The University of Limerick (UL) has been busy writing its own comic verse.
The foxes were guarding the pen,
Investigating their own sins again,
Conflicts ran rife,
As Transparency’s knife,
Was blunted by paper and pen.
At the centre of the doggerel is a €12.65 million property splurge on 20 houses in Rhebogue — a deal approved at €10.88 million, then inflated because costs are just suggestions to university senior managers. The University President at the time, Professor Kerstin Mey, happily signed off the extra spending, as a bit of extra sugar on the strawberries.
Ireland’s Comptroller & Auditor General later found UL had overpaid by about €5.2 million when buying the homes. This prompted an independent review by barrister William Maher, from which some details have now reached the Irish Independent newspaper. (There is ‘no intention’ to publish the entirety of the review).
Concerns about the purchase led to several protected disclosures or whistleblowing by staff at UL. The review found that instead of being heard and protected, whistleblowers were punished. Senior management at UL “weaponised” complaints, turning them against those who had raised them in the first place.
This had a chilling effect on the culture of accountability within the university. Employees who might otherwise have spoken up were deterred by the clear risk of retaliation. The mechanisms meant to safeguard complainants were ineffective or entirely absent. As a result, the university’s leadership not only failed to address legitimate concerns, but actively deepened mistrust within the institution.
In Universities, the real sin isn’t misconduct, it’s speaking up about misconduct.
Perhaps the most damning element of the review was the discovery of entrenched conflicts of interest in the way disclosures were investigated. In some cases, individuals who were directly implicated in the issues raised played central roles in the investigations themselves.
One example cited in the review was particularly striking: a UL employee who had been part of the approval process for the property transaction later took charge of investigating complaints about that very deal.
Maher’s report concluded that UL had not done enough to mitigate these conflicts of interest, nor had it established robust systems for ensuring impartial oversight. The entire complaints-handling policy was described as ineffective, unfit for purpose, dangerous and corrosive to staff trust. A culture of spin and self-protection triumphed over openness.
What the scandal really exposes is how deeply universities can lose their way when self-preservation trumps responsibility. Buying overpriced houses wasn’t the mortal wound — it was the smug refusal to take criticism seriously, the eagerness to punish truth-tellers and the shameless conflicts of interest masquerading as due process.
UL is not the only university with these problems. The sector needs radical governance reform on both sides of the Irish Sea.
(Photo Credit, The image was created by William Murphy, licensed under Creative Commons here)
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31 Comments
Xerxes · 10 September 2025 at 16:47
University of Limerick actually hired an independent-minded barrister for this review.
Next time, maybe they should ask Cambridge University for their list of stooge barristers
TheResearcher · 10 September 2025 at 17:03
That happened because the University of Limerick is relatively new, founded only in the 70s. It still has much to learn from the older Seats of Learning! I can imagine the senior management of Cambridge contacting Limerick asking why they had hired someone independent. Their decision may have affected the image of the sector!!! Cambridge surely thought that the idea of “individuals who were directly implicated in the issues raised played central roles in the investigations themselves” is absolutely fine.
21percent.org · 10 September 2025 at 17:07
Standard in the School of Physical Sciences at Cambridge University.
“Whilst it may be said to have been unfortunate that the University provided him with staff who had been involved in some of the communications during the period under investigation or were otherwise involved, I do not consider that it can be said that Mr Scott-Joynt behaved unprofessionally in using the support with which he was provided.” [Head of Chambers, subsequent to a complaint about the behaviour of the barrister Mr Scott-Joynt]
The Head of Chambers deflected blame to the University for providing conflicted staff.
It was Fireman Mike who set up the arrangements
TheResearcher · 10 September 2025 at 17:22
Confirmed. It must be a very unfortunate coincidence that in several Departments of that School there is the same practice of inverting the narratives of whistleblowers and choosing conflicted individuals to play key roles in the investigation…
I wonder how would Newton, Stokes or Dirac deal with the current HR of that School, and with the suggestions of Fireman Mike in particular.
SPARTACUS · 11 September 2025 at 14:03
As 21percent knows well UCam’s internal investigations are a totally corrupt process run by HR to ensure that a predetermined outcome us arrived at! Oligarchy decides a priori if a given culprit is to be supported or destroyed!
Caesar · 11 September 2025 at 14:52
HR are like the Praetorian Guard — the elite unit of the Roman army that served as the personal bodyguard of Roman emperors.
