Proposed candidate for UL chancellor withdraws name from consideration
THE CANDIDATE put forward for the role of chancellor of University of Limerick by the UL Governing Authority has withdrawn her name from consideration.
Former chair of the Shannon Group Rose Hynes, who was put forward as a successor to outgoing chancellor Mary Harney, has reportedly withdrawn her name from consideration for the post, after a vote to elect her failed to reach the required majority.
The Universities Act requires that any candidate for the role of chancellor must secure a two thirds majority in order to be elected. The governing authority may have as many as 19 members, but one seat is presently vacant and awaiting an appointment by Minister Simon Harris, meaning it has 18 members.
In the case of Ms Hynes' appointment, she would have required 12 or more votes from the 18 member governing authority. It is understood that she received 11 votes, with 7 against.
It is also understood that Ms Hynes is now also considering her position as a member of the UL Governing Authority.
When asked to comment on the matter, University of Limerick issued the below statement, saying that as "the process is ongoing, we are not going to make any further comment at this time".
"The Chancellor of a university must be an external member, and any person proposed for that position requires no less than a two-thirds majority vote of the members of the Governing Authority. As the required majority to elect a Chancellor was not reached at the initial meeting, it was adjourned, and an Interim Chair is in place until the appointment process has concluded.
"The Governing Authority is fully capable of exercising its statutory and governance functions, and so the University continues to function normally.
"We look forward to the appointment of a new Chancellor in due course," the statement ended.
Concerns were raised in the Seanad over the failure of the governing authority of University of Limerick to elect a new Chancellor by Clare Senator Timmy Dooley.
Speaking in the Seanad on October 19, the senator stated that, following conversations with staff in UL, he was concerned that there would be a move to persuade those who had voted against the candidate put forward by the university to "revisit the decision", and that "a level of intense lobbying will begin to try to browbeat people who made, in good judgment, a decision not to appoint the individual concerned."