UL president’s sudden departure reflects the Covid challenges ahead
THE resignation of Dr Des Fitzgerald as president of the University of Limerick (UL) appears to have been driven by personal reasons.
The 66-year-old medical doctor said his decision was taken in the context of Covid-19.
Dr Fitzgerald said that “unfortunately this virus will directly impact my ability to serve the university and limit my ability to fully engage once we get our community back onto the campus”.
His announcement has caused shock, but reflects the personal challenges ahead as the country prepares to reopen for business, safely, in a world where the virus remains a public health threat.
Dr Fitzgerald’s reasons hint at the challenges associated with daily working life on a busy campus when universities reopen for students and staff in the autumn.
Universities, like the rest of society and the economy, are preparing for a return that will be constrained by social distancing measures in order to limit the transmission of the virus.
Dr Fitzgerald delivered his resignation, which will take effect later this year, in a letter to UL chancellor Mary Harney, who said she regretted his decision.
Higher Education Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor paid tribute to his work and said she was sorry to hear of his retirement, “particularly as it comes as result of Covid-19”.
Although less than halfway into his term, Dr Fitzgerald had made his mark in the mid-western university, including taking the first steps in establishing a campus in Limerick city as part of an ambitious strategic plan.
Along with strengthening UL’s research reputation, deepening its commitment to business and industry in the region, and extending its global reach, the plan envisages a 25pc growth in student numbers by 2024, with 330 new jobs to support that.
Dr Fitzgerald joined UL from UCD where he was vice president for research and vice president for health affairs, having also held other academic leadership positions.
He took over at UL in May 2017, at a time when the university was embroiled in a string of controversies relating to governance and financial matters, which were subject to a number of official reports.
He tackled these immediately and stated yesterday that he was glad that most of them had “been dealt with and their recommendations implemented”.
Dr Fitzgerald said he “had been privileged to lead UL” and said he was “particularly proud” of the university’s response to the Covid-19 crisis, “in recognising its gravity early, in rapidly and successfully moving online and in contributing to the fight against the pandemic in our community”.
He warned that Covid-19 would shape the future of the university sector for the next decade and beyond and would force universities across the world to re-examine both their business and academic models.
“Significant changes and investment will be required to support the sector,” said Dr Fitzgerald, adding that it was vital the new government “stepped up to the plate to protect the university sector in Ireland as it would play a crucial role in the economy’s recovery”.