Madam, - Fintan O'Toole draws welcome attention to the lamentable situation in our universities, where the inappropriate application of corporate measures of "success" is having serious consequences (Weekend Review, April 14th).
This approach has already led to the closure of the degree in acting in TCD and the demotion of Old Irish at UCD. We can expect further abolitions of programmes or departments that may not be currently fashionable, or that, in simple business terms, run at a loss.
This restructuring is being driven by a Government agenda to see "value for money" from the third-level sector. No one is going to argue against value for money, of course, but the question is how it should be measured. Universities are not in the business of generating wealth; to apply short-term corporate metrics to them ignores their larger value to society - both culturally and, as Mr O'Toole points out, economically. One of our recognised economic strengths is the general quality of our educational system. Our graduates are attractive not because they have learned particular facts or techniques but because they have learned how to think critically and independently. As Mr. O'Toole rightly points out, these skills are highly valued by modern business and will form the foundation of our "knowledge-based economy". The development of these skills can flourish only in an atmosphere of intellectual freedom and diversity, not one where decisions about which subjects are worthwhile are driven solely by short-sighted commercial criteria. - Yours, etc,
KEVIN MITCHELL, Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College, Dublin 2.