Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 19:

In page 19, to delete lines 33 and 34 and substitute the following:

“(iii) at least 2 but not more than 4 students of the technological university, nominated by the student union in accordance with its own procedures,”.

I will speak to amendments Nos. 19, 20, 32 and 38 which relate to the representation of students on the academic councils. In section 17 of the Bill, the functions and the role of the academic council within the technological universities are clearly outlined. They include developing new university programmes, promoting the interest of community stakeholders, selecting new research areas, looking at questions of assessment, appeals and academic standards and, crucially, making recommendations around the selection, retention and exclusion of students. It is clear the academic council has a critical role and is an important forum for how the university will develop, with many fundamental and important decisions being made. It is therefore crucial that students have a voice, role and representation on the academic council, and that the voice be a strong one. Many would speak about the community of learning that we hope for and aspire to in all our third level institutions and in our universities, and students are a crucial part of that and, therefore, some of the work of the academic council.

The current concern about the Bill may arise from an oversight and it is not the intention of the Minister of State or any of the institutions. The Bill currently does not provide any guarantee there will be any student representation on the academic council. As drafted, the Bill states, "shall provide for such number of students of the college, as it considers appropriate, to be members of the academic council". The concern is that a technological university could consider it appropriate to have no representatives of students on the academic council. That is not a practice people would want. I have spoken to staff and student members of academic councils and most people would recognise that there is a constructive and positive role in having all those voices represented. There is a concern because as it is currently set out, there is no guarantee of a student voice within the council.

This does not fit the intention of the Bill and I imagine it is not the Minister or State's intention. We really need to see a signal from her in this regard. I note that on Second Stage she spoke about student representation on academic councils and this is an opportunity for her to signal that where there is an inadvertent omission within the Bill, she would be willing to address it or take it on board. She said on Second Stage that students should be part of the academic council. This is a chance to ensure we follow through and put in place a basic mechanism for this. We are willing to work with the Minister of State and others across the House to find the most constructive way forward, so we have put forward four alternative ways in which the matter could be addressed. We are happy to work with the Minister of State and others in the House around any of them.

Amendments Nos. 19 and 20 offer two key options. Amendment No. 19 allows for at least two but not more than four student members. Amendment No. 20, which is very basic, indicates the student membership of the academic council should not fall below one member, meaning there should be a minimum of one student on each academic council in each university. If the Minister of State cannot accept that as a simple minimum, there is a question over whether this House's input is being respected.