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Ciarán Nevin

President DIT Students' Union

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Presidents Blog

03 August 2011

Howaya keeping,

I’ve experienced this feeling before, the waiting with baited breath over the long quiet summer months, knowing that in September 19,000 students will flood through the doors. To be honest, I can’t wait. The quieter months brought about some much time to recharge and plan for the year ahead but they’re dragging on a bit now.

Each morning, ritualistically, myself and the two vice-presidents strike a day off the calendar – the summer is our advent. Eric and David have been putting together big plans for the year, and you can find out more by having a read of their blogs. Likewise, I’ve been setting out my priorities for the year, combining the aims upon which I was elected and the policies of the Union. If you’re a bit of a political nerd, like me, you’ll find some of this quite exciting. What I can assure you is that whether you find it exciting or not it will lead to a better college experience for you.

My plans for the year can be distilled down into five main objectives, a five-point plan of sorts, as follows:

Reform of the Union of Students in Ireland USI. Each year, DITSU pays a large amount of money to be part of this national students union. This gives us a voice at Government level. It is essential that USI is structured to best represent our needs. This reform has begun and will continue into the first semester.
Reform of DIT Students’ Union. No organisation is perfect, but the best of them are constantly trying to improve. I want to ensure that DITSU is positioned to best serve its members into the next decade. Recent years have brought big changes to student life, and we need to be best equipped to help students. Work has begun on a new constitution. A referendum will be held in semester two.
A new DITSU website. A website is always an important mode of communication, but even more-so when your college is spread over so many parts of the City. I want to make it as easy as possible for students to get help or information via a new user-friendly website. We are working on this at present, with the project currently out to tender.
An Events & Campaigns Calendar for DIT. With a college as big as DIT, it can be difficult to keep track of all that is going on. I want to create a more accessible centralised calendar that helps you to plan your social life around your study. This will be available on-line, and as part of your email and will list all the upcoming events and campaigns from the Students’ Union, Sports and Societies for the semester ahead.
Building Bridges. Metaphorically of course. In the current challenging times, its important that people work together, collaborating on projects to get the best value for money and the best outcome for the students we represent. Further afield, its important that we develop links with external agencies to provide a better service.

This is just a flavour of the activity that I will be engaged in throughout the year, on top of the hundreds of meetings, yes hundreds, that I will have to attend. To keep up to date with how my work is progressing, follow me on twitter. Its @DITSU_President.

All the best,

Ciarán

1 May 2011

*The below blog was first printed as an article in TOAST magazine*

It may well be that old people tell the truth when they say that the years pass by more quickly as you get older, or it may just be that this was an incredibly busy year. Either way, taking office in July only seems like yesterday.

It has been a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, success and struggles. It has been the experience of a lifetime and I have been honoured to serve you as your President.

Above all, this year I wanted to make the Students’ Union more accessible to everyone who wanted to get involved, or get the help they needed. I wanted to develop the grassroots of the organisation and prove that through unity we gained strength. There were two very obvious examples of this throughout the year, the Protest and the Voter Registration Campaign, but all officers made the effort to make every event or campaign something that you could feel a part of.

Like all the best things in life, the year began with a long wait. Firstly there was the long wait before taking office. Then there was the eerie serenity of the summer months, when each of the buildings was void of all activity and I was settling into the job. It was really an example of the calm before the storm. Nothing could have prepared me for September with the influx of thousands of first years as they burst through the gates.

It was like a scene from Shaun of The Dead, where instead of looking for blood, the zombies were roaming the corridors looking for free stuff. Without doubt, Eric has paid tribute to the many great events throughout the year in his article, so let me take this opportunity to pay tribute to him, and the Events and Marketing Department for all their hard work this year. I look forward to serving another year with Eric, firm in the knowledge that his experiences from this year will make for an even better year ahead.

Of course, it’s not all about the entertainments. The Students’ Union has a key role to play in your education and your welfare. Clare has worked extremely hard all year, along with the staff and volunteers who made so many of the great campaigns possible. Campaigns offer a wide range of very important information, but Clare ensured that they were fun and creative, so that people wanted to find out more.

