Grace Tighe, CASSI Chairperson, explains the group’s three pillars and how they will underpin the future of CASSI. 

As the pandemic restrictions lift and many Chartered Accountants Ireland students start to see the light at the end of the busy season tunnel, we are looking forward to what will come in the summer months. 

With the new year has come a new CASSI Committee, elected on Wednesday 16 February. Working as Education Officer for the past year, I was delighted to be voted in as chairperson for the coming term. During the AGM, previous officers passed advice, tips and tricks to the newly elected committee members to set them up for the year ahead. 

A new committee means a new set of goals and ideas. As a committee, we discussed how we would best like to support and help Chartered Accountants Ireland students in 2022. In doing so, we established three pillars to underpin all of our activities: diversity and inclusion, One CASSI and the future of work and study. 

Diversity and inclusion

In the coming year, CASSI would like all members to feel represented and will ensure that the contributions and perspectives of different groups are valued and celebrated. We are working with the Institute’s new LGBTQ+ network, ‘Balance’, to bring greater awareness and promotion of LGBTQ+ inclusion across the student body. 

One CASSI

Our One CASSI pillar focuses on ensuring all students, regardless of location or entry method, have a chance to engage in CASSI events and meet fellow members. This year, the society is looking forward to organising many more in-person events due to the removal of restrictions. 

A big focus of the committee this year is the CASSI weekend away. This event brings students from all regional societies together. From tales of times past, it is always a great weekend. 

Future of work and study

Our final pillar for the CASSI society of 2022/23 is the future of work and study. This pillar focuses on supporting students in educational delivery and examinations as they navigate the world of online learning. 

Over the past two years, the online delivery of educational material has enabled students to have more control over when and how they study. However, as with most things, the element of face-to-face social interaction with peers has been missing for the past two years. This is something the society and the Institute are working on reviving.
 
CASSI will continue to work with Barden, the group’s sponsor, to host webinars, one-to-one sessions and some in-person events aimed at helping students plot out the next phase of their career and equipping them with the knowledge and tools needed to take their next steps after their training contract. 

As always, the CASSI Committee is here to support and help students in any way we can. Please reach out to us on our social media channels.