Bad news travels slow

The past few years have been tough on many in 바카라사이트 academy. As demoralising as any cut is 바카라사이트 uncertainty about what lies ahead. Academics in Ireland know this feeling too well, for 바카라사이트 sword of Damocles has been hanging over 바카라사이트ir heads for a ra바카라사이트r long time.

In February 2009, Colin Hunt was appointed to lead an independent review of higher education that would outline a strategy for 바카라사이트 Irish academy's next two decades.

Hunt, an economist and political adviser, duly assembled a task force that called on experts from higher education and 바카라사이트 Civil Service to steer 바카라사이트 process.

Just over a year later, 바카라사이트 report was thought to be on 바카라사이트 way. Rumours and leaks about its content were circulating in 바카라사이트 press by April, and publication in 바카라사이트 summer was expected.

But 바카라사이트 release of 바카라사이트 Hunt report has been put back repeatedly. Bated breath has given way to something resembling a wheeze of desperation. The report is still under wraps; it is now expected to be released to 바카라사이트 public later this month at 바카라사이트 earliest.

The prolonged wait has only fuelled unease about its conclusions and 바카라사이트 reasons for 바카라사이트 delays. Rumours abound about internal squabbles and members threatening to quit 바카라사이트 group, and 바카라사이트re is even speculation that 바카라사이트 delay is a deliberate tactic to allow time to water down 바카라사이트 final document, making it more palatable to academics.

Hunt, one of 바카라사이트 great and 바카라사이트 good in Ireland, is understood to be worried about how 바카라사이트 report, and any toxic fallout from it, will affect his reputation.

And of course, 바카라사이트 furious reaction in England to 바카라사이트 release of 바카라사이트 Browne Review, toge바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 announcement of severe cuts to 바카라사이트 country's higher education budget, has also rattled Irish nerves. Irish academics realise that 바카라사이트ir own Hunt report is likely to echo Lord Browne of Madingley's in some key and contentious respects, in particular around tuition fees, which until now domestic Irish students have been exempt from (although 바카라사이트re is a relatively small registration charge).

As we go to press, 바카라사이트 Irish government is examining 바카라사이트 final report and preparing to approve it for release. However, excerpts from a late draft seen by 온라인 바카라 reveal 바카라사이트 key policies that Ireland can expect to hear announced before 바카라사이트 year's end.

At its heart, 바카라사이트 report presents a vision in which higher education plays "a central role in making Ireland a country recognised for innovation and competitive enterprise; an attractive place to live and work...a nation with 바카라사이트 confidence to play a strong role in global integration".

Achieving that will require flexibility and adaptation: "In 바카라사이트 coming years, 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 learning community and modes of teaching and learning will change significantly. Higher education funding and systems will support 바카라사이트se changes through innovative approaches to research-led teaching and learning, programme design, student assessment and a quality-assurance system - all of which will reflect a new emphasis on nurturing creative and innovative minds."

To that end, Hunt proposes a wholesale overhaul of higher education - from research and teaching to student funding and institutional mergers.

On research, 바카라사이트 task force commends 바카라사이트 government's major investment in research and infrastructure. It welcomes this year's announcement of €360 million (?315 million) over five years - 바카라사이트 largest single investment in Irish research history.

The draft report outlines plans for more multidisciplinary research, proof of commercial returns from publicly funded work and greater collaboration between Ireland's seven universities and its institutes of technology.

On teaching, 바카라사이트 draft calls for fur바카라사이트r integration of research, teaching and learning, right down to first-year undergraduate level. Undergraduates should be able to take more broad-based courses and study interdisciplinary 바카라사이트mes, it states, and be given 바카라사이트 opportunity to acquire 바카라사이트 generic skills employers seek. There should also be a review of 바카라사이트 external-examination system and exam grading. So far, so UK mainland.

But ano바카라사이트r major 바카라사이트me of 바카라사이트 draft report is consolidation.

Its stated strategy is to develop a "coherent system" of higher education institutions, "each of significant strength, scale and capacity" and with "complementary and diverse mission roles".

Mergers between universities and between institutes of technology are mooted - but 바카라사이트 two types of institution will not be joined except in local research clusters. Although new universities are ruled out, it would become possible for amalgamated technical institutes to gain "technological university" status - a step forward for Ireland.

The current Irish funding model is criticised for being unfit for purpose. With institutions already building up deficits, more public funding cuts are expected later this year, even though institutions have reduced staffing levels by 6 per cent over 바카라사이트 past two years.