Locally, each of the Class-Rep Convenors, Conor; Gareth; Graham; Kieran; Seona; and Suzann worked very hard to engage with all students, solving any issues that you may have faced throughout the year. I wish all of this years team the very best in the future.

While many of you will know the officers, and see the work that they do, behind the scenes a lot of work goes into every problem we solve, every publication, every event and every campaign etc. would not be possible if not for the hard work and dedication of our excellent staff.

I have certainly learned a lot from my experiences this year. I hope to use that knowledge to lead next year’s team to even greater success. On that note, fair play to you all for electing such a strong team for next year. I am really looking forward to working with Anthony, Ciara, Eric, Gill, Glenn, Laura, and the pair of Davids. I know that their enthusiasm and dedication will lead to a great year.
I also look forward to building on the strength that we have gained by engaging so many of you in our campaigns. The challenges will continue in the new year. The current economic woes that the country and the education sector face will not disappear over night. Rest assured, that I will lead the team through those challenges and ensure in every way possible that your needs and interests are protected as students and members of this union.

For those of you who are coming back next year, enjoy your summer. For those of you who are not, I wish you all the best in your career and in life.

Your President,

Ciarán

01 April 2011

“hat trick”

noun three successes of the same kind, esp. consecutive ones within a limited ORIGIN late 19th cent.: originally referring to the club presentation of a new hat (or some equivalent) to a bowler taking three wickets successively. EXAMPLE: See DIT Students’ Union Delegation to USI Congress.

And so it was, for the third year in a row, you as DIT students were the best represented of all on a national stage. Every year, the highest body of the Union of Students in Ireland, USI, meets to decide on national policy for the year ahead. That body is called USI National Congress.

Almost 200 delegates from across the country attended the three day event in Dunboyne, with DIT being represented by 18 delegates. Sean Gallagher, of “Dragon’s Den”, spoke passionately about how the young people of Ireland can drive Ireland’s economy forward when he officially opened USI Congress.

As result of the debates had at Congress, USI will lobby the new Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn, in the coming year on topics, including graduate unemployment and emigration, and the protection of student grants.

The keynote address was delivered by John Hennessy, the new chair of the Higher Education Authority (HEA).

The three days were a rigourous introduction to national student politics for many of the DIT delegates, for whom it was their first time to attend. Despite the late nights and early starts, the delegation did DIT proud for the third year in a row, winning Best Delegation.

Much of the discussion over the week was focussed on the new Programme For Government. Below you can find a summary of those points raised in the Programme for Government that are of most significance to students.

Enjoy the read,
Your President,
Ciarán
www.ditsu.ie
president@ditsu.com
086 603 12 13

Programme for Government - Relevant Commitments (Page number in brackets)

Jobs Fund within 100 days that will provide resources for an additional 15,000 places in training, work experience and educational opportunities for those who are out of work; (8)

Expand the Back to Education Allowance (8)

We will a develop new graduate and apprentice internship scheme, work placement programmes and further education opportunities for our young unemployed providing an additional 60,000 places across a range of schemes and initiatives. We will provide a range of initiatives to increase access to further higher level education for the unemployed.

We will replace FAS with a new National Employment and Entitlements Service so that all employment and benefit support services will be integrated in a single delivery unit managed by the Department of Social Protection. This integrated service would provide a ‘one stop shop’ for people seeking to establish their benefit entitlements; looking for a job; and seekingadvice about their training options. It will process citizen entitlements such as supplementary welfare allowances, higher education grants and welfare allowances. It will manage as much as possible means testing for State entitlements. (8)

We will position Ireland to develop better trade relationships with emerging economies, including the establishment of local trade and investment teams. These teams will execute detailed local market plan, with progress against targets reviewed annually. We will develop cultural and diplomatic links with emerging markets including a scholarship scheme. We will actively develop the export of educational services. (9)

We will develop a National Intellectual Property (IP) protocol to give predictability about the terms on which business can access IP created in Higher Education Institutions and the wider digital sector. (9)

