University of Limerick fails to elect chancellor for first time

A spokesperson for UL said that “it is a matter for the governing authority to appoint a new chancellor for the university”, adding that said process "is continuing”. File picture

The governing authority (GA) of the University of Limerick (UL) has failed to elect a chancellor for the institution for the first time in its history.

At the first meeting of the university’s new authority on Sunday, the proposed candidate Rose Hynes failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed among members to ratify her candidacy.  Ms Hynes was a member of the previous governing authority as well as the current incarnation. 

She was also deputy to Mary Harney, the previous chancellor of UL. A member of multiple State boards, Ms Hynes has been involved with the university in various capacities for the past 11 years. Ms Harney’s five-year term as chancellor came to a close at the end of September.

Under existing legislation, all Irish universities with the exception of Trinity College must have a chancellor in place at all times. At the University of Limerick, the chancellor effectively functions as the president’s immediate superior, to whom they report.

It’s understood that Sunday evening’s meeting of the new 19-person governing authority was adjourned after Ms Hynes’ candidacy was not ratified.

“The university must now return to the drawing board and find another candidate. The problem, of course, is that someone has to now resign from the authority to make space for a new person who would be chancellor,” a source familiar with the matter said, with the understanding among the authority’s members being that Ms Hynes “will act honourably in that respect”.

A spokesperson for UL said that “it is a matter for the governing authority to appoint a new chancellor for the university”, adding that said process "is continuing”.

Having served on governing authorities at the university for the past six years, under the existing legislation Ms Hynes would only have been able to serve as chancellor for a further two.

The failure to ratify her candidacy exposes flaws in the 2022 Higher Education Act, sources said. That act, introduced by Higher Education Minister Simon Harris, mandates that five members of the governing authority and a candidate for chancellor be proposed by the outgoing GA, though only the chancellorship is voted upon.

The 2022 Act mandates that the new governing authority must elect an external member of the GA as chancellor at its first meeting by a majority vote of not less than two-thirds of the authority’s membership.

“The legislation makes no sense as it invites this situation,” one said. “If you’ve got a situation where there's only one candidate and the voters don’t want them then you’re left in a completely undefined legal position,” they said.

“The Minister needs to reflect on the consequences of his new act. In this case it would appear to be unworkable.”