DCU Students' Union
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DCU Students' Union (DCUSU) is the representative body for Dublin City University (DCU) students, all of whom are automatically members, with democratically elected leadership. DCUSU, which is governed by a written constitution approved by the members and DCU's Governing Body, is also involved in the provision of some services to students.
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[edit] Role
The primary role of the Union is to provide a recognised representative channel between students and the University authorities and all full- and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate students of DCU are members of the Students' Union.
All DCU students are members and students of Oscail (Ireland's National Distance Education Centre) can join for a fee. Members of the Executive remain members for their term of office even if they cease to be students. DCU's associated colleges have their own student representation.
[edit] Governance
[edit] Constitution and referendum
DCUSU is governed by a constitution and related written materials. The current constitution ís the latest (2008) revision of a document developed in a major review in 1992. Ultimate governance, including changes to the constitution, can only be conducted by the student body in a referendum.
[edit] Union Council
Union Council is formally the presiding body of the Union, to which the Union Executive (comprising the officers) reports. The Council is mostly made up of Class Representatives, normally elected at the beginning of the Academic year in annual elections. Each class elects at least two members to represent their views within the Students' Union and the University. Each class representative attends Union Council, approximately every two weeks during term time. The Class Representatives liaise with faculty convenors, and also sit on the programme boards of their degrees. The Union's officers are also members of Council. The Council elects a Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson each year, as well as a Returning Officer and an Accommodation Officer, and members of certain committees, including the Electoral Committee.
[edit] Union Executive
The Union has an Executive Committee of eleven officers, who are elected on an annual basis. All students are entitled to vote for five of these posts: the President, Education and Welfare Officer/Deputy President, Campaigns and Information Officer/Vice-President, Equality Officer and the Clubs and Societies Officer. Only postgraduate students are entitled to vote for the Chair of the Postgraduate Committee and the Postgraduate Education Officer. Students are entitled to vote in the election for one of the following convenors (Faculty Representatives) depending on which faculty they belong to: Business Convenor, Science and Health Convenor, Engineering and Computing Convenor, Humanities Convenor. The President, Education and Welfare Officer and the Campaigns and Information Officer are Sabbatical Officers while the other officers are ordinary students. The President and Education Officer (Deputy President) are appointed ex officio as members of the DCU Governing Authority, and the former sits on the University Executive while the latter also sits on Academic Council (where they are joined by the Faculty Convenors). The President, and other members of the Executive, also sit on a range of other DCU bodies, for example the Faculty Convenors all sit on the Teaching and Learning Committee within their own faculty. The Union's executive and administrative offices are located in The HUB, DCU's dedicated student centre.
The Executive is required to prepare a budget for DCUSU each year, which is submitted to Union Council for approval.
[edit] Arbitration Committee
DCUSU also has an arbitration committee, which has the final say on the Union's activities and interpretation of its constitution, and a related committee which monitors the currency of the constitution.
[edit] Recent developments
The 2005 version of the constitution proved controversial, some believing it to be imperfect, with loopholes and inconsistencies[citation needed]. The Constitutional Review Committee, a standing committee of the Union's Council, committed itself to a major overhaul of the constitution to be put to referendum in 2008 to coincide with the Union General Elections, and this has now been done (April 2nd and 3rd 2008), the revised document being passed by a significant majority.
The elections for the 2008/2009 executive took place on April 2nd and 3rd. The officers elected were as follows: Niall McClave (President), Susan Hurley (Deputy President - Education and Welfare) David McGovern (Vice President - Campaigns and Information). The non-sabbatical officers will be: Eimear Fitzmaurice (Clubs and Societies Officer), Robin Cafolla (Equality Officer), Rebecca Meehan (Humanities and Social Sciences Convenor), Linda Horan (Business Convenor), Siobhan Anglim (Science and Health Convenor), Ellen Diskin (Engineering and Computing Convenor). Niall McClave therefore becomes the third Humanities and Social Sciences Convenor of the previous four to go on to become a sabbatical officer. As per the amended constitution he will take office on June 15th, therefore cutting short Alan Flanagan's term by two weeks.
[edit] Students' Union Funding
The Students' Union is funded through the Office of Student Life (OSL), which is overseen by an Executive, a committee made up of student and university representatives. The OSL employs a Manager of Student Life who, along with providing support to Clubs, Societies and the Students' Union, acts as the OSL Executive's Secretary. The OSL oversees the finances of the Societies and Publications Committee (SPC) and the Sports Club Committee (SCC), as well as the Students' Union. The OSL receives audited accounts for the three bodies annually. On an annual basis (or in some cases every two years) the SCC and SPC and the Students' Union prepare Capitation Proposals, which are submitted to the OSL which awards funding to the three bodies based on their implementation of previous proposals and other factors.
