University to name president today

THE next president of University College Cork is due to be named today, over a week later than originally planned.

The selection committee tasked with naming Professor Gerry Wrixon’s successor is to meet this morning before seeking approval for its choice at a meeting of the college’s governing body.

Two medical academics are believed to be the last remaining candidates in the selection process that began in September.

Prof Michael Murphy is head of UCC’s College of Health and Medicine and has been a name on everybody’s lips since the surprise news in May of Prof Wrixon’s intention to resign next month. Prof Fergus Shanahan has only emerged publicly as a contender in recent weeks but, as professor of medicine and with an equally prestigious academic and research career, is considered by observers as having good presidential qualities.

Other names to have received mention include UCC vice-president Prof Michael Peter Kennedy, Irish Management Institute chief executive Tom McCarthy and ex-president of the European Parliament, Pat Cox.

As the campus awaited news of his successor this week, Prof Wrixon issued a note of confidence in securing funding for a number of capital projects which have raised concerns about debt levels at the college. Among these is the €60 million IT building under construction on Western Road, for which final Department of Education sanction is not yet secured.

“I remain positive that funding will be made available by the Higher Education Authority towards these purchases,” the president wrote in his 2005/06 report.

He said UCC remains in discussions with the authority regarding retrospective funding for many sites and properties bought to clear the infrastructural deficit.

The interim report of a review of UCC’s financial management and other issues being undertaken on foot of discussions with the HEA is not likely to be presented to the governing body until January. Former Department of Agriculture secretary general John Malone’s work is understood to be at an advanced stage but the update was not ready in time for a deadline of last week.

He is probing some of the allegations made by governing body member Prof Des Clarke of financial mismanagement, and the processes by which they have already been examined internally.