WIT University Status - "Its a big 'no'"

Sully

According to todays Munster Express, the City Council received a letter today from the Department of Education which contains a "no" to the upgrading of WIT. Its an interputation of a letter by Cllr. Pat Hayes. He claims its the first indication they are refusing our application.

Ill quote the full article when it appears on the website but its on the front page of todays paper.

gscully

I know this won't be popular with some, but I for one am glad. Until WIT deal with the parking problems that have seen neighbouring estates littered with cars, they don't deserve university status. They have little regard for the surrounding areas, so they should not be surprised that those from the surrounding areas have little regard for their plight.

Sully

I think the parking situation has little or nothing to do with whether they get it or not!

testicle

I think Trinity should lose its University status in that case.

Time Magazine

gscully wrote: »

Until WIT deal with the parking problems that have seen neighbouring estates littered with cars, they don't deserve university status.

I agree completely. Local residents' concerns should always come first.

Sully

The Economist wrote: »

I agree completely. Local residents' concerns should always come first.

Do you have a subscription watch for topics containing the word "University" in the Waterford forum? :P

mike65

If this is correct, I presume the economy will be cited as a "reason" not to invest in a University.

I await InvincibleIrish to arrive from stage left.

old gregg

testicle wrote: »

I think Trinity should lose its University status in that case.

and UCC for that matter

Waterford doesn't need or deserve a university.

gscully

Sully wrote: »

I think the parking situation has little or nothing to do with whether they get it or not!

I know that Sully, but my personal feeling is to greet this as good news for the reason I've mentioned.

nkay1985

Deleted User wrote: »

Waterford doesn't need or deserve a university.

Location: Liatroim eh?.........I'l say no more.

This is another slap in the face for the south east if this is true. It's not just for the benefit of Waterford. It's Wexford, Kilkennmy, Tipperary, even Cork, and plenty more besides.

We're losing loads of jobs in Waterford Crystal. Honeywell have been on short time for quite a while. I'm typing this while out on short time from Bauscha& Lomb. Only Genzyme seem truly strong. The only way we can hope to replace these jobs is by having a higher recognised standard of education, in the form of a University. Attract all those jobs the government are talking about, the "knowledge-led economy". It's all just cheap talk as usual.

I see the Waterford Today has Fianna Fail's local election campaign launch as its banner story today. If this news is true, I wouldn't want to be part of any of those campaign teams hitting the doorsteps.

Psychedelic

gscully wrote: »

I know this won't be popular with some, but I for one am glad. Until WIT deal with the parking problems that have seen neighbouring estates littered with cars, they don't deserve university status. They have little regard for the surrounding areas, so they should not be surprised that those from the surrounding areas have little regard for their plight.

Their plight is all our plight - a university will benefit Waterford and the South East region though job creation and knowledge based industries but yet you don't want this to happen because of the cars in your estate.

Our city is in big trouble at the moment and you come on here gloating that we're not getting the one thing (a university) that could drag us out of the mire, just because of cars parking in your neighbourhood.

Bards

So much for the Govt touting the Knowledge Economy Mantra

trishw78

Deleted User wrote: »

Waterford doesn't need or deserve a university.

You're right, but the SOUTH EAST does deserve a university and WIT, IMO is the best option

Ri na hEireann

Deleted User wrote: »

Waterford doesn't need or deserve a university.

I could just as easily say Leitrim doesn't need or deserve to be a County. But then again if I did I'd substantiate my claim with an arguement.

You're ignorance isn't worthy of a proper reply.

Mickdots

Remember this when Martin Cullen’s henchmen come to your door looking for votes

He promised in the last general election and the previous one before that
University for Waterford, result = No
Radiotherapy for Waterford, result = No
Second River Crossing, result = yes but did he ever tell anyone about the private sector building it and the toll. Result = NO!!!

Out in the glass 2 weeks ago he was nearly lynched by the workers over bare face lies he told them!! The man is a fraud!!

As for Pat Hayes letter, that’s all well and good for him but I meet Pat about a year ago at a friends wedding and he told me personally that we wouldn’t be getting it but it was worth the fight and learning the process for when the college upgrades its facilities!! And that’s a few years off yet!!

gscully

Psychedelic wrote: »

Their plight is all our plight - a university will benefit Waterford and the South East region though job creation and knowledge based industries but yet you don't want this to happen because of the cars in your estate.

Our city is in big trouble at the moment and you come on here gloating that we're not getting the one thing (a university) that could drag us out of the mire, just because of cars parking in your neighbourhood.

Gloating? Hardly!

As I said in another thread about parking in Lismore Park, the college doesn't deserve Uni status if it cannot put the needs of it's students and faculty staff first. While they are off trying to find somewhere to park, classes are carrying on without them...or classes are not happening because the lecturers are off trying to park somewhere. The college has so far done nothing to address this issue, and are set to add to the problem by building on top of the small car-park at the back of the college - leading to a further shortage. If the college does not put the needs of the students first, then it simply does not deserve Uni status.

