Trinity News on Instagram: “TCDSU have been issued a €214k fine by College for financial losses incurred by disruptive protests by the union throughout the year.”
Trinity News on Instagram: “TCDSU have been issued a €214k fine by College for financial losses incurred by disruptive protests by the union throughout the year.”
>College hits students’ union with €214k fine for disruptive protests
The junior dean also summoned several students to disciplinary meetings including László Molnárfi and Jenny Maguire
Stephen Conneely
Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) have been issued a €214k fine by College for financial losses incurred by disruptive protests by the union throughout the year.
>The invoice for €214,285 was sent to TCDSU administrative officer Simon Evans, who has called an urgent meeting with the union’s sabbatical officers.
>TCDSU has been given until May 30 to pay this invoice. Five dates in which they protested have been cited for the “partial losses” of College’s income.
>Cited instances for the loss of income include this week’s silent protest outside the Book of Kells, and a Trinity Postgraduate Workers’ Organisation (PWO TCD) blockade of the Book of Kells earlier this month.
>Two instances of Trinity Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (TCD BDS) blocking the Book of Kells and the Old Library entrance in February were cited, as well as TCDSU’s first major blockade of the Book of Kells last September.
>The fine of €214k represented around 20% of the union’s total annual income, based on its financial reports, a majority of which is made up of grants directly from College.
>The Junior Dean has summoned four individuals – President László Molnárfi, Comms Officer Aiesha Wong, President-elect Jenny Maguire and head of PWO TCD Jeffrey Sardina – into disciplinary meetings regarding various actions throughout the year.
>In an email to Wong seen by Trinity News, the Junior Dean specified that TCDSU sabbatical officers fall under the definition of a Trinity student and therefore are subject to the same disciplinary procedures as all other students. It also stated that the protests involved “actions that disrupt the normal operation of activities within the college”.
>The disciplinary is in relation to “a blockade of the Book of Kells Pavillion and the Long Room on Tuesday, 30 April 2024”.
>On Monday April 29, the Junior Dean emailed Wong warning that engaging in “such actions may represent disciplinary offences that would lead to the institution of disciplinary proceedings against persons involved”.
>He noted in the email that “a student found guilty of an offence may also be required to pay compensation or make reparation or restitution to the university. This could include compensation for the full extent of any financial damage suffered by the university or college on foot of reputational loss or its normal business being disrupted by the student.”
>The fine “becomes a debt to the university that must be paid as a prerequisite to graduation” for all persons involved.
>This blockade was in protest of a proposed 2.3% fee increase in single-year masters’ degrees and 10% increase for non-EU courses and certain programmes.
>TCDSU had sent a “formal notice of escalation” to Provost Linda Doyle demanding she replace the proposed fee increase with a fee freeze proposal from the agenda of the Finance Committee taking place on April 30.
>This prompted the Provost to publish a college-wide email warning against causing “serious financial and reputational damage” to College.
>College has been contacted for comment.
Yolo_The_Dog on
disgusting from Trinity
DaveShadow on
That feels like pouring gas on the fire tbh.
Icy-Lab-2016 on
Just asking for trouble. Foolish behavior by Trinity.
rossitheking on
That’s insane. Trinity’s dean and President need to walk
ghostofgralton on
Fair play to the student’s union doing what a student’s union is supposed to do and stick up for their members. Too many are just a stepping stone to a career in national politics
yamalamama on
Sounds like a solo run going on in trinity and with what’s going on in the states with regards to protesting, escalation like this is a bad idea.
The politicians won’t be happy with garnering international attention for the wrong reasons so I’d say they’ll be walking it back shortly
aarrow_12 on
From an outside PoV this the funniest most brain dead move TCD could’ve made.
Like you’re now not only going to piss off a bunch of students who couldn’t give a shit about the SU, but no doubt you’ve just dragged a bunch of TDs into this mess who are going to escalate this even further.
You really gotta wonder what goes through peoples heads sometimes.
LedgeLord210 on
Trinity going to Trinity
Storyboys on
That is horrendous from Trinity.
Basically threatening the SU officers jobs and threatening personal civil lawsuits. That is scandalous behaviour and a very blatant attempt to silence.
Those students should probably seek legal advice.
Whoever decided that was a good strategy is an idiot.
ShoddyPreparation on
Just sending someone a invoice and saying they owe you a amount of money for reasons probably isn’t a legally tight excuse.
The student Union are probably in the right to tell them to shove it
LimerickJim on
“a student found guilty of an offence may also be required to pay compensation or make reparation or restitution to the university. This could include compensation for the full extent of any financial damage suffered by the university or college on foot of reputational loss or its normal business being disrupted by the student.”
Anyone know if this is something TCD can legally impose?
Alarming_Task_2727 on
Students need to conduct themselves legally like everyone else.
