USI Levy

Cathal McCann

Hey, this might be a bit random, Im registering as a post grad next year and I seem to have lost all my general knowledge about college that I once had.

Does one have to pay the USI Levy? I don't think I paid it last year and I really can't be bothered with it.

ASFAIK its voluntary - however EduBart, EduCat or EduMyth (among some) will know better..

Crash

Its not exactly voluntary. By not paying it, TCDSU would be paying for it in your stead, as far as I remember.

All postgrads are members of TCDSU, TCDSU is a member of USI, therefore it will show up on charges, I think :P

Boston

&#231 wrote: »

All postgrads are members of TCDSU, TCDSU is a member of USI, therefore it will show up on charges, I think :P

Nope all postgrads are members of the TCDGSU but I think its a member of the USI, I'm pretty certain I saw mention of a levy for the USI. Just don't pay it, Trinity cares nots and theres no come back on you.

Crash

Ugh you didnt read my post at all Joe. All postgrads are members of the SU and the GSU.

on the just don't pay it note, a group can dissaffiliate, and individualy cannot. so for every person that doesn't pay, 8 euro of TCDSU's often strapped finances disappears due to them having to pay your levy for you.

at least i'm pretty sure thats how this situtation was explained when I queried it.

Boston

&#231 wrote: »

Ugh you didnt read my post at all Joe. All postgrads are members of the SU and the GSU.

I see no mention of the GSU in your posts and I saw no mention of the SU in the forms trinity sent me, but the GSU was mentioned. Maybe the SU steaks some claim on postgrads, I don't know,

on the just don't pay it note, a group can dissaffiliate, and individualy cannot. so for every person that doesn't pay, 8 euro of TCDSU's often strapped finances disappears due to them having to pay your levy for you.

And I care because? Its the SU choice to be a member, and yea I know all the ****e about "you are the union", however I was given no choice on being a member and as such I refuse to participate in any way shape of form.

Joe
SS Student Union class Rep.

Tacitha

All graduate students are members of the SU: most neither know nor care, but it isn't a question of the SU staking a claim. The constitution we voted on this year for example has clauses covering the cooperation of the two bodies on graduate student matters. And certain college committees -
Finance for example, which is an important one - don't have GSU reps at all, so any GSU concerns to be voiced there normally go through the SU.

Graduate students were also entitled to vote in the referendum on USI membership, and a few dozen probably did, so this isn't a matter of the undergraduate body voting and then imposing its decision on postgraduate students.

All that being said, you aren't legally obliged to pay the USI levy, and if you aren't paying other fees, you may be asked not to as it cuts down on administration costs for college. While I don't like to pay it, having no time for the USI, I don't like the idea of the SU parting with lots of its cash to subsidise people who don't. I'm not convinced though, that it actually does this.

Hitchhiker's Guide to...

Wouldn't pay it Cathal - USI is essentially an undergrad body, despite some minor attempts to cover that up. Save yourself the 8 euro.

Hitchhiker's Guide to...

Tacitha wrote:

Graduate students were also entitled to vote in the referendum on USI membership, and a few dozen probably did

:rolleyes:

Crash

I'd agree with you on this - Not really sure what their postgraduate officer can say he did last year really.

xeduCat

Quick summary as most of the answers have been given, but my name was taken in vain above

1. All postgrads have a vote in both SU and GSU elections/referenda/etc. Some would phrase this as membership, others as entitlement - I'll neatly skip over that for now in the interests of clarity

2. The SU (as an organisation) is affiliated to USI (an organisation). This means that the SU (qua organisation) holds certain voting rights at USI and has to pay a fee (calculated on the membership (whatever!) numbers of the SU).

3. USI has no individual members, at least in any functional sense. Just organisations.

4. The bill paid by the SU to USI is set by USI according to a formula.

5. The SU chooses to raise the money for paying the bill through a levy (which is a choice, not a USI rule), approved by referendum. They raise more than they need for the bill and the balance goes on things like bills for training events, etc. College also takes a cut for administration (which is significant due to the fact that the levy means a pile of extra giros for otherwise-no-fee students).

6. I understand College practice to be that no student is refused registration due to failure to pay the levy (although they neither advertise this nor make any attempt to discourage levy-only students from paying - the circulated documents simply say that the payment is due). There are long-standing legal doubts over whether requiring it would stand up (for a mixture of fee regulations and - unproven but interesting - freedom of association issues). I also understand (anecdotally) that this advice varies in response to in-person queries / phone calls...

7. College makes no distinction between UG/PG students in the collection of the levy.

8. The SU does not receive information on who has paid/not paid. They receive a block transfer, minus College's admin cut.

9. USI receives no information on the numbers who pay the levy nor on the amount collected. They simply issue an invoice to TCDSU based on the TCD student numbers (which are collected through a mix of official sources and self-declaration by the SU).

None of the above is a reflection on past colleagues or either organisation. Seek independent legal advice. Terms and conditions apply.

(edited for two typos)

Cathal McCann

Hey, wasn't too worried about GSU/SU divide as most post grads couldn't give two tosses about the GSU and are too busy working...

Anyway, after looking through some stacks of records, found that I didn't pay it. I remeber that only about £2 is required to pay the levy per student and that the rest is used for piss ups and junkets for SU hacks to USI meetings, congress etc.

I think all students should be informed that the USI levy is non mandatory.

xeduCat

xeduCat wrote:

Terms and conditions apply.

You forgot 'The value of this post may rise as well as fall'.