Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union’s (TCDSU) council tonight passed a motion mandating the union to take an official stance opposing a bill that would give the Minister for Higher Education substantial powers to change the make up of university boards.
The motion was proposed by the Union Forum and seconded by TCDSU President Eoin Hand.
The bill would empower the minister to suspend and replace the governing body of state-funded universities, if there are very serious concerns about how the institution is operating.
Speaking in favour of the motion, Hand said: “We believe if this were implemented these changes would significantly impact TCDSU from achieving the aims and principles set out in the Constitution and would have an overall negative impact on the student experience.”
“This motion will mandate the union to adopt a formal stance in opposition of the proposed amendments to the HE Authority Act 1971 generally and in its specific applications to TCD.”
By passing the motion TCDSU council expressed the view that “the proposals in this report constitute a significant overreach of the Government in the administration of Third level education.”
TCDSU council also expressed support for the efforts of College Board “to seek an exemption for Trinity, in line with the University’s exemption to the Universities Act 1997”.
As part of the bill, the government will also be able to impose financial and non-financial penalties on universities and will grant the government sweeping new powers to manage universities and will replace the Higher Education Authority Act 1971.
Under the new bill, the government will also propose to reduce the size of college boards – a particularly hot topic in Trinity, and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) will have a stronger regulatory and oversight role, with regards to statutory codes of governance of universities and statutory performance frameworks for state-funded higher education institutions.
The HEA will also be able to report and review higher education institutions if it has serious concerns regarding its operations.
Council held an extraordinary meeting this evening, after it lost quorum at its scheduled meeting on Tuesday.
The meeting was adjourned after it became apparent that there were not enough members of council present to constitute a quorum.
The request for a quorum call followed a challenge by first-year PPES class rep László Molnárfi to Chair of Council Yannick Gloster over the conduct of a vote to adopt a long-term policy on College’s investments related to weapons and arms manufacturers.