The critical gap between basic research promoted and funded by Science Foundation Ireland and third level institutions and its subsequent development into commercial opportunity for investors can only be closed by making new technologies ‘investment ready’. We will establish a network of Technology Research Centres focused on applied technological research in specific areas, to be linked to appropriate higher education institutions. The centres will accelerate exploitation of new technologies by providing infrastructure that bridges gap between research and technology commercialisation. We will initially establish 3 additional centres focusing on biotechnology, nanotechnology and high value manufacturing. Further centres from a number of other areas will be selected at a later time. (10)

International Education

A National Strategy for International Education will be implemented, to develop the ‘Education Ireland’ brand, to encourage more international students to study here and to create new jobs in the sector.
Our objective will be to double the number of international students studying in Ireland, particularly targeting students from India, China and the Middle East.
This policy will be pursued in line with employment, academic and skill requirements of overall economy and education sector.
We will overhaul the student visa system and ensure advertising, diaspora policies and quality assurance systems are strategically developed to best position the international education sector.
We will permit postgraduate students to be allowed work here for up to a year after they complete their studies. High-value research students will be permitted to bring families if they are staying more than two years. (13)

We will also strengthen GP education and training in mental health so that they can better diagnose, treat and refer as necessary. (37)

Education is dealt with from page 39 to 45. Key points of relevance

This Government’s ambition is to build a knowledge society. Education is at the heart of a more cohesive, more equal and more successful society, and it will be the engine of sustainable economic growth. Ireland has experienced a decline in educational outcomes in recent years. We will draw from top performing education models like Finland to reverse this trend. Even in our country’s crisis, we can make progress in education and protect frontline services. (39)

We will examine supports in place for gifted students and create improved links with third level institutions on regional basis, to provide gifted students with access to new programmes or educational resources. (42)

Third Level Reform

We will review the recommendations of Hunt report on higher education. A reform of third level will be driven by the need to improve learning outcomes of undergraduate degree students, as well as providing high quality research. We will initiate a time-limited audit of level 8 qualifications on offer and learning outcomes for graduates of these courses.

We will introduce radical reform in third level institutions to maximise existing funding, in particular reform of academic contracts and will encourage greater specialisation by educational institutions.

We support the relocation of DIT to Grangegorman as resources permit.

We will explore the establishment of a multi campus Technical University in the South East.
We will extend the remit of Ombudsman to third level institutions.

We will merge the existing accreditation authorities; National Qualifications Authority, FETAC and HETAC to increase transparency.

Undertake a full review of the Hunt and OECD reports into third level funding before end of 2011. Our goal is to introduce a funding system that will provide third level institutions with reliable funding but does not impact access for students (17)

Lifelong Learning

Lifelong learning, community education and vocational training for jobseekers will be a high priority. We will expand training options for jobseekers across the VEC, further and higher education sectors to facilitate upskilling of the labour force. We will address the widespread and persistent problem of adult literacy through the integration of literacy in vocational training and through community education. (43)

13 December 2010

The Budget - Eight Things To Tell Your Ma!

While we have not witnessed the complete annihilation of third and fourth level education thus far, last Tuesday’s Budget dealt a number of major blows to the “Smart Economy”. Below is a summary of the major changes that directly affect education, for you share with your family over the Christmas turkey. We will be preparing a comprehensive document over the coming weeks, which will deal with the total impact of the budget on our members.

One thing every single student can be proud of is the fact that the cuts that were announced, while still unacceptably painful, are far less so than originally anticipated. We will continue our struggle to ensure that the impact is further reduced.

The Grant Was Cut!

The amount you receive will be cut by 4%, effective immediately. This includes the 2nd and 3rd installments of the Grant for this academic year. Naturally we are very unhappy with this, but it is better than the 5-15 percent we had been campaigning against

The distance you must travel to qualify for the non-adjacent rate has almost doubled. This is shocking, and we are lobbying hard to reverse this.

From 2011/12 students must now travel 45km instead of 24km to receive the higher rate. This will include students already in receipt of the grant, and takes effect from the beginning of the 2011/2012 year.

There will be a new income band taken into account. Students with family incomes between €51,381 and €55,920 will qualify to have 50% of their capitation fee paid. This is a welcome measure as it offers some comfort to families who have just missed out on the grant in the past and as a result have had to pay the full capitation fee.

