Technological University Dublin June 2017 Sharon Hughes CEO

Technological University Dublin June 2017 Sharon Hughes CEO DITSU CLG

2011 ● National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 is published by the Higher Education Authority. (Hunt Report) ● DIT, ITB and ITT attend Building a Technological University Seminar in the National Convention Centre. ● DIT, ITB and ITT sign a Memorandum of Understanding establishing the Technological University for Dublin Alliance.

Hunt Report Ireland has a large number of higher education institutions. . . widespread access to higher education. However, over the next twenty years, smaller stand-alone institutions will lack the scale required to deliver the necessary advances in quality and efficiency. A framework should also be put in place to encourage and facilitate institutional mergers. However, formal mergers between institutes of technology and universities should not in general be considered: this would be more likely to dilute the diversity of the system. Instead, universities and institutes of technology should work together as distinct and complementary parts of the regional clusters described above. Smaller publicly funded institutions, that are not institutes of technology or universities, should be encouraged to align with or be incorporated into institutions of sufficient scale to enable overall quality and efficiency objectives to be met.

2012 ● Alliance submits a formal expression of interest in the Technological University process successfully completing Stage 1. ● A high-level Steering Group is established to guide the Alliance partners towards the goal of TU designation. o Mr Michael Kelly, (Chair) o Professor Brian Norton, President of DIT o Dr Mary Meaney, President of ITB o Mr Patrick Mc. Laughlin, President of ITT.

2013 ● Alliance joins the Dublin Region Innovation Consortium funded by Enterprise Ireland. ● Alliance commissions Baker Tilly Ryan Glennon to assist in undertaking a rigorous planning process informed by inputs from stakeholders ● Alliance publishes a series of work-stream reports

2014 ● Steering Group establishes an Implementation Team from the Alliance partners. ● Implementation Team launch a number of Foundation Themes through which the to prepare and organise people, work and institutional transformation required ● A series of workshops brings students, educators and leadership from across the Alliance together for the first time. ● A joint meeting of the Governing Bodies and Management Representatives of the Alliance partners takes place in Dun Laoghaire.

2014 • A Design Thinking Workshop on the TU Mission, Vision and Values with internal and external stakeholders across the partners takes place. • A Students’ Union Forum 'Putting Students at the centre of the new Technological Universities' takes place. It includes SU representatives from all Io. T’s.

2014 • Alliance submits the TU for Dublin Implementation Plan to the HEA successfully completing Stage 2 in the process. • An expert international panel convenes to assess this Implementation Plan. The panel submits report which states that the implementation plan is a 'credible and realisable proposal'. • The Minister for Education welcomes the report and the Alliance successfully moves from Stage 3 to Stage 4 in the process

2015 • Lots of workshops are held on a number of philosophical/academic topics • Funding of € 2 million is allocated to assist in the development of Technological Universities in Dublin, Munster and the South East. • The Technological Universities Bill is introduced to the Dáil. • The Bill was debated in both Committee and Report Stages, there were concerns raised by both political parties and TUI

2016 • More joint approach to hosting events • The Joint Graduate Research School begins • Feb 2016 An Irish General Election is called before the Bill could be moved • Feb 2016 the TUI balloted members who voted to not engage in the TUD Process beginning April 2016

2017 • The Alliance partner Student Unions attend the 2017 USI Congress as one. • The Technological Higher Education Association (THEA) is launched by the Minister for Education Mr Richard Bruton, TD. • A Joint Governing Body & Senior Leadership Team Strategy Day takes place at the Guinness Storehouse. • The TUI vote to accept the proposed changes and re-engage

TUD Designation Stages Stage 1 - Expression of Interest (2011) Stage 2 - Preparation of Plan to Meet Criteria (2014) Stage 3 - Evaluation of Plan (2014) Stage 4 - Assessment of plans for technological universities

Stage 4 1 Mission 2 Institutional Profile 3 Student Profile 4 Staff Profile 5 Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Development 6 Research 7 International Profile 8 Leadership, Management and Governance

DITSU Council policy to support the merger ITB SU and ITT SU also support the merger USI are also in support of the merger 23 rd Jan 2017 the first official TUDSU group met Agreed on resource sharing and merging as one

TUD SU Agreed a TOR for the group • Resource Sharing • Ethos of ‘Highest Common Denominator’ • Agreed DITSU is the best model to emulate • Begin necessary democratic steps asap Opened an official TUDSU office in DIT GG

TU Bill DITSU will also be looking to influence sections of the Bill, a clause guaranteeing the independence of the SU within the TU DITSU has already made (through its former President) a formal presentation to the Education Sub Committee of the Dail USI has represented TUDSU to the Dept of Education as recently as May Montague Communications are working on a Political Lobbying Strategy to help achieve this

Bill Evolution Bill is still very far from complete Big change around the concepts of ‘Merger’ and ‘Designation’ Now ‘Designation’ and ‘Merge’ We want Independent SU enshrined in the Bill

How much will it cost? According to the Implementation plan (2014), the expected budget for 2017 is € 250 million The ‘projected investment for transition’ coming in at € 24 million over 3 years, covering staff costs and contingency This was produced with a projected timeline from April 2014 to summer 2016, and as the Bill has not yet been passed, these figures will require review.

This Week The TUI voted on Tuesday the 13 th of June to accept the proposed changes and re-join operational planning Fianna Fail immediately called for the Bill to be put forward Talk of keeping the Dail sitting an extra week to discuss legislation of which TUD is high on the list

Other info Imagine it will be called TU Dublin Centres must have minimum student numbers of 5000 There will not be ‘centres’, each site must remain multidisciplinary Is a lot of emphasis on maintaining the HIgher Cert Options

Complexities Engagement with local communities DIT levy Designation of awards Sports teams Access to different sites and services Students will graduate from the entity they enter

Timeline Now TUI on board back on track About 80 -90% towards completion of Stage 4 Bill needs redrafting but as very little current legislation shouldn’t take long CAO already in for 2018, April 2018 will be 2019 Good chance it will be 2020