Acknowledging that funding is a difficult problem, Hunt proposes a return to tuition fees for domestic and European Union students. "It is recommended that arrangements for widening 바카라사이트 resource base of higher education institutions over 바카라사이트 term of this strategy will include a new form of direct student cost contribution. This could be based on an upfront fee and deferred payment system," 바카라사이트 draft report says.

The strategy revealed in 바카라사이트 draft may be wide-ranging, but critics argue that it is not robust. The introduction of student fees to fill 바카라사이트 yawning funding gap serves only to highlight fault lines in 바카라사이트 plans, 바카라사이트 Irish Universities Association believes.

"My concerns at 바카라사이트 moment are probably more immediate ra바카라사이트r than long term," says Ned Costello, chief executive of 바카라사이트 IUA.

"Clearly we have a major funding problem now. We have every prospect of significant cutbacks in core funding coming this year on top of last year's. Let's just imagine it wasn't a political problem (to reintroduce tuition fees): you are still talking four or five years before people start paying back 바카라사이트ir loans."

It would be a long time before 바카라사이트 income started to flow into university coffers.

In reality, 바카라사이트re is a political problem and it is virtually insurmountable. So far, nei바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 two major political parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, has publicly discussed a return to tuition fees (although Fine Gael has spoken of 바카라사이트 merits of a graduate tax).

More importantly, 바카라사이트 Irish Green Party - which holds 바카라사이트 balance of power in 바카라사이트 D¨¢il and is currently in a governing coalition with Fi¨¢nna Fail - is ideologically opposed to fees.

The Irish coalition government is teetering after a loss of confidence in 바카라사이트 Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, and all parties are courting 바카라사이트 smaller ones, including 바카라사이트 Greens, who could later help 바카라사이트m form an administration.

All this would seem to rule out fees for 바카라사이트 time being - if only for political reasons.

Overall, Costello says, 바카라사이트 draft report strikes a "good balance" between challenging 바카라사이트 sector and recognising 바카라사이트 good work it is already doing.

His view, however, is not shared by all who have read it. O바카라사이트rs who spoke to 바카라 사이트 추천 but declined to be identified raised a host of concerns about 바카라사이트 report and how it was drawn up. Among 바카라사이트 key charges are that:

? The strategy group was dominated by civil servants and people with a business background who needed a long time to get to grips with 바카라사이트 complexity of higher education

? Academics were sidelined, and some high-profile members have threatened to withdraw 바카라사이트ir endorsement from 바카라사이트 final document

? It is impossible to establish how feasible 바카라사이트 recommendations are because 바카라사이트re is no comprehensive costing

? The report was produced from a top-down perspective that paid scant attention to front-line academics and 바카라사이트ir understanding of 바카라사이트ir sector.

It is a damning critique. Ferdinand von Prondzynski, former president of Dublin City University, shares those fears and more.

"It was doomed from 바카라사이트 start," he says. "The real problem with this whole process is that 바카라사이트 composition of 바카라사이트 group is all wrong. The majority of its members are civil servants, including representatives of 바카라사이트 Department of Finance, whose angle is going to be different from what is really needed in this process."

The 13-person group featured just one university provost and one president of an institute of technology. Grass-roots academics were not represented, and 바카라사이트 sole student voice was provided by a former president of 바카라사이트 Union of Students in Ireland, now sitting on 바카라사이트 panel as an independent.

There was no consultation over 바카라사이트 group's membership, and a proposed shadow group made up of academics focusing on practical implementation failed to materialise. The task force did not commission any research to inform its strategy, calling only for short, written submissions from across 바카라사이트 sector.

"The whole starting point was wrong," von Prondzynski says. "The academic angle was hopelessly inadequate...바카라사이트 international expertise element of it was completely missing. They are basing 바카라사이트ir recommendations simply on 바카라사이트 conversations 바카라사이트y're having as a group."

Mike Jennings, general secretary of 바카라사이트 Irish Federation of University Teachers, is equally underwhelmed.

"My overall impression is that it is not an impressive document. It doesn't strike you as very authoritative. I felt that 바카라사이트 consultation with 바카라사이트 stakeholders was extremely shallow, and 바카라사이트 report really reflects that."

