PLEASE RETURN YOUR COMPLETED SURVEY BY MONDAY 30 APRIL 2007.

This opinion-based survey attempts to capture the climate, concerns and ambition of the Irish Higher Education sector in 2007. It is the first survey of its kind within the sector and is being circulated to a wide range of participants and stakeholders in Higher Education. The findings and results from this survey will be compiled and analysed in a report on the current and future trends in Irish Higher Education. It will be communicated back to all participants.

We would appreciate your participation in this survey. We believe that it will provide a valuable insight into the current position and future trends in Irish Higher Education. If you have any questions in relation to this survey, please contact Prospectus at survey@prospectus.ie or call us at 01 218 0300 and ask to speak with Deirdre O’Mara or Dr. Orna Duggan.

Survey instructions

We are asking for your perception in relation to each question asked in this survey. Please refer to your own specific experiences of the Irish Higher Education system, in whatever capacity is most relevant to you.

The survey is designed for Universities, Institute of Technology, Research Institutes, industry or any other stakeholders of Third and Fourth Level education. There are no right or wrong answers. All answers will be considered as equally valid.

The survey is divided into six sections - click link to jump to the section:

We would like you to give your opinion in relation to all of the questions provided. The full survey should not take longer than 20 minutes to complete. Extra space is provided at the end of each section should you wish to make any additional comments.

All responses are confidential and survey outcomes and analysis will be presented on an aggregate basis.

Glossary of terms

How to complete this survey

Participant profile and information

Please indicate which of the following is relevant to you in relation to Third and Fourth Level education. Please select the option (one only) that best describes your position:

University President/Provost Institute of Technology Director/President Member of a University Governing Authority/Board/Body Member of an Institute of Technology Governing Body Member of a University Senior Management Team Member of an Institute of Technology Senior Management Team University Academic Management University Administration Management Institute of Technology Academic Management Institute of Technology Administration Management CEO/Director of a Research Institute Principal Investigator Government Department – Education and Science Government Department – Enterprise and Employment State Agency Industry Other

Should you wish to be identified, you may provide your name and contact details below. There is no requirement to complete this section.

Name Address Telephone Email

Section 1    The Irish Higher Education landscape

1.1 The Government…

does not display 1 2 3 4 5 6    displays

…strong, visionary leadership in Higher Education.

1.2 Current policy in Higher Education is…

not supportive of 1 2 3 4 5 6    supportive of

...the Government’s ambition for a knowledge economy.

1.3 National policy in Higher Education is…

poorly aligned 1 2 3 4 5 6    well aligned

…to related areas of national policy (such as enterprise, social and cultural affairs).

1.4 National structures (including des, dete hea, sfi, iua, cdit) are…

ineffective 1 2 3 4 5 6    effective

…in setting and implementing a coherent national policy for Third and Fourth Level education.

1.5 These national structures…

are not 1 2 3 4 5 6    are

…co-ordinated in their setting of policy and provision of support to Third and Fourth Level education.

1.6 The absence of a national strategy for Third and Fourth Level education is…

hindering 1 2 3 4 5 6    not hindering

…the overall development and progress of the Irish Higher Education sector.

1.7 Higher Education institutions…

should not 1 2 3 4 5 6    should

…provide thought leadership and engagement in relation to national social, economic and cultural agendas.

1.8 Higher education institutions…

should not 1 2 3 4 5 6    should

...be more proactive in developing relationships with industry, enterprise and government institutions.

1.9 The development of Irish Higher Education should…

be driven by 1 2 3 4 5 6    drive

…employment and other economic trends.

1.10 Industry and enterprise is…

inadequately 1 2 3 4 5 6    adequately

…engaged with the development of Third Level education and Fourth Level Ireland.

1.11 The relative position between the University and Institute of Technology sectors is…

inappropriate 1 2 3 4 5 6    appropriate

…to support the achievement of national and regional economic and social needs.

1.12 Irish Higher Education institutions receive…

insufficient 1 2 3 4 5 6    sufficient

…funding from Government.

