The IUA engaged Dr. Tom Higgins, consultant, to undertake an objective overview of the university infrastructural investment challenges facing the universities and the Government and this executive summary gives an overview of his findings. The report was presented by the IUA President to the Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen T.D., and the Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin T.D. at a meeting held on 4th November 2006 to discuss investment in universities in the NDP.
Executive Summary
The first priority of universities is quality education for all levels, from undergraduate to post-doctoral level. Fundamentally, this requires a learning environment that is based on a quality infrastructure and a holistic array of student services that includes central resources, as well as social and cultural spaces.
By setting the policy objective of having the Irish higher education system in the top rank of OECD countries, the Government has set formidable challenges of reform and campus upgrading for the universities.
In pursuit of its policy objective, the Government is committed to investment in third and fourth level education as a major infrastructural priority in the National Development Plan 2007-2013.
The Kelly Report [Report of Capital Review and Prioritisation Group 2004] failed to address the full infrastructural development challenges for the universities of delivering the Government's objective of creating a world-class higher education system. Where the report considered international competitiveness, when benchmarking buildings, equipment and maintenance requirements, it opted for the low end of international standards.
The Government's Strategy for Science Technology and Innovation [SSTI] has highlighted the need for large scale research infrastructure development and the current HEA/Forfás Review of needs will inform the investment to be provided for this purpose in the National Development Plan.
For their part, the universities, through the IUA, have jointly agreed a strategic approach to reform and development of major aspects of the Higher Education system, focusing on modernisation of undergraduate programmes and the establishment of a new world -class 4th level. Underpinning these is the requirement for major reform in core backbone facilities, buildings and equipment in the universities. The €1.7 billion strategic capital investment programme proposed herein provides the context to the submission by the IUA to the Department of Education and Science in March, 2006.1
In the context of the reform and innovation agenda and the inherent infrastructure requirements, the current stock of buildings, equipment and facilities - as well as the arrangements for capital allocations to the universities - needs to be expanded, upgraded and developed.
The significant expansion in student numbers over the last two decades has been met by almost static public investment in undergraduate facilities in the universities. The result is that, when compared internationally, the infrastructure and facilities supporting undergraduate education in Irish universities are not fit for purpose, in the face of growing numbers of students, and the increasingly complex nature and demands of the undergraduate cohort.
The SSTI is critically dependent on the ability of the universities to attract world class researchers and PhD students from abroad. Furthermore, the proportions of student enrolments and academic staff that are international are key criteria in determining the world ranking of a university system. The current general standard of buildings, laboratories and other facilities puts Irish universities at a distinct competitive disadvantage in recruiting top-class academics and students.
The huge growth in Government investment in research in the past decade has cloaked the major lack of investment in the provision of undergraduate facilities.
The SSTI, as a strategy to create a world-class research capacity, needs a supply of talent from a quality undergraduate education system to sustain it. In order to continue to maintain the development of high quality, internationally competitive research activity in the universities, it is vital that that the necessary investment is made in the underpinning education system and infrastructure that supports it.
NDP provision for a major strategic capital investment programme for university sector core infrastructure is therefore required. The programme would be complementary to infrastructure investment under the SSTI and over and above project approvals on foot of the Kelly Report.
Such a university infrastructure programme should be based on a competitive, multi-annual capital allocation model (similar to the successful PRTLI), with an independent assessment process and criteria to deliver reform and greater collaboration, efficiency and value for money.
Based on an assessment of the expansion and developments needed in the universities core infrastructure, an overall envelope of €1.7 billion is needed, over and above the capital allocations under Kelly and the SSTI.
The universities are acutely aware of the need for a partnership approach with Government to deliver the infrastructural investment programme and to that end, a range of fiscal initiatives are proposed to enable universities access to increased investment.
1Priority List of Capital Requirements for Third Level. Report submitted by the IUA to Department of Education and Science on 8th March 2006 and Reform of 3rd Level and Creation of 4th level Ireland: A framework proposal submitted by the Irish Universities Association. October 2005.