This Week in USI March 27th – April 7th, 2017

Apr 7, 2017 | Featured, Week In USI

General:

  • The next USI Officer Board have been elected and will begin their term on July 1st. You can read the full results here. See who your next USI Officer Board are here!
  • Last week USI held the annual Congress in Ennis with over 200 delegates in attendance. Have a look at how the Congress went and tag yourself in the photos here.
  • USI attended the NUS-USI Conference with the NUS President and discussed key issues for students in Northern Ireland.

[L-R]: Síona Cahill (Vice President for Equality and Citizenship), Amy Kelly (Vice President for Campaigns), Michael Kerrigan (President), Michelle Byrne (Vice President for the Southern Region), Niamh Murtagh (Vice President for Welfare), Jimmy McGovern (Vice President for the BMW Region), Oisin Hassan (Vice President for Academic Affairs)

Policy and Campaigns:

  • The USI President, along with the USI Vice President for BMW Region and the President of AIT Students’ Union, presented to the Oireachtas on April 5th on the future of higher education funding emphasising the need for a publicly funded system. Tommy Broughan TD facilitated the briefing and made a strong statement calling on Fianna Fáil to take a stance.
  • The USI President presented to the Parents Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools (PACCS) and gained their support for publicly funded higher education.
  • USI welcomed the re-Introduction of postgraduate grants and encouraged students to apply early for their SUSI grants. Read the full statement here.
  • The Vice President for Equality and Citizenship attended the briefing for the Labour party harassment law bill, which seeks to update the law in the areas of online harassment, including with regard to revenge porn.
  • The Vice President for Welfare attended the 8th Taskforce meeting of the Youth mental health taskforce in Hawkins house. The Vice President for Welfare discussed third level counselling services and his recent work with the Psychological Counsellors in Higher Education in Ireland (PCHEI) and HSE and collaborations going forward.
  • The Vice President for Equality & Citizenship worked with young people’s LGBT+ advocacy organisation BelongTo this weekend on developing the consultation for the upcoming National LGBTI+ Strategy at a weekend residential with the National Youth Advisory group in Booterstown. National Consultations will launch on Wednesday April 12th with a Facebook live event.
  • On April 6th, NStEP inducted 17 new institutions, bringing to 22 the total number of institutions and Students’ Unions involved in improving student engagement.

USI President presenting the PACCS in Ashbourne on publicly funded higher education and the need for a dual higher education and apprenticeship system

  • ​The Vice President for Equality & Citizenship met with the board of ICOS (Irish Council for International Students) to discuss a collaborative event between ICOS and USI to get feedback from International Students in Ireland on their experiences of accommodation and wellbeing and what can be improved. The first International Students forum will take place on April 21st in the TCD Global Room from 5-7pm. Registration is free – just email equality@usi.ie.​
  • The Vice President for Welfare alongside the Vice President for Campaigns meet with the head of National Office Of Suicide Prevention (NOSP) in relation to rolling out mental health training and campaigns for the third level sector.
  • The Vice President for Welfare attended launch of mental health first aid with Minister for Mental Health and Older People Helen McEntee and Anne O Connor from HSE alongside head of training for Mental Health First Aid Ireland.
  • The Vice President for Equality and Citizenship was invited to address the annual conference of the National Learning Network and Rehab group on Tuesday 5th of April in the Gibson, Dublin. She spoke about the common platform our organisations work on in relation to education and the progression and successful transition of learners, regardless of disability or learning difficulty.
  • The Vice President for Welfare attended the Portlaoise Credit Union parents night to talk to parents and students about 3rd level, SUSI and accommodation.
  • The Vice President for the Southern Region chaired election proceedings for IT Tralee Students’ Union elections.

[L-R] Tommy Broughan TD, Kevin Ronan (President of AIT Students’ Union), Michael Kerrigan (USI Vice President for the BMW Region), Annie Hoey (USI President), Ailish Logue (USI Public Affairs Assistant) outside Leinster House after the USI briefing to the Oireachtas on publicly funded higher education

Campaign Spotlight:

Launch of the #ItStopsNow

The Union of Students in Ireland are proud lead partners with the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) #ItStopsNow project. ​The Vice President for Equality & Citizenship spoke at the Irish launch of the project in the Law Society, Dublin on Tuesday 5th of April.​

Our EU partners include the ​Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies (MIGS) in Cyprus, Rape Crisis Scotland (RCS), The Women’s Issues Information Centre (WIIC) in Lithuania and The Women’s Equality Commissioner, Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich in Germany.  Each project partner is working with higher education institutions, both staff and students, statutory agencies and NGO’s focused on combatting sexual violence and harassment against women.

The project will build a culture of zero tolerance of sexual harassment and violence in third level institutions by raising awareness through active campaigning and by developing training and policy resources for students and staff.  ESHTE project actions will work  to ensure there is a coherent framework driving clear reporting and disclosure mechanisms, resourcing strong support services and ensuring long-term, sustainable interventions.

The Union of Students in Ireland are proud lead partners with the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) #ItStopsNow project. ​The Vice President for Equality & Citizenship spoke at the Irish launch of the project in the Law Society, Dublin on Tuesday 5th of April.​