The president of TU Dublin, Professor David FitzPatrick, has resigned and will leave at the end of May.
The resignation comes after the Higher Education authority (HEA) last month told the technological university that it had “serious concerns with the apparent lack of urgency, responsiveness and conduct by the Governing Body to address [its finances] in a timely and constructive manner”.
In a letter to staff, Prof Fitzpatrick this afternoon said he recognised “that this is an appropriate time for new energy to take the reins”.
Last month, in a highly unusual move the HEA invoked legislative powers to request that the university’s governing authority conduct a formal review of the college’s performance in managing and controlling its finances.
Shortly after, academic staff expressed no confidence in leadership at the college via their trade union.
There has been ongoing controversy around how TU Dublin has managed a financial deficit of €8.6 million.
Meanwhile, the governing authority of the University of Limerick is due to meet tomorrow afternoon to consider a review it commissioned into the controversial purchase of a number of houses near its campus for student accommodation.
Pressure is mounting on UL president Dr Kersten May, after ten members of the executive of UL expressed no confidence in her leadership.
No confidence has also been expressed by staff via their union UNITE, and separately by a large number of professors and the university’s graduate students’ union.
Last Friday Dr May told staff in a letter that “an issue” had arisen in respect of the properties and that UL was engaging with external auditors and the Comptroller and Auditor General in relation to the matter.
She said new independent valuations confirmed that the university had paid significantly above market price for the Rhebogue properties. This resulted in a “draft impairment” in the region of €5.2m in the UL financial accounts, which was coupled with an impairment arising from the purchase of the former Dunnes Store site in nearby Limerick city centre.
Dr May said the deficit in the university’s accounts would be funding out of its financial reserves.
“This is an issue of major concern for the University in terms of management, governance and reputation,” she wrote.
“I am engaging with our stakeholders to chart the best way forward and there will be action taken as a result of the review that has been commissioned into the transaction”.
UL chancellor Brigid Laffan has invited UL staff to a meeting on campus at lunchtime tomorrow.
