UCC President hits back over disadvantaged students remarks

UCC President Dr Michael Murphy has hit back at controversial remarks suggesting that money for disadvantaged students be diverted to more ‘gifted’ ones, accusing the media of ‘mischievous reporting’ in an open letter to UCC staff.

“The subject matter of my speech to the Chamber of Commerce was mischievously reported, at best, in the local media,” Murphy claimed.

“I had a serious intention to commence a national debate on two critical matters, namely the level of interference by government in the running of universities in Ireland and to ensure that in the race to continue the ‘democratisation of education’ that universities will be properly resourced and I specifically wished to highlight the need to appropriately invest in programmes for the academically talented.”

The speech was delivered at the Cork Chamber of Commerce’s Christmas breakfast meeting, and prompted a number of scalding letters from fellow academics and even staff at UCC.

“We wish to affirm our own positive experiences of working with students who come to UCC via non-traditional pathways. They face enormous challenges and often make real sacrifices in order to avail of educational opportunities. They bring a wealth of life experience, critical analysis and informed opinion to the institution,” thirty-four staff at UCC’s School of Applied Social Studies claimed in a letter to the President.

Murphy suggested at the Chamber meeting that some of the money allocated towards helping disadvantaged students be allocated to supporting the academically stronger ones.

Sinn Féin TD Jonathan O’Brien described the remarks as ‘arrogant’ while another grouping of academics labelled the remarks ‘outrageous’.

Murphy however had the last word, in his letter saying that: ”I categorically reject the inference you drew from my speech that students ‘assisted through socially disadvantaged, physical disability and lifelong learning support programmes’ are ‘academically weaker’.”

“My social background would have qualified for inclusion in the Access Plus programme were it in place in the 1960’s; professionally I spent almost a decade serving the disadvantaged population of South Chicago and I have practiced in the public health care system in three countries.  ”