Hannah Ryan & Leanna Byrne | News Editor & Editor
The University Times has learned of decisions to cut the amount of funds allocated to capitated bodies in College by 5% for 2013-14, and a further 5% for 2014-15.
Overall allocations for this year will be €1,087,853, nearly €60,000 of a reduction compared with last year’s €1,145,109 distributed to capitated bodies. Cuts of 5% on the 2012/13 figures have been imposed across the board, meaning that Dublin University Central Athletic Club (DUCAC), the Central Societies Committee (CSC), Trinity College Students’ Union (TCDSU), the Graduate Students’ Union (GSU), and Trinity Publications will all suffer losses.
The cuts were not revealed to the Capitation Committee until nearly five months after the decision was made.
The cuts were revealed in an email sent to all members of the Capitation Committee this morning by Senior Dean and Chair to the Committee, Moray McGowan. It was said that these were among a number of financial decisions approved by the College Board on 26 June 2013 on foot of recommendations made by the Planning Group in College.
However, McGowan also stated that while he “had been advised” in the last academic year that reductions might be imposed in 2013-14, he received “no formal notification of this decision” until last Thursday, 14 November – nearly five months after the plans were initially approved.
Furthermore, the reduction is “not explicitly mentioned” in the minutes from the Board meeting last June; it forms a part of Planning Group Report Number 9, which is not reproduced in the minutes.
Speaking about the cuts, TCDSU Education Officer Jack Leahy stated: “‘The decision announced today through the Senior Dean is extremely concerning, both in its consequences and in the manner in which it was reached.
“This development evidences the influence of Planning Group, which operates outside of defined Board and University Council structures without student representation.”
“College is aware, as evidenced by its external representations of university life, of the importance of a vibrant student activity community to education. Activities in sports, societies, representation and publications are pretty much entirely student-led and College achieves an incalculable return on its investment in those pursuits.
“I have no doubt that activity levels will have to be scaled back in accordance with these measures. This is particularly unwelcome during this year of authorship of College’s strategic plan 2014-19, which articulates College’s priorities for the rest of the decade.”
“We have set our budget expecting to have the same allocation as last year and by the 1st of October we would have already made applications for grants.”
Leahy continued, “More worryingly, this development evidences the influence of Planning Group, which operates outside of defined Board and University Council structures without student representation. Board does not appear to have been given the opportunity to scrutinise the recommendation, but its approval was minuted. This development in particular threatens the whole integrity of College governance.”
Honorary Chairman of DUCAC, Cyril Smyth, said that he was “flabbergasted” by the proposed cuts to their budget as the budget has been the same for the past seven years.
“The most ridiculous thing is the gap in communication,” explained Smyth. “They knew about this since the 26th of June and they waited five months to tell us. We have set our budget expecting to have the same allocation as last year and by the 1st of October we would have already made applications for grants.”
Smyth went on to say that the capitated bodies will be opposing these cuts and will collaborate to figure out what their strategy will be on this issue.
A meeting of the capitated bodies in college has been proposed, which would take place tomorrow, Friday 22 November.
