The Graduate Students’ Union (GSU) has voted this evening to create a third sabbatical officer position to represent PhD students on the union’s executive committee.
The motion will be a full-time, paid position alongside the two current sabbatical officer positions.
The motion said that creating the position would allow the GSU “to grow in stature and to become an example of how a Union for Postgraduate Students can effect [sic] real change not only on a College level but also on a national level”.
“PhD researchers would enjoy increased representation as a third officer means a greater workload can be dealt with and the Union can continue to grow, flourish and effectively voice the needs of their members.”
Speaking in favour of the motion, Shelby Zimmerman said that “a dedicated PhD advocate would allow our voices to be heard” and that “PhD students don’t have time to do the work required”.
The GSU also shot down a proposal to formally divest from Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) after two votes, with uncertainty surrounding the voting process at the EGM this evening.
When the first vote ended, it appeared that it had lost by two votes, but GSU vice president Abhisweta Bhattacharjee, who was chairing the meeting, said that it was a tie and as chair had the casting vote.
She later said that it had come to her attention that the vote was “not a clear one” and that members would vote again. By then, there were around 255 people on the Zoom call, down from around over 500 at the start of the meeting.
Bhattacharjee sent the voting link into the Zoom chat box, but there was no way of verifying whether those with the link were in fact GSU members.
The chat box was otherwise disabled for those on the call. Attendees who wanted to speak did so by writing short messages on paper and holding them up to their cameras. Several protested the decision to read out the entire new constitution section by section. Others wrote messages on the slides that were being presented by GSU Vice President Abhisweta Bhattacharjee.
In response to concerns that anyone can vote on the motions, Bhattacharjee said that there should be no one else in attendance at the meeting apart from members of the GSU.
Speaking against the motion, the union’s research officer Serena Foo said: “The GSU have not been able to prove that they can stand on their own two feet efficiently.”
Speaking in favour of the motion, Mark Beirne said the proposed divestment was not about creating an “acrimonious” relationship with TCDSU, but would ensure “the independence of the GSU” and provide “clarity on who represents us”.
