The Graduate Students’ Union’s (GSU) council tonight voted overwhelmingly to mandate the union to seek funding for a third sabbatical officer position, with a view to splitting the current Vice President position into a Welfare and Education Officer.
Speaking at an extraordinary general council meeting this evening, the President of the GSU, Katie Crowther, emphasised how valuable the position would be for the “future of the organisation”.
“We don’t want to grow for growth’s sake. We need to look at what postgraduates need”, she said, noting that it would be a “long-term” goal of the union.
She acknowledged: “I know that standing up here and saying that there need to be another sabbatical officer is a challenge but it’s the truth.”
The Vice-President of the GSU, Gianna Hegarty, who currently acts as both Welfare and Education Officer, spoke at the meeting about the scope of her position: “My academic role is very well defined. It has parameters – dealing with student cases and academic events. I think the expansion of the service can come through the welfare role.”
She also spoke of her close work with the Welfare Officer of Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union, Conor Clancy. She said he applauded him for his “amazing work” on campaigns, particularly in relation to the content workshops and the accommodation crisis. His work, she said, made her realise how the GSU could expand its role. “I wish I could have given more time to them, but I simply did not have the time”, she said.
The Treasurer of the GSU, Patrick Stodt, emphasised how difficult it would be to secure funding for the position of a third sabbatical officer, referencing how “money is very tight” for all the capitated bodies in College. Indeed, he acknowledged that it will be hard to “justify why we should get more money from them”.
Crowther did suggest that the GSU might be able to raise money from external sources. However, she acknowledged the difficulties the union might have through fundraising, due to the limited resources of the organisation.
The majority of spending of GSU funding is spent on the wages and accommodation of the sabbatical officers. To create a new sabbatical officer position, the GSU would need to raise about €30,000 more in funding per year.
Currently, the GSU receives €45,000 per year from the Capitations Committee and €5,000 of a Trinity Ball surplus. The union also receives €30,000 a year from the Global Relations Office as part of the GR1 strategy. This sum of money will only be allocated to the GSU for the duration of the strategy, which is due to lapse in two years.
Edmund Heaphy also contributed reporting to this piece.