The job of HR is to serve as bodyguards for Heads of Department or Heads of Schools or senior Profs.
TheResearcher · 11 September 2025 at 16:25
Emperor Caligula was assassinated by members of his Praetorian Guard. Let’s see what happens in Cambridge. The hot potatoes will burn someone…
Krasnov · 11 September 2025 at 17:16
Big scandal about to engulf Cambridge, coming next week
21percent.org · 11 September 2025 at 17:45
There are so many scandals. Could you narrow it down a bit for us? 🙂
TheResearcher · 11 September 2025 at 17:53
Hopefully, once the first scandal is out, the others will follow.
Someone should warn the new Chancellor for what is coming…
Krasnov · 11 September 2025 at 22:39
The jaw-dropping plagiarism scandal
21percent.org · 11 September 2025 at 22:41
There are so many plagiarism scandals. Could you narrow it down a bit for us? 🙂
TheResearcher · 11 September 2025 at 23:23
Now I see why the Research Integrity Office and the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research have been very busy and are not addressing another plagiarism scandal they have been “investigating” for months without updating the claimant. This one is particularly interesting because there are several senior members involved, and central HR covering it up.
Anonymous · 11 September 2025 at 17:46
The Praetorian Guard also manipulated Emperors to assassinate their rivals. Emperors feared the Praetorian Guard. They had much more power than they should have.
Ade · 12 September 2025 at 07:01
“What is the difference between plagiarism and impersonation (where the latter is defined as encouraging or forcing a person in a position of power and responsibility to apply their own signature to a piece of exculpatory prose, for example an outcome letter, they have not themselves authored)?”
Discuss….
TheResearcher · 12 September 2025 at 09:06
ChatGPT, which the university seems to like to use in blogs, says this:
In short:
• Plagiarism corrupts the integrity of knowledge and authorship.
• Impersonation corrupts the integrity of authority and institutional acts.
Both involve misrepresentation, but they target different kinds of trust:
• Trust in the origin of ideas (plagiarism), versus
• Trust in the origin of decisions/endorsement (impersonation).
Now, there is a fun fact here. If you keep asking questions, you will realize that ChatGPT assumes that impersonation is made by students because it only finds the concept of impersonation in policies associated with students…
Anarchy at our Universities · 12 September 2025 at 12:09
“In some cases, individuals who were directly implicated in the issues raised played central roles in the investigations themselves.”
When senior members of staff run investigations that they themselves have been implicated in, or are overseeing investigations based on malicious complaints that they themselves raised, has got to be
one of the most obviously corrupt activities that occurs at our Universities. (I have witnessed similar activity btw, which will soon be in the public domain).
Imagine an Employment Tribunal case where the judge was actually a witness, and therefore assessing their own statements! This would be a laughing stock and would never be allowed to happen. So why is it being tolerated at our Universities?
Cases like this act as critical measures of how anarchic the situation has become. Senior HR and managers are acting with complete impunity, because they know the system will always protect them, regardless of cost to innocent staff caught up their corruption and abuse, and the reputation of the University.
SPARTACUS · 12 September 2025 at 14:30
From ‘Anarchy at our Universities above:
“In some cases, individuals who were directly implicated in the issues raised played central roles in the investigations themselves.”
When senior members of staff run investigations that they themselves have been implicated in, or are overseeing investigations based on malicious complaints that they themselves raised, has got to be one of the most obviously corrupt activities that occurs at our Universities. (I have witnessed similar activity btw, which will soon be in the public domain).”
This gladiator knows that in what will be one of the more outrageous scandals at UCam School of Clinical Medicine that is precisely what happened! When it becomes public people will know that in said school: senior members of the oligarchy made demonstrably false allegations about one of their colleagues, that they despite being the complainants then ‘investigated’ the allegations including looking for ‘evidence’ post facto, and even more unbelievable these members of the oligarchy then adjudicated on ‘punishement’ met on their victim and run a campaign of serious bullying to crush their victim and members of the victim’s research group!!! Stay tuned…
.
