Regulatory Impact Analysis Technological Universities Bill Section 1. Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA)

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1 Regulatory Impact Analysis Technological Universities Bill Section 1 Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) Department/Office: Title of Legislation: Education and Skills Technological Universities Bill Stage: Date: Publication of Bill November 2015 Contact for enquiries: Telephone: micheal_lenihan@education.gov.ie What policy options have been considered? Please summarise the costs, benefits and impacts relating to each of the option below and indicate whether a preferred option has been identified. Policy options: 1. Do nothing 2. The National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 recommended significant reform of the institute of technology sector in order to position it to meet national strategic objectives. In particular, the Strategy recommended consolidation within the sector and a pathway of evolution for consolidated institutes of technology to allow them to demonstrate significant progress against stated performance criteria and to apply to become technological universities. This requires the introduction of new legislation namely the Technological Universities Bill. Preferred Option: Option number 2 OPTIONS 1 No additional direct costs to exchequer COSTS BENEFITS IMPACTS No additional benefits would occur from this option. 2 In terms of additional financial support, the HEA has provided funding in 2013 & 2014 & 2015 to provide some support to institutions involved in the TU process. Actual direct costs incurred to-date amounts to 3.4Million which includes funding of 2.49Million provided by the HEA thus far to offset costs from the HEIs own resources. The HEA has recently invited further submissions for funding support in respect of the costs arising from mergers as part of the The objectives of the technological sector reform are to raise standards, to deliver better quality outcomes for students and for other stakeholders in the region and to enhance the performance of institutes of technology in their very important mission whether they are seeking technological university status or Existing bodies would continue to operate under the auspices of existing legislation. The main purpose of the Bill is to provide for the establishment of technological universities, a new type of higher education institution to be formed through the consolidation and merger of existing institutes of technology. The Bill will provide for new

2 implementation of the National Strategy for Higher Education. The total funding available in this call in 2015 will be c million. Not all of this funding is for Technological Universities as there are also other mergers taking place in Higher Education i.e. NUIG/ St. Angela s College, Sligo and DCU/ St. Patrick s College, Drumcondra/ Mater Dei Institute of Education. In addition to this 2 Million has been allocated specifically in Budget 2016 to support the development of Technological Universities. The process for designation as a Technological University consists of four stages. The phase-gate model for the process allows for assessment of the projects at set points. In relation to costs, these are considered during each stage of the process and in particular there is an onus on each consortium to develop financial models and estimated costings. In terms of the financial costs, the two consortia that have finalised stage 3 and developed implementation plans acknowledge the costs involved in merger and the designation process, but also commit to meeting those costs within their own budgets. They also acknowledge that while there are up-front costs in the shorter term, in the longer term, designation as a Technological University will allow them to recoup these costs and provide for new income streams. remaining as standalone institutes. The development and evolution of institutes of technology into a smaller number of stronger institutes will advance system capacity and performance. Technological Universities will have a very distinct mission and will provide high quality enterprise focussed education and research that will bring huge benefits to the local, regional and national economy of the technological university. The merging of institutes of technology will provide critical mass and will allow these institutions to reach an appropriate scale and level of performance to compete on the world stage with other similar institutions internationally. governance structures for all institutes of technology and a number of other amendments to the Institute of Technology and DIT ( ) legislation and to the Qualifications and Quality Assurance Act The establishment of technological universities will make a significant contribution to the skills development for the labour force at both regional and national levels and in supporting the delivery of regional and national economic objectives. 2

3 Section 2 Description of Policy Context and Objectives (i) Policy Context: The National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 recommended significant reform of the institute of technology sector in order to position it to meet national strategic objectives. In particular, the Strategy recommended consolidation within the sector and a pathway of evolution for consolidated institutes of technology to allow them to demonstrate significant progress against stated performance criteria and to apply to become technological universities. As part of the diverse higher education landscape described in the Strategy, the technological universities will be entities with a distinct mission and established under their own legislative framework. In addition, the Programme for Government contains a particular commitment to explore the establishment of a multi-campus Technical university in the South-East. The Strategy also recommended that governance structures in all higher education institutions should be reformed so that governing authorities have a majority of external members with expertise relevant to the governance of a modern higher education institution. As part of the implementation of the Strategy, the Higher Education Authority have published a four stage process and set of criteria for applicant groups of institutes of technology who wish to apply to become technological universities. The Higher Education Authority, following a process of consultation and deliberation, submitted their formal advice to the Minister for Education and Skills in May 2013 on a reconfigured system, including their advice on the expressions of interest from three groups of institutes of technology to merge and proceed to the second stage in the technological university process. As noted by Government on 22nd May 2013, the then Minister for Education and Skills approved the new framework for future system development that was set out 3

