Individual departments at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) are to be allowed to remain fully independent of larger schools under new restructuring proposals which look set to be approved by the college board later this month.
In a significant concession by the college authorities, this would mean some of the college's best-known departments - such as law and English - will not now be required to join a looser "federal" school structure unless they wish to do so.
There had been fears that such schools might be treated as "second-class citizens" because of their unwillingness to fully join a larger school.
Original plans put forward by the college's provost, Dr John Hegarty, envisaged a major reduction in the number of academic departments and a halving of faculties from six to three.
But the latest move means that, in theory at least, restructuring of TCD could proceed without any department entering the proposed new school structure.
However, Prof John Murray, senior lecturer at the college, yesterday stressed that approximately two-thirds of all departments have agreed to join a fully integrated school structure. Others wish to take more time to consider whether to be part of a federated school or not, he said.
The latest move also indicates the college is taking on board many of the concerns expressed by staff at the college as part of its "bottom-up" consultation process, Prof Murray added.
In a discussion document circulated to members of the college board by Prof Murray, he proposes that the new arrangement "be adopted as the structural arrangement that provides for consensus, avoids division and can be made to operate in the college's best interest".
"In this formulation, schools that have formed, and that may form in the future, have fully devolved academic and budgetary authority," he states.
"All other departments in a faculty do not become part of any new school structure ... their budget is devolved to a vice dean who acts as budget holder and as the locus of academic decision-making."
A major document put together by a group of nine senior TCD academics last month outlined a number of alternatives to the original restructuring plans.
It is understood that many of the group's recommendations were taken into account in the new plans. But questions remain over whether faculty deans should have full budgetary powers under the new structures.
The college board is expected to vote on the final proposals later this month.