Eating the Elephant – In Small Bits - PowerPoint Presentation

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Eating the Elephant – In Small BitsSlide2

Implementing a National Strategy –Higher Education in Ireland

Dr. Richard Thorn

Emeritus President, Institute of Technology, Sligo

11

th

February, 2013Slide3

Background and Context

First Steps

Eating the Elephant in Small Bits

Moving the Big Rocks

A Configuration

Letters and Leaks

Moving On and Looking Back – Progress and ProblemsSlide4

Background and Context –

The Irish HE System

160,000 students (120k FT and 40k PT)

Fragmented – 7 universities, 14 institutes of technology, 10+ publicly funded smaller colleges,

c.

10 private colleges.

Variable in size – 20,000 – 500

Underfunded compared to other countries but performs well – very significant drops in funding recently.Little inter-institutional cooperation.Quality generally good.Research credibility goodNot very strong on international recruitment (c. 10%)Slide5

Background and Context - OECD Review 2004Slide6

52 Recommendations

1. That the

differentiation of mission between the university and the institute of technology sectors is preserved

and that for the foreseeable future there be no further institutional transfers into the university sector;

2. That steps be taken to

coordinate better the development of the tertiary education system

by bringing the universities and the institutes under a new common Authority, the Tertiary Education Authority, but that

machinery be established within the Authority to prevent mission drift;Slide7

Background and Context – ‘Hunt Report’

http://www.hea.ie/files/files/DES_Higher_Ed_Main_Report.pdfSlide8

Background and Context - Some National Strategy for Higher Education Principles

“…

system

needs to evolve within a clear framework that is aimed at developing a

coherent set

of higher education institutions, each of significant strength, scale and capacity and with

complementary and diverse missions

that together meet individual, enterprise and societal needs…”“…The system should be strengthened by the development of regional clusters of collaborating institutions

(universities, institutes of technology and other providers), and by

institutional consolidation

that will result in a smaller number of larger institutions. There should be a particular focus on encouraging the emergence of

stronger amalgamated institutes of technology

…”

“When, over time, the

amalgamated institutes of technology

demonstrate significant

progress against stated performance criteria

, some could potentially be re-designated as

technological universities

.”

“A new contractual relationship or service level agreement between the State

and the higher education institutions should be established, as part of a wider

strategic dialogue

, and this should be used to ensure that the requirements for

performance

, autonomy and accountability are aligned.”Slide9

First Steps – 1st

/2

nd

Quarter 2011

Report published early 2011

New Chairperson of HEA early 2011

Oversight Implementation Group (DES in the Chair, universities, institutes, HEA, ….)

HEA establishes an Implementation Task ForceEnd 2nd Quarter 2011 HEA approaches IOTI and IUA for assistance.Two staff given ‘on loan’ to HEA for 1st phase of implementationSlide10

‘The Elephant’

The ‘National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030’ is not a strategy in the true sense; it was a series of policy statements covering teaching, learning, research, engagement, and governance issues.Slide11

Eating the Elephant – In Small BitsSlide12

DisaggregationSlide13

July – October, 2011

One month of mind mapping and project clarification followed by three months of getting agreement on a project planSlide14
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Using Milestones

(

Oversight Implementation Group)Slide18

Moving the Big RocksSlide19

HEA Reform

The Role of Private Providers

The Role of Part Time and Flexible Education

National Student and Employer Surveys

National Form for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning

and

TU Criteria

The Landscape – Clusters, Alliances, Mergers, CollaborationsSlide20

"University politics are vicious precisely because the stakes are so small."—

Henry

KissingerSlide21

http://www.hea.ie/files/TowardsaFutureHigherEducationLandscape.pdfSlide22

System Configuration

‘The Landscape Document’

http://www.hea.ie/files/TowardsaFutureHigherEducationLandscape.pdf

The process to be followed

Criteria for TU

Guidelines for Clusters

Accompanied by detailed profiles of each HEI in the publicly funded part of the Irish HE system.Slide23

System Configuration

An analysis of student and labour market demand for higher education conducted for the HEA by the ESRI.

Submissions from the higher education institutions laying out their intentions

An analysis of the aggregated HEI responses against the objectives and principles of the National Strategy and the ‘Landscape’ document.

A report of an international expert panel established by the HEA on an ‘optimal configuration’.

All to be completed by late August – they were!

HEA to prepare advice to Minister by end 2012 – It didn’t!

https://share.hea.ie/Extranet/landscape-submissionsSlide24
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Policy Differences

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Letters and Leaks

Teacher's Pet – Tuesday November 20

th

, 2012

SEÁN FLYNN

The talk of education

What gives in the relationship between the Department of Education and the Higher Education Authority?

 Over the past six months the HEA has taken on a huge workload as it seeks to modernise the third-level sector. As part of this it has commissioned a series of reports from international and local experts and from the ESRI.One might imagine that Minister Ruairí Quinn and the department would welcome this input and the subsequent debate on the future of the sector. But the opposite appears to be the case.

When the report from international experts recommending a UCD-TCD merger leaked in September, the Minister quickly rubbished it. The department has also worked behind the scenes to “nuance” the HEA reports before publication to ensure contentious material was erased.

To make matters worse, the HEA reports – some completed way back in July – were finally issued only late last Friday, in what was seen as an attempt to limit media coverage. Why is the department being so cautious?

On a related note, two leading academics worked on the HEA analysis of new higher-education structures published last Friday. But neither Dr Richard Thorn nor Prof Vin Massaro was credited in the final version “approved” by the department. All very strange.Slide27

A Policy Decision -

Minister for Education and Skills, 22

nd

November, 2012

Priorities for future System Design and Reform

My four clear priorities are:

1.     Strengthening our university system.

2.     The development and consolidation of the Institute of Technology sector.3.     The formation of regional clusters between universities, stronger institutes of technology and future technological universities.4.     Increased sustainability and capacity in the higher education system.Priority 2 - Consolidation, strengthening and evolution of the IOT sector – why it is still so important

A core objective will, therefore, be to protect and enhance the role of the IOT sector in supporting enterprise, underpinning diversity and promoting access and participation.

Some institutes of technology are on a developmental path towards becoming Technological Universities

. 

I endorse the criteria set out by the HEA for the establishment of a Technological University. 

Priority 3 – Achieving critical mass through Consolidation and Collaboration and the development of Regional Clusters

There is need to achieve critical mass through consolidation and collaboration and the development of Regional Clusters.Slide28

What the Minister Wants….

Advice to Minister on Landscape Configuration – March 2013Slide29
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Moving on and Looking Back

New structure and staffing arrangements for the HEA – Agreed and being implemented

Criteria for Technological Universities – Approved

National Student Survey – Pilot in 2

nd

Quarter 2013

National Employers Survey – Published

National Forum for Teaching and Learning – EstablishedPolicy on Private Providers – ApprovedPolicy on Part Time and Flexible Provision – Approved4 out of 5 conferences planned have been held3 TU consortia established – yet to see if hey will all stay the course1 ‘Super IoT’ planned

Mergers of colleges involved in Initial Teacher Education being implemented.

Consolidation of Creative Arts provision in DublinSlide31

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Thank You