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"Fri, May 01 2026, 15:49:44 GMT-4" [ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, [4] ]

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Date Posted: 03:01:07 01/11/05 Tue
Author: Little old me...
Subject: £1 million 'dining suite' and a dry pool... May I give you the honour of Our esteemed VC

Ulster University inquiry 'must look at spending'

Donald MacLeod
Monday January 10, 2005

The current top-level investigation into the running of the University of Ulster must look at the way spending decisions are taken by senior management, the Association of University Teachers said today. The decision to call in the former UK parliamentary ombudsman Sir Michael Buckley to investigate allegations by whistleblowers was taken at a special meeting of the university's governing council on Friday. The university refused to disclose the allegations but the union has over past months raised questions over whether Ulster's ambitious building programme was sustainable. Staff and students were angered by the expenditure of £1m on a dining suite for the vice-chancellor plus a fountain at the Jordanstown campus at a time when a swimming pool for students and public was being closed.

A university spokesman said Sir Michael had been asked to conduct a preliminary investigation into matters raised under the university's public interest disclosure policy (whistleblowing). "Sir Michael expects to have a report completed on these matters by the middle of February," he added. The whistleblowing policy is intended to assist individuals who "believe they have discovered malpractice or impropriety", state the university's rules.

The university is currently without its vice-chancellor, Professor Gerry McKenna, who has been on sick leave since November. Just before Christmas the university announced he would be taking an unspecified period of sabbatical leave and Professor Richard Barnett would continue as acting vice-chancellor. Prof McKenna, 50, a biomedical scientist, took over in 1999 as head of Ireland's largest university, which has 28,000 students. Members of the Association of University Teachers have raised concerns about the expense of a large building programme, including business parks on the university's four campuses which have not been filled, although last year Ulster posted a financial surplus.

The union has also raised concerns about bullying of staff by senior management. Ritchy Carrothers, regional support officer for the union, said staff morale was at an all time low. "We have been complaining about the culture of the institution at all levels." He added: "For staff and students of the University of Ulster there is now a period of instability and worry. We hope the university returns as quickly as possible to stability and normality. The investigation needs to take into consideration the views of all staff and students. We hope the views of the staff will be taken more seriously by the management regardless of who runs the organisation in the future, whether Prof McKenna or his successor."

The university's whistleblowing policy states that where an individual discovers information which they believe shows malpractice/wrongdoing within the organisation then this information should be disclosed without fear of reprisal, and may be made independently of line management. "It should be emphasised that this policy is intended to assist individuals who believe they have discovered malpractice or impropriety. It is not designed to question financial or business decisions taken by the institution; nor may it be used to reconsider any matters which have already been addressed under harassment."

The policy is intended to cover concerns which are in the public interest, adds the policy document on the university's website. In September Prof McKenna surprised colleagues with an email to all 3,500 staff urging them to stay out of his private life. He said there had been "misleading and inaccurate" speculation about his personal life and asked colleagues to respect his privacy "at a difficult time".

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