Warning that Mayo campus is dragging down GMIT

Dwindling numbers at GMIT’s Mayo Campus was having a negative impact on the institute as a whole.

This was the warning issued by Jim Fennell, Vice President for Finance & Corporate Services of GMIT, at the first Mayo Campus sub-committee meeting of the GMIT Governing Body.

“It is extremely important to note that the declining student numbers on the Mayo Campus is having a significant impact on the Institute. We need to have a viable, sustainable campus that can support the region,” said Mr Fennell.

Governing Body member, Michael Geoghegan, said: “We should be asking questions ‘why have student numbers dropped?’ Why are students not going to the Mayo Campus? We need to look at the programme portfolio.”

Michael Hannon, registrar and vice president for academic affairs, said there is a “communications issue” and “action is now required”.

GMIT President, Dr Fergal Barry, who is now on extended leave, told the sub-committee that it has an important role.

“We need to explore why students are not coming to the Mayo Campus . . . We need to create something unique.”

Dr Barry acknowledged that “there is a communications issue but that this is a great opportunity and significant progress has already been made.”

The minutes of the sub-committee meetings were released to the Connacht Tribune under Freedom of Information. The committee was established following a recommendation by the report of the working group entitled ‘Developing a Sustainable Plan for the Mayo Campus of GMIT’.

Castlebar has long been considered a noose round the neck of GMIT – its deficit was €1.7 million last year and it is expected to be in excess of €2 million in 2018.

■ For more on this story, see the print edition of the Connacht Tribune.

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