Latest: Trinity welcomes end of students' occupation of college over new fee
Trinity College Dublin has welcomed the Students’ Union and Graduate Students’ Union's decision to wind down protests and the occupancy of buildings.
The university’s management has undertaken to consider alternative proposals on supplemental exam fees, modular billing and postgraduate/non EU fees at the next Board meeting.
Looks like #TakeBackTrinity protests are winding down. Now looking forward to renewing the student partnership. Expect Dining Hall to return to normal today. It was closed to new protesters yesterday on concern about safety. Strongly regret that the situation then escalated.
— Trinity College Dublin (@tcddublin) March 15, 2018
"There has been good dialogue over the past few days and we now have an agreement between students and university management," said Vice-Provost Chris Morash.
"This will see the protests winding down.
The university is now looking forward to renewing student partnership in the coming days and weeks.
Labour Senator for Dublin University Ivana Bacik welcomed the success of the campaign.
"As a Senator for Dublin University, I welcome the students’ action in opposing this proposed new fee, which is also being opposed by academic and non-academic staff alike as well as students within Trinity.
This new fee proposal may be seen as representing an ongoing process of commodification of education, a process which is of concern to many of us and which is being opposed under the inclusive slogan ‘#TakeBackTrinity’.
"It is good to see the students taking a stand on this, and I will continue to support them in calling on the Trinity College Board to reconsider their decision and withdraw this new fee."
Earlier: Students end their occupation at Trinity but say this isn't the end of their fight
Students at Trinity College Dublin have ended their occupation of the University but say this isn't the end of their fight.
They have been staging a sit-in since Tuesday over the introduction of a €450 charge for repeat exams.
Last night, the president Patrick Prendergast tweeted that the board will seriously consider alternative proposals for the fees at its next meeting.
Agreed with @tcdsu & @trinityGSU that we will seriously consider alternative proposals on supplemental exam fees, modular billing & PG/Non-EU fees at the next Board meeting, and that Trinity is a university that belongs to all of us who study and work here #TakeBackTrinity
— Patrick Prendergast (@pjprendergast) March 14, 2018
Sarah Meehan from the Take Back Trinity Campaign says these comments are not enough.
She said: "We are continuing with our direct action plan for the rest of the day, we are holding a rally and are encouraging all students to go.
"We feel it is enough to end the occupation, we have been here two days, people are getting tired.
We are going to trust Patrick Prendergast on this and if it doesn't go through at the board meeting at the end of the month then more direct action will be planned.
"This is absolutely not the end of our direct action just the end of the occupation."