1.13 Institutions have a…

right 1 2 3 4 5 6    responsibility not

…to depend on government funding for their ongoing sustainability.

1.14 Irish Higher Education institutions are…

overly dependent 1 2 3 4 5 6    not dependent

…on too few sources of income.

1.15 Developments such as the recently introduced hea Resource Allocation Model…

will not 1 2 3 4 5 6    will

…support a greater degree of equity of funding in Higher Education.

1.16 The abolition of free fees…

would not 1 2 3 4 5 6    would

…be good for Higher Education funding.

1.17 Institutions should…

not have 1 2 3 4 5 6    have

…freedom to allow the market to determine fees for Third Level programmes.

1.18 In general, Irish institutions of Higher Education…

are not 1 2 3 4 5 6    are

…effective in fundraising and creating other diverse sources of income.

1.19 In general, the Irish system of Higher Education is…

failing 1 2 3 4 5 6    succeeding

…in meeting the needs of Ireland’s most disadvantaged students.

1.20 In general, the Irish system of Higher Education is…

failing 1 2 3 4 5 6    succeeding

…in meeting the needs of Ireland’s new multi-cultural population.

1.21 Unrestricted competition between Irish Higher Education institutions to attract the best and brightest academic staff…

should not 1 2 3 4 5 6    should

…be encouraged.

1.22 Competition between Irish Higher Education institutions to attract students…

is not preferable 1 2 3 4 5 6    is preferable

…to collaboration between institutions to establish national centres of excellence in agreed disciplines.

1.23 Collaboration between institutions (at a national level)…

is not delivering 1 2 3 4 5 6    is delivering

…tangible benefits and outcomes.

1.24 The use of marketing campaigns by institutions to influence the choices of prospective students…

is 1 2 3 4 5 6    is not

…important in determining their perceived quality and position in the market.

1.25 Overall, the Irish system of Higher Education provides…

poor 1 2 3 4 5 6    excellent

…value for money.

1.26 The future of Higher Education in Ireland would…

not be enhanced 1 2 3 4 5 6    be enhanced

…by moving towards national centres of excellence, determined by an oversight body.

If you have any further or general comments relating to the questions posed in this section, please add your comments here.

Section 2    Irish Higher Education in an international context

2.1 The overall quality of Higher Education in Ireland is…

below 1 2 3 4 5 6    equal to or above

…comparable countries (e.g. oecd members).

2.2 Irish institutions are…

failing to adopt 1 2 3 4 5 6    adopting

…strategies that will place Irish Higher Education as a world-leader.

2.3 Irish institutions are…

failing 1 2 3 4 5 6    succeeding

…in attracting world-class academics to work in Ireland.

2.4 Irish institutions’ ability to achieve excellence in teaching and research…

does not depend on 1 2 3 4 5 6    depends on

…the ability of an institution to attract excellent students and staff internationally.

2.5 The establishment of Teaching and Learning Centres in Third Level institutions…

has not 1 2 3 4 5 6    has

…improved the teaching and learning environments in these institutions.

2.6 International University rankings are…

not 1 2 3 4 5 6    highly

…relevant to the positioning and reputation of Irish Higher Education.

2.7 International University rankings provide a(n)…

invalid 1 2 3 4 5 6    valid

…indicator of the best academic institutions.

2.8 International rankings should…

not influence 1 2 3 4 5 6    influence

…the shape of future Irish Higher Education strategy and policy.

2.9 In general, Irish institutions of Higher Education…

are not 1 2 3 4 5 6    are

…developing and pursuing strategies that directly address their international position and ranking.

2.10 Irish institutions of Higher Education punch…

below 1 2 3 4 5 6    above

…their weight in terms of international peer review.

2.11 Irish institutions…

do not 1 2 3 4 5 6    do

…leverage sufficient income from international sources.

2.12 Ireland is…

failing to meet 1 2 3 4 5 6    meeting

…its potential as a preferred destination for international students.

2.13 Government/hea policy…

does not provide 1 2 3 4 5 6    provides

…enough support to Third Level institutions in trying to attract well-qualified overseas students.