The Reg Fee Was Increased!

Sometimes called the Reg Fee, Capitation Fee, or Student Services Charge, the Government has rebranded this the Student Contribution. This is a worrying development as it may be used to cover more costs in the future through even further hikes.

The fee is set to rise to €2,000. This rise only applies to the first member of a family paying the SSC at any one time. Additional family members will pay the current €1,500 charge.

Again, while this hike is unacceptable it is far less painful than the €3000 fee we were campaigning against.
We will be working hard with DIT to establish a method of payment by installments across an academic year.

Mature Students Lose More Entitlements!

Mature students will no longer automatically qualify for the non-adjacent rate of the grant, and will have to also meet new criteria (Having a place of residence over 45km from place of study). This change affects both new and existing applicants from 2011/12.

PLC Students To Suffer!

A new charge of €200 will be introduced for students in PLC courses. This charge will be paid by the exchequer on behalf of students in receipt of grants or the BTEA.

Colleges Receive a Further Cut!

Your place of study will receive approx 7% reduction in income this year, including a 5% reduction in its non-pay budget. This may directly affect the provision of frontline services, such as the Library and Student Health service, sports clubs and societies.

This cut is large, but is far less than the 25% cut to the non-pay budget we had heard was on the cards.
We will be working with the college to ensure that savings are made through efficiency and not through a reduction in service or quality.

Unemployed Graduates To Receive Some Attention!

It has been announced that a graduate internship programme is to be launched in the public and community/voluntary sectors creating 15,000 graduate placements. The programme is much in line with USI’s proposals on graduate employment. Further details are expected in the coming days. We will keep you updated on any developments as soon as they are confirmed.

Student Assistance Fund and Fund For Students With Disabilities!

Trying to finish on a high here, so I can confirm that the funding for these areas has not been cut. However it is important to note that as the above cuts and hikes kick in, demand for the Student Assistance Fund will inevitably increase.

Education Capital Grant Cut!

The grant from government which covers all capital investment was cut by 51%. However, there was an increase in the funding available to the Grangegorman project.

As I said at the start, the fact that the budget was not as bad as we expected will in no way cause us to down arms and accept it. It was very difficult to watch the former Prime Minister of our nearest neighbour call for further investment in education in Ireland, while our own Government seem determined to take this short sighted approach.

We will continue our campaign, and as the days are numbered for the current government we will be shifting
our focus to the opposition.

I’ll be in touch again before December 25th, but in any case have a very Merry Christmas.
Your President,
Ciarán

Posted 01 December 2010

Back by popular demand!

It has been a crazy couple of weeks since I last spoke to you. We have moved one TD closer to a change of Government. We have gone from supposedly not needing any bailout, to reaching for any pot of money we can get our hands on. Winter has arrived, with snow covering most of the country, and it looks like it will be another winter of discontent as Wagner still pollutes the airwaves. And most of this while I was across the pond.

I am not long back from a couple of conferences throughout America. I visited 3 states, a number of colleges including MIT, Harvard, University of Illinois, and Brown. One conference was on new ways of learning technical courses such as engineering, while the other was on increasing student involvement. I saw a number of different approaches to student support and representation, and as a result, will be implementing these over the coming months. I will be publishing a report on this as soon as possible, so keep an eye out.

Accreditation for participation is one area that is very strong. Students are rewarded for participating in community based projects, for being involved in clubs and societies, and for being proactive in their education by becoming involved in their students' union. There has been some work done on implementing this across DIT. I will be using what I have learned in America to drive this implementation forward.

On another note, the Government has published its Four Year Plan, and this is soon to be followed up by a proposed budget. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be analysing the impact that these measures will have on our members and will be creating a summary to place on our website.

The Student Support Bill, which is aimed at centralizing and streamlining the Student Grants system has passed committee stage in the Oireachtas. We are lobbying the government to ensure that this is passed into law before Christmas. This should save millions through efficiency gains, and more importantly should ensure that students receive grants on time each year.

