Waterford Institute of Technology has been given powers to award research degrees contrary to a recommendation by an expert group of academics.
The decision by the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) in late November has been greeted enthusiastically in Waterford, which has lobbied for university status for its third-level campus.
However, The Irish Times understands the decision created divisions among the board of HETAC, which has recently been criticised for approving an online teacher-training course, and among academics elsewhere.
Under the HETAC ruling, which has been accepted by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, WIT will be able to grant Bachelor's degrees and graduate diplomas under its own authority.
More controversially, however, HETAC also granted WIT powers to award Master's degrees under its own authority, including those attained by research, and doctoral degrees.
An evaluation group, headed by Mr Richard Lewis of the UK Centre for Higher Research and Information, carried out an investigation of WIT in July and August. The group met with leading WIT figures, including the institute's director, Prof Kieran Byrne, during a two-day campus investigation on July 8th/9th. The chairman of the governing body, Waterford Wedgwood group chief executive, Mr Redmond O'Donoghue, strongly supported the institute's application, though he could not attend the meeting.
In its report, the evaluation group said it was "impressed with the energy, enthusiasm and commitment of the institute's governors, management, staff, learners and stakeholders".
The institute had made "significant progress" in developing its research abilities in science subjects and in telecommunications software, the evaluation group found. But it added: "The processes and procedures developed by the institute for the quality assurance of research activity needed to be 'bedded down' across the institute."
Supporting WIT's efforts to develop specialist research centres, the expert group said it needed to cut teaching hours of staff studying for doctorates, engaged in research, or supervising research students.
"While the group did not feel that it could recommend when it would be appropriate for the institution to apply for delegated authority for research degrees, it did not expect that the period would be unduly long, although this would depend on the time taken to embed the relevant procedures and to gain greater experience of research supervision over a wider range of disciplines," it said.
Defending the decision to overrule the experts' opinion, HETAC chief executive, Mr Seamus Puirseil, said it was HETAC's policy to devolve degree-conferring powers on to all of the institutes over the next three years. The WIT application for delegated powers was the first one received, he told The Irish Times. The expert group had delivered "a very positive report in general", he noted.
However, he said the group had drawn a distinction between "taught" Master's degrees, where the student completes a calendar of lectures, and one attained by research. HETAC did not draw such a distinction.
