Impact Semester 2 2018/19

Representation Change Opportunities Awareness Community Events Help & Support

MAY 2019

VOL 7 ISSUE 2

BIANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT

MARTINA BROWNE MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS CO-ORDINATOR The year has flown by! This semester saw the Office of Student Life bring a host of campaigns, plans, events and facilities to the DCU community.

From Awards Season to the Grand Stretch Fest, there’s been a buzz of activity on all DCU campuses contributing to student engagement and development.

As we head into the end of the academic year, we say goodbye to our Sabbatical team and welcome a new one for 2019/2020, although 2 members of our current team are staying on which is all the better! This year was one to remember, as we opened the ‘U’ student centre, a long anticipated event for students and staff alike and we’ve really made use of it’s excellent facilities. I’d like to thank the OSL staff and SU team for their continued hard work and enthusiasm, making this a fantastic year to reflect on.

We hope you enjoy looking back on the year as fondly as we do. Have a great summer!

R E P R E S E N TAT I O N CHANGE OPPORTUNITIES AWARENESS COMMUNITY EVENTS HELP AND SUPPORT

REPRESENTATION

THE CLASS REP SYSTEM

The Class Representative system is an integral part of the structure of the Students’ Union. They are the on-the-ground representatives for our students. KARL MCGOVERN has been heading up the CRC this year as VP for Engagement & Development. “Our budget this year was put towards a training day away, pizza and vegan meals after meetings, free class rep hoodies and lanyards as well as Christmas and summer parties. All this was done to encourage participation and representation and boy did the Reps deliver. Hopefully it grows even more next year”.

CLASS REP COUNCIL Helen Wade, Chair of CRC writes: “Reflecting back on CRC this past year, I feel like we made a lot of positive steps toward a more diverse and engaging Council. The class reps have been so engaged and passionate at CRC more than ever, and it made me so proud to see it. I would not have been able to conduct successful council meetings (and emergency council meetings!) without the support of Mary, Podge, and the SU executive committee. I would like to congratulate Cormac Flynn on being elected as the incoming Chair of CRC, I am so excited to see him make the role his own, and continue to make positive change at CRC.

REFLECTING ON OUR LAST SEMESTER

VITO

PRESIDENT Semester Two continued the trend of 2018/19 being an extremely eventful year for the students of DCU. It han definitely been intense, with many ups, downs and learning curves, but at the end of it all, I am extremely proud of all that DCU Students’ Union has worked towards and achieved.

We have strived to remain as active and engaging with our students as ever over the past twelve weeks, running campaigns for mental health, sexual health, DCU’s LGBTQ+ community, career awareness, refugees and the environment. We were thrilled to open the new Java space for students on our St. Patrick’s Campus and run events across all of our campuses, such as Sober Stock, Holifest, the Grand Stretch Fest and, one of the coolest events I’ve ever been involved in, Blind Boy’s podcast tour coming to DCU. It is no surprise, perhaps, that a highlight from the year was Darkness Into Light, when over 1500 people joined us at the crack of dawn to raise funds and awareness for people who have suicidal ideation. What a remarkable community we have!

As is vital with Students’ Unions, we have tried to keep activism at the forefront. I want to briefly touch on two specific campaigns that we have rolled out this semester. Firstly, the referendum we put forward to introduce smoke-free zones on campus, which passed with emphatic numbers. I think this not only shows the intent of the SU to better our students’ health and protect the environment around them, but it also exemplifies the passion that the wider DCU community has for these issues and the intent to tackle them. Secondly, the ongoing campaign for our friend, Shepherd Machaya, has continued to make a positive impact, with his order being extended once again, meaning Shepherd was able to complete his studies for this year and move one step closer to getting his degree. As time continues to pass, more momentum gathers behind the argument that Shepherd needs to stay in this country, there is quite simply no other option. I have no doubt that next year’s team will continue to fight tooth and nail to save our Shepherd once and for all.

Election season was a vibrant whirlwind as always, with some outstanding candidates across the board. We were delighted to see an increase in female representation coming into next year as we constantly strive to promote diversity in DCU. I can’t wait to see what Christine and her team get up to next year, they’re a wonderful group and epitomise all that is great about DCU. Finally, I have to end on a personal thanks to the DCU Students’ Union Sabbatical team of 2018/19. The lads have been so solid. We have been through so much, had some of the best days imaginable and also some days that we all found incredibly tough and draining. Throughout, everybody was able to stand up and be counted for. I count myself so fortunate that I was elected alongside Aisling, Cal, Craig and Karl.

I have loved being able to call them colleagues and I am very proud that I can turn around after it has all ended and still call them friends.

That’s all from me, DCU, thanks for everything. See you around x

KARL

VP FOR ENGAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT

What a semester and what a year! Upon being elected, my goals for the year were to rejuvenate events and increase engagement and make the student experience an enjoyable one overall. I think the SU team and myself definitely achieved that this year. The opening of the U has led to daytime and evening events being back on site which in turn has led to sell out Balls and maximum engagement. Some highlights from the year have definitley been ‘DCU Fest’, ‘The Blizzard Ball’ ‘The Grand Stretch Fest’ and ‘The Blindboy Podcast’. The SU and DCU estates also opened up ‘DCU Java Student Hub’ on St Patrick’s campus. This is a state of the art student chill out space, with new seating, lighting, cafe and wall murals to really help students check out and socialise outside of the classroom. Craig and I had a strong input in the design and feel for the space and were delighted with how it turned out and will be used by students for years to come. I’d like to thank the team and OSL staff for being so easy and accommodating to work alongside for the year and am excited to see what the future holds for me.

