Sinéad Baker | Deputy Online Editor
Reports presented to attendees of the Trinity Global Graduates Forum (TGGF) on November 9th and 10th reveal that Trinity College Dublin is considering a degree of privatisation. The proposal is being considered as part of College’s efforts to diversify income and negate the effects of “escalating enrolments, rising per-student costs and decline in Government funding”, as well as to achieve a measure of “financial and political autonomy.” The idea received support from Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar when presented at the Forum.
“Trinity could have financial and managerial freedom to innovate and adapt to the rapidly changing international context of education and research.”
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The partial privatisation of Trinity was proposed at the Forum alongside the possibilities of licensing the Trinity College brand and setting up a private college under the University of Dublin structure. A report delivered at the TGGF revealed that Trinity is considering exiting the public sector and becoming a semi-state body like RTÉ, thus allowing the college to increase EU student fees and gain “financial and managerial freedom”, free from the “Government imposed restrictions” of the public sector.
These new plans are being discussed as part of planning for TCD’s next 5 year strategic plan, due for implementation after the current plan expires in 2014. One report discussed at the Forum states that the motivation for suggesting this move is that “Trinity could have financial and managerial freedom to innovate and adapt to the rapidly changing international context of education and research.” A spokesperson for Minister Varadkar stated his belief that “in the absence of tuition fees and adequate State funding, Trinity could only reach its aim of becoming a top-tier university by going it alone and opting out of the State system in the way many top tier universities do elsewhere.”
“Trinity’s academic mission…is in no way served by the introduction of a lower-quality but higher fee-paying student.”
The report also revealed the college’s concern that Trinity’s becoming a state-sponsored body “may be seen as university privatisation and is likely to stimulate extreme political reactions among both the students and the public.” It highlighted that as the move would result in increased student costs, there “may be a falloff in student numbers.”
TCD Students’ Union Education Officer Jack Leahy has stated: “With the strategic plan 2014-19 set to be announced early next term, Trinity is at a critical juncture. The decisions made this year shall be transformative for how and to whom education is delivered until the end of the decade and beyond. A high-quality education is a two-way street premised equally on the capabilities of teacher and learner. Trinity’s academic mission – which, let’s not forget, is its raison d’être – is in no way served by the introduction of a lower-quality but higher fee-paying student.”
Leahy continued, “Privatisation of the university would constitute a complete abdication of Trinity’s 421-year claim to the brightest minds in the country and as such should be opposed under any guise. As the only student member of Board and University (Academic) Council, I can ensure that the Students’ Union shall fight any such measures should speculation on the matter prove informed.”
The consideration of privatising Trinity College has been proposed as a solution to the college’s issues with finances and space. One report compiled for the attendees of the TGGF outlined how the Global Financial Crisis, combined with rising expenditure and the reduction in state funding from 62% to 57% since 2007, have had “a major effect on the college’s financial planning”. Publicly-funded bodies, including TCD, have also been called on to reduce state-funded staff numbers; the college claims that these numbers have since plateaued due to the utilisation of non-state income, yet maintains that the staff/student ratio (18:1 in 2010/2011) “is already high when compared to its international peers”.
“Trinity is weighing a range of issues facing the university as we begin to consider the shape of our new strategic plan due for launch next September.”
The college is also facing issues with space. The growing numbers of college applicants have been cited as a contributing problem; if Trinity is to keep up with current demand it will have a student body of 24,000 in 15 years. The Provost has said that he is unwilling to expand the student population to over 17,000, and as a result the option of becoming a smaller college, under a similar model to Harvard or California Tech, is now being considered in order to maintain and improve the standards of learning in TCD, and for the college to remain “globally competitive”.
Trinity has tried to address these issues by investing in expansion projects such as the new School of Business due for completion in 2017, and the Bursar is currently looking at investment in further student residences. The college has stated “it is essential that a financing framework is developed which combines state and non-state funding in a sustainable manner”, and has pointed to the money which would be available if Trinity were able to set its own fees for both EU and non-EU students. College is investing in new sources of non-state income to fund these expansion projects, such as the Global Relations Strategy, which aims to encourage more non-EU students to study in Trinity, and the potential privatisation of Trinity College is also being considered as part of this income diversification strategy.
When asked about this potential move, a spokesperson for College stated only that: “Trinity is weighing a range of issues facing the university as we begin to consider the shape of our new strategic plan due for launch next September. Many of these issues, including growth and funding, were discussed with over 100 of our top alumni at the Trinity Global Graduate Forum last weekend.”
