“IT is inappropriate and not in the best interests of the institute” for Flan Garvey to remain as chairman of the college’s governing board, according to members of the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) in the Institute of Technology, Tralee.

Union members met last Thursday to discuss the implications for members of the union in the college of the recent Examinations and Assessments Review Committee (EARC) and Examinations And Assessment Appeals Committee (EAAC) reports on the 2008 MA thesis of Mr Garvey.

A complaint of plagiarism was made against Mr Garvey in November 2012 and signed by 26 members of academic staff at the college.

Speaking in The Clare Champion last week, Mr Garvey, who had stepped aside as chairman of the board during the investigation, stated he was looking forward to returning to the position “straight away”.
An emergency branch meeting of the TUI was called in the institute for members to discuss the implications of the EARC and EAAC reports.

The branch passed a motion stating “Given the finding of plagiarism in his MA thesis by an external panel of academics against Mr Flan Garvey, chair of the governing body of IT Tralee, and in light of the findings that he was not aware of institute regulations, this branch resolves that it is inappropriate and not in the best interests of the institute for Mr Garvey to continue as the chairman of its governing body.”

Mr Garvey had not returned calls at the time of going to print.

 

QQI to review postgraduate validation processes

THE findings of a report into the MA degree awarded in 2008 to former mayor of Clare Flan Garvey by Institute of Technology (IT), Tralee “may have implications beyond the single award in question”, it has emerged.

The body responsible for quality assurance of higher-education qualifications is to begin a statutory review of postgraduate validation processes in IT Tralee following the recent controversy over plagiarism by Mr Garvey, who was at the time, and still is, the chairman of the college’s governing body.

Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) said this week it had received a report from IT Tralee into the MA. In its report, IT Tralee found that the thesis was plagiarised but that the plagiarism was unintentional.
Now QQI will undertake a statutory review of IT Tralee’s validation processes for postgraduate research degrees under the review powers conferred on it by the new Qualifications Act.

“Our primary concern is quality,” said Karena Maguire, head of Quality Assurance Services at QQI. “We have a responsibility under legislation for assuring the quality and standards of educational qualifications. This report raises concerns about the quality assurance procedures applied by ITT in making this particular award. However, its findings may have implications beyond the single award in question. In light of this, we intend to undertake a statutory review of postgraduate research degree validation and processes at the institute.”

QQI was established in November 2012 as the integrated national body for quality and qualifications. It is responsible for reviewing the quality of further and higher education in the State. QQI took over the functions of the Higher Education and Training Awards Council.

QQI’s responsibilities include external quality assurance of IT Tralee, setting standards for the degrees of IT Tralee and making research degree awards in IT Tralee.