Leanna Byrne
News Editor
Newly elected Provost, Patrick Pendergast, is to hold a public interview with questions asked by a select group of students next month in a bid to make the relationship between the Provost’s Offive and students more transparent and “media friendly”. The interview will take place on the October 3 and is first in a series of Town Hall style meetings that SU Communications Officer Ronan Costello promised Trinity students this year.
Eight students will be given the opportunity to question the Provost, with each student representing a different interest group within the college. Representatives from the Student’s Union, the Central Societies Committee (CSC), The University Times, The Phil and The Hist will be present to conduct the questioning. The panel of student representatives will be seated in the front row, facilitated by two roving microphones. In addition, Costello requested that the event be filmed by AVCOM media agency which will be organised by the College Communications office. The edited video will be posted on The University Times website within a week of filming.
“This is, as far as I know, an unprecedented kind of event, indicative of the Provost being more willing to engage with the student body on his policies.” said Costello, who will be acting as a mediator between the Provost and the students during the interview.
Education Officer Rachel Barry also voiced her enthusiasm stating that “the advantage of such a meeting is that it operates in a manner that allows any student, regardless of involvement in a society, sports club, newspaper or the SU, to have their say on the issues that directly affect them.”
However, in light of higher registration fees, education cuts and threats to introduce third level fees students will be putting pressure on the Provost to deliver. Student Union President Ryan Bartlett highlighted that the quality of teaching and services in the college would be an issue that he intended to address. “I have always advocated that investing in Student Services will bring massive returns in terms of attracting students and providing the perfect atmosphere to work and study, the most important question for me would be does he think it is time for Trinity to address this.”
Barry told The University Times that she would “like the Provost to elaborate on how he would square the circle of introducing up front fees for education at the same time we see cuts to the grant of such a savage nature that USI have seen fit to resort to legal action.” Barry furthermore wishes to stress how vital it is that students retain full access to education “especially given the fact that, unlike in the last recession, most industries see a third level qualification as an essential means for advancing in work life as opposed to simply working your way up.”
The public interview will take place Monday, October 3rd at 6:30 in the GMB and will be followed with a reception. All students are welcome to attend the meeting and are urged to take part as all of the issues presented affect all students of Trinity College.