With the prospect of a general election growing each day, we will be preparing a list of questions for you to ask canvassers on your doorstep. All too often do canvassers ask to speak to your parents when they call to your door. Its time that we made clear to all parties that we are, each one of us, a vote and we wish to be heard. We will also be running a voter registration campaign when the time comes, to ensure that we can make the biggest difference possible to the future of this country.

The world's media now have their sights firmly set on Ireland, and this is a great opportunity for students to shape the future of this country. If we miss this opportunity, not only will we pay for it now, but we will be paying for the mistakes of others for generations to come. Worse still, we leave wide open the possibility of the same disaster happening all over again.

At every opportunity, make your voice heard. We will not all agree on what the future should like or how we should get there, but we all have opinions and for too long the opinions of students have been ignored.

We are the most educated generation in the history of this State, and we can make it a better place for all.

Yours in hope!

Ciarán

08 November 2010

Shoulder to shoulder, we stood strong. 40000 students, marching together, in the pouring rain. What a sight it was, to stand on that bandstand in Merion Sq and look down on a sea of yellow, with a roar that would match any ocean.

It was a sign that the student body has awoken. A sign that no-longer would students be content to be the target of savage attacks on their education. It was the biggest student protest since that hay-day of the student movement back in the 1960's. Its scale was only matched by the enormity of the challenges facing students in the next four years.

As your President, I was proud to lead over 6000 DIT students in the protest. It was an amazing display of commitment by you all. In protecting our future, we have made history.

But the struggle must go on. While such a large demonstration has, no doubt, put pressure on the Government not to attack education, it will not be enough in and of itself. We must now focus on the very people the Government need to survive the next budget - The Independent TD's. With the resignation of Jim McDaid and a number of bye-elections in the offing, this small group of people hold the balance of power in Leinster House. The next thing on your To-Do list is to visit www.tellyourtd.com. Click on your constituency and fill in your name and address. This will automatically send a letter to your local TD's.

The good with the bad...

Sadly, as you are all aware, the protest was marred by a number of violent actions. Thankfully both the media and the public have acknowledged that these actions were not initiated by the official Students' Unions from around the country.

This violence not only served to erode the good work of those 40000 students who exercised their democratic right to peaceful protest, but they also jeopardized the safety and lives of many students and citizens. There was panic on the streets of Dublin, as a number of students tried to get to safety. If you know of anyone who was hurt on the day, please ask them to email a statement to president@ditsu.ie. I will not rest until this issue is dealt with.

I am however, determined not to finish this on a bad-note, as that would not do justice to you all and your enormous effort last week. With over 6000 students, 1000 yellow T-shirts, 500 ponchos, 260 placards, 10 banners, 4 megaphones, 1 drum, and a lot of sore throats we showed that we are the future of this country, and that we won't have the rug pulled from under our feet.

Make the case for Education-Not-Emigration, everywhere you go.

Your President,

Ciarán

18 October 2010

Here it is, the first of my video blogs, designed with the laziest and nosiest of you in mind. We will be releasing a video every two weeks, with the three biggest stories, and each one will be in or about sixty seconds long. The aim of the video is not to overload you with detail, but to give you a flavour of what is happening so that if it interests you, you can read the text below to find out more.

Of course there has been a lot more happening than the three stories included in the video above. Read on to find out about the Grangegorman announcement, the DIT smartphone app, the Lobby of The Oireachtas, Class-Rep and Governing Councillor Training, the National Education-not-Emigration Protest, and the Halloween Ball.

As I’m sure you all know at this stage, the Grangegorman Development has been signed off by Cabinet, meaning that the project can begin, and begin it has. Works have already started on the HSE section of the development, which will free up the current buildings, and allow the DIT part of the construction to begin. It is expected that seventy percent of students will be in Grangegorman by 2016. If you would like to have some involvement in the development, become a Governing Councillor and sit on our new Grangegorman Development Standing Committee. Just call down to your local SU office to find out more. To read more about the development click here.

The DIT smartphone app, launched in September, has become the number one downloaded education app in the Apple App Store. “Getting comfortable with college and getting involved in campus life are really important aspects of the student experience,” said Brian Norton, president of DIT, at the time of its release.