4 in his published response to the Higher Education Authority, including approval for the proposals for consolidation in the institute of technology sector. In January 2014, the General Scheme of the Technological Universities Bill was approved by Government for publication and consultation. Government subsequently approved the drafting of a Technological Universities Bill on 10 th June 2014 following the publication of their report on pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme by the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Education and Social Protection in April (ii) Explicit statement of the objectives that are being pursued The ultimate objectives of the legislation itself are as follows; The main purpose of the Bill is to provide for the establishment of technological universities, a new type of higher education institution to be formed through the consolidation and merger of existing institutes of technology. The Bill also provides for the revision of the governance arrangements of the Dublin Institute of Technology and the institutes of technology under the Dublin Institute of Technology Act 1992 and the Regional Technical Colleges Act 1992 respectively. The Bill provides for the merging of consortiums of institutes of technology to form new institutions of greater scale. The Bill provides for the merging of Dublin Institute of Technology with the Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown and Institute of Technology, Tallaght. In addition, the Bill provides for the merging of Cork Institute of Technology and the Institute of Technology, Tralee. Each of those consortiums has 4

5 already been assessed by an international expert panel and found to be on a clear trajectory to meet the very robust performance and quality criteria that have been set down for merging institutes who wish to apply for the new technological university status. The Bill also provides a mechanism for the merging of other consortiums of institutes of technology, who may apply to the Minister to be merged. The Bill also provides a mechanism for how these merged institutes can become technological universities. The Bill also provides a mechanism for the incorporation of an institute of technology into a technological university. 5

6 Section 3 Identification and Description of Options Option 1 - No policy change The no policy change option is included as a benchmark for comparison. Do nothing is not an option in this case, given that the Government noted on 22nd May 2013, the then Minister for Education and Skills approval of a new framework for future system development that was set out in his published response to the Higher Education Authority, including approval for the proposals for consolidation in the institute of technology sector. Furthermore, in January 2014, the General Scheme of the Technological Universities Bill was approved by Government for publication and consultation. Government subsequently approved the drafting of a Technological Universities Bill on 10 th June 2014 following the publication of their report on pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme by the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Education and Social Protection in April Therefore, this option will not be examined in great detail as part of this RIA. Option 2. The National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 recommended significant reform of the institute of technology sector in order to position it to meet national strategic objectives. In particular, the Strategy recommended consolidation within the sector and a pathway of evolution for consolidated institutes of technology to allow them to demonstrate significant progress against stated performance criteria and to apply to become technological universities. This option requires the introduction of new legislation namely the Technological Universities Bill. 6

7 Section 4 Analysis of the Costs, Benefits and Impacts of Each Option Option 1 No policy change - entails no additional direct costs, nor any savings to the Exchequer. There are no additional benefits or impacts from this option. Option 2: Costs In terms of additional financial support, the HEA has provided funding in 2013 & 2014 & 2015 to provide some support to institutions involved in the TU process. Actual direct costs incurred to-date amounts to 3.4Million which includes funding of 2.49Million provided by the HEA thus far to offset costs from the HEIs own resources. The HEA has recently invited further submissions for funding support in respect of the costs arising from mergers as part of the implementation of the National Strategy for Higher Education. The total funding available in this call in 2015 will be c million. Not all of this funding is for Technological Universities as there are also other mergers taking place in Higher Education i.e. NUIG/ St. Angela s College, Sligo and DCU/ St. Patrick s College, Drumcondra/ Mater Dei Institute of Education. In addition to this 2 Million has been allocated specifically in Budget 2016 to support the development of Technological Universities. The process for designation as a Technological University consists of four stages. The phase-gate model for the process allows for assessment of the projects at set points. 7

