Is the snobbishness so much between IT’s and Universities that they don’t check out each other’s full time staff lists? What did Athlone Insitute for Technology think that Fergal O’Malley was doing in Galway? Shopping? NUIG wouldn’t notice too much – heads of department get lots of time off to be heads of department, and research? Well that means that one can get Phd students and post doc’s to do it for you. Doesn’t it? Either than or he was on the Berocca!
All in all, it’s been a bad year for Athlone Institute of Technology, first Niall McElwee who was found guilty of lewd behaviour and didn’t tell his employers for 3 years and they didn’t find out that the head of child and youth care learning centre there had a criminal record. Now the double jobbing engineering lecturer with two pensions is exposed. Anyone thought of the students in all this?
Hi there, yes I feel for the students. It was the first thing that came into my thoughts, particularly any PhD students that may have been under his supervision. I also feel for his family – not a very nice thing to happen and Xmas around the corner makes it even worse. I hope things work out for everybody. Sinead
I’m laughing because a lecturer had two jobs (instead of the alleged one) and because he pulled in more than an average university president per annum. And on PhD and supervision? Do they go together? … Ah, don’t go there Sinead IMHO!
On both the cases, it is *greed* at the root of it all. The Celtic Tiger has bred a clique of paddies with inflated egos and senses of themselves, who think they’re above the law and can get away with anything… but enough about Bertie! But these cases, in seriousness, are symptomatic of what Ireland’s ‘creative class’ (to take up GLEN’s latest bit of mumbo-jumbo) is all about. The State/ Education system and the legal eagles are pissed because people used the system. But they learned their metier from the best, CJH and anorak boy, who have told the nation that greed is ok.
Anyhow, with your two posts today Maman Poulet, I thought the well-known children’s nursery rhyme was in order:
“Michael and Fergal sitting in a tree
Counting out all their mo-on-ney…”
Or maybe they just both like salsa or is it just the two-step?
Hi,
Sure every lecturer in NUIG has about 6 jobs. Its not like nobody knew about this. Hes a decent enough man. Doesn’t deserve this although Im sure he will become rich for dishing the dirt.
Aodh
It was well known to most people involved with the engineering faculty of both the colleges that he was working for both of them. Both colleges facilitated this in minimising the traveling he had to do between the campuses. So for them to come out now and claim they knew nothing about it is pure farce. Something changed or someone’s nose was put out of joint, and this is the result.
Yea, everyone knew he had the two jobs. I though he was part time in Athlone and that it was above board.
And yeas many of the lecturers in the Elecrtonic Dept do not have the time required for the job due to business interests. In my experience lectures were often late and sometimes did not show up at all for some lectures. They would then do a few revision classes close to the exams and practically reveal the exam paper content, the students said nothing as we were happy to get out of there with an A
(Maman Poulet – post edited for legal reasons)
What Thom says is very true – this was known before now. The reason it wasn’t addressed was that he was doing both jobs very well. There was never any suggestion that students were neglected – postgrad or undergrad, because it simply didn’t happen. It could have been dealt with in a more appropriate manner.
There is absolutely no factual basis for Sean’s comment. The Electronic Eng. Dept has produced excellent graduates over the years. This is clear from the number of successful companies in Galway which were founded by those graduates.
(Maman Poulet notes that this comment was left by someone called James – it’s not showing up on the post. )
I am a past student of Fergal’s.
He was the best lecturer in the EE department but perhaps not the best project supervisor.
The reason he could do both jobs is that between both jobs I would say he had no more than 20 hours to do. Lecturing is easier than teaching but they get paid huge salaries for nothing.
(Maman Poulet – Edited for legal reasons.)
Thom and Sean are right. EVERYONE knew he had two jobs. Sure he did quality reviews for both colleges within a 2 week period. And the External examiner for Athlone was from NIUG this year I beleive.
I feel sorry for him, he’s been savaged in the media for working hard. There’s no suggestion anywhere that he didn’t do a good job n both places. There’s plenty of lecturers accross the whole 3rd level sector who spend most of their time doing research on the golf course (or similar). I hope he ends up getting a better job – he’s obviously a hard worker and god knows we could all do with two jobs to cover the cost of living in rip off Ireland!