2.14 There is a…

high 1 2 3 4 5 6    low

…risk for Irish institutions that seek to maximise their income by recruiting a large number of students internationally.

If you have any further or general comments relating to the questions posed in this section, please add your comments here.

Section 3    Governance and management of Higher Education

3.1 Institutions have…

insufficient 1 2 3 4 5 6    sufficient

…levels of autonomy to pursue their ambitions and deliver world-class Third and Fourth Level education.

3.2 The 1997 Universities Act…

hinders 1 2 3 4 5 6    supports

…universities in achieving their potential.

3.3 The 2006 Institutes of Technology Act…

hinders 1 2 3 4 5 6    supports

…Institutes of Technology in achieving their potential.

3.4 The governance structures of Irish Higher Education institutions…

do not support 1 2 3 4 5 6    support

…the achievement of the institution’s ambition or full potential.

3.5 Governance structures and practices (including committee structures) in Higher Education institutions are…

unsupportive 1 2 3 4 5 6    supportive

…of effective management by President/Director and the senior management team.

3.6 Institutional governing authorities/bodies are generally…

unclear 1 2 3 4 5 6    clear

…of their governance role and responsibilities.

3.7 In general, decision-making processes within most institutions of Higher Education…

do not enable 1 2 3 4 5 6    enable

…prompt and decisive action.

3.8 Institutions generally…

do not have 1 2 3 4 5 6    have

…clearly allocated responsibilities for decision-making at all levels of management.

3.9 The reform of institutional academic and administration structures is…

not important 1 2 3 4 5 6    very important

…in enabling institutions to achieve their strategic direction and goals.

3.10 The internal challenge of implementing organisational change…

outweighs 1 2 3 4 5 6    does not outweigh

…the benefits that will be yielded from such organisational change.

3.11 Institutions who have implemented organisational restructuring have generally found that it delivers…

few benefits 1 2 3 4 5 6    strong benefits

…towards the achievement of their strategy.

3.12 The concept and process of organisational restructuring tends to be…

rejected 1 2 3 4 5 6    embraced

…by the wider staff body in Higher Education institutions.

3.13 Collaboration between institutions on matters of governance, management or organisation change…

is not 1 2 3 4 5 6    is

…appropriate for the future of Higher Education in Ireland.

3.14 Representative organisations such as the iua or cdit…

should not 1 2 3 4 5 6    should

…play a greater role in assisting institutions address common governance and management challenges.

3.15 Management processes such as strategic planning, risk and performance management are…

not important 1 2 3 4 5 6    important

…in supporting the future position and performance of institutions.

3.16 Strategic planning…

has not 1 2 3 4 5 6    has

…been successfully implemented and embedded by institutions.

3.17 In institutions, the process of strategic planning has generally been…

not successfully 1 2 3 4 5 6    successfully

…extended to academic units and administrative functions.

3.18 Institutions have…

not yet implemented 1 2 3 4 5 6    implemented

…effective processes for periodic review and update of strategy.

3.19 Risk and performance management processes are…

not integrated 1 2 3 4 5 6    integrated

…as key processes in supporting the strategic advancement of an institution.

3.20 The quality of strategic financial management in Irish institutions is…

inadequate 1 2 3 4 5 6    adequate

…for the funding and management challenges faced by the institution.

3.21 The devolution of financial management is…

non-essential 1 2 3 4 5 6    essential

…in achieving the strategic development of academic units.

If you have any further or general comments relating to the questions posed in this section, please add your comments here.

Section 4    Teaching and learning

4.1 The quality of Irish undergraduate education…

is not 1 2 3 4 5 6    is

…world-class.

4.2 In general, Irish institutions are producing a calibre of graduates who…

do not have 1 2 3 4 5 6    have

…the relevant skills and training to meet industry, enterprise, national social and economic needs.

4.3 Undergraduate programmes for which there is limited demand…

should not 1 2 3 4 5 6    should

…be provided depending on their economic, social or cultural importance.

