A row has broken out over the appointment of a new president to the National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway, with a member of the college's governing authority resigning yesterday in protest at how the selection process was handled.
Prof Emer Colleran resigned from the authority after it rejected the recommendation of an assessment board favouring another candidate ahead of the eventual appointee, Prof Iognaid O Muircheartaigh. Ms Colleran was a member of the assessment board and is one of the college's most high profile figures.
Prof Colleran, of the college's microbiology department, re fused to comment last night, but it is understood she resigned because she believed there was no purpose in establishing such a board if its conclusions were not going to be taken into account.
The college said it had no comment to make about how the selection process was carried out, but a significant number of academics contacted The Irish Times yesterday to express anger at the decision of the authority to vote for Prof O Muircheartaigh, ahead of the board's choice, Prof Jim Browne, the Dean of Engineering.
"Why put in place an assessment board when you're not going to take their advice," said one academic. The election, which took place yesterday morning, follows earlier controversy over the election when the candidates were asked to sit an Irish exam to be eligible for election. This requirement was regarded as unnecessary by some of the college's academic community.
This was the first time the university used an eight-member assessment board to assist in the selection of the president, who is paid £95,000 annually.
However, when the governing authority met yesterday one member pointed out that, legally, the authority was not obliged to select the candidate favoured by the assessment board. After this a vote was taken and Mr O Muircheartaigh got 17 votes, Mr Browne received 14, and another candidate got one vote.
While many of the academic community were dismayed by the authority's decision to vote against the assessment board's recommendation, they all agreed Mr O Muircheartaigh was an excellent candidate.
The assessment board comprises four internal staff and three external members plus one non-voting chairperson.
Emmet Oliver can be contacted at eolive@irish-times.ie