[edit] National Representation
DCU Students Union is not a member of the Union of Students in Ireland, having disaffiliated in 2002 after a vote of the student body.
DCUSU is, however, a member of the Forum for University Students' Unions (FUSU), a less formal consultative body whose purpose is "To facilitate the exchange of information and discussion of ideas between the Unions, leading to the formation of common policy and the planning of co-ordinated campaigns." FUSU has been criticized for being an organisation in name only, as it has no contact address, no policy documents, no staff or elected officers and no constitution.
There are currently no known plans by the DCU Student Union to rejoin USI.
[edit] Roll of Previous Executives
2007/2008 Officers
President: Alan Flanagan; Deputy President: Hazel Hayes; Vice President: Gary Boylan; Equality Officer: Janet Newenham; Clubs and Societies Officer: Joey Kavanagh; Business Convenor: (Max Rantz-McDonald)Lara Nolan; Humanities Convenor: Niall McClave; Science and Health Convenor: Stephen Grimes; Engineering and Computing Convenor: Padraig O'Connor; Post Grad Chair: Roibeard O'Mhurcu; Post Grad Education: Mirela Nechita; Union Council Chair: Eimear Fitzmarice
2006/2007 Officers
President: Charlene Connolly; Deputy President: Eoin Byrne; Vice President: Michael Robinson; Equality Officer: Michelle Smyth; Clubs and Societies Officer: Russell O Connor; Business Convenor: Aisling O'Flanagan; Humanities Convenor: Ellen Parikka; Science and Health Convenor: John Cannon; Engineering and Computing Convenor: Allan Dixon; Post Grad Chair: Joe Brennan; Post Grad Education: Anja Friedrich; Union Council Chair: Sinead Harrington;
2005/2006 Officers
President : Sarah Farrell; Education Officer : Yvonne Tuohy; Welfare Officer : Deirdre Moran; Women's Officer : Laura Whitmore; Clubs & Soc Officer : Siobhan Hickey; Business Convenor : Claire Blacklaw; Engineering & Computing Convenor : Sinead Harrington; Science & Health Convenor : David Grimes; Humanities Convenor : Alan Flanagan; Union Council Chair : Ashley Dooley-Martin;
2004/2005 Officers
President : Paul May; Education Officer : Damien McLoughlin; Welfare Officer : Ronan O'Hart; Women's Officer : Emma O'Leary; Clubs & Soc Officer : Brian O'Reilly; Business Convenor : Sinead Geraghty; Engineering & Computing Convenor : vacant; Science & Health Convenor : Louise Sullivan; Humanities Convenor : Mikey Robinson; Union Council Chair : Glenn Phelan;
2003/2004 Officers
President : Lorna Greene; Education Officer : Anja Friedrich; Welfare Officer : Richard O'Doherty; Women's Officer : Claire Blacklaw; Clubs & Soc Officer : Therese Hegarty; Business Convenor : Declan Morris; Engineering & Computing Convenor : Russell O Connor; Science & Health Convenor : Brian Prosmeehan;
2002/2003 Officers
President : Sean Scally; Education Officer : Michael Moriarty; Welfare Officer : Michelle Noonan; Women's Officer : Martina Sweeney; Clubs & Soc Officer : Lorna Greene; Business Convenor : David Tully; Engineering & Computing Convenor : Andrew; Science & Health Convenor : Vacant; Irish Officer: Maeve Moloney;
2001/2002 Officers
President : Derek Scanlon; Education Officer : Barry Murphy; Welfare Officer : Meabh Maguire; Women's Officer : Aoife O'Connell; Clubs & Soc Officer : Kate Marquis; Humanities Convenor : Eoin Dubsky; Business Convenor : Robert Costello; Science and Paramedical Studies Convenor : Gioval Scalzo; Education and Industrial Units Convenor : Eoin O Maolain; Computing and Mathematical Convenor : Brian Carter;
2000/2001 Officers
President : Hugo Brady; Education Officer : Liam Doyle; Welfare Officer : Aine Hickey; Women's Officer : Meabh Maguire; Clubs & Soc Officer : Simon Keely; Rights Officer : Darren Lyng; PRO/Secretary : Sean Scally; Services Officer : Derek Scanlon;
1999/2000 Officers
President : Daibhi O Donnabhan; Education Officer : Shane Derby; Welfare Officer : Holly Ni Chiardha; Women's Officer : Mairin Ni Loideain; Clubs & Soc Officer : Sean O Brien; Rights Officer : Brien Creegan; PRO/Secretary : Thomas James; Services Officer : Alan O Malley(impeached); Services Officer : Osgur O Ciardha;