4.4 Adequate funding…

is not 1 2 3 4 5 6    is

…being provided to support excellence in teaching and learning in institutions of Higher Education.

4.5 The development of niche areas of excellence in inter-disciplinary areas…

is not 1 2 3 4 5 6    is

…the preferred route for the strategic development of teaching and learning in Irish institutions.

4.6 Institutions are…

insufficiently 1 2 3 4 5 6    sufficiently

…focussed on developing niche areas of excellence in their teaching and learning offerings.

4.7 Interdisciplinary collaboration at undergraduate level has…

not improved 1 2 3 4 5 6    improved

…the overall quality and relevance of undergraduate programmes within an institution.

4.8 Institutions have been…

ineffective 1 2 3 4 5 6    effective

…in developing long-term academic strategies for the development of Third Level.

4.9 Systems of quality assurance in Irish institutions…

fail to ensure 1 2 3 4 5 6    ensure

…the ongoing improvement and overall quality of undergraduate programmes.

4.10 Third level students are…

not provided 1 2 3 4 5 6    provided

…with sufficient exposure to research opportunities.

4.11 Third level students are…

not provided 1 2 3 4 5 6    provided

…with sufficient exposure to industry or practically focussed teaching and learning.

4.12 Institutions are…

unsuccessfully 1 2 3 4 5 6    successfully

…delivering the objectives and requirements of Bologna.

4.13 The implementation of Bologna has a…

negative 1 2 3 4 5 6    positive

…impact on the quality, relevance and reputation of Irish Higher Education.

4.14 Institutions have been…

slow 1 2 3 4 5 6    efficient

…in moving towards modernised Third Level education (including small class sizes, e-learning, reformed curricula etc.).

4.15 Institutions make…

inadequate 1 2 3 4 5 6    adequate

…provision for students not entering via cao (mature, part-time, distance or international).

4.16 Institutions make…

inadequate 1 2 3 4 5 6    adequate

…provision for students with particular needs (e.g. disabled, child care or psychological services).

4.17 Institutions…

have not 1 2 3 4 5 6    have

…capitalised on the opportunities presented by ict for the advancement of teaching and learning.

If you have any further or general comments relating to the questions posed in this section, please add your comments here.

Section 5    Fourth Level Ireland

5.1 Adequate levels of funding…

have not 1 2 3 4 5 6    have

…been provided to support research excellence in institutions of Higher Education.

5.2 In terms of policy, strategy and award criteria, there is…

a lack of consistency 1 2 3 4 5 6    consistency

…between the various agencies that award research funding in Higher Education institutions (sfi, hea, hrb, ei etc).

5.3 A comprehensive research strategy…

is not 1 2 3 4 5 6    is

…an essential and integral part of an institution’s overall strategy.

5.4 Funding…

is not 1 2 3 4 5 6    is

…fairly awarded on the basis of research excellence.

5.5 The overall quality of research carried out in Irish institutions (currently)…

is not 1 2 3 4 5 6    is

…of a quality that is adequate to place Ireland amongst the foremost knowledge economies of the world.

5.6 Irish Higher Education institutions…

are not 1 2 3 4 5 6    are

…developing a pipeline of researchers that will deliver Ireland’s ambitions for a knowledge economy.

5.7 The respective roles of universities and Institutes of Technology in research and development are…

not mutually 1 2 3 4 5 6    mutually

…understood and agreed.

5.8 To date, institutions…

have not 1 2 3 4 5 6    have

…developed meaningful research strategies to support the delivery of institutional goals for research.

5.9 To date, institutions…

have not 1 2 3 4 5 6    have

…succeeded in identifying niche areas of research in which they aim to be world-class.

5.10 The physical infrastructure necessary to deliver national targets for numbers of PhD graduates is…

inadequately 1 2 3 4 5 6    adequately

…provided for in current funding and capital plans.

5.11 Institutional collaboration has proven to be…

ineffective 1 2 3 4 5 6    effective

…in raising the quality of research and development carried out by Irish institutions.