Their protesting is blocking access to national treasures managed by the University. Of course the college should hold the SU responsible for the damages.
Otherwise the University shouldn’t be in charge of these treasures.
I was a student only a few years ago. The SU never represented me. They were pushing straight strange agendas I wanted no part in.
13 Comments
Taken from trinitynews.ie
2 May 2024
>College hits students’ union with €214k fine for disruptive protests
The junior dean also summoned several students to disciplinary meetings including László Molnárfi and Jenny Maguire
Stephen Conneely
Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) have been issued a €214k fine by College for financial losses incurred by disruptive protests by the union throughout the year.
>The invoice for €214,285 was sent to TCDSU administrative officer Simon Evans, who has called an urgent meeting with the union’s sabbatical officers.
>TCDSU has been given until May 30 to pay this invoice. Five dates in which they protested have been cited for the “partial losses” of College’s income.
>Cited instances for the loss of income include this week’s silent protest outside the Book of Kells, and a Trinity Postgraduate Workers’ Organisation (PWO TCD) blockade of the Book of Kells earlier this month.
>Two instances of Trinity Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (TCD BDS) blocking the Book of Kells and the Old Library entrance in February were cited, as well as TCDSU’s first major blockade of the Book of Kells last September.
>The fine of €214k represented around 20% of the union’s total annual income, based on its financial reports, a majority of which is made up of grants directly from College.
>The Junior Dean has summoned four individuals – President László Molnárfi, Comms Officer Aiesha Wong, President-elect Jenny Maguire and head of PWO TCD Jeffrey Sardina – into disciplinary meetings regarding various actions throughout the year.
>In an email to Wong seen by Trinity News, the Junior Dean specified that TCDSU sabbatical officers fall under the definition of a Trinity student and therefore are subject to the same disciplinary procedures as all other students. It also stated that the protests involved “actions that disrupt the normal operation of activities within the college”.
>The disciplinary is in relation to “a blockade of the Book of Kells Pavillion and the Long Room on Tuesday, 30 April 2024”.
>On Monday April 29, the Junior Dean emailed Wong warning that engaging in “such actions may represent disciplinary offences that would lead to the institution of disciplinary proceedings against persons involved”.
>He noted in the email that “a student found guilty of an offence may also be required to pay compensation or make reparation or restitution to the university. This could include compensation for the full extent of any financial damage suffered by the university or college on foot of reputational loss or its normal business being disrupted by the student.”
>The fine “becomes a debt to the university that must be paid as a prerequisite to graduation” for all persons involved.
>This blockade was in protest of a proposed 2.3% fee increase in single-year masters’ degrees and 10% increase for non-EU courses and certain programmes.
>TCDSU had sent a “formal notice of escalation” to Provost Linda Doyle demanding she replace the proposed fee increase with a fee freeze proposal from the agenda of the Finance Committee taking place on April 30.
>This prompted the Provost to publish a college-wide email warning against causing “serious financial and reputational damage” to College.
>College has been contacted for comment.
disgusting from Trinity
That feels like pouring gas on the fire tbh.
Just asking for trouble. Foolish behavior by Trinity.
That’s insane. Trinity’s dean and President need to walk
Fair play to the student’s union doing what a student’s union is supposed to do and stick up for their members. Too many are just a stepping stone to a career in national politics
Sounds like a solo run going on in trinity and with what’s going on in the states with regards to protesting, escalation like this is a bad idea.
The politicians won’t be happy with garnering international attention for the wrong reasons so I’d say they’ll be walking it back shortly
From an outside PoV this the funniest most brain dead move TCD could’ve made.
Like you’re now not only going to piss off a bunch of students who couldn’t give a shit about the SU, but no doubt you’ve just dragged a bunch of TDs into this mess who are going to escalate this even further.
You really gotta wonder what goes through peoples heads sometimes.
Trinity going to Trinity
That is horrendous from Trinity.
Basically threatening the SU officers jobs and threatening personal civil lawsuits. That is scandalous behaviour and a very blatant attempt to silence.
Those students should probably seek legal advice.
Whoever decided that was a good strategy is an idiot.
Just sending someone a invoice and saying they owe you a amount of money for reasons probably isn’t a legally tight excuse.
The student Union are probably in the right to tell them to shove it
“a student found guilty of an offence may also be required to pay compensation or make reparation or restitution to the university. This could include compensation for the full extent of any financial damage suffered by the university or college on foot of reputational loss or its normal business being disrupted by the student.”
Anyone know if this is something TCD can legally impose?
Students need to conduct themselves legally like everyone else.
Their protesting is blocking access to national treasures managed by the University. Of course the college should hold the SU responsible for the damages.
Otherwise the University shouldn’t be in charge of these treasures.
I was a student only a few years ago. The SU never represented me. They were pushing straight strange agendas I wanted no part in.