Proposed IT Carlow/WIT Merger

JohnMc1

Any update on this? The merger seems to have gone cold again. There were rumors of a Kilkenny campus as well. I wonder if that's gone as well.

imacman

JohnMc1 wrote: »

Any update on this? The merger seems to have gone cold again. There were rumors of a Kilkenny campus as well. I wonder if that's gone as well.

Kilkenny campus isn't on the cards in the short - medium term

road_high

Joint advertising billboard on the Dublin road, Carlow with the two College logos proclaiming "Study here in the South East"....

imacman

Token gesture

JohnMc1

imacman wrote: »

Kilkenny campus isn't on the cards in the short - medium term

Thanks for the update.

imacman

good piece in the munster express
http://www.munster-express.ie/opinion/to-be-honest-with-you/tu-or-not-tu-that-is-the-big-question/

JaCrispy

Things moving along.

https://kclr96fm.com/pathway-cleared-for-merger-of-it-carlow-and-wit-as-technological-university-bill-signed-into-law/

The bill that will allow IT Carlow and Waterford IT to come together and form a university has now been enacted into law.

The Technological Universities Act paves the way for the merger of the two institutions.

It’s hoped once the Tech University for the South East eventually happens, that it will hugely increase employment and other opportunities in this region.

The enacting of the bill is being welcomed locally and Carlow TD Pat Deering is describing it as a “momentous occasion for Carlow”.

imacman

This merger is at least 5 years away if it every goes ahead.The amount of bad blood and suspicion between the two groups of staff will take years of mediation.Added other things like WIT has a semesterised academic year ,Carlow doesn't , WIT uses Moodle as it LMS , Carlow uses Blackboard,I could go on and on and this is just a drop in the ocean of the work practices, technical and structural systems that will have to be reconciled and reorganized between the two institutes,Added to this Carlow have come to this process with a domination no compromise strategy which the majority of the WIT dont know about yet which will lead to war. People are drinking the politicians Kool aid if you think this will be a quick or easy process.It amuses me to see all the vested interests in the region jumping up and down about this merger with no concept of what a TU is ( which nobody including the government really knows , I think yellow pack university is the best description) and also no idea of how difficult and bloody this merger will between two organisations and staff who really dont have much time for each other

invara

imacman wrote: »

This merger is at least 5 years away if it every goes ahead.The amount of bad blood and suspicion between the two groups of staff will take years of mediation.Added other things like WIT has a semesterised academic year ,Carlow doesn't , WIT uses Moodle as it LMS , Carlow uses Blackboard,I could go on and on and this is just a drop in the ocean of the work practices, technical and structural systems that will have to be reconciled and reorganized between the two institutes,Added to this Carlow have come to this process with a domination no compromise strategy which the majority of the WIT dont know about yet which will lead to war. People are drinking the politicians Kool aid if you think this will be a quick or easy process.It amuses me to see all the vested interests in the region jumping up and down about this merger with no concept of what a TU is ( which nobody including the government really knows , I think yellow pack university is the best description) and also no idea of how difficult and bloody this merger will between two organisations and staff who really dont have much time for each other

..... this reflects what I think the WIT view is. Short of the Government putting real university money on the table (so adding ~€75m to the pot each year, and the ~€200-500 in capital over the next 5-10 years... so similar to what NUIG/UCC/UL each get) both Carlow and Waterford should walk away from this. Otherwise, they go through this contentious merger, with no fresh funding either ITCarlow or WIT win by eating the other's budget, management go to war with each other to protect their people/institute/student.... meanwhile the region is stuck in its economic malaise, with 13,500 young people having to study outside region.