Watchdog to review how ITT degrees are validated

Ireland’s qualifications watchdog is to carry out a statutory review of the validation processes for postgraduate research degrees at Institute of Technology Tralee in light of the “unintentional” plagiarism in a thesis by the chairperson of the Institute’s governing body.

Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) yesterday announced the review after it had received a report from ITT into the Masters degree awarded in 2008 to Flan Garvey.

That report said there was plagiarism in the thesis, but that the plagiarism was unintentional, prompting QQI to launch its review of ITT’s validation processes for postgraduate research degrees, under the new Qualifications Act.