When Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB) and Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT) merge in January 2019 to form the Technological University Dublin, years of work will have reached their culmination. The new university will be the first of its kind in Ireland and will, you would hope, pave the way for major advancements in Ireland’s technological education.
For students at the three institutions involved, however, major questions remain surrounding the status of their students’ unions in the merger’s aftermath – something, it appears, that is not being helped by the dearth of independent oversight on negotiations.
The University Times reported this week that incongruities exist in the needs and ambitions of Dublin Institute of Technology Students’ Union (DITSU), Institute of Technology Blanchardstown Students’ Union (ITBSU) and Institute of Technology Tallaght Students’ Union (ITTSU). The constitution, warned former officers, could take five or ten years to implement, an idea that is seemingly anathema to those currently involved, who say they are hoping to have the constitution ready this year in time for the election of new officers to a new Technological University Dublin Students’ Union (TUDSU) next March.
Negotiations are bound to take time, and it’s no surprise that talks have been characterised by their inelegance, given that any possible constitution will need to cater to the needs of three institutions in three different parts of Dublin.
Setting aside the glaring contradiction between the two positions, there is also the argument that to focus on the timeline is to relegate the importance, both symbolic and practical, of creating a high-quality union. After all, the founding of a new university is a rare opportunity to build a first-class students’ union from the ground up, using the latest research about student engagement and representation.
What is crucial is that the constitution is fair, outward-facing and brave. It would thus seem that the involvement of external experts and impartial referees, something allowed for by the agreed terms of reference, is much needed. For the parties involved, a step back, rather than a rush to prepare a constitution, might be the best bet.