Hi guys,
Mark Tighe from the Sunday Times here. I’m looking into this story and am very interested to hear it was well known that O’Malley worked in both places.
If anyone would like to elaborate on this I’d like to talk to you.
My number is 01 4792449 and email is mark.tighe at sunday-times.ie
Mark
Hi Mark,
Is there any financial reward for such inside information and when is the story to run?
Thanks,
Joe Bloggs
Nope,
I don’t pay for stories.
Mark
Fergal if you are reading this, withdraw your resignation ASAP from both institutes/university.
Apparently it was widely known that you worked in both places and your competence is not in question or your expertise. It can be argued that the type of contract you had in either place is immaterial so long as…..
A) It did not affect your work.
B) That your superiors knew about it.
Eventually (maybe years) you might have to decide to resign from one. I mean how many members of NUIG or AIT management would like to be cross examined by an SC about what they knew
Don’t let your superiors off the hook, everbody knows that many legal, medical faculty in NUIG double jobs. It is not as if you took a bribe or killed anyone.
jayk
There is no doubt that he was doing a good job in both colleges. I have heard that it came as a shock to many lecturers in the engineering department of one of the colleges. The suggestion that it was common knowledge is not accurate. Probably some people within each college did know about the double jobbing, but this is more than likely a very small group. Eight years is a long time to keep quite about something like this.
I agree with a lot of the comments above, however I am sure there is a conflict of interest. If he was working for two companies in the same field, then there would be a serious conflict.
Well done seanR, I back you up 100%. I say fair play to the milky bar kid (believe me its him), if someone can get away with that sort of thing in the current climate then someone is going to do it.But its the idiots in higher positions that should be awake to these type of situations.
(Edited for legal reasons – Maman Poulet)
This little story getting national attention is going to make it more difficult for double-jobbers everywhere. O’Malley is not the only person in State employment working the hours needed to generate two pay packets. And the teacher’s unions know this.
Hi guys
Bock from bocktherobber.com here. I’m looking into stories about shallow, cynical, sensationalist, wannabe Irish journalists writing non-news as a substitute for critical thinking.
If anyone would like to elaborate on this I’d like to talk to you.
My email is bocktherobber@gmail.com.
Bock
Bernie there is a difference between working the hours needed to generate two pay packets – and holding two full time posts. The secondary jobs held by many permanent post academics are generally outside of teaching posts in industry etc/private consultancy or indeed setting up research institutes in their colleges and both the college and individual taking cut’s there.
I’m not sure which rule Fergal seems to have broken here other than maybe a primary employment clause in a contract. I’m more concerned at the fact that the institutions claimed not to have known when comments here.
Im a past student of Fearghals, and I cant fault him on his teachings, he’s a brilliant lecturer and is going to be a big loss of the new EE and ECE students in Galway. The only shame of it all is, if he was as good at lecturing in Athlone as he was in Galway, then they caught one of the better lecturers of the bunch who are doubling up on work.
I dont support teaching in 2 colleges, but I do feel its a shame to loose a great asset to 2 colleges.
AlexiaBlogs » Blog Archive » Red Links 19/12/07 // Dec 19, 2007 at 11:15
[...] Suzy is writing some cracking posts on the Micheal Lynn case and the state of Irish academia. Too many to just cherrypick a single post. [...]
In my opinion, first of all the responsibility for this situation should be taken by the bodies that let the lecturer work at two universities. The person might even not be aware of the rules and conditions when working at two full time positions. But as usually, those bodies get away “with their tails dry” leaving the person to answer to all questions
As a former student of “O’ Malley” we always knew we would havea free hour when we were scheduled to have him – he spent more time in galway than Athlone and as far as the college only just finding out – everyone knew and turned a blind eye!
ps: great lecturer when he did show up!
I’m a past student of Fergals, I was doing the MSc in SE in AIT and I dropped out due to the enormous pressure I was under because Mr O’Malley never took lectures and when he did they were in 4 hour blocks. (edited for legal reasons) He cost me my Msc.