ManagingTurbulence

Presentation to:

SCONUL Conference

Ned Costello

CEO

Irish Universities Association

“WE DIDN’TSTART THE FIRE ”

• Credit Explosion• Regulatory failure in international banking system• Commercial and Domestic Property Bubbles• Distortion of tax base & pro-cyclical budgeting• Austerity Measures

The Global Meltdown

• By 2015 Tax Revenues will be 8% below 2007 peak

• Tax Revenues of €36.6bn - 25% below 2007 peak

• Growth in Government expenditure of 7.5% mainly due to social welfare transfer payments

The National Meltdown

Gap between revenue and gross voted expenditure is closing…

• In 2010 Tax Revenues 33.3% below 2007 peak…..with government spend up nearly 12%

The National Meltdown

General Government Dept… 2007 2011

€47bn €169bn

Dept to GDP Ratio…2007 2011

25% 106%

The National Meltdown

“The UK currently spends £43 billion on debt interest, which is more than it spends

on schools in England”.

UK Comprehensive Spending Review 2010

Staff:Student Ratios - mid 20’s:One

10% more Students – 10% less Staff

World Leading Efficiency of Irish HE System Improved

Weathering the Storm

High Overall Satisfaction with Quality of Graduates

Research Funding and Performance doing well

Non Exchequer Funding now between 30-50% of University Budgets

Weathering the Storm

We have survived 4 years of the greatest economic crisis since the great depression!

Strategic Challenges facing Institutions

Sustainability

Participation

Performance &

Accountability

Governance

Research &

Innovation

Funding

Structures

Participation

Participation

Participation Rate now close to 70%

UK Participation Rate less than 50%

Participation

Growth of

24%By 2030

Participation

A + B

b. Restructure of Existing Capacity

ORa. Additional

Capacity

Participation

Significant Productivity Gains on Service

ECF has removed 600 non-academic staff since 2008

Admin staff have maintained service quality under pressure of resources

Participation

Spotlight on Education – the role of Libraries

MOOCs – Flavour of the Month but just one aspect of innovation in T&L

• Irish HE – a Binary System

• Key Government Aim – a Coordinated Systems Approach yet respectful of institutional autonomy

• Minister for Education’s Response to the HEA Landscape Report

Structures

Structures – Landscape Report

• 3 IOT’s Progressing to next stage• Strict Criteria must be met

Technological Universities

• Mergers between Smaller Institutions• Rationalisation of Teacher EducationMergers

• Joint Academic Planning• Programme Rationalisation• Access and Progression• Sharing of Facilities

Regional Clusters

• Focus on Mergers in Wales

• Effect of New Fee Regime in UK• Competition for Places• Unfilled Places in some Institutions• Viability of some Institutions threatened

• Compare outcomes of UK and Ireland’s different emphases on Competition and Collaboration

Structures - UK

Performance, Accountability & Governance

• New Fee Regime places stronger emphasis on Student Choice and Voice

• Minister Russell focused on changes to Governance

• Changes to Composition of Governing Authorities• Introduction of Performance Funding & Compacts• Key Performance Indicators• More Public Reporting on System Performance• Introduction of Student & Employer Surveys• Greater emphasis on individual performance &

performance mgmt.

Research Funding has fared relatively better than…

Core University Funding

Government recognition of the link between…

RESEARCH / INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT / ECONOMIC GROWTH

Research & Innovation

• RAE / REF

Focus on…• Organic evolution of specialisation• Driven by competitive funding• Main funder Science Foundation Ireland

Emphasis on…• Excellence with Impact• Prioritisation of funding on 14 Priority Areas• Basic Research not precluded

Research & Innovation

Research & Innovation

Commercialisation:

Growing emphasis on…

• Ensuring stable & predictable IP Environment

• With easier interaction between public research system and business

• Establishment of cTTO by IUA and EI

Research & Innovation

Institutional Research:

Intrinsic linkage between…University Libraries & Entire Academic Research Infrastructure

Key Features…

• Move to Open Access Repositories

• Assembling of Research Intelligence using Bibliometrics

• Technology Transfer – emphasis on electronic dissemination and marketing of IP

Finance

“Money, thou bane of bliss, and source of woe”

George Herbert’s “Avarice”

Finance

Universities autonomously control admissions

Little real constraint on intake

No off quota places because there are no quotas!

Finance

Student Charge €3000 by 2016

£9000 Fee Maximum

No National Student Loan Scheme

Finance

• Income diversification being pursued

• Internationalisation is Important• In Research Funding• In Overseas Students and Branch Campuses

• Both are National Priorities

• Good co-operation between HE Sector & Immigration Authorities

Finance

Philanthropy

• Generosity of Atlantic Philanthropies an exception

• Philanthropy not as developed in Ireland as in UK

• Ireland has a mere handful of philanthropic trusts

Finance

Core Reduction Measures are everywhere:

• Swingeing cuts to public service pay

• Uni. Remuneration Structures remain rigid

• Multiple Grades with significant overlaps

• No Pay Spine and No Above Spine Flexible Bargaining

Finance

• No Capacity to reward Leadership Positions

• No Capacity for Redundancy

• Enormous Focus on Cost Reduction• Procurement • Shared Services/Outsourcing

• Successful to date on low hanging fruit; cleaning, catering, security…

Issues for Discussion & Debate

Is the potential for the massification of higher education unlimited?

Can the current model of university education sustain very high participation rates or does that model need to change?

Do we need more joined up thinking across further and higher education about access

transfer and progression?

Will cost and participation stresses give rise to radical technologically driven changes to

modes of delivery and what are the implications for libraries?

What is the balance between teaching and research institutionally and system wide?

Is research intensity enhancing teaching or reputation?

Have we allowed ranking systems to create a false construct of quality by counting what can be counted rather than what

counts?

Can Institutional research and libraries help here?

What is the appropriate balance between public and private funding?

What are the limits of the cost or debt burden which can be sustained by students

and graduates?

Can we have a rational debate about performance management and local and

public accountability?

How can we communicate the value of universities to the general public and to the

political system?

Can librarians to more here to act as ambassadors?

Thank You