The council of Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) council voted this evening to adopt a new agreement that will see the union co-operate with the Trinity College Dublin Graduate Students’ Union (GSU) on how they can work together to represent both undergraduate and postgraduate students.
The formal memorandum of agreement addresses five areas of cooperation between the two unions, including representation of students and representation on student committees. The opening of memorandum states that, to “avoid discord and work together to promote the interests” of Trinity students, the two unions “formally agree to cooperate in the general area of student representation”.
Speaking at tonight’s meeting of council, TCDSU President, Kieran McNulty, said: “In previous years, the relationship has gone up and down”, nothing that some years the relationship has been “difficult” even though “95 per cent of the time” both unions were “working towards the same thing”.
The memorandum clarifies the areas where the two unions can cooperate. The memorandum states: “If representation is to be made on an issue that affects undergraduate and postgraduate students equally, the SU shall take action, representing the student body as a whole, with support from the GSU if appropriate.”
While the agreement needs to be passed at tomorrow night’s meeting of GSU’s council, GSU President, Shane Collins, expressed confidence that the motion would be successful.
Speaking to The University Times ahead of TCDSU’s council this evening, GSU President, Shane Collins, said he hoped the memorandum will help continue the “positive” relationship the two unions have this year.
The memorandum also highlights the need for cooperation between the two unions in representation on college committees. Both the TCDSU President and GSU President sit on the College’s Finance Committee and on the College Board. The memorandum recommend that “best practice” will see both presidents meet at least twice a month. McNulty noted that such meetings had been “difficult” in some cases in the past.
“Year on year, communication cannot be based on individuals in positions. Communication must be consistent”, Collins said, adding that “it is good we are working together and sharing ideas”.
Commenting on the current lack of a formal structure to facilitate cooperation between the unions, Collins said: “I don’t know what was happening before, but the structure to have that in place wasn’t there, or at least not enacted.”
The memorandum will be reviewed by the unions every three years, with the next review in November 2019.
A motion will also go to GSU’s council tomorrow calling on the union to support TCDSU’s mandate to campaign for a student centre, which was passed at a meeting of TCDSU council this October.
