Dundee’s two universities have yet to meet to discuss a merger or closer collaboration.
Talks over a full merger were originally supposed to have concluded by the end of October but now will not start until the end of this month.
The Scottish Funding Council (SFC), which distributes money to Scotland’s higher education establishments, ordered the two universities to begin merger discussions in September and set an October 31 deadline for negotiations to be concluded.
A huge public outcry at the plans which were forced on both universities without any prior discussion and a campaign headed by The Courier forced the Scottish Government to back down and agree there would be no forced merger between Dundee University and its smaller city neighbour Abertay University.
Abertay, which has been without a principal since the suspension of Professor Bernard King in January, was told last week that it can resume the search for his successor.
Although the SFC has had separate talks with each institution over increased collaboration, formal discussions between the two universities will not now begin until the end of the month, and a spokesman for Abertay said it will be closer collaboration rather than merger that will be up for discussion.
He said: ”We have had a meeting with the Scottish Funding Council and we understand that Dundee University have also had a meeting with them. The outcome of these meetings is that merger is not the preferred option.
”Instead, the Scottish Funding Council, both universities and Dundee College are planning to meet later this month to begin looking at other potential ways of collaborating so as to deliver most effectively on the Government’s objectives for post-16 education in the Tayside area.”
A spokesman for Dundee University said: ”There has been no three-way meeting between ourselves, Abertay and the Scottish Funding Council. We await further advice from the funding council.”
A spokeswoman for the SFC said: ”There is a meeting later this month with both universities, Dundee College and Scottish Funding Council. There has been meetings with both universities separately but not together.”