In a special bulletin, UCD President Andrew Deeks has announced his intention to resign from the role in April 2022. Deeks is currently the 9th President of UCD having taken up the role in 2014.
In the special bulletin, Deeks stated he is resigning in order to take up the role of Vice-Chancellor at Murdoch University in his hometown of Perth, Western Australia.
In April 2022, the current Deputy President and Registrar, Mark Rogers, will become Acting President and will hold that role until the Governing Authority appoints the next President.
Deeks said in the bulletin that he has ‘greatly enjoyed my time at UCD, despite the various challenges Irish Universities have faced over these eight years. I have been constantly impressed by the dedication and commitment of our faculty and staff, by the talent and achievement of our students, by the generous support we have received from alumni and philanthropists, and by the productive partnerships we have formed with companies and organisations.’
He went on to explain his decision to resign before the end of his 10-year term, saying ‘the opportunity to return to my hometown to lead a university which is well-positioned to thrive in this time of disruption and opportunity, a time where the need to build a sustainable global society is increasingly recognised was one I could not pass up.’
The role of Vice-Chancellor at Murdoch University has recently been vacated by the new President of Maynooth University, Eeva Leinonen.
The Presidency of Andrew Deeks has been sometimes been a controversial one which often saw clashes with faculty staff or the Students Union. Reacting on Twitter, Professor of Politics, David Farrel, who was recently head of the school said ‘I’ve mixed feelings about his departure. He introduced some very good reforms, but hopefully going forward the university reviews its approach to China.’
Deeks concluded the bulletin by thanking the UCD community and said ‘I will leave UCD and Ireland with great memories and will look back on my time here with warmth and affection. I hope to return at some point, and I look forward to meeting up again with as many of you as possible before my departure.’
Conor Paterson – Co-Editor
Additional Reporting: Hugh Dooley – News Editor
