David FitzPatrick, the current president of Dublin’s Technological University (TU Dublin), revealed plans to relinquish his position. Staff were notified by FitzPatrick in an email on Wednesday, disclosing his future role as provost and chief executive at the University of Nottingham Malaysia, a Kuala Lumpur-based private entity, scheduled to commence on the first day of June.
The news arrives on the heels of extended fiscal instability at TU Dublin, an institution formed by the amalgamation of the Dublin Institute of Technology colleges in the early days of 2019. Previously holding a high-ranking position at UCD, FitzPatrick rose to the presidency then. Today, TU Dublin, with its five campuses scattered around Dublin, caters to upwards of 20,000 scholars.
The initiation of problems was signalled by concerns surrounding the employment of consultants to guide the merger process and resultant ongoing reconfiguration. The magnitude of the problem escalated when a surplus expenditure on the contract lacked approval from the university’s ruling entity, which then suggested a subsequent revision of the university’s procurement process.
An unexpected drop of 2,500 in student count led to a reported €10 million deficit for the university. Upon intervention by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), further reviews found this loss to be less than stated – €8.6 million. Human errors were found to be the cause of this overstatement, according to an external assessment by BDO, who recommended enhancing inter-departmental communication.
The reduced student numbers that sparked alarm over a lack of clearly defined governance structures and procedures were confirmed. The extent of the decrease fluctuated in the ensuing months, increasing existing apprehension within the university and the HEA.
Communication from the university in response to these issues seemingly aggravated the HEA. Following a recent interaction between the top-tier officials of both organisations, HEA chief executive Dr Alan Wall penned a letter to Dr Charles Larkin, the chair of TU Dublin’s governing body. Wall voiced his “serious concerns” over the “apparent lack of urgency, responsiveness, and behaviour” by the governing body in addressing this issue in a prompt and positive manner. He emphasised that “strong leadership” was crucial for ensuring the fiscal health, operational capacity, efficiency, and reputation of TU Dublin.
Dr. Wall emphasised the urgent need for strategic, adaptive, and prompt solutions to these crucial matters, which he finds highly alarming.
Following this, Dr. Larkin communicated to the staff, stating that the executive body would take a more hands-on approach in the university’s everyday operations. Recently, there has been some disquiet with over 20 head of departments penning a letter to Prof. FitzPatrick, expressing concerns about the institution’s fiscal management. The teaching personnel also expressed their lack of faith in him through several votes of no confidence.
In a recent correspondence, Prof. FitzPatrick clarified that he had decided to resign from TU Dublin the previous year. He accepted the financial and governance problems, saying that “After laying down the foundation pieces for expansion, it seems fitting that a fresh influence takes the lead.”
Before his resignation, he is resolute about formulating a financial rectification strategy that will confirm the institution has a stable financial base.