In case anyone thinks that this one is going away - it is not. I am renewing my call for the Government to immediately designate WIT as the University of the South East. We now know (thanks to Ms. Coughlan) that the Ministers' own industry advisers aka the IDA are in favour of that designation and that the only reason for not moving, is parochialism.
I am calling for all lobby groups to re-activate and re-start the campaign with a new vigour. Once again the Government is attempting to fob us off with yet another interim group to assess 3rd and 4th level education in Ireland. How many times do we have to jump these manufactued hurdles.
The University Act is there. The process is laid out. WIT has made a substantial submission justifying our case. It is up to the Minister for Education to act and to quit the prevarication in the hope that we will all go away or give up.
We are not going away. We are not giving up. We need to continue to act to ensure that the Government does its job. Lets all keep pushing them. Lets find our voices again.
Come on Batt. Step front and centre and do your job. Get on with it now. Or do we have to wait for the run up to the next General Election for more empty promises (as those given by Bertie the last time) to keep us on the hook?
Wake up Waterford. This is the most important issue facing us and we've gone quiet on it. I know its hard when we seem to be getting knocked back all the time. But the delivery of a University would literally underpin the future of the entire South East Region.
We are Irelands' oldest and noblest City. We are a proud people and we are not taking NO for an answer. The sooner the Government realise this, the better. But we've got to mobilise again.
So come on, pick yourself up, dust your petitions off and lets keep the pressure on. Lets build up a momentum that is unstoppable. I don't see why we shouldn't. I don't see why we can't. I don't see why we should let them silence us. They can't win - it's just too important.
Designate WIT now!
Designate WIT NOW!
DESIGNATE WIT NOW!!!!!!!
I am calling for all lobby groups to re-activate and re-start the campaign with a new vigour. Once again the Government is attempting to fob us off with yet another interim group to assess 3rd and 4th level education in Ireland. How many times do we have to jump these manufactued hurdles.
The University Act is there. The process is laid out. WIT has made a substantial submission justifying our case. It is up to the Minister for Education to act and to quit the prevarication in the hope that we will all go away or give up.
We are not going away. We are not giving up. We need to continue to act to ensure that the Government does its job. Lets all keep pushing them. Lets find our voices again.
Come on Batt. Step front and centre and do your job. Get on with it now. Or do we have to wait for the run up to the next General Election for more empty promises (as those given by Bertie the last time) to keep us on the hook?
Wake up Waterford. This is the most important issue facing us and we've gone quiet on it. I know its hard when we seem to be getting knocked back all the time. But the delivery of a University would literally underpin the future of the entire South East Region.
We are Irelands' oldest and noblest City. We are a proud people and we are not taking NO for an answer. The sooner the Government realise this, the better. But we've got to mobilise again.
So come on, pick yourself up, dust your petitions off and lets keep the pressure on. Lets build up a momentum that is unstoppable. I don't see why we shouldn't. I don't see why we can't. I don't see why we should let them silence us. They can't win - it's just too important.
Designate WIT now!
Designate WIT NOW!
DESIGNATE WIT NOW!!!!!!!
3 comments:
Don't let anyone kid us that the present crisis is the wrong time to upgrade WIT into the University of the South East. The transitional phase into full university status in fact costs very little: it will involve planning for the governance of the university (how it is to be run)and determining its initial strategy (what will be the priorities for action). It will help if USE/WIT can hire a small number of professors, preferably youngish and definitely energetic and visionary, to take the project forward and develop some new areas of teaching. But the important point is that the University will be in place when the upturn eventually comes. That's what investing in the future is all about.
The key question that has to be asked is whether WIT makes the University grade. Many of its lecturers are overpaid, underperforming journey men who have no research record. Its a well known fact that many lecturing staff at WIT teach way below their contractual lecturing load and can still earn 90k a year.It is commonplace for lecturers not to show up for class at all and nothing is done about it. WIT management talk a good talk but yet have been responsible for spiraling debt. The key questions here are whether the tax payer is getting value for money, whether the students are being truly served by a scant academic year and not whether WIT should be upgraded to university status.
In fairness, Anonymous (last comment) WIT has already been assessed as operating at University level by many Independent analyists including the Governments' own appointed Dr Jim Port and the Statutory Process should be put in place. Your other questions are therefore in my opinion, already answered. However I accept that no Institution (or University for that matter) can operate perfectly. WIT is doing what it can with far inferior budgets and resources. However, as is usual with any arguement and with some people, there are always those who think their own prejudices should be used to hold everyone back. Congratulations on being yet another begrudger. Mary Roche
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