The University Times has seen documents outlining the terms of who will sit on Trinity College Dublin’s (TCD) task force, as approved by University Council. The establishment of the task force was part of the agreement that brought an end to the five-day Trinity’s Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) and Trinity College Dublin Student Union (TCDSU) encampment last spring.
This is part of the agreement to end the five-day encampments on 8 May, 2024 after “successful talks between the university’s senior management and the protesters.” The agreement reads: “Trinity will complete a divestment from investments in Israeli companies that have activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and appear on the UN Blacklist in this regard.” After a review, TCD has confirmed there is currently only one Israeli company on its supplier list that will remain until March 2025 due to a contract.
In its statement, TCD outlined the formation of a task force within the College’s governance structures, consisting of 26 members, including students, staff, and an external chair. The task force will address issues of divestment, academic exchanges and concerns raised by recent protests, with recommendations to be presented to principal committees.
While the identity of the chair is yet to be confirmed, the secretariat will include the Senior Dean and the Secretary to the College/Director of Governance or their nominee. Student representatives will include three members of TCDSU to be elected by their president, two members of the Central Societies Committee (CSC) to be elected by their chair and four nominated members of the Group of Unions.
Staff voices will include the Vice-Provost & Chief Academic Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Vice-President for Global Engagement, Associate Vice-Provost for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and the deans of TCD’s three faculties, among others. Staff members can nominate a substitute if they choose.
In addition to divesting and endeavouring to set up a task force, the College has also acknowledged the genocide in Gaza as a driving force behind the encampments. In an official statement, TCD expressed “solidarity with the students in our horror at what is happening in Gaza,” and reaffirmed its support for those affected by the conflict. TCD has also partnered with local and international organisations, such as We Are Not Numbers (WANN), to offer scholarships and accommodations to eight students from Gaza seeking to continue their education, waiving all fees and placing them in various academic programs throughout the College.