8 In relation to costs, these are considered during each stage of the process and in particular there is an onus on each consortium to develop financial models and estimated costings. They also acknowledge that while there are up-front costs in the shorter term, in the longer term, designation as a Technological University will allow them to recoup these costs and provide for new income streams. Estimated costs associated with meeting the criteria for a technological university are set out in the implementation plan developed at Stage 2 of the process. Actual costs to achieve Technological University status, include costs associated with: a) planning b) project and programme management c) due diligence d) consultation e) development of expressions of interest f) implementation plans g) rollout of implementation plans h) direct staff costs These costs are reported on a point in time basis and costs will accumulate as a consortium progresses through the process and as implementation plans are rolled out. 8

9 Current Status of the four applications: 1. TU4Dublin Project: Dublin Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Blanchardstown and Institute of Technology Tallaght submitted the TU4Dublin implementation plan to the HEA in This plan has now been assessed by an international panel of experts and has completed Stage 3 of the four stage process. They are working towards a full merger in Estimated costs: The TU4Dublin Implementation plan includes a detailed breakdown of estimated implementation costs over three years of 28.8 million. This figure includes 20% contingency at 3.97 million and estimated internal matched funding requirements of 9.5Million. The International Panel reported that the planning assumptions being made by the consortium appeared broadly prudent and recommended that they keep rechecking via sensitivity analysis the safety of their assumptions. They also reported that the projected merger costs appear comparable to similar mergers elsewhere. Actual costs to-date: Actual costs to-date by the TU4Dublin consortium amount to 1,869,146 which includes funding of 1.3M provided by the HEA thus far to offset costs from the HEIs own resources. 2. Munster TU Consortium The Munster TU involves the merger between Cork IT and IT Tralee. The Munster consortium submitted an implementation plan to the HEA in This plan has now been assessed by an international panel of experts and has completed Stage 3 of the four stage process. They are working towards a full merger in Estimated costs: The Munster consortium Implementation plan includes a breakdown of estimated implementation costs of 16.3 million. This includes one-off costs which have been projected for each year of the project up to the point of merger and over a three 9

10 year period amounting to a total of 6.7 million. These are associated with implementing the project and this includes items such as professional fees, IT systems and communications. In their implementation plan they have also shown that they expect to recoup these upfront costs in subsequent years. This also includes estimated internal matched funding requirements of 9.6Million. The International Panel reported that the planning assumptions being made by the consortium appeared broadly prudent and recommended that they keep rechecking via sensitivity analysis the safety of their assumptions. They also reported that the projected merger costs appear comparable to similar mergers elsewhere. Actual costs to-date: Actual costs to-date by the Munster TU consortium amounts to 752,186. The HEA has allocated funding of 0.86M to this project to the end of 2015 to offset costs from the HEIs own resources. 3. South East TU Project (TUSE): TUSE involves the merger between Waterford IT and IT Carlow. The South-East Technological University project has not yet advanced to Stage 2, and therefore an implementation plan has not yet been developed for the South East TU project. However, a preliminary facilitation process, involving the Chairs and Presidents of both Waterford Institute of Technology and Carlow Institute of Technology, has been underway since early September and there has been strong engagement in the process by both parties. Estimated costs: The South-East Technological University project has not yet advanced to Stage 2, and therefore an implementation plan has not been developed for the South East TU project and therefore estimated costs to meet the criteria for designation as a Technological University and associated costs are not available. 10

11 Actual costs to-date: Actual costs to-date by the South East TU consortium amounts to 396,206 which includes funding of 170,000 provided by the HEA thus far to offset costs from the HEIs own resources. 4. Connacht Ulster Alliance (CUA): An expression of interest (first stage of process) was received earlier this year from the Connacht-Ulster Alliance (Galway Mayo Institute of Technology, Sligo Institute of Technology, and Letterkenny Institute of Technology). The Minister for Education and Skills recently approved this application to proceed to the next stage. In line with the process for designation as a TU, Stage 2 of this process involves the preparation of a plan by the Connacht-Ulster Alliance, to meet the criteria for designation as a Technological University. Estimated costs: The CUA has only recently been approved to move to Stage 2 of the process, and therefore an implementation plan has not been developed for the CUA project and therefore estimated costs to meet the criteria for designation as a Technological University and associated costs are not available. Actual costs to-date: Actual direct costs incurred to-date by the CUA amounts to 400,000 which includes funding of 162,000 provided by the HEA thus far to offset costs from the HEIs own resources. 11

