A university trade union has said it will be “asking questions” about the “apparent deviation from normal recruitment processes” following the appointment of a former Alliance Party MP to a role at Ulster University.
The University and College Union (UCU) has raised concerns after it was announced that Stephen Farry and Jodie Carson, a former Stormont special adviser, were appointed by UU to lead a new “strategic policy unit”.
Mr Farry confirmed earlier this week that he had resigned from the Alliance Party ahead of taking-up the new role alongside Ms Carson.
But the UCU has raised questions about the appointments being assigned without public advertisement.
In a post on social media, the union said: “It is crucial that uni processes uphold equality, transparency & accountability.
“it is crucial that uni processes uphold equality, transparency & accountability. We will be asking questions of the university about the costs associated with the appointments, and the reason for the apparent deviation from normal recruitment processes."https://t.co/ukG2sCPvbD
— UCU Ulster (@UCU_Ulster) October 4, 2024
“We will be asking questions of the university about the costs associated with the appointments, and the reason for the apparent deviation from normal recruitment processes.”
However, UU said in a statement to the BBC that there was a “compelling justification” in this case as to why a publicly advertised recruitment was “not appropriate”.
A spokeswoman said: “Following an initial review of a proposal for how Dr Farry and Dr Carson might contribute to a new strategic policy unit, and after follow-on exploratory conversations and a robust assessment relative to strategic need, they were appointed through the established university’s exceptional talent pool.
“The exceptional talent pool is a university recruitment mechanism that is employed in a very small number of cases, where the potential exists to recruit particular specialists, where there is compelling justification as to why conventional recruitment is not appropriate and where there is a clear and significant strategic benefit for the university - in this case for their combined academic and public policy expertise.
“This established exceptional talent pool. process runs very occasionally, and in parallel with, competitive recruitment in line with relevant legislation and codes of practice - the vast majority of vacancies will be filled in this way.”
