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A professor at Trinity College Dublin who has criticized the university management claims that she was unfairly disqualified from running in the elections to be the next rector.
Professor Sarah Alyn-Stacey said she was excluded from the shortlist of three final candidates to stand for election after an interview process that gave the university’s human resources staff a “crucial role” in selecting who will be elected as the next Rector.
An all-female roster of three senior academics was announced earlier this month, including Linda Doyle, dean of research; Linda Hogan, theologian and former vice chancellor; and Jane Ohlmeyer, a high-profile historian.
The university’s 800 full-time academic staff are eligible to vote in elections to be held on April 7.
Professor Alyn-Stacey said she decided to submit her name for the presidency because of her experience in governing the university and her goal of reversing the “managerial direction” that has shaped the university for the past two decades.
Professor Alyn-Stacey said an interview committee’s decision not to allow her name to be shortlisted used a set of criteria that were not established in the university’s bylaws.
She says that a prima facie eligibility test was not met and instead a non-mandatory test, provided by HR, was used. This test, she says, was aimed at a “particular managerial profile” that had not been approved by the university council.
However, an appeals committee found that the procedures applied were fair and in accordance with the statutes.
This decision was confirmed by the Visitors of the university, an internal judicial body, who are the Chancellor of Trinity, Dr. Mary McAleese and Mr. Justice George Birmingham.
However, the Visitors found that the interests of the electorate and Professor Alyn-Stacey were affected by the decision to disqualify her.
Professor Alyn-Stacey said she was asking the college fellows to support removing the interview from the electoral process.
“We must leave the elections fairly and clearly in the hands of the electorate, as befits a university of our old position and liberal traditions,” he said.
“We must trust and respect the intelligence and independent spirit of its academic staff and students to elect the rector they want, without unsolicited managerial intervention.”
In a statement to The Irish Times, Trinity Registrar Dr. Brendan Tangney said that three of the six applicants interviewed had been deemed eligible to proceed with the election.
“While we do not comment on any individual application for privacy and data protection reasons, we can say that one of the unsuccessful applicants appealed the decision of the interview committee,” he said.
“That appeal was rejected by both the appeals committee and, later, by the Visitors, and both found that the interview committee carried out the process in accordance with the university statutes, which require candidates to possess an academic position. significant and evidence of managerial ability and leadership skills. “
The interview committee consisted of three faculty members, an external member, an academic vice chancellor from a UK university, and a student representative.
Dr. Tangney said that the interview committee was supported in its work by Trinity’s professional human resources staff.
“Human resources staff had no vote in decisions. The decision of the interview committee was unanimous, ”he said.
Professor Alyn-Stacey said the interview committee found that while she had a significant academic position, she did not feel that she met the criteria for evidence of managerial ability and leadership skills.
However, he said it was “difficult to see” how he came to this decision given his management and governance experience on the university board, council, standing committee of scholars and various other university committees.
On Sunday, a university staff union criticized the “undemocratic decision” not to allow a declared candidate to proceed to the election.
The Irish Federation of University Professors (IFUT) said that “the decision should have been left to the electorate, which is the academic staff of the university.”
“It is the considered opinion of the IFUT that, as long as a potential candidate is an eligible voter and has an academic standing, both manifestly true in the case at hand, then that candidate should be able to stand before the electorate.
“Looking to select [candidates to contest], or prevent valid candidates from competing, the election directly affects that person’s interests and, when denied, negatively affects the candidate’s interests. ”
The union said the university’s approach to the issue required urgent review.
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