Staff deeply frustrated after Catholic college suspends historic dialogue

Staff at Mary Immaculate College (MIC) are “deeply frustrated” after President Eugene Wall announced the suspension of a historic dialogue meant to safeguard the college’s future.

Prof. Wall’s announcement came after he and University of Limerick (UL) President Kerstin Mey failed to find “a meeting of minds” with Department of Higher Education officials on January 25.

“Despite a constructive and solution-focused engagement, we were unable to find any such meeting of minds,” the MIC president said in January 31 correspondence to staff.

“Accordingly, we are now suspending the discussion between the two institutions with regard to structural matters,” he continued, saying relations between MIC-UL will continue as they already exist.

Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris previously told the two institutions to go back to the drawing board after almost year-long negotiations failed to propose a suitable model.

Sources told The Irish Catholic, however, that staff fear the college has been left “strategically weaker” by the failed dialogue process, described as potentially “one of the most important strategic developments” in the college’s 125 year history by governing authority, including chairman Bishop Brendan Leahy. According to union officials, staff were told the purpose of the dialogue was to achieve university level status and solidify MIC’s position in the higher education landscape.

Now, younger staff in particular feel the future is “very unsure and uncertain”, sources said. The dialogue made it “more unclear”, despite being intended enhance “structural alignment” between the two institutions.

Disappointment at the failure of the process and the lack of consultation with staff left them feeling “in the dark”, this paper understands.

There is a sense of “deep frustration” among staff, who still don’t know the specifics of the model presented to department officials or the exact contents of the department’s criticisms.

Although President Wall reassured staff in his email that MIC hopes to “build on the highly positive relationships” forged over the 12 month process, staff fear the “spectre of incorporation” is now on the horizon, sources said.