Commenting on remarks by the Chairman of the Higher Education Authority (HEA), John Hennessy, that changes to HR management practices would help improve the status and functioning of Irish universities, Mike Jennings, General Secretary of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT), said his remarks reveal the extent to which some persons in the HEA have lost touch with the realities of third-level education.

 

“Irish universities and academic staff have consistently delivered above-average outcomes for students, despite diminishing resources. Mr Hennessy now wishes to fix what isn’t broken by imposing new and potentially damaging HR changes on top of ongoing staffing and wage cuts, at a time when ever-more students are enrolling at third-level. He should preferably reacquaint himself with the facts on higher education in Ireland before issuing such cavalier and unhelpful comments in future”, Mr Jennings said.

 

The IFUT Media Release is available here.