Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) President Jenny Maguire “wants to continue to show that the union is a force to be reckoned with” as a new sabbatical team settles into office ahead of the new academic year.
Highlighting that “so much of College has been run like a business”, students have been excluded as management “sees student spaces and student services as expendable, or something that can be cut because it doesn’t provide profit”.
Speaking to the working relationship between TCDSU and senior College management, she characterised last year as “just tension and vitriol back and forth”. Although this relationship has improved, Maguire added that she “[has] not compromised any of [her] morals or politics”.
“I think College has been made aware of just how powerful the students’ union can be, so it’s completely reshaped the relationship in a way that is unapologetically student-focused”.
This approach will be best exemplified by TCDSU’s first draft proposal of a renewed Student Partnership Agreement with College. “We’ve included everything from broader support for the Irish language, for period poverty, for student workers – we are demanding the world of them because that is what students need”, she said.
She added that the union has included a clause which asks College to “respect the right to protest as a legitimate form of airing grievances in this student partnership”: “We’ll see how they respond to that, because, frankly, last year they didn’t respect that.”
Maguire credits TCDSU Education Officer Eoghan Gilroy with the first draft proposal, to which he added that “over the next couple of weeks there’ll be a series of negotiations on that front”.
Gilroy has already achieved the long-awaited integration of post-graduate students and researchers into TCDSU after a two year lack of representation following the collapse of the Graduate Students’ Union (GSU).
“The College has been very accommodating and so incredibly supportive in terms of postgrads and integrating them into the union”, he said.
He has also been developing policy proposals regarding academic progression and the return of coursework which he plans to bring to College’s Education Committee this October.
Further plans include developing a harmonised policy on lecture recording, which he views as an accessibility issue, and a cohesive guide on generative AI in academic contexts.
Communications and Marketing Officer Beth Strahan ran on a promise to “get bums on seats” and union engagement is therefore a top priority for her this year.
The first real test of engagement for the union each year is the class representative elections, which Strahan has been working closely with Gilroy and Engagement Officer James Carey to promote.
In addition to “revitalising” TCDSU’s social media campaigns, Strahan plans to also prioritise in person engagement including “actively going up to people”.
In preparation for the incoming first years, Strahan has organised 5,000 “fresher packs”, while also taking “environmental caution” into account. She plans to donate unused tote bags with the old TCDSU logo to the Junior Common Room (JCR). Banners advertising the union, which Strahan says will be placed in St. James’ Hospital and the Hamilton building, are also part of the union’s freshers week plans.
“I didn’t step foot in house 6 until third year and that was just for the shop,” Strahan said, highlighting the issue she seeks to tackle.
First-ever Gaeilge officer seeks to set strong example
TCDSU’s inaugural Irish language officer Pádraig Mac Brádaigh is seeking to “establish a firm foundation for the future of the role”, stressing sustainable reform. He aspires to “ensure that all of the changes that are made to the constitution, and also to the basic operation of the union, remain.”
”We require new infrastructure within the union. I’m looking at options to hire students to help with translations”, he said, seeking to avoid “being overloaded with a million translations to do.”
“What I’m trying to do is to put pressure on College to make sure they are fulfilling their obligations under the Official Languages Act. At present, they are not fully complying”, Mac Brádaigh said.
“What I can do is, in addition showing all the passion of the community, when I do meet with college officials I put pressure on them – as I will report them if they are not willing to comply with the legislation; they will be dealing with an investigation from the Coimisinéir Teanga.”
Mac Brádaigh did recognise the difficulty for College to hire sufficient translator and Gaelgoirí due to lack of funding – but vows to continue his work for the language nonetheless.
