgressions - is also rare.

It remains to be seen whether the new quality-assurance system will change things. Certainly, the whole approach is much less hard-edged than in Britain, which has by far the world's most developed system of quality assessment for the university sector.

By some estimates, the British system - with its extensive paper trails - accounts for over 5 per cent of the total budget for the university sector. The last round of the Teaching Quality Assessment programme involved nearly 2,000 week-long visits by external assessors to colleges. The total cost of the programme is estimated at about £300 million. Lecturers are awarded marks for the quality of learning, student progression and achievement, curriculum design and so on. A separate process examines the quality of research work. Those who score well are rewarded with more research funding.

The British system has its advantages. There is a much greater awareness of the need to improve the quality of teaching. But there has also been a downside, with lower morale among staff, an undue focus on impressing the external examiners and less emphasis on the university's wider role in society.

The process envisaged by the Irish university heads is a kinder, gentler version of accountability. It leans towards the more constructive partnership approach favoured in the US system. In the Irish model, the autonomy of each college is recognised. There is a willingness to allow the process grow and develop, rather than adopting a "big bang" approach.

Crucially, it is unclear what, if any, sanctions will be available to those who "fail" the quality test in the Republic. The new report says the governing authorities will be responsible for implementing any necessary changes. But how will this change be imposed on defensive departments who prize their independence?

The cutbacks in the university sector raise another question. What happens if the quality-control system raises questions about inadequate resources and the colleges lack the funds to do anything about it? Given the recent severe cutbacks at third-level, this scenario seems probable in some colleges.

There are problems ahead. But the university presidents believe they have developed an approach to quality based on sound policies and principles and on best international practice.

The challenge now will be to convince the public - and staff in all the colleges - that they have struck the right balance.