Governance Committee Members

The Organisation

The Union of Students in Ireland, founded in 1959, is the national student representative organisation for the island of Ireland.  Its members are the Students’ Unions of affiliated third level institutions in Ireland, North and South, and their students. It is led by an elected Executive Team including policy officers, regional officers and a President, and its supreme policy formation body is its Annual Congress.

In Northern Ireland, USI works with the UK’s National Union of Students in the Trilateral organisation ‘NUS-USI’.  USI is an unincorporated association.

The Role

The Union of Students in Ireland is seeking to recruit three external members of its Governance Committee. The Committee is particularly interested in individuals with recent and relevant experience in HR, accounting, fundraising and knowledge of the third level education sector.  Past experience in USI would be welcome but is not necessary.  Specifically, an external member of the Governance Committee may not have been a staff member, service provider or member of USI for three years prior to their appointment. 

The term of office is for three years.

The Committee

The Governance Committee is composed of an independent external chairperson, the President of USI, four representatives of the Students’ Unions in membership and four external members.

General duties of the Governance Committee

• Comply with the organisation’s governing documents
• Provide a forum for the senior management of the organisation to provide accountability on the activities of the union
• Receive and scrutinise the accounts and budget of the union
• Approve the accounts of the union prior to USI Congress
• Act with Reasonable Care and Skill in providing guidance and oversight of the activities of the union

Responsibilities will include the following

Providing input to the strategic direction of the organisation and contributing with insight, oversight, and experience of strategy formulation in the sector.

Policy formation and implementation as required Essential Skills/Qualities required for these roles

• A knowledge of the activities of the Union of Students in Ireland
• An understanding of and commitment to our mission and values
• A commitment to the principle of student leadership of the national union

Meetings

There will typically be no more than six Governance Committee meetings in the year, and hybrid meetings take place at the USI HQ in Harold’s Cross, Dublin, and online.

Remuneration

There is no remuneration for these positions, but reasonable expenses and travel costs to attend meetings will be reimbursed.

Appointment

Appointment to the committee will be by the National Council of the Union. A simple selection process will be led by the President of the Union.