One of the most radical restructurings of UCD in its 150-year history has been agreed by the college's governing authority.
Yesterday, the authority backed proposals tabled by college president Dr Hugh Brady, which will herald sweeping changes in its structures. Under the plan, 11 faculties will be replaced by five new colleges. In addition, some 90-plus separate academic departments are being recast into 35 schools.
The governing authority, made up of UCD staff, trade union, county council and other representatives, voted 32-3 to endorse the plan, with a small number of abstentions. Dr Brady hopes to have the new structures in place by the beginning of the academic year in September.
The Brady plan has provoked dismay among some academic and non-academic staff. There are concerns that the new structures could undermine academic freedom. Many academics who at present run their own departments with their own budgets will now find themselves working within a new school with one overall administration.
The details of implementing the plan have now to be worked out. This is likely to be a contentious process as the various academic departments battle to secure as much autonomy as possible.
The next stage of the process will be as follows:
• Various task forces will advise on a series of issues, including procedures for the appointment of principals or academic deans, student services and non-academic staff.
• Task forces will also advise on how the various schools should operate and, critically, how the budget should be divided among academic departments. For example, the task force for the College of Arts and Celtic Studies will advise on the allocation of resources for the School of Languages, Literature and Film, covering seven separate language departments.
• The task forces will report back to the academic council and the governing authority, which will finalise the details.
Dr Brady, a former deputy director of medicine at Harvard, has moved quickly to transform UCD since his appointment 15 months ago. Within months, he proposed the abolition of existing structures whereby UCD was organised into departments, schools and faculties. This, he said, was necessary if the college was to move into the top rank of EU universities.
His case appeared to be strengthened when a consultant's report late last year was scathing of the college's "lacklustre" performance in several key areas and of the duplication of resources across too many departments.
Expressing satisfaction with yesterday's developments, a spokesman for UCD paid tribute to all involved, saying: "The consultation process about these changes has underlined the strong collegiate in UCD. We have managed to achieve change with little internal rancour or division."