KingLoser

Not really suprised about this.

Nolanger

Time for another protest march.

Bards

gscully wrote: »

Gloating? Hardly!

As I said in another thread about parking in Lismore Park, the college doesn't deserve Uni status if it cannot put the needs of it's students and faculty staff first. While they are off trying to find somewhere to park, classes are carrying on without them...or classes are not happening because the lecturers are off trying to park somewhere. The college has so far done nothing to address this issue, and are set to add to the problem by building on top of the small car-park at the back of the college - leading to a further shortage. If the college does not put the needs of the students first, then it simply does not deserve Uni status.

University status will bring with it increased funding. With increased funding comes improved facilities, (such as parking). so it is a bit irrational to argue parking issues as a reason not to re-designate to Univeristy Status

alpha2zulu

Time for another protest march

Its gonna have to be something a bit more original than that,marches are 10 a penny in the studenty world so its unlikely to have much of an effect.

Terrible news if true, if there are any ff/green party councillors or td's around after the next set of elections it will be one too many.

Bards

alpha2zulu wrote: »

Its gonna have to be something a bit more original than that,marches are 10 a penny in the studenty world so its unlikely to have much of an effect.

Terrible news if true, if there are any ff/green party councillors or td's around after the next set of elections it will be one too many.

Time to do what CIT did. Change the name of WIT to University College Waterford. I doubt the Govt will have the stomach to fight this while so much is happening on the economic front

Nolanger

Bards wrote: »

Change the name of WIT to University College Waterford.

Won't be legally allowed - Company Law forbids the use of 'university' in a Business Name unless permission is granted by the government.

Bards

Nolanger wrote: »

Won't be legally allowed - Company Law forbids the use of 'university' in a Business Name unless permission is granted by the government.

And CRTC got away with changing the name on their college when WRTC was re-designated to WIT - wasn't allowed then either, but hey, I guess that's why they call Cork the rebel county

Paddy@CIRL

I don't think the WIT will recieve Uni status until it realises that becoming a University won't solve its problems. They need to concentrate on sorting out the many, many problems of it's IT before even contemplating applying for University status again.

I'm sick of hearing 'If we were a University, we wouldn't be having these problems.'

Well we're not a University, we are having major problems and they may start sorting themselves out sharpish.

gscully

Bards wrote: »

University status will bring with it increased funding. With increased funding comes improved facilities, (such as parking). so it is a bit irrational to argue parking issues as a reason not to re-designate to Univeristy Status

Irrational? With their current funding, they are planning another building on an existing car park!

I have no problem with them getting university status...as long as they have their house in order. It seems they haven't yet. Just because it's the best Institute in the S.E. doesn't mean it automatically deserves to be upgraded.

shapez

I would prefer to have an excellent IT, than a s**t university.

ziedth

shapez wrote: »

I would prefer to have an excellent IT, than a s**t university.

This is exactly what I was going to post, In the grand scheme of things would we get more people in the region if we had the worst uni or the very best IT.

old gregg

Paddy@CIRL wrote: »

I don't think the WIT will recieve Uni status until it realises that becoming a University won't solve its problems. They need to concentrate on sorting out the many, many problems of it's IT before even contemplating applying for University status again.

I'm sick of hearing 'If we were a University, we wouldn't be having these problems.'

Well we're not a University, we are having major problems and they may start sorting themselves out sharpish.

agreed wholeheartedly. silk purse/pig's ear and all that

Asmodean

I think too many people think that the word 'university' is like a magic wand. If there are problems with the IT at the moment they are only going to increase ten-fold with the advent of university status. Better make sure the transition could be accomodated smoothly. If it did receive uni status and make a cock up of things the entire country would be watching.

merlante

I see all the usual ridiculous statements about being trotted out about parking and residents, etc.

WIT is an institution spread over three campuses, not just the one on the Cork rd. Parking has nothing to do with anything. As someone pointed out, Trinity has no parking. How do the geniuses respond to that?

In the Times University Survey of last year, Ireland scored well in the 'world class' category, with Trinity and UCD ranking highly, but fell down on the 'access' category. Aside from the low level of 3rd level education spend in Ireland in general, the best way to improve access is to give to the south east what already exists in other major regions.

It is not even primarily a matter of funding imho, WIT needs to have its remit widened so it can compete nationally and internationally. It is a stronger and more viable institution that some of the universities because it has a large region and population (~450K) base behind it and no real competition within 125km. If it is allowed to grow unrestricted it will become as strong as, say, university of Limerick, which is only a university since 1989. High level research is being directly hampered by Waterford's IT status because of the IT status -- which has to be continually overcome in innovative ways -- and in terms of recurrent funding, which is far below that of the universities.

An IT in the US is just a name and affects nothing, and the likes of MIT can become world leaders in research. An IT in Ireland is a type of institution in law that has a very restrictive 3rd level remit. It's not the name, it's the status.

Anyway, I suppose not much more can be said until the correspondence becomes public.