The Union of Student in Ireland, USI, hosted its annual pre-budget lobby of the Oireachtas, on Wednesday the 13th of October. Sabbatical officers from across the country spoke to TD’s and Senators about the issues facing students, and about concerns over cutbacks to education in the upcoming budget. I spoke to a number of TD’s and Senators, and while I would like it was successful, it was very clear that in their eyes nothing is sacred in the upcoming budget. The message I did get was that those that shout loudest will be cut least, so its important that we all get to march on November the 3rd.

As mentioned in the news video, we are hearing that the Reg Fee could hit €3000 next year, the grant could be cut by at least another five percent, the Student Assistance Fund could be cut by fifty percent if not scrapped all together, and the education non-pay budget could be cut by as much as 25 percent. Clare, Eric and myself will be meeting a number of Government TD’s over the next two weeks, to fight the case of the education sector, but this will not be enough in and of itself. We will be taking part in National Education-not-Emigration Protest, on November the 3rd, and we need you all to get out there on the day. Click here to find out more.

Class-Rep and Governing Councillor Training took place over the weekend and was extremely successful. We had almost 100 student-representatives attend over the two-day event. President of DIT, Professor Brian Norton attended and addressed the reps where he was presented with a caricature of himself. The reps were trained in public speaking, negotiation, organizing parties, debating, and communication.

As you know from the video, the Halloween Ball is on Thursday the 21st in D2 nightclub, and tickets are only €5. The headline act is the Glitterbugs, so get your dodgy costume out and call down to your local SU office to get your ticket. Find out more here.

Stay tuned for more of Your Union, Your News.
Ciarán

17 September 2010

The charges have been laid, the wires connected, and the timer set, and we’re all just about ready for the explosion that is but a weekend away, when over 20000 students start pouring through the gates. The good news is that after the week we have had, we are more than ready to give you the best Freshers’ Week possible, not to mention the biggest DIT Freshers’ Ball ever. As far as entertainment goes, you need to read the blog of our Good-Times Guru - Mr. Eric Fitzgerald who has been working very hard on all things fun. All I’m saying is get your tickets quick, because they’re disappearing quicker than the grime in Barry Scott’s kitchen.

If you notice that this blog turns out a bit short, its because I have to go costume shopping for the 80’s night, and I have to wash the muck off my wellingtons for what will be an amazing Culchies Vs Townies night. I’m sorry, I did say that I wouldn’t harp on about the events, but they are just too exciting. Well why don’t I delete what I just typed, I hear you say. I guess I just like shameless plugs too much.

Anyhow enough of that for now… I want to formally welcome all new first years to DIT. Consider yourselves formally welcomed. To all you returning students, I hope you had a great summer, and that you are well rested for the year ahead – you’re going to need the energy. We have all been working very hard to put together the best year possible over the past few months, and as of Monday it is about to be tested.

There has been a lot of work done from an education and welfare point of view, such as helping students with exam issues and registration queries, and to find out more about what’s happening read Clare Nightingale-Cullen’s blog. She hasn’t got a double barrel name because she’s from one of those trendy Dublin-4 families but actually because she’s a direct descendent of a certain Florence Nightingale, and she’s looking after you.

Since my last blog, your local Class-Rep Convenors have taken office, and are on-site serving you as of last Monday. We had a great teambuilding session, that included climbing up a river and walking high-ropes which has completely reassured me that should we be hit by flooding or some bizarre earthquake which necessitates travel by high-rope, DITSU will still be able to give you the service and representation you deserve.

Of course so much of the work we do relies on the hard work and dedication of the staff here in DITSU. They are heroes all, so remember that should you need any help or advice or have general enquiries, call into your local SU office.

Over the next few weeks, look out for Freshers’ Week, Clubs and Socs Week, The Freshers’ Ball, and Class-Rep Recruitment.

See you all around college,

Ciarán
president@ditsu.ie
086 603 1213

17th August 2010

A Lot Done... Still At It!

Well it’s been a busy few weeks, and they tell me this is the quiet period. In the past two weeks we have created a lovely glossy magazine FRESH TOAST for all you. We have also recorded a few nice videos which will be on a Campus Life CD. The good news is that you will get both of these delivered to your door. An envelope wedged with information, competitions, pictures and crazy-ness will be causing many a postman great distress as they wrestle it through your letterbox in the coming weeks.

