Nothing has changed in the existing universities’ skepticism towards the Linz Digital University. Like the founding law of the Digital University in spring 2022, the draft law for the permanent operation of the new university is now also met with a lot of criticism.
For the rectors of public universities organized in the University Conference (uniko), the question arises: “whether this new foundation is even a university in the international understanding of this term“, as chairman Oliver Vitouch writes in the uniko statement.
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The Digital University, which has been operating under the name IT:U since November, is more for uniko “an enterprise called a ‘university’, which is to be financed from state resources and endowed with the right to award state-recognized academic degrees.“
The background for the harsh criticism is that, unlike the existing universities – as reported several times – IT:U is not organized according to the University Act (UG). In any case, the Digital University cannot be a role model for new organizations in the university sector, according to uniko.
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What distinguishes IT:U from other universities
The criticism from student representatives and university senates is similar – especially when it comes to what they see as curtailed rights to have a say. For the ÖH of the Linz Kepler University (JKU) the draft law reads “like a mixture of the laws for universities and technical colleges, whereby the worse option for students was always chosen when there were contradictions.”
For the university senates, the university assembly, which is planned at IT:U instead of the senates, is just a “democratic ghost“, it only has an advisory function and no right to participate in the election and appointment of the president.
Warning regarding duplication
The JKU Senate is also missing “a clear statement regarding cooperation with the JKU and other existing universities – especially in Linz.” Especially since it “numerous existing activities at the JKUin the area of digital transformation. These and the IT:U should “are not in competition with each other“, says the ÖH of the JKU
The Rectorate of the Linz University of Art also warns once morest duplication and overlap. The art university already has a focus on “transformative research/education and post-digital cultures”. This subject profile of the art university should “cannot be copied or used in terms of content or concepts.“
Another point of criticism that runs through many of the statements is that IT:U can decide on “socially acceptable” tuition fees on its own initiative – even if IT:U will not do this for the time being (at least until 2027), like IT:U Founding President Stefanie Lindstaedt recently emphasized.
Ministry defends draft
The IT:U founding convention itself has individual comments on the draft law. Above all, he is pushing for the founding phase to be extended until autumn 2027 and only then to start permanent operation with the newly constituted committees.
The Ministry of Science is defending the draft law. An attempt was made to “put a completely new university model up for discussion” that would allow a maximum of flexibility. Criticism and suggestions from the review will be examined. Individual changes are likely. However, they want to stick to the plan to “take new regulatory paths”.
The SPÖ, in turn, is calling for a “back to square one” in the planning for the new university. So far, 20 million euros in tax money have already flowed – “without a single person ever having studied there,” criticize SP National Council members Eva-Maria Holzleitner and Andrea Kuntzl. Also see the Neos “One glitch following another” in the Digital University’s planned lighthouse project.
