What is Union Council (UC)?
Union Council (UC) is a meeting of all the Class Reps and select members of the Executive Committee that meets every two weeks for a minimum of 6 meetings per academic semester.
Union Council is where the Class Reps speak on behalf of their classes to highlight any issues their class is experiencing, provide feedback from their class, or put forward any ideas their class may have for the SU.
What is Union Council? (Continue Reading)
Through Union Council, Class Reps can mandate the Executive Committee to carry out certain actions or take a certain stance on an issue. They can hold the elected Executive Committee Officers accountable for fulfilling their Officership responsibilities.
Any member of MISU (MIC Study Body) may attend Union Council however only class reps and the nominees from the Executive Committee have voting powers.
UC meetings usually last between 30 minutes to 1 hour and have a set agenda. Items may be added to an agenda by emailing misupres@mic.ul.ie in advance of each Union Council Meeting.
Union Council Meetings are chaired by the Union Council Chairperson, the minutes are taken by the Union Council Secretary and there must be at least 40%+1 of the elected class representatives present at a Union Council meeting for it to be quorum. Without quorum at Union Council, any issues or motions that require a vote cannot be carried.
What Issues can be raised at Union Council?
Anything relating to academic life, non-academic life, and overall student experience in MIC can be discussed at Union Council.
Examples of isses that can be raised at UC:
| Academic |
Plagiarism, school placement appeals, grades/results, exams, lecturing standards, class workloads, timetables |
| Financial |
SUSI grants, Student Assistance Fund, Student Welfare Fund, Student Fees |
| College Facilities |
Library facilities, class room standards, IT facilities, bike racks, parking, smoking areas, security, on-campus lighting, photocopying & binding |
| Welfare |
Provision and delivery of student support services |
Once an issues has been raised at Union Council, it is assigned to a Student Officer to either follow up or try to resolve.
The Student Officer should report any progress to the Union Council Chairperson who will in turn report any updates to Union Council.
If there is something you would like raised or discussed at Union Council, it is vital that you link in with your Class Rep who will bring it to the attention of the President, Executive Committee, and Union Council.
Click here to find out who your Class Rep is today!
The Officials of Union Council
There are two very important Officials of Union Council which are voted on at the last meeting of Semester 2 of the current year or the first Union Council meeting of the new academic year. These Officials are Union Council Chairperson and Union Council Secretary.
Union Council Chairperson:
Union Council Secretary:
Any current member of Union Council (class rep) may nominate themselves to be an Official of Union Council. If you are a current class rep and would like to become an Official of Union Council, please email misupres@mic.ul.ie to let us know!
The Sub-Committees of Union Council
As part of Union Council, class reps have the opportunity to nominate themselves to sit on a number of different Sub-Committees of Union Council.
The purpose of these sub-committees is to form smaller working groups within Union Council who will work together to handle specific areas or issues relating to the student experience or MISU.
To ensure we are functioning and supporting our members as best we can, it is essential for MISU to have and fill the required seats on these sub-committees each year.
The Sub-Committees of Union Council are:
| Thurles Campus Class Rep Committee |
The Thurles Campus Class Rep Committee shall be the forum for the Thurles Campus Class Reps to bring forward any issues, concerns or ideas they have in relation to the Thurles Campus as well as to provide feedback. |
| MISU Constitutional Review Committee |
The Constitutional Review Committee shall be tasked with ensuring that the MISU Constitution is relevant and legally sound. |
| MISU Disciplinary Committee |
The Disciplinary Committee shall deal with complaints made in relation to members of the MISU Executive Committee, MISU Union Council, or MISU Clubs and Societies’ Committees. |
| MISU Appeals Committee |
The Appeals Committee shall deal with an appeal by a Union member to a decision made by the Disciplinary Committee. |
| MISU Academic Committee |
The Academic Committee shall be tasked with assisting the Vice-President Academic with developing and reviewing an education policy for the Union. |
| MISU Welfare Committee |
The Welfare committee shall assist the President and the Welfare Officer, with developing an annual Welfare programme for MISU which caters for all students. |
| MISU Equality, Diversity, Inclusion, and Interculturalism Committee |
The Equality, Diversity, Inclusion, and Interculturalism Committee shall be tasked with advising the MISU Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officer on issues pertaining to welfare & equality in MIC. |
| MISU Irish Language Committee |
The Irish Language Committee shall be tasked with advising and assisting MISU and the MISU Irish Language Officer with the promotion of the Irish language and Irish heritage, arts and culture. |
| MISU Clubs & Societies Council |
Clubs & Societies Council shall be the forum for MISU Clubs and Societies to provide an update on their activities, give feedback on and discuss any issues which they have. |
| MISU Postgraduate Committee |
The Postgraduate Committee shall be tasked with ascertaining the needs of, gathering feedback from and discussing issues which are affecting the graduate student population. |
| MISU Student Engagement Committee |
The MISU Student Engagement Committee shall be tasked with ascertaining the needs of, gathering feedback from and developing ideas relating, but not restricted to, on campus activities, the MIC Student Experience, MISU Facilities and the ways to further promote the use of MISU facilities. |
To find out more about the Sub-Committees of Union Council including how often they meet, the number of seats on each as well as which faculties each member needs to be studying under, view Schedule 1: Sub-Committees of Union Council as part of the MISU Constitution.
If you are a current class rep who would like to nominate themselves to sit on one of the Sub-Committees of Union Council, please email misupres@mic.ul.ie to let us know!
Union Council Minutes and Agendas
Click on the below buttons to view the Union Council Agenda's and Minutes from that Academic Year
MISU maintains an archive of all Union Council meeting Agenda's and Minutes from past years. Please email Representation@misu.ie if you would like to receive copies of documents from previous Union Council Meetings.