12 Benefits: It is envisaged that there will be a range of benefits arising from the establishment of Technological Universities. The objectives of the technological sector reform are to raise standards, to deliver better quality outcomes for students and for other stakeholders in the region and to enhance the performance of institutes of technology in their very important mission whether they are seeking technological university status or remaining as stand-alone institutes. The development and evolution of institutes of technology into a smaller number of stronger institutes will advance system capacity and performance. Technological Universities will have a very distinct mission and will provide high quality enterprise focussed education and research that will bring huge benefits to the local, regional and national economy of the university. The merging of institutes of technology will provide critical mass and will allow these institutions to reach an appropriate scale and level of performance to compete on the world stage with other similar institutions internationally. There will be significant regional benefits in the establishment of Technological Universities in terms of the improved development and growth prospects for the regions. Technological Universities will bring about a step-change in regional capability of a scale and standard that could exert a real and lasting impact on economic and social indicators for the regions in which they are located. They will have the necessary scale, capability and regional reach to draw on the strengths of existing Institutes but also add further capacity across the region in which they are located. There will also be benefits on the quality of life for the region s population, following from: greater volume of quality employment; 12

13 greater access to life s opportunities through participation in higher levels of education leading to better jobs; retention of young people and human talent in the region and, overall a big boost to regional capability and self-confidence, with positive impact on economic and social development across the board. There will also be a boost to Enterprise Development in the regions which has been acknowledged by business representatives, enterprise development agencies and local authorities. The need for high visibility and ready supply of quality graduates in relevant disciplines and strong research and innovation capability in regions is key to supporting higher value employment in those regions. 13

14 Impacts: Jobs and Employment The establishment of technological universities will make a significant contribution to the skills development for the labour force at both regional and national levels and in supporting the delivery of regional and national economic objectives. Other Impacts There are no impacts for the following: North-South, East-West Relations; Gender Equality; Poverty Proofing; Competitiveness & Industry Costs; Rural Communities; Quality Regulation or People with Disabilities, National competitiveness, the socially excluded and vulnerable groups, the environment, the rights of citizens, Compliance Burden. 14

15 Section 5 Consultation The Technological Universities Bill was approved for drafting by Government following a period of consultation and scrutiny by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection which published its Report on the General Scheme of a Technological Universities Bill in April The publication of the General Scheme presented an important opportunity for interested stakeholders to comment on the general principles and themes at an early stage in the Bill s development. The Joint Committee formally invited written submissions and presentations in relation to the Heads of the Bill. Responses to the call for submissions were received from the following: Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) DIT Students Union Enterprise Ireland Higher Education Authority (HEA) Dub Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology IBEC IMPACT Institutes of Technology Ireland (IOTI) Irish Universities Association (IUA) Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) SIPTU TUI As already outlined providing a pathway towards technological university status for institutes of technology who merge and meet a high performance bar is a central 15

16 plank of the reform agenda. Submissions received by the Joint Committee show that there is general support for the introduction of this legislation. The Department has considered the views conveyed by respondents to the Consultation Paper in drawing up the Bill and many of the suggestions have been adopted in drafting. Further meetings have taken place with stakeholders at which support has been indicated for the broad thrust of our proposals. 16

17 Section 6 Enforcement and Compliance The Technological Universities will be under a similar legal and operational framework to the existing universities with some exceptions. The Bill broadly outlines the criteria for designation of any institutes merged under the Act as technological universities and also provides for the Minister to establish the technological universities by order following a report of the HEA and the Minister s approval. The Bill contains significant reforms to the existing governing bodies of the institutes of technology and the DIT with a new flexible governing body with a majority of external membership. The Minister will have the power to nominate and appoint two of the external members of the governing body but will no longer nominate and appoint the Chair. This governing body model is also provided for the Technological Universities. The governance model has been developed following consultation with the universities, institutes of technology and the Royal Irish Academy and follows a flexible competency based model fit-for-purpose for the governance requirements of a modern higher education institutions. Under the new model, it is proposed that the Chairperson should be appointed by the Board from nominees identified by a process to be determined by the Board. This is the current practice in the university sector and is standard practice internationally. External ordinary members will form a majority on the governing authority. Other than the 2 Ministerial nominees, the external members would be chosen by a nominations committee using a competency framework drawn up by each institution and agreed with the HEA. The competency framework will incorporate the skill-sets required for modern governance, such as financial, legal, HR skills, the inclusion of members from enterprise and community or others appropriate to the 17

