Sir, - At its annual general meeting in December 1999, the National University of Ireland's convocation passed a two-part motion. The first part called for an arbitration body in the constituent universities. This is reflected in the proposal from the governing authority of UCD for a disputes resolution committee in its draft statute, which is being discussed at the moment.
The second part of the convocation's motion called for the establishment of a standing board of visitors in the National University of Ireland. Such a board might have prevented developments such as the recent Gary Santry affair in the Faculty of Commerce at UCD. A standing board of visitors works well in the University of Dublin (Trinity) and Queen's University, Belfast. Within the National University of Ireland and its constituent universities, a board of visitors might have prevented what appears to have been a lack of due diligence in properly examining the background and qualifications of applicants for appointments in the university.
One of us recalls a Stockholm colleague who absented himself legitimately from all teaching duties during the weeks needed for assessing chair candidates' published work. We graduates of convocation are stakeholders, we are told. The stakes are high. - Yours, etc.,
Prof (Emer.) Paul Cannon, Dr Peter Doyle, Mount Carmel Road, Newbridge, Co Kildare.