Trinity College Dublin (TCD) provost Dr John Hegarty has strongly defended new proposals which are likely to see the establishment of two new senior posts at the university.
He has also responded to widespread criticism of the college's decision to cancel its renowned three-year course in acting earlier this year.
In an interview with The Irish Times, Dr Hegarty said: "The decision was to stop providing one course. Some people have got the impression Trinity is closing drama. The opposite is true. We want it to expand and grow."
Academic structures have been radically changed at TCD in the past three years. In all, 64 academic departments have been consolidated into 24 new schools. The number of faculties has also been halved to three.
In the past fortnight, TCD management has tabled controversial proposals which would see the appointment of two other senior posts. These are a chief operating officer taking charge of administration, staff and budgets to whom all heads of the different administrative offices and services will report, and a vice provost for academic affairs or a chief academic officer, taking charge of all teaching and learning issues, who will work with the three faculty deans.
Under these proposals, the college will be managed by a five-member management team: the two new posts and the three deans in arts humanities and social sciences, engineering and science and the health sciences.
Dr Hegarty said the new posts would allow him greater time and space to focus on his leadership role, both within the college and externally with government and with fundraising projects. It would also allow him more time to interact with staff and students, the lifeblood of the college.
"Given the way the university has been transformed, it is important that the provost has the opportunity to address these important issues and not be hindered by overly detailed management issues. However, it is important also to stress that that the new posts will not change my responsibilities. I will remain the chief officer of the college and the chief accounting officer of the college."
The new structures have drawn a cool response from many TCD academics who see them as more evidence of so- called "managerialism" in academic affairs. Critics say the new proposals and reporting procedures will undermine traditional academic freedom. It is claimed they are part of a new "pro-business" agenda at third level.
Rejecting this, Dr Hegarty said the starting point for the changes at Trinity was to enhance academic freedom and to boost the student experience. Students and academics could only thrive in an institution which was well-organised and well-managed, he said.
The formation of the new schools was a "mechanism to defend disciplines and to ensure they are no longer out there on their own," Dr Hegarty added.
"Similarly, the new plan to integrate administration and services would help ensure they deliver to the new schools and faculties. The deans, for example, would provide a direct connection between central management and the academic community."
On the drama dispute, he said arts and humanities would continue to occupy a central role at TCD. Trinity is ranked 38th in the world for arts and humanities. This year, the college appointed chairs in Latin and Greek, a sign of its commitment, he said. A forum established by Dr Hegarty is reviewing the needs of undergraduate actor training in Ireland.
"There is an issue here about training versus the broad education needs which the forum is now considering," he said. "I have no pre-conceived views."
