CIT staff revolt over online course plan

No online courses or modules will be taught by Cork Institute of Technology lecturers from the autumn after they supported a ballot over concerns about training and quality.

The 90% vote in favour of industrial action by academic staff at the four CIT campuses followed extensive negotiations since September with college management.

Representatives for the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) say there has not been enough done to ease concerns about inadequate training of staff or to provide the extra time, they believe, is needed for teaching and interacting with students remotely online.

Almost two-thirds of over 550 TUI members at CIT took part in the ballot, and the result means they will not teach or develop online courses from September unless they are satisfied issues have been addressed.

TUI Cork colleges branch secretary June O’Reilly acknowledged the decision could impact on courses already running, but said there was time to sort it out before September.

“We support online as one means of delivery but it can’t be cost-neutral; resources need to be invested and the pace slowed down. There must be a recognition that any extra time given for online should be continuous and not just during the design and start-up of new course content,” she said.

The college did not comment on the ballot result, but CIT vice-president for finance and administration Paul Gallagher said earlier this week that allowances for additional time were being provided for the first-time delivery of online modules.

Almost 300 students are currently being taught online-only degrees by CIT.