NUI, Galway Students' Union
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| Established | 1911 |
|---|---|
| Institution | National University of Ireland, Galway |
| President | James Hope |
| Location | Áras na Mac Léinn, NUI,Galway, Galway, Ireland |
| Members | over 12,000 |
| Affiliated to | USI |
| Homepage | http://www.su.nuigalway.ie |
The NUI, Galway Students' Union / Comhaltas na Mac Léinn, OÉ, Gaillimh is the representative body of students in the National University of Ireland, Galway in Ireland.
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[edit] The Union
NUI, Galway Students’ Union is an independent body which represents its members’ interests in the University and elsewhere. Every student who registers at NUI,Galway automatically becomes a member of the Students’ Union on payment of the Student Levy – a total of over 12,000 members. Members are entitled to numerous benefits including representation by the Students’ Union officers, membership of the Students’ Union Club (College Bar) and access to a wide range of Students’ Union commercial services.
[edit] Functions and Objectives
As outlined in the Students’ Union Constitution, the function of the Union is the “represent its members and promote, defend and vindicate the rights of its members at all levels of society”.[1] Consequently, the Students’ Union sits on various University committees, which allows Officers to voice the views of you the students to the University authorities. The Union also works with other local groups and companies to ensure you get the best treatment and deals possible. The Union’s objectives include providing social, recreational and commercial services for our members through the College Bar, entertainment events, the SU Shop and other commercial services. In order to promote the unity of the organisation, the Union also assists on-campus student groups such as clubs and societies, while simultaneously promoting good relations between students and staff of NUI,Galway. On a national level, the Union pursues fair and equal access to education for all sectors of the Irish people, and liaises closely with the Union of Students in Ireland to work towards achieving this goal.
[edit] The Executive Committee
While the President, along with the staff, is mainly responsible for the day-to-day running of the Union, the Students’Union Executive is the committee that runs the Union on an ongoing basis. It consists of nine elected members, whose responsibilities cover the whole spectrum of student concerns from educational issues to accommodation to discrimination and much more. Of the nine members of the Executive, three are paid sabbatical (full-time) Officers, i.e. the President and two Vice-Presidents, while the other six Officers work on a part-time, unpaid basis. At each Executive meeting, the three sabbatical Officers present a report of work done since the last meeting. The Officers of the Union are as follows:
• President
• Vice-President / Education Officer
• Vice-President / Welfare Officer
• Oifigeach na Gaeilge (Irish Language Officer)
• Equality Officer • Student Development Officer
• Postgraduate Officer
• Societies’ Chairperson
• Clubs’ Captain
The Executive meets on a weekly basis during term and is also responsible for all detailed matters concerning the functioning of the Union. Importantly, the Executive Committee is answerable to the Class Representatives Council (CRC), and, therefore, to the members of the Union. All nine Officers must present a report of work done to the CRC on a monthly basis.
[edit] Class Representatives Council
The Class Representatives Council (CRC) consists of approximately 200 members representing every class in the University. The CRC is essential to the running of the Union and beneficial to the running of the University. It also helps bring students ever more closely involved with the workings of the Union and the University. The CRC has proven invaluable to the Students’ Union since it’s re-formation a few years ago, and is mainly used by the Union to inform students what is happening within the University and also to get feedback from students regarding any problems, suggestions or positive aspects they have found in the University. Members of the CRC also sit on their respective Staff-Student Liaison Committees within their academic departments, while others are elected as Faculty Convenors (one per faculty), and represent students’ views at Faculty level. The CRC also elects the three undergraduate student representatives on the Academic Council, and appoints students to the Student Health Unit Advisory Group, Computer Services User Liaison Group and Library User Liaison Group. The Vice-President / Education Officer is responsible for co-ordinating the CRC and organising the election of students to represent their classes.
Students elect their Students’ Union Officers. The term of office is from 1st July to 30th June of the following year. To be eligible to run for election, you must be a full member of the Students’ Union, i.e. a registered student or current Executive Officer, and receive 20 nominations. Nomination forms are made available in mid-February and must state the post for which the candidate is being nominated and the candidate’s name, student ID number and must be signed by the candidate and 20 (or more) nominators. Candidates may withdraw from the elections and have their name removed from the ballot paper by writing to the Elections Committee before 5pm on the appropriate day. Within 24 hours of this, the Elections Committee will publish a list of all validly nominated candidates who shall contest the election. The election of the Clubs’ Captain and Societies’ Chairperson takes place at a meeting of the recognised clubs and societies respectively. Candidates require three nominators who must be full members of the Union and Club Captains (where the position sought is Clubs’ Captain) or Society Auditors (where the position is Societies’ Chairperson.)
[edit] History
The NUI Galway Students’ Union was originally established in 1911 as the Students’ Representative Council under the direction of Bryan Cusack, and was an offshoot of the Literary & Debating Society. This council was short-lived, but the re-establishment of the body was proposed by Conor O’Malley, auditor of the 1913-1914 session of the Literary & Debating Society in his inaugural address in November 1913. The council was firmly established by the mid-1920’s, and in the 1960’s was formally developed into the university’s Students’ Union, then known as Comhairle Teachta na Mac Léinn.
[edit] Former Presidents
| Year | President |
|---|---|
| 2008-09 | Muireann O'Dwyer |
| 2007-08 | James Hope |
| 2006-07 | Damien Corridan |
| 2005-06 | Paddy Reilly |
| 2004-05 | Paddy Reilly |
| 2003-04 | Tony McDonnell |
| 2002-03 | Leona Byrne |
| 2001-02 | Pádraig Ó Duinnín |
| 2000-01 | Paddy Jordan |
| 1999-2000 | Paddy Jordan |
| 1998-99 | Cormac McCarthy |
| 1997-98 | Darren McCallig |
| 1996-97 | Joanne Murphy |
| 1995-96 | Fergal O'Flaherty |
| 1994-95 | Fiona McCauley |
| 1994-95 | Sinead Molloy |
| 1993-94 | Eoin McCormaic |
| 1992-93 | Seán Solon |
| 1991-92 | Ronan Mullen |
| 1990-91 | Daithí MacCarthaigh |
| 1989-90 | Neil Whorisky |
| 1988-89 | Cathy Grieve |
| 1987-88 | Pat O'Flaherty |
| 1986-87 | Ger Killeen |
| 1985-86 | Brendan Wilkins |
| 1984-85 | Pat Boyde |
| 1983-84 | Peter Conry |
| 1983 | Seamus Henry |
| 1982 | Alan Sheerins |
| 1981-82 | Aileen O'Meara |
| 1980-81 | Brendan Smith |
| 1979-80 | Cathal Guiomard |
| 1978-79 | Grainne McMorrow |
| 1977-78 | Mike Jennings |
| 1976-77 | Mary Carroll |
| 1975-76 | John Curran |
| 1974-75 | Eamon Gilmore |
| 1973-74 | Brendan Glynn |
| 1972-73 | Seán Mac Aoghain |
| 1971-72 | Tony Diffley |
| 1970-71 | Pat Rabbitte |
| 1969-70 | Conor O'Neill |
| 1968-69 | Liam Morris |
| 1967-68 | Ralph Ó Gormáin |
| 1966-67 | Pádraic de Búrca |
| 1965-66 | M. A. Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh |
| 1964-65 | Michael D. Higgins |
| 1962-64 | Unknown |
| 1961-62 | Mícheál Ó Seighin |
| 1960-61 | Donal McNally |