18 objectives and mission of the institution. The staff and student representatives will continue to be elected. The power to appoint an inspector and to make a report in an institute of technology which previously lay with the Minister has now been given to the HEA, following consultation with the Minister. The power to appoint a commission still remains with the Minister. 18

19 Section 7 Review As already outlined the designation process for a Technological University will consist of four stages as follows an expression of interest, the preparation of a plan to meet the criteria, an evaluation of the plan, and an application for designation. Stage 4 - Assessment of plans for technological universities Where a legal consolidation has been achieved and the applicant considers that all other requirements for designation have been met, the applicant may apply for designation as a technological university. The application for designation will be evaluated by an Expert Panel. In carrying out that evaluation, this Panel will have regard to the criteria set out, the legal and administrative requirements applying to universities in Ireland, the configuration of institutions within the Irish higher education system, the characteristics of technological universities internationally, detailed statistical profile data on Irish higher education institutions and the overall merits of the application. This Expert Panel will report its recommendation to the HEA which will consider the report and advise the Minister for Education and Skills. The published criteria for a Technological University are as follows: 1. Mission: 1.1 A technological university will have a systematic focus on the preparation of graduates for complex professional roles in a changing technological world. It will advance knowledge through research and scholarship and disseminate this knowledge to meet the needs of society and enterprise. It will have particular regard to the needs of the region in which the university is located. 19

20 1.2 Having regard to the mission of a technological university, these criteria set out the requirements that are to be met by an applicant before designation can be made. 2. Institutional Profile: 2.1 The university will Be characterised by the breadth of its programme provision across higher education Levels 6 to 10 of the National Framework of Qualifications. Have programmes of study that are vocationally/professionally oriented, with a strong focus on science and technology. Have programmes of study that incorporate structured work placement. Have programmes that address the social and economic needs of the region in which the university is located. Have sufficient resources and critical mass to ensure appropriate pedagogical and research quality and depth of faculty expertise to meet the mission of the institution. Have sufficient critical mass to support effective and efficient governance and administration and to provide an appropriate level of student services. Maintain an active research policy primarily focused on applied, problem oriented research and discovery, with effective knowledge transfer alongside the provision of consulting/problem solving services that are particularly relevant to the region. Support intensive and broad-based links with regional business, enterprise, professions and related stakeholders that inform curriculum, teaching and learning, assessment and research. 3. Student Profile: 3.1 The student profile of the university will match its stated mission. Specifically, the university will provide programmes at higher education Levels 6 to 10 to meet 20

21 local, regional and national demand and to meet the university s responsibilities in respect of educational opportunities at these levels. 3.2 At the time of application for designation as a technological university Enrolment in the applicant institution in research programmes at Levels 9-10 will not be less than 4% of FTE enrolments at levels 8 to 10. In addition, the application must evidence a developmental trajectory, showing that the institution will raise these enrolments to 7% within a period of ten years from the date of designation. Level 10 provision will be concentrated in a small number of fields/departments which have the capacity and credibility to offer this level of study and training to the level set by the national PhD standard; A combined minimum of 30% of all students in the applicant institution will be lifelong learning students enrolled on professional focused programmes and industry up-skilling, including part-time, work-related programmes and work-study programmes and/or mature learners. 3.3 Where the institutions that consolidate to comprise a technological university have been providing, prior to consolidation, non-higher education programmes (as defined by the National Framework of Qualifications) the university will, if necessary to meet local, regional and national demand, ensure this activity continues, either directly or indirectly, through appropriate administrative and academic arrangements that allow for the sharing of academic facilities and the progression of students. 4. Staff Profile: 4.1 A technological university will in the appointment, management and progression/promotion of academic staff to and within the university have in place contractual and appointment procedures that, inter alia, - give weight to professional practice and institutional engagement activities and provide existing staff members with a balance between teaching, research, engagement activities 21

