“Mature students are being forced to abandon plans to go on to third-level education as a result of Government cutbacks, it has been claimed. The deadline for receipt of applications to the Central Applications Office for college places in 2011 passed on Tuesday …” (more)
[Marie Madden, Galway Independent, 2 February]
“Cork IT 2-12 NUI Galway 0-17 Fitzgibbon Cup (SH) A penalty a minute into injury-time from Tony Murphy gave Cork IT a one-point victory over champions NUI Galway at Dangan in Galway …” (more)
[Independent, 29 January]
“The recently launched National Strategy for Higher Education will ‘undermine the Irish education system’ and make third level available to those who can afford it, says a spokesperson for NUI Galway Students’ Union …” (more)
[Martina Nee, Galway Advertiser, 20 January]
“The National University of Ireland Galway (NUI Galway) has opened a medical academy at Letterkenny General Hospital (LGH), effectively transforming the institution into a university teaching hospital, a move set to improve patient care …” (more)
[Irish Medical Times, 20 January]
“The European Commission has appointed Professor Nicholas Canny of NUI Galway to the governing body of the prestigious European Research Council (ERC). The ERC is the first pan-European funding organisation for frontier research …” (more)
[NUIG Galway News, 19 January]
“… Free Education for Everyone NUI Galway initiated the walkout after a question we asked on the increase in the Registration Fee was met with complete waffle by Frank Fahey. It was apparent many of the audience felt disrespected and they too walked out. The walkout was a result of total and utter frustration and was justified by the way the audience were treated …” (more)
[Free Education for Everyone, 18 January]
“NUI Galway 0-22 Offaly 1-10 Fitzgibbon Cup champions NUI Galway proved too strong for Offaly to earn victory in this Walsh Cup clash at Banagher tonight …” (more)
[Gary Quinn, Sports News Ireland, 16 January]
“… Few, if any, university staff live in this area so they are probably oblivious to their students’ antics. No doubt these same students will be looking for our sympathy and support when fees are reintroduced. Dream on students! …” (more)
[Galway Advertiser, 13 January]
“One of NUI Galway’s most recognisable buildings is to be extended, after Galway City Council planners gave the go-ahead to a major new development for the campus …” (more)
[Marie Madden, Galway Independent, 12 January]
Academic freedom is the right of the faculty member to select one’s materials, methods, pedagogy and points of view in teaching one’s discipline. That is to be empowered with a ‘voice’. Academic freedom is an absolute necessity for a democratic society. It pertains to both teaching (freedom of speech) and research (search for truth). These aspects of the academic life are indispensable for the success of the university. Faculty need to be free of the constraints of censorship and interference in the conduct of their duties by the institution or other agents and agencies in the community.
The very essence of the university, for faculty and for students, is freedom to seek the truth. In fact, one might claim that the university is the only institution in our society that has the privilege of devoting itself to truth, beauty, and rationality. This undertaking is not to be taken lightly. The word university literally means ‘the community of scholars’ and institutions of higher education have been created precisely for these reasons.
Let us begin by considering the issue of academic freedom. The very essence of the institution of higher education, whether it is a university or polytechnical unit, for faculty and for students, is freedom to seek the truth. In fact, one might claim that the academy is the only institution in our society that has the privilege of devoting itself to truth, beauty, and rationality. This is quite a privilege and quite a challenge; and it is not to be taken lightly. The university community has been created precisely for these reasons.
Faculty members, after a probationary period have a property right to their position and cannot be removed barring ‘just cause’. Tenure does not guarantee a post for life. When I was first appointed at UCD in 1981 there was one condition in my contract letter for removal-being guilty of ‘gross moral turpitude’. Irish academics had real tenure in those days. I do not know if new conditions for removal of tenured faculty have been introduced. In North Carolina there are I believe five reasons for justly removing a faculty member with tenure: moral turpitude; negligence; inadequate performance, financial exigency; and mental or physical incapacity. I cannot see how the NUIG Plan can work as it would be a definite ‘breach of contract’ if one side unilaterally creates new conditions without the agreement of the faculty member. Tenure really means that one ‘owns their position’ and the right to return to that position year after year after the probationary period. I strongly suggest that the legal position of tenure in Irish law be investigated as prolegomenon to challenging the NUIG Plan.
When an individual cannot enjoy academic freedom because of real threats to continued employment, advancement or career, the educational function of the institution ceases to be realized. While this is simple to say, its import and power cannot be ignored or diminished. Academic freedom is an enormous issue and it must be protected at all cost. But is tenure important to the protection of academic freedom? The answer, clearly, is Yes. Tenure secures a working community of scholars based on accepted academic values and aims, and it guarantees that a person cannot be dismissed from that community without due process and without consideration based on well established objective academic criteria. As it turns out, the truth is not always popular, especially within circles of power and wealth. Remove the system of tenure and we shall witness a ‘Flight of the Dons’. That would be an unanticipated outcome of the same nonsensical market model the current grey philistines are promoting. I ask that faculty resist these plans that would undermine the current academic freedom and tenure system in Ireland.
Dr Jim McKernan
Professor,
College of Education,
East Carolina University,
Greenville USA 27858
Note: the author was previously the King Distinguished Professor at East Carolina University; Dean and Chair of the Faculty of Education, University of Limerick and College Lecturer in Education, University College Dublin. Email: mckernanj@ecu.edu.
“The Business German in Ireland Working Group has been announced as the winner of the Kuratorium Award for 2010. The group includes three NUI Galway lecturers …” (more)
[NUI Galway News, 10 January]
“Letterkenny General Hospital has been chosen as a clinical training site for medical students at NUI Galway Medical Academy …” (more)
[Inishowen News, 10 January]
“NUI Galway 0-11 Sligo IT 0-10 Substitute Fiachra Deasmhumnaigh was the hero for NUI Galway as he landed a late point to secure victory in an entertaining clash at Dangan …” (more)
[Independent, 10 January]
“A preliminary document which would see an increase in academics’ work hours at NUIG has drawn criticism from the Irish Federation of University Teachers …” (more)
[Cork Student News, 7 January]
“… Under attack are academic freedom (to be restricted), flexible work (staff are to be at their desks five days a week, despite the fact that most academics work far more than 40-hour weeks, often from home or from wherever their research, involvement in policy-making and contribution to the community takes them), holidays (all entitlements are to be removed beyond statutory holidays, which staff will have to apply for with no security …) …” (more)
[Indymedia Ireland, 6 January]
“Tributes have been paid to Professor Kevin Boyle – a founder of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI, Galway – who died this week …” (more)
[Declan Varley, Galway Advertiser, 30 December]
“NUI Galway has received conditional approval from Galway City Council to build an extension to the Arts Millennium Building …” (more)
[Galway Advertiser, 30 December]
“Professor Kevin Boyle, one of the founders of the civil rights movement in Northern Ireland, has died …” (more)
[RTÉ News, 28 December]
“Galway Senator Niall Ó Brolcháin has called for the receiver of McNamara Construction to allow work to resume on four buildings in NUI Galway. Work on an extension to the Arts/Science Building, a new Science Research Building, a new Humanities & Social Sciences Research Building and a new Translational Research and Clinical Research Facility was shut down last month when NAMA appointed a receiver to building contractor McNamara Construction …” (more)
[Galway Greens, 21 December]
“The Receiver appointed to construction firm Michael McNamara and Company is expected to put a proposal to NUI Galway officials in the coming days in an effort to complete work on a number of projects at the college …” (more)
[Marie Madden, Galway Independent, 15 December]
Ninth Level Ireland 