Policy Manual June 2015



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15 UO12 Student summit

Congress notes


The value of the student summit.

Congress further notes


That without a plan in place the event may become stagnant or fail to expand.

Congress mandates


The USI President to put together a strategic plan for the future of the Student Summit.

15 UO13 Mature student supports



Congress Notes:


The high increase in the numbers of mature students attending third level education and the difficulties they face.

Congress also notes:


The success of peer supports such as Mature Student Convention provided by the Vice President for Equality and Citizenship across Irish Third Level Institutions Students’ Unions.

Congress further notes:


The benefits of having a mature student officer be it fulltime or part-time in each MO

Congress is aware:


The benefits to mature students in holding a Mature Student Conference and the development of mature student officer be it fulltime or part-time in each MO, with support provided by the Vice President for Equality and Citizenship.

Congress mandates:


The Vice President for Equality and Citizenship to continue their work in the development of a mature student officer be it fulltime or part-time in each MO.

Congress further mandates:


The Vice President for Equality and Citizenship to hold a Mature Student convention to take place annually in the first semester of each academic year.

15 UO13 International Students participation:

Congress notes:


The importance of international students and the broad and diverse communities they bring to Irish Institutions.

Congress further notes with concern:


That international students may at times feel isolated from the Irish students and this issue needs to be addressed.

Congress Understands:


That international students face different issues and interact with institutions in different ways to Irish residence students.

Congress Identifies:


Our membership to European Students Union contains a wealth of information on issues pertaining to the needs of visiting and international students.

Congress Mandates:


Both the VP AAQA and the VP Equality and citizenship to investigate the experiences of international students on Irish campuses and prepare a document outlining best practices (nationally and/or internationally) of encouraging international student engagement in the Irish Student Movement and in the student experience in general. The documents recommendations should be submitted for discussion and agreement from MOs within the first two national councils in the academic year

15 UO16 Campaigning for student nurses

Congress welcomes:


Cooperation between USI and relevant trade unions on the remuneration and treatment of student nurses.

Congress notes with concern:


The considerable problems experienced by student nurses alongside the issue of the grossly unfair trainee wage imposed on them, such as an exploitative graduate programme, increased hours and reduced salaries for a small number of graduate places.

Congress mandates:


The VP Campaigns and VP Academic Affairs & Quality Assurance to strive to work with the relevant trade unions and to mobilise students around a new, broader campaign that would be inclusive of the poor treatment of student nurses as a whole.

Congress also mandates:


The same officers to ensure that USI is working to ensure that disputes, negotiations and political lobbying in this area is inclusive of the student perspective.

15 UO17 Supporting a coalition of staff and students in third level



Congress notes:


That many of the goals of the USI and trade unions representing the academic community are one and the same. Furthermore, that USI has been seeking to build consensus around the student movement’s core belief in higher education as a public good.

Congress also notes:


That there is student solidarity for the impact of Employment Control Framework and casualised labour on lecturers and other essential staff on campus, to go along with a large amount of staff solidarity for the plight of student finances and the impact of austerity on the youth.

Congress acknowledges:


The campaigning and lobbying successes of similar coalitions in other countries such as the recent abolition of tuition fees in Germany.

Congress calls on:


Student and staff representatives across the country to make every effort to work alongside one another and to present a strong coalition that champions higher education as a public good and addresses issues of higher education funding and regulation.

Congress mandates:


The President to endeavour to have a terms of reference and accord brought to National Council for agreement in July and to report back as appropriate.

15 UO18 Student manifesto ahead of the next general election



Congress notes:


That there will be a General Election no later than April 2016.

Congress affirms:


That USI must seek to make solutions to core student issues part of the next Programme for Government.

Congress notes:


The process by which NUS and NUS-USI’s ‘#GenerationVote’ campaign sought to a) highlight the upcoming elections and the importance of students voting and b) gather student feedback on what a student general election manifesto should include.

Congress mandates:


The VP Campaigns to arrange for an Irish student manifesto ahead of the next general elections, as part of the wider national campaign. The rollout of this should be a priority for the Campaigns Working Group and Campaigns Sub-Committee.


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