Does NUIG + UL = University of the West?

In the context of the UL alliance, NUI abolition and grade inflation, Richard Manton looks at the future of NUIG and NUI degrees.

The NUIG-UL Strategic Alliance has reignited some smouldering questions over the future of NUIG. Could the alliance be the first step in a move towards amalgamation of NUIG and UL? Is it indicative of the regional character of Irish universities? Or is it simply a knee-jerk reaction to the abolition of the NUI? The alliance has also come at a time of alarming reports on grade inflation.

NUI Abolition

The abolition of the National University of Ireland (NUI) as a federation of NUIG, NUIM, UCC and UCD and other smaller colleges has come as a shock. The McCarthy (An Bord Snip Nua) Report claimed that the move would save €3 million, but this was rubbished by NUI Registrar, Dr. Attracta Halpin, who said: "the idea that €3 million could be saved is fanciful". The majority of NUI expenditure will simply be passed on to the constituent institutions.

The abolition has resulted in fears regarding the status and recognition of NUI degrees. The NUI brand has been built over 100 years and has over 250,000 graduates. NUI Chancellor, Dr. Maurice Manning, said: "NUI is the connective tissue that joins the constituent universities together and gives meaning to the concept of the NUI degree."

UL Alliance

Coming only one month apart, the issues of the NUI abolition and the UL alliance cannot be separated. Interestingly, the NUIG-UL ‘strategic alliance' also includes a partnership with the Georgia Institute of Technology in the US. This means that NUIG may now have more of a connection with Georgia than with Maynooth!

Although the alliance appears to be thrown together in response to the NUI abolition and short-reaching, it comes as part of a trend of ‘regionalisation' of universities. An alliance has also been created between Trinity College and UCD. Irish universities have always had a regional character with Irish students among the least mobile in Europe.

Each alliance has been penned as an attempt to drive the smart economy in the respective regions. However, the actual benefit to the ‘smart economy' is questionable. What can these alliances do that co-ordination within NUI couldn't?

Numerous regional federations could now take the place of NUI, which leads to questions over how the quality of formerly NUI degrees will now be analysed and maintained.

Grade Inflation

The quality of NUI degrees has already been called into question. Last week, a study by Trinity College revealed the extent of grade inflation in NUI degrees over the past fifteen years. The numbers of first class honours degrees awarded by NUIG has increased by 115% since 1994. In NUIM the figure is 700%.

This increase was attributed to examiners being "less mean" by NUIG President, Jim Browne. Speaking to Sin immediately after the figures were released, Browne said that the increase is down to "a better teaching system, more competitive students and the use of full grades by examiners".

Even if this is the case, how the figures are viewed by industry and the public, and not the degree value itself, may be the biggest worry.

Regional Universities

The establishment of rival university federations along the lines of University of the West and University of the East are unlikely, but cannot be ruled out. Regional alliances, federations or even mergers could make practical sense to avoid duplication of disciplines and facilitate the lack of student mobility, but will entail problems with national coordination and analysis of degree programmes.

For now, we are in limbo. NUI is gone, universities are in a nervous period of courting one another and what it means to get a ‘first' remains as abstract as ‘the smart economy'.