A new process which could shape the future of third-level education in the Republic is set to begin next week.
At the request of the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) has called together representatives of the colleges, several Government Departments and several Government agencies for what is viewed as a critical meeting next Monday.
The meeting comes amid some concern in Government and in the Department of Education that the universities and the institutes of technology (ITs) are not sufficiently responsive to the needs of the economy, industry and students.
In recent months the Department of Education has refused to sanction several arts- and humanities-based courses in the institutes.The traditional view in some education circles is that the institutes should concentrate on courses which help provide graduates for industry.
Mr Dempsey has asked the HEA to examine the "balance of disciplines" or courses on offer across the third-level sector. The former DCU president, Dr Danny O'Hare, is also preparing a consultation document on the possible future direction of the third-level sector.
The meeting takes place as the third-level sector, after a decade of continuous growth, comes to terms with surplus capacity across the colleges. It is estimated that the number of school-leavers will decline by more than 35 per cent between now and 2012.
The meeting will examine the impact of demographic changes and will assess how other OECD states have tailored their third-level system to meet changing needs.
Mr Dempsey has asked the HEA to begin the consultation process amid concern that some colleges are not providing courses which meet the needs and aptitudes of students. A drop-out rate of about 30 per cent is not uncommon in the university sector. Drop-out rates in the IT sector are often even higher.
Once the consultation process is complete the HEA, which manages the university sector, is expected to make recommendations to the Minister. The remit of the HEA will be widened from 2004 when it will also manage the IT sector.
Monday's meeting will also examine the factors underlying recent choices at third level by students. Figures from the Central Applications Office (CAO) show a drift away from computer and technology courses to traditional areas such as arts and humanities.