The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) voted today to introduce a part-time vice-president for postgraduate affairs.
Speaking at the union’s national congress today, USI Vice-President for Academic Affairs Oisín Hassan admitted that a part-time officer was a “compromise solution” – postgraduates have long lobbied for representation at the national union. The new part-time officer will cost approximately €20,000, Hassan said.
“I think this will mean a lot of postgraduates in the South and the North”, he said.
At congress last year, USI voted to delay a decision on this matter until this congress in 2018.
Trinity’s Graduates Students’ Union (GSU) has been prominent in the lobbying of this issue. Speaking at congress today, GSU President Shane Collins thanked USI for “recognising that we need to make sure that postgraduates are represented nationally”.
A few weeks ago, the GSU voted to lobby USI for a vice-president for postgraduate affairs.
