The Dissolution of National University of Ireland: Economic Woes Across the Pond

The NUI governs four of the most prestigious Irish universities: University College Dublin (UCD), University College Cork (UCC), NUI Galway and NUI Maynooth, as well as a number of more specialized institutions, including: the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, the National College of Art and Design, the Institute of Public Administration, Shannon College of Hotel Management, and Milltown Institute. None of these schools will close their doors, but the administration that connected them as constituents will be severed, which will in turn force the schools to ally in new ways in order to survive.

The NUI's administrative duties have been significantly reduced since 1997, when the Universities Act cut many of its responsibilities and delegated them to the individual schools. Largely because of this move, the minister believes that the schools currently under the NUI's wing can manage as fully independent bodies.

Megan Markey, a graduate of NUI with an MBA in Higher Education Management, says she agrees with the minister's decision. She believes that NUI should either represent all of Ireland's universities, or none at all.

"Since the brand didn't represent all universities, and since some universities in NUI -- like Maynooth and Galway -- chose to promote the NUI brand and others such as UCD and UCC didn't, I think it was an ineffective marketing tool," Markey said. "I believe some institutions, such as UCD, are more effective establishing their own brand outside of NUI, as the UCD's world-wide rankings continues to rise. If the government is saving €3 million by dissolving the NUI, that money should be spent on assuring quality of higher education for all Irish institutions, not just the four universities under the NUI umbrella."

UCD graduate Emmet Ryan, now the media officer for UCD's prominent soccer club, thinks the minister's decision to dissolve is short-sighted.

"They are looking at what is perceived as a savings, but in reality it will prove costly," Ryan said. "There's also the direct expense of re-branding. All the colleges will have to change their branding strategies and the impact on marketing budgets will cost far more than the €3 million saving Minister O'Keeffe claims."

NUI's dissolution will also cause over 20 people to lose their jobs, Ryan says.

Plus, without NUI in place to unite the schools, each university will have to reshape their images from the fraternal, traditional models to independent, self-governed entities, a process which Ryan says could be expensive and unnecessary.

"There is simply no sane reason to close a body which has achieved as much for Ireland as the NUI. Certainly spending needs to be cut, but there's no reason savings couldn't be made within the NUI without closing it outright. The costs that will be incurred as a result will far outweigh any savings made over the next year," Ryan said. "At the end of the day, without [NUI], the students will suffer."

Ryan is not alone in thinking the dissolution will hurt education in Ireland. Nearly 800 Facebook members have come together to protest the decision under the group "Do not abolish the National University of Ireland." The group argues that NUI is a more recognizable brand than the individual universities, that dissolving the administration would result in "unnecessary duplication of resources and further increase third-level costs," and that the reputation of NUI is vital to the well-being of Ireland's higher education.

Group administrator Tony Rodgers, a graduate of UCC, staunchly opposes the decision. Rodgers notes the inconsideration shown to students by carrying out this dissolution. Current students and alumni are now reconsidering the worth of their degrees.

"I plan on doing my Masters in mainland Europe, and believe that even the stamp of 'National University of Ireland' looks a lot more credible than degrees simply from Cork, Maynooth and Galway, which are likely never to have been heard of on mainland Europe," he said.

Furthermore, the names of some of the schools -- particularly NUI Maynooth and NUI Galway -- will likely change, which Rodgers ventures could effect their reputation outside of the U.K.

Faculty members have also responded to the minister's decision. Dr. John Kelly, Professor Emeritus at NUI, wrote a letter to the editor of the Irish Times invoking a similar dissolution ruling in 1967, and noting that forty-three years ago, the academic communities rallied, and ultimately the dissolution was thrown out. Kelly continued, "I would hope that the academic communities and graduates of the universities of the NUI will once more reject that decision and say No to the Government. It is an ill-considered and wrong decision, making neither fiscal nor academic sense."

Many are afraid the dissolution will not only set back college-level education in Ireland, but damage the appeal of the Irish university system to study abroad and exchange candidates from other countries. In the increasingly globalized field of education, schools without an international reputation are at a disadvantage. Whether or not the NUI lives on in name, such costs could have an impact on the potential budget savings O'Keeffe and Irish officials intend to create.