The findings are contained in a confidential internal report to be presented to the UCD governing authority later this week.

The report . . . a mid-term review of UCD's 2005-08 strategic plan . . . finds that students fear "the restructuring process is actually reversing UCD's academic reputation". Mercator Consultants, which undertook the reseach, say that "the poor morale among many staff is filtering down to students and so affecting the overall mood in UCD."

Mercator was commissioned by UCD earlier this year and its report, seen by the Sunday Tribune, contains a damning assessment of the reform process sponsored by UCD President Hugh Brady.