Postgraduate Student Association

What we do

 

The PSA is your Association; study at postgraduate level can be an exciting and rewarding pursuit. Immersing yourself in research, challenging yourself, working with other academics, exploring the realm of ideas; helping to further your career prospects; there are many good reasons for undertaking postgraduate study.

However, there are times when you'll need support; many postgraduate students experience stress, isolation and a need for additional study skills and resources. These are just a few of the reasons why the Postgraduate Students' Association was formed: it has a history going back to 1989 and is currently one of the two disaffiliated postgraduate associations in the country, with Trinity Graduate Students’ Union being the other.

Postgraduate students constitute a significant and diverse group of students within the University of Limerick (approx 2,500 and this is set to increase). They come from every department, many countries and cultures and have a diversity of needs for support, advocacy and community. The University of Limerick Postgraduate Students' Association was established to provide a range of services to meet these needs. These services range from representation, to direct One2One advice to advisory seminars, to a range of social and cultural events.

The Postgraduate Students' Association is governed by an executive, who are elected at the Annual General Meeting each year, and welcomes postgraduate student involvement in all areas of its activities. To get involved simply email psapresident@ul.ie for more.

 

In addition to maintaining the Common Room here is a short list of what the PSA does.

What we do in brief:

 

  • Education Issues
    • Issues relating to supervision.
    • Issues relating to lecturing.
    • Issues relating to timetabling and assessment.

 

  • Welfare Issues
    • Childcare Bursaries for single parents.
    • Financial Aid Loans – the PSA administers over a fund that supplies a limited number of interest-free hardship loans.
    • The PSA is a resource that can direct you to the medical and counselling services that UL offers.
    • Free Legal Aid – the PSA provides free legal aid to postgrads.
    • A place to come to talk to someone in confidence.

 

  • Representation
    • The PSA President sits on a multitude of committees and forums representing the postgrad point of view. These vary from Governing Authority to the Student Experience Committee.

 

  • Events
    • Wine receptions in the common room.
    • Club-nights in town.
    • Table-quizzes and pub-nights in campus bars.
    • PSA Annual Charity Ball.
    • PSA Kids parties for the children of postgrads at Halloween, Christmas and Easter.