5.12 The most successful collaboration is driven at…

institutional 1 2 3 4 5 6    individual

…level.

5.13 Institutional collaboration would…

not benefit 1 2 3 4 5 6    benefit

…from the implementation of national support structures and systems for collaboration.

5.14 Universities…

are not 1 2 3 4 5 6    are

…the best location for centres of research excellence (such as the sfi-funded csets).

5.15 Greater direct involvement by industry with University research could make a…

minor 1 2 3 4 5 6    major

…contribution to the overall development of world-class research in Ireland.

5.16 The pursuit of excellence by research institutes…

is 1 2 3 4 5 6    is not

…negatively impacted by public sector constraints (e.g. procurement, pay etc.).

5.17 Institutions are…

failing to engage 1 2 3 4 5 6    engaging

…in long-term strategies for the development of ip and Technology Transfer.

5.18 Adequate levels of investment…

are not 1 2 3 4 5 6    are

…being made in infrastructure to support technology transfer and commercialisation of ip.

5.19 It is…

unrealistic 1 2 3 4 5 6    realistic

…to expect that institutions will deliver significant income from the development of ip within a 5–10 year timeframe.

5.20 Institutions who emphasise commercial activities or maximisation of intellectual property…

hinder 1 2 3 4 5 6    enhance

…the core activities of teaching, learning and research.

5.21 The Irish system of Higher Education…

does not 1 2 3 4 5 6    does

…provide a structured career path for researchers.

5.22 The management of research at institutional level in Higher Education…

does not 1 2 3 4 5 6    does

…provide value for money for the taxpayer.

If you have any further or general comments relating to the questions posed in this section, please add your comments here.

Section 6    Development of human capital and excellence in Irish Higher Education institutions

6.1 Limited availability of human capital (appropriately skilled academic, management and administrative staff )…

will 1 2 3 4 5 6    will not

…hinder the performance and success of Irish institutions.

6.2 In general, communication processes within Higher Education institutions ensures that staff…

are not 1 2 3 4 5 6    are

…informed of key developments and decisions in an appropriate and timely way.

6.3 In general, the culture within Higher Education institutions…

is not 1 2 3 4 5 6    is

…positively disposed towards the progression and advancement of each institution’s position.

6.4 In general, the culture within Higher Education institutions…

is not 1 2 3 4 5 6    is

…positively disposed towards partnership, collaboration and inter-disciplinarity.

6.5 Complementarity between academic and administrative functions and activities…

are not 1 2 3 4 5 6    are

…mutually recognised in most institutions.

6.6 In general, performance management systems and processes within Higher Education institutions…

do not ensure 1 2 3 4 5 6    ensure

…that excellence is recognised and rewarded.

6.7 The quality of strategic human resource management in Irish institutions is…

inadequate 1 2 3 4 5 6    adequate

…for the strategic and competitive challenges facing the institution.

6.8 Public sector pay structures and agreements…

interfere 1 2 3 4 5 6    do not interfere

…with the ability of institutions to attract and retain excellent academics, research and management staff.

6.9 The development of a National Framework for Partnership in Higher Education institutions…

would not 1 2 3 4 5 6    would

…support institutions of Higher Education in achieving the most from their human capital.

6.10 The Trade Union movement in Ireland…

does not support 1 2 3 4 5 6    supports

…the advancement of Higher Education.

6.11 The devolution of human resource management ownership and responsibility is…

non-essential 1 2 3 4 5 6    essential

…in achieving the strategic development of academic units.

6.12 The quality of management capability within institutions is…

not important 1 2 3 4 5 6    critical

…in guaranteeing the future position and performance of institutions.

6.13 In general the management capability within Irish institutions is…

below 1 2 3 4 5 6    above

…the standards required to meet the current management challenges and responsibilities facing Higher Education.

6.14 Institutions are…

failing 1 2 3 4 5 6    succeeding

…in developing standards of operational management that are appropriate to their strategic challenge.

If you have any further or general comments relating to the questions posed in this section, please add your comments here.

Thank you for completing our survey