22 and academic administration that is appropriate to their subject area and their academic experience. 4.2 At the time of application for designation 90% of full time, academic staff engaged in delivering higher education programmes in the applicant institution will hold a Level 9 qualification or higher. At least 45% per cent of full time, higher education, academic staff, will hold a Level 10 qualification or the equivalence in professional experience, combined with a terminal degree appropriate to their profession. The proportion of such staff that hold an equivalence in professional experience shall not exceed 10% of full time, higher education, academic staff. There will be demonstrable evidence of a developmental trajectory that shows the capacity, including staff with equivalence in professional experience as referred to, to increase and reach levels consistent with other Irish universities but not less than 65% within ten years of designation. These staff will not only hold Level 10 qualifications or equivalent in professional experience, but also be able to demonstrate sustained activity in relevant areas of research and development. In the fields of knowledge/study in which doctoral level training and research is on-going, the proportion of staff holding Level 10 qualifications will be in excess of 80%. As a general principle, only those with Level 10 qualifications will be engaged in the delivery and supervision of Level 9 programmes. Only those with Level 10 qualifications and with a sustained record of research publications and mission-appropriate research outputs will be engaged in the delivery and supervision of Level 10 programmes. 5. Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Development: 5.1 A technological university will have the curriculum and the teaching, learning and assessment processes to support its core mission to develop graduates who have a focus on the world of work. The full opportunities provided by the National 22

23 Framework of Qualifications for enhanced teaching, learning and curriculum development will be incorporated, with a particular focus on- Curriculum development focused on knowledge, skills and competencies developed in conjunction with business, professional organisations and, workforce, student and occupational organisations; Curricula that embed the full range of generic attributes linked to employability and citizenship; Curricula that embed engagement in the workplace as part of its programmes; Research-informed and practice-led teaching, learning and assessment that uses problem-oriented, practice-based and is community engaged. 6. Research: 6.1 The research dimension of a technological university will- Focus on applied, problem-oriented research and social and technological development and innovation, with direct social and economic impacts and public and private benefits in the region in which the university is located; Support and sustain research activity among its staff that can be compared to appropriate international benchmarks. Such benchmarks will include inter alia evidence of cooperative research groups of a viable scale, success in winning competitive research funding nationally and internationally and inter-institutional research collaboration; In linking research to teaching, demonstrate methodological approaches to the formation of level 10 knowledge, skills and competencies that are appropriate to the institution s research mission and meet national PhD level standards. This will be through the integration of practice-led, professional, and industrial doctorate structures alongside more traditional PI-led approaches, all within the context of national policy for structured PhD provision. 23

24 6.2 An applicant institution will, at the time of application, Have existing research capacity to support on-going programmes, projects and doctoral training in at least three fields of knowledge/study as defined by ISCED fields of study at the 2-digit level (ISCED2 Narrow fields ); 1 and Demonstrate a developmental trajectory showing that the institution can extend research and doctoral activity to sufficient capacity to support two further fields, as defined by ISCED2 within five years of designation as a technological university. 7. International Profile: 7.1 The international engagement of a technological university will specifically reflect its mission and orientation. 7.2 At the time of application, an applicant will demonstrate a developmental trajectory for the enhancement of internationalisation related to teaching and learning, research and staff development and a sustainable range of international collaborations such as joint projects, student and staff exchanges including the collaborative provision of academic and training programmes. 8. Leadership, Management and Governance: 8.1 The leadership management and governance arrangements in place will be fully reflective of and in line with the stated mission of the institution. In practice this will mean - Governance structures that reflect the external orientation of the institution and the engagement focus of its programmes of study; An integrated academic governance structure that gives coherence to multiple units, with consolidation of previously autonomous institutions where these existed, within the framework of the institution s mission. A leadership team that combines strong academic credentials and experience with experience in enterprise and professions relevant to the institution s mission. 24

25 Effective institutional-level academic governance with the authority, processes and competence to ensure the quality of programmes of study and the quality and integrity of other academic matters; Workplace practices and employment contracts are reflective of a modern university including, inter alia, such matters as the flexible delivery of programmes for diverse learner groups, the length and structure of the academic year, the efficient utilisation of the institution s physical resources and other infrastructure. These criteria have been incorporated into the text of the Technological Universities Bill and are reflected, as appropriate, in the sections of the Bill dealing with the criteria for designation as a Technological University and in the sections dealing with the functions of a Technological University. 25