Specific details of radical restructuring plans for Trinity College Dublin have yet to be agreed upon and could be significantly altered by the time they are implemented, it has emerged.
At a meeting of the Trinity board last month, it was decided in principle to restructure the way in which the college operates.
Under original proposals put forward by its provost, Dr John Hegarty, earlier this year, this would have seen the number of individual departments reduced from over 60 to approximately 18, and the number of faculties halved from six to three. It would also have led to open competition for faculty dean positions.
But according to the minutes of the July board meeting, seen by The Irish Times, a final decision on the selection rather than election of faculty heads has yet to be made. A December deadline has been set for this decision. Similarly, a final decision on the number and composition of schools and departments is unlikely to be taken before that date.
This will follow extensive "bottom-up" discussions within and between departments, which are likely to have a bearing on the final structure of the college.
However, the minutes acknowledge that the consultation process "should take place on the clear understanding that the number of academic units will be significantly reduced through the formation of new Schools/Departments." The phased introduction of the new model for the distribution of resources, based on academic criteria, will commence no later than September, 2005.
The news that specific details of some of the key elements of the reforms proposed by Dr Hegarty have yet to be agreed upon follows strong resistance from senior academics at the college to the plans.
One senior academic at the college said he believed Dr Hegarty had been "a bit taken aback" at the strength of opposition within the college to the imposition of several elements of the radical plans.
"They have been opposed quite widely within the college and he has had to take account of that," the source said. "All details have yet to be decided . . . nobody I know is opposed to restructuring in principle once it is done by consensus." Earlier this year, Dr Hegarty instigated a consultation process among the college community.
However, the deputy president of TCD Students Union, Ms Ruth Ní Eidhin, yesterday said the union was not satisfied with the level of consultation with students about the proposed changes. "They called one public meeting [for undergraduates] in May, right in the middle of exam time, so it was not very well attended by students," she said.
"We feel the plans are being rushed through . . . We would like the students to be actually consulted, instead of supposedly consulted."
A spokeswoman for TCD said the board had noted the concerns of students. Consideration would be given as to how the views could be taken into account, she said.