UCD prohibits further recruitment until January
By Amy Bracken | Dec 5 2010
The University Observer has learned that UCD management has decided to pause any recruitment to UCD until the end of January 2011.An email circulated by UCD Deputy President and Registrar Dr Philip Nolan to many administrative branches of the university last week stated the pause in recruitment is to facilitate the preparation of “a revised budget for 2010/11 and a multi-annual plan.”Dr Nolan’s email stated that: “You will be aware that the University anticipates significant cuts in state funding in the current year and over the next several years, cuts that are greater than those predicted when this year’s budget was originally framed. The University Management Team, in the advice of BRC and as an emergency measure, has decided to pause all recruitment (other than in a small number of exceptional cases) until the end of January 2011.”
It is the understanding of The University Observer that a recruitment moratorium handed down by the Higher Education Authority has been operating but recruitment was taking place in certain cases.The email issued guidelines for positions advertised that had not yet scheduled interviews, stating that those interviews were not to be held until the end of the recruitment pause in January 2011.For positions in which interviews had already been scheduled, the email stated: “For posts where interviews have scheduled or have occurred, recruitment will proceed unless the Head of Unit, in anticipation of likely budget cuts, indicates to UCD HR that the recruitment process should stop.”The email stated that recruitment has been paused “other than in a small number of exceptional cases.” It also stated: “The University will continue to advertise and recruit posts in the following categories: Contract clinical leadership posts in areas such as Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and Nursing; Contract teaching posts in the School of Business; Externally funded posts, such as research posts; Contract posts to cover maternity leave.”The email also referred to contract renewals as part of recruitment policies: “We will update you on the status of this recruitment pause, and the process to deal with renewal of contract positions, in the near future.”A spokesperson for UCD was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.
It is the understanding of The University Observer that a recruitment moratorium handed down by the Higher Education Authority has been operating but recruitment was taking place in certain cases.The email issued guidelines for positions advertised that had not yet scheduled interviews, stating that those interviews were not to be held until the end of the recruitment pause in January 2011.For positions in which interviews had already been scheduled, the email stated: “For posts where interviews have scheduled or have occurred, recruitment will proceed unless the Head of Unit, in anticipation of likely budget cuts, indicates to UCD HR that the recruitment process should stop.”The email stated that recruitment has been paused “other than in a small number of exceptional cases.” It also stated: “The University will continue to advertise and recruit posts in the following categories: Contract clinical leadership posts in areas such as Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and Nursing; Contract teaching posts in the School of Business; Externally funded posts, such as research posts; Contract posts to cover maternity leave.”The email also referred to contract renewals as part of recruitment policies: “We will update you on the status of this recruitment pause, and the process to deal with renewal of contract positions, in the near future.”A spokesperson for UCD was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.