Radical restructuring plans for Trinity College Dublin may not now begin to be fully introduced until 2006, after the college board last week agreed to postpone a decision on the matter until January at the earliest, The Irish Times has learned.
Under the original plans - which could see a huge reduction in the number of departments and the creation of between 13-15 academic schools - a final decision on a timetable for implementation was to be taken by next month at the latest. This would be followed by the establishment of the new structures on a broad operational basis by September 2005.
But at a meeting last week, the college board is understood to have acknowledged that the proposed changes may take a different shape than that originally planned.
This follows input and suggestions from a number of departments, and the revelation last week that individual departments will be able to opt out of fully joining new academic schools to be established under the plans. As a result, it was agreed that a final decision on the matter would not now be taken by the December deadline, throwing into doubt whether the new structures will be fully introduced by September 2005.
However, Mr Michael Gleeson, college secretary, told The Irish Times that college officers and its board still believed that "substantive change" could take place by September 2005, as envisaged under the original plans. This would be on a phased basis.
"There is an acceptance that it will take time to introduce the changes," he said.
"The board also agreed that not everything will slot in perfectly by 2005."
But he admitted that, were the final decision on the matter to be pushed back further than February of next year, then it was likely that "the level of implementation in 2005 will be less than is currently planned for".
In an email to college staff last week, seen by The Irish Times, the college's provost, Dr John Hegarty, said the board had "unanimously supported the need for change in the college's structures and resource allocation procedures".
It had also agreed that "every effort should be made to prepare for initial implementation of the new structures in September 2005", and stressed the importance of an "initial implementation date of September 2005".
However, he acknowledged that the board has decided that in its December meeting it "would consider a detailed schedule outlining the timescale for the development of final proposals and an implementation schedule".
But the meeting will only consider these proposals, and will not make a final decision until January at the earliest.
Last month, it was revealed that the college's law department had refused to consider merging with any other school or department, while senior academics in several other departments, including English and economics, warned they would resist any change to their status.