A meeting of the governing body of University College Cork will next week consider whether to remove one of its elected members from his position.
Prof Desmond Clarke, who has raised questions about plans to extend the contract of controversial UCC president Prof Gerry Wrixon, is facing expulsion from the body for circulating a letter last December to members of the governing body relating to the college's Victoria Lodge student development.
The motion for his removal is to be discussed at Tuesday's meeting and has been tabled by fellow governors Mr Humphrey Murphy and Mr Joe Gantly.
It is understood the motion claims that the contents of the letter, which came into the possession of a Sunday newspaper, were false.
However, another governor of the college, Prof Patricia Coughlan, who has also expressed concerns about moves to extend Prof Wrixon's tenure, this week sent a letter to all staff at the college protesting against the expulsion move.
She writes that she shares Prof Clarke's wish for "clarity concerning financial, legal and other transactions, policies and acts which involve very large-scale expenditure by the university.
"Over the past four years I have many times seen - and myself had - legitimate inquiries sharply criticised, deflected, or left unanswered," she states.
"Personalities are irrelevant;this is not about whether one agrees with Des Clarke's (or, obviously my own) opinions about everything, or indeed about any specific matter.
"What it is about is defending his, and all our, freedom to inquire."
Prof Coughlan's letter, which also calls for staff to contact their local elected representatives as well as other governors at the college about the issue, is the latest development in a long-running row between Prof Clarke, the college's governing body, and Prof Wrixon.
Last December the body passed a motion formally dissociating itself from comments made by Prof Clarke about the Victoria Lodge student accommodation development.
This was because it considered he had abused his position as a governor in what he had stated in his letter to college governors.
A spokesman for the college refused to comment on the motion before the governing body, or on Prof Coughlan's letter to staff.
It would, he said, be inappropriate for him or anybody to comment on the motion until after the governing body had deliberated on it.
Prof Clarke refused to comment when contacted by The Irish Times.
His fellow governor, Prof Coughlan, also said she felt unable to discuss the contents of the motion calling for Prof Clarke's removal.
However, she said she had received a "snow" of messages in response to her letter from members of staff supporting its contents.
"Des Clarke is an elected representative and there is a principle involved here," she said.