TheResearcher · 12 September 2025 at 14:49
I think we will have to compete about what the most outrageous scandal in UCam is. Do not forget that student who, after reporting research and behavioural misconduct, was told he is being investigated for abusive behaviour against the Vice-Chancellor, all the Pro-Vice Chancellors, the Academic Secretary, the Registrary (who is on leave!), all the senior HR, his previous Department, the Head of the Education Services (who retired!), the Head of the Office of Student Conduct, Complaints and Appeals, a Case Handler appointed by the Academic Secretary…. And needs to be in silence “to enable a full and fair investigation to be carried out.” But guess what, he cannot make any formal or any informal complaints for life and was told today that “the University is operating in line with its policies and procedures.”
SPARTACUS · 12 September 2025 at 15:04
UCam is a toxic place! UCam is a toxic place! UCam is a toxic place! UCam is a toxic place! UCam is a toxic place! UCam is a toxic place!
TheResearcher · 12 September 2025 at 15:08
Bloody Well Right!
Bloody right · 12 September 2025 at 20:37
Bloody right!
Anarchy at our Universities · 12 September 2025 at 15:50
When this obvious corruption and abuse was reported to the Director of HR at the institution concerned, the response was that senior managers are perfectly entitled to do this, and that this was ‘normal’ and completely acceptable and reasonable behaviour! I don’t know what’s worse, malicious taunting and abuse of this nature, or that they truly believe this isn’t horrendous corruption and abuse. The institution concerned was in the press this week, and will be so again when the full picture emerges.
TheResearcher · 12 September 2025 at 19:07
“they truly believe this isn’t horrendous corruption and abuse.”
They surely know it is corruption and abuse, in the same way that HR and the senior management of UCam know theirs. That is why they crush people who do not accept their misconduct but do this under “confidentiality” so that the practice is not known. I came to the conclusion that HR and the senior management are not the only to blame nor even the most responsible for the current situation, but instead the vast silent majority who has witnessed the abuses for years and does not stand up for those who are struggling alone. It is mind blowing the number of people who see it happening in real time, and pretend that it is not their business, even when they have duties of care. The new Chancellor may well change the HR and the senior management, but he will not be able to change this largescale mindset of neglect and hypocrisy.
Jay · 12 September 2025 at 20:31
With the breaking scandals, Cambridge senior management is presented with the perfect stage to showcase their double standards and duplicity
Anon · 13 September 2025 at 07:36
Anyone interested? Salary is pretty good…
“We are looking to recruit two new HR Organisational Change Consultants to support the delivery of organisational change across Cambridge University. This is a great opportunity for you to join this newly established team, who are part of the Central HR Division at the University.
This is an exciting time to join our team as you will play a key role in ensuring that change plans, change processes and implementation activities are inclusive, legally compliant and aligned with the University’s academic and operational priorities, and People Strategy. “
21percent.org · 13 September 2025 at 09:15
The worse HR behave, the more problems they create. The more problems, the greater the need for more HR personnel. The more HR personnel, the worse HR behave.
Here is a Table showing the never-ending growth in HR jobs at Cambridge University. A doubling since 2017 — teaching and research jobs have not doubled.
TheResearcher · 13 September 2025 at 13:33
I would actually love to get this post to know what they learn, but unless I change my name and forge my CV, I am strongly convinced that I will not get a place with them. Most of them have never seen me, but I am pretty sure they remember my name.
001 · 13 September 2025 at 16:09
Since when has forging a document been a problem? 😉🐍
Quercus · 13 September 2025 at 17:00
For any University HR department, proven skills in the forgery & manipulation of documents is necessary — it definitely strengthens the application! There is a B3Sixty Report in which no less a person than the HR Director of a University has made the necessary edits to convict.
Other skills needed are:
Advanced People Management (ie expert at delegating blame)
Strategic Ambiguity & Messaging (or “spin”)
Onboarding: Enthusiastic handshakes, vigorous nodding and neutral facial expressions
Confidentiality: Keeps secrets until they become useful to weaponise
Reporting & Metrics: Confidently rounds numbers in favour of the HR narrative
Training Delivery: PowerPoint wizardry — vacuous animations included
TheResearcher · 13 September 2025 at 17:59
These are great points. My bad! As you could tell, I am not yet ready to take this post because of my stubborn honesty. I am, however, willing to learn their skills and can even use my “Unreasonably Persistent Behaviour,” as diagnose by them, to learn faster! A few weeks ago, I have actually asked the Director of the Hive directly if I could join them in their next course of personal development as I wanted to learn their techniques of concealing and manipulating, but she never replied. That was very unfortunate.