University College Dublin is to check the qualifications and references of all shortlisted candidates for permanent academic posts.
The clampdown follows the embarrassing disclosure that it had been hoodwinked for years by a fast-talking American who ran one of the more successful courses at its graduate business school.
A university report on Gary Santry found that he had engaged in deception at all stages of his UCD career with the department of banking and finance, from his recruitment as a temporary lecturer in 1997 to his application for a professorship in 2001. "This deception included falsification of his qualifications and fabrication of his references," according to the report.
The university has decided that from now on candidates must submit a signed authorisation allowing it to request transcripts of their academic qualifications. For permanent jobs, internal members of the assessment board will have responsibility for validating the information submitted by candidates.