Archive for Governing Authority

Another Country

Posted in Barcelona, Biographical, Maynooth with tags , , on October 25, 2023 by telescoper

It was only when I looked at my calendar this morning, and saw the reminder that my rent is due shortly, that I realized that I have now been in Barcelona for a whole month (plus one day). Lacking the usual cycle of lectures and other teaching sessions, I’ve still had regular telecons and other virtual discussions through which to reckon the passage of time, but these are different. When I’m teaching I always number my lectures consecutively so it’s easy for me to look at my notes and see that we’re, say, approaching half-term. That gives me a sense of progress which I must admit I don’t feel with scheduled telecons, which seem more cyclic – i.e. going around in circles most of the time.

Other than that, I’ve settled in here better than I expected. I’ve even managed to memorize the codes needed to get into my flat – no mean feat given my fading powers of recollection. Progress on the research has been a bit slower than expected, but I hope to finish the paper I’m working on by the weekend.

Next week is Study Week in Maynooth, including a public holiday on Monday 30th October to mark Samhain. Wednesday November 1st is a (national) public holiday in Spain too, Tots Sants (“All Saints” in Catalan). That would be the third public holiday since I arrived in Barcelona, but I won’t be here for it, as I have to make a flying visit to another country to give a talk, and do a few other things.

This reminds me that I should send an update on the affair of Maynooth University’s Governing Authority. As you may recall, the Powers That Be initially decided to scrap elections to the Governing Authority of the University in favour of selection. There was a protest at this authoritarian plan and a petition was raised. After initially proposing a mixture of election and selection, The Management finally backtracked and agreed to elections for all five internal representatives. Although the elections happened after I moved to Barcelona, they were held online so I was able to vote. The process is now complete, and I send congratulations to the five duly elected representatives!

One thing I hope the new members of Governing Authority will do concerns the outcomes of Maynooth University’s “Staff Climate and Culture Survey” which was carried out in 2022 with the promise made to participants that results would be published in early 2023. No such results have ever communicated to staff (or anyone else that I am aware of) and all mention of this survey has been wiped off the University’s web pages. Perhaps the new members of GA can push for the long overdue publication of this information?

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Deliverance at Maynooth

Posted in Maynooth with tags , on August 22, 2023 by telescoper
Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

Just time for a quick update about the saga of Maynooth University’s Governing Authority. Today the current Governing Authority met in an emergency session. An email went around to all staff just after 7pm this afternoon from its Chair. The message begins:

Following a meeting of the Maynooth University Governing Authority (GA) today, I am writing to let you know that GA has changed its decision on the formation of the next GA to a process by which all five of the internal members will be elected by MU staff.

Thank you to Maynooth IFUT for mobilizing the academic community in Maynooth so well. And thank you to everyone who signed the petition. It just shows what can happen when you get organized. To be honest, I didn’t think GA would back down, and feared instead a full-scale industrial dispute might be looming. Fortunately, GA has seen sense and we have been spared that. However, the famous words of Churchill

We must be very careful not to assign to this deliverance the attributes of a victory.

The University can now move forward, at least until the next crisis…

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Defend Democracy at Maynooth!

Posted in Education, Maynooth, Pedantry with tags , , on August 20, 2023 by telescoper
Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

A few weeks ago I blogged about the decision by the Management of Maynooth University  to scrap elections to the Governing Authority of the University. This was a shock to me and many other members of the Faculty at Maynooth and elsewhere. Coming out of the pandemic, during which we all undertook countless hours of unpaid overtime to keep the University going, I think we have the right to expect more from the Management than this expression of outright contempt. If the proposal is accepted, I fear much worse things are in store.

In response, the union IFUT, of which I am a member, started a petition protesting against this decision which now has over a thousand signatures.

We call on Maynooth University to reverse their decision to instigate selection and to restore the democratic election process for all five staff representatives on the Governing Authority.

The decision by MU’s Governing Authority and senior management to replace democratic elections with a selection process, whereby they assume, with the assistance of a private recruitment firm, the responsibility of handpicking staff representatives, is an attack on basic principles of democracy and good governance.

I agree with this wholeheartedly, and have signed the petition. If you agree please consider signing the petition too. You don’t have to be at Maynooth to sign it, nor even in Ireland. The issue faced here is far wider than one institution. It’s about the fundamental issue how a public university should be governed. Maynooth needs to learn that the institution should be run by consent and not coercion. A deliberate policy of alienating the academic, administrative and other support staff that make a university what it is is not the way forward.

The current Governing Authority is holding an emergency meeting on Tuesday 22nd August, to consider the mess created by University leadership. It has a simple way out. Scrap the current plan and allow all five internal representatives to be elected. What can be controversial about that? The Management has failed to articulate any argument against elections other than, apparently, that it considers them “old-fashioned”. Insisting on selection versus election they have also refused to explain how the selection process would work. What is to stop the President loading the GA with Vice-Presidents that she herself appointed?

There’s a an article in today’s Sunday Independent that reports on the outcome of an IFUT meeting held last Friday in which members were unanimous in supporting elections for all staff representatives on the GA. It’s now up to the Governing Authority to decide whether it wants a functioning university or not.

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