Any of you who have been watching the news or read the odd newspaper, will have seen me boarding a famine ship last week. Don’t be alarmed, this was not an attempt to get away before the real work starts in September. Many students from across the country came to the Jeanie Johnson Famine Ship in Dublin, as part of a Union of Students in Ireland, USI, campaign on graduate unemployment. We were dressed in the stereotypical clothing of our profession, so as to highlight the plight of graduates as they face into an uncertain future, and the possible necessity to emigrate.

Your Students’ Union has a responsibility to protect you whether you are a first year living away from home for the first time or a final year facing into the big bad world. This campaign will grow throughout the year, and we will need your support on the ground, if we are to achieve anything for the over 4000 DIT graduates every year.

On another finance related note, as you may have seen, we held a grant information evening in conjunction with USI this Saturday the 14th of August in DIT Aungier st. If you are a first year, and are unsure about the grant, or perhaps a returning student whose financial circumstances have changed, be sure to call in to us.

Look after the pennies and all that...

Ciarán

03 August 2010

All trained up .....Ready to go

I’m just back from a week in the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology, where Clare, Eric and myself were attending a national training event organised by the Union of Students in Ireland. It was hectic week, packed with useful tips and thoughts on how to make the year ahead as good as possible for each of you. It was a great opportunity to meet the presidents and vice-president from many of the other students’ unions around the country. We spent many an evening swapping ideas on how we can make our organisations more effective for you, our members.

We had many training seminars including marketing and PR, organising entertainments, finances, communications, negotiations, lobbying and formulating academic policy. It was interesting to find out what some colleges do very well - somethings we can learn from, and also how lucky we are to be in DIT in so many other respects. One very noticable benefit of being a DIT student is the Student Charter. Many of my counterparts across the country were amazed at how student friendly this is. For those of you that do not know, the Student Charter is a document which outlines what you as students can and should expect from your time here in DIT. This has been in existance since 2003, and is currently being revised.

Your Students’ Union has representation at every level in DIT. In fact Clare and I had to travel back from Galway on wednesday to attend the DIT Governing Body. This is the highest level of the organisation, and you have two representative there to ensure that your voice is heard. The next time you have a problem, suggestion or question about something in YOUR college, remember that you have a voice in every debate, so let us know what you want. I won’t bore you with the details of every meeting, but rest assured that there is a channel for your voice to be heard on every issue.

When you do have something to say, you contact me by email at president@ditsu.ie, or by phone on 086 60 31 213. We’re all here to serve you, so make the order!

02 July 2010

Failte,

Having used fifty percent of my Irish vocabulary already, its English from here on in. This, my first of many blogs over the coming year, has a plain and simple mission - to welcome you all. If you were here before, welcome again. If you’re about to become a DIT student in September, welcome too!

The good news is that every single student in DIT, whether full-time, part-time, mature, international, apprentice etc, are all members of DIT Students’ Union. Over the next year we will be all about helping you. Helping you with academic issues, helping you with welfare issues, helping you have a good time and just making sure your college experience is as pleasant as possible.

If you are interested in helping out, have any issues you need advice or help with, drop down to your local SU office, or just pop us an email. We are always looking for more volunteers, more class representatives, and more input.

Each year we nominate a charity, and raise as much money as possible for them, and we need your help there too. This year we have chosen the Citywise organization. Find out more on www.citywise.ie

We are involved in every walk of student life, and I look forward to serving you as your Students’ Union President for the year ahead. I will be ensuring that your voice is heard within DIT, and nationally on all major issues facing students. Before I leave you, I’d like to introduce two more members of our 20000 strong team. Clare Cullen - Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs is here to help you with all academic or welfare issues. Eric Fitzgerald - Vice President for Services and Trading is responsible for helping with all your facilities issues, and very importantly, events and entertainments.

You can contact reach me by email at president@ditsu.ie or by phone on 08660312130.

Have a great year, and enjoy the rest of the summer.

Ciarán