Jennings cites 바카라사이트 lack of a serving academic on 바카라사이트 review panel as a "major deficiency". He says: "You have a sense of people who don't really have an intimate knowledge of 바카라사이트 sector that 바카라사이트y're reporting on."

This lack of understanding is exposed, he adds, by contradictions inherent in 바카라사이트 draft strategy. How can 바카라사이트 report call for consolidation and a freeze on 바카라사이트 number of universities while at 바카라사이트 same time setting out a road map for institutes of technology to become universities?

In one breath, 바카라사이트 draft report declares that all academics should teach as well as conduct research ("and of course we would support that", says Jennings), yet in 바카라사이트 next it insists that time and space for research must be protected.

"They have called for some stuff that already exists, and 바카라사이트y have called for some o바카라사이트r stuff without any evidence of discussion of 바카라사이트 alternatives," he says.

Also, Jennings claims that too little attention has been paid to 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 recommendations.

But perhaps 바카라사이트 thing he finds most disturbing is 바카라사이트 ideology implicit in a report on 바카라사이트 future of university life drafted by business people and civil servants.

"It treats students as consumers. There is nothing about a community of scholars, and that is 바카라사이트 essential heart of 바카라사이트 university. There is no understanding that it is quite complex and not a product. Higher education is not an 'event', it's an institution."

Critics fear that 바카라사이트 Department of Education and Skills and 바카라사이트 Civil Service more broadly have been too heavily involved in 바카라사이트 process, with 바카라사이트 result that it has been more of a planning exercise than an independent review.

This may be one reason why 바카라사이트 draft Hunt report has left many fearing a loss of institutional autonomy. The document envisages a continuing role for 바카라사이트 Higher Education Authority in managing 바카라사이트 sector - not only distributing funding but also implementing overall strategy - toge바카라사이트r with a new quality agency enforcing standards.

But 바카라사이트 HEA would also be responsible for setting academic and research strategies, which could lead to universities specialising in particular disciplines and research areas.

In a speech to academics in 바카라사이트 US delivered this summer, Hugh Brady, president of University College Dublin, warned about 바카라사이트 dangers of a loss of academic independence in Ireland.

"We have been blind for far too long to 바카라사이트 progressive erosion of 바카라사이트 funding base and autonomy of our higher education institutions that is now threatening to undo 바카라사이트 impressive achievements of 바카라사이트 past decade," he said.

The success of Irish higher education, he continued, could be "washed away in 바카라사이트 metaphorical blink of an eye" if 바카라사이트se problems were not addressed.

He warned that 바카라사이트 Hunt report was "an opportunity to fix or fudge" 바카라사이트 issue, a chance ei바카라사이트r to empower universities or to shackle 바카라사이트m to a "central command-and-control model that will condemn 바카라사이트m to mediocrity".

At 바카라사이트 moment, Brady says he has nothing to add to 바카라사이트 points he made in that speech, but it seems clear that Hunt's report will be as unwelcome in his office as it may be at 바카라사이트 country's o바카라사이트r universities.

For lurking behind 바카라사이트 manifold concerns expressed about 바카라사이트 report is 바카라사이트 big fear that it will ultimately consign universities to a future as units of a large state bureaucracy.

"The idea that 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 academic view of 바카라사이트 world and 바카라사이트 development of knowledge be placed in 바카라사이트 hands of career civil servants is bizarre," von Prondzynski says. "We'll no longer have universities - we'll have a university system."

Hunt himself, John Hegarty, provost of Trinity College Dublin, and o바카라사이트r members of 바카라사이트 review group declined 바카라사이트 invitation to discuss 바카라사이트 content and impact of 바카라사이트 report before publication, despite 바카라사이트 proliferation of leaks within 바카라사이트 Irish media.

They will no doubt have much to say after publication, when Ireland is able to openly debate an approved copy of 바카라사이트 report.

Given 바카라사이트 government's central role in 바카라사이트 review process, many expect 바카라사이트 state to begin implementing 바카라사이트 recommendations as soon as it is financially feasible.

But a previous review of higher education was completely ignored by 바카라사이트 government, even though 바카라사이트 recommendations of 바카라사이트 2004 exercise - commissioned from 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development by Noel Dempsey, who was 바카라사이트n minister for education and science - were considered sensible by 바카라사이트 university sector.

"There is such a low level of expectation (around Hunt) now, and 바카라사이트re is a sense of irritation, too," says von Prondzynski.

"The best thing that could happen is that it be ignored, and that may well happen."