CALLAGHAN AISLING VP FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

VP FOR WELFARE & EQUALITY

Just like that the year is over! I thought semester one flew by but semester two went by in the blink of an eye. This year has brought the highest of highs and the lowest of lows but I wouldn’t change the experience of it for the world. From getting to work with such a great team of Sabbaticals to helping and getting to know so many students, this year has been amazing.

Personally, I’m not great at reflecting and even worse with words so trying to do a review of my year is quite difficult.

The Students’ Union has also been something I have been passionate about since coming to DCU. The idea of being a part of something that can cause great change and at the same time help and benefit so many students has always been a draw for me. I never thought in a million years that I would actually be elected to represent the students of DCU as a Sabbatical officer. I never thought that people would trust in me to do a job that I have held in such a high regard but somehow this actually happened and it has honestly been the best experience I’ve ever had.

Semester two has been quite the whirlwind! It’s hard to believe it’s all over for our team this year. It has been an incredible year filled to the brim with campaigns, events, meetings, protests, ups, downs, highs, lows, and much more.

However, even though the good parts of the job far outweigh the bad, the tough times were extremely hard. As someone who has always taken feedback and comments a bit too personally, dealing with the constant scrutiny and criticism that the SU has faced this year has been a challenge. However, working with such a strong and supportive team has pulled us all through it. As a result, I couldn’t be more thankful to Vito Moloney Burke, Aisling Fagan, Karl McGovern, Craig McHugh and Podge Sheehan for everything they’ve done this year and making this one of the best years of my life.

CRAIG

VP FOR EDUCATION & PLACEMENT What an incredible semester and an even more incredible year! The period between February and now has pretty much flown in, with highlights including Fund the future, the introduction of rent caps and the campaign for student nurses! In March, as part of a nationwide demonstration we brought students out to protest for greater funding for our higher education sector. It is essential students are not saddled with debt post graduation and that the government properly invests in higher education, I was honoured to be able to lead this campaign on DCU campuses and mobilise students on it.

Further to this, we kept the pressure up following ‘Shanowen Shakedown’ and oversaw the introduction of rent caps for purpose built student accommodation – alas, an end to such scenes as we saw in Shanowen last year with a 24 per cent rent increase – the 4 percent cap exists now as of June 5th. Student nurses were also front and centre this semester, as we campaigned for better conditions on placement and stood with those on strike in solidarity. Other highlights from this semester include our involvement on Climate Case Ireland, which sought to bring further attention to the crippling climate emergency facing Ireland. There was a heap more that I can’t give justice to this, but every little win and every little bit of justice has been an honour to be part of. It has been an absolute blast working with the other 4 Sabbats and the incredible accompanying OSL team who have been a rock of support all year long and who I will sorely miss! I shall not be too far away though as I look forward to working closely with DCUSU in my capacity as an officer within USI for the 2019/20 year. The role has taught me so much about myself and about how the wider world works, I’m still an optimist but certainly more of a realist in how things come about and will be eternally grateful to DCUSU for all that I’ve learned. I cannot wait to see what the powerhouse, Olivia Forde gets up to when she takes up the reigns from me in early Summer 2019.

From Darkness Into Light, KISS Week, Nice Week, our first Rainbow Week, election season, the BICS, Blindboy’s Live Podcast Tour, Save Our Shepherd - the list of wonderful memories this year is endless. DIL was one of the biggest highlights for me personally - seeing 1500 students, staff and members of the wider community coming together for a cause that is so dear to my heart, to raise thousands of euro to help Pieta House to continue their much-needed work was simply phenomenal. The fun, support and engagement all year has been truly fantastic, and we can’t thank the students enough for that, for getting behind us and all of our events and initiatives.

I will forever struggle to articulate the life of a sabbatical officer, but what I do know for sure is that it is an absolutely unforgettable experience that will stay with me forever! I’m so glad and still overwhelmed that the students of DCU have trusted me to stay on and represent them for another year, to be reelected has given me the confidence in my abilities to go on and do bigger and better things for those students.

This year has been one of the most influential of my life - and you, the students, have made that possible. There have been many incredible events and campaigns throughout the year, but it’s the work on the ground every day that really counts - assisting those students on a day to day basis to find the help that they need so that they can have the best possible DCU experience.

I will be incredibly sad to say goodbye to our current team.

It has been an absolute pleasure and a privilege to represent the students of DCU alongside Vito, Cal, Craig, and Karl this year. I can’t thank the guys enough for being excellent colleagues, confidants, and even better friends. Their dedication, creativity, and passion for the students of DCU got me through every day, along with that of the wider executive team and OSL staff, and for that, I can’t thank them enough.

A huge congrats to all of the incoming team, I can’t wait to see what we get up to next year. Onwards and upwards! :)

YOUR NEW

EXEC

2019 2020

CHRISTINE FARRELL - PRESIDENT

I am absolutely delighted to have been elected as the incoming Students’ Union President for 2019/ 2020. I am so excited to start working with a brilliant team in achieving great things for the vast amount of students here in DCU and would like to extend my greatest thanks to all those who voted for me to be here.

The year ahead brings me great excitement - with four female sabbaticals, we are sending a message of inclusion and equality to all students within DCU. I look forward to working with Cal and Aisling and benefiting from their existing experience and passion whilst also collaborating that with Olivia and Katie’s new excitement and dedication to the team and their roles. The opening of our student hub ‘The U Building’ has brought overwhelming joy and opportunities to the students and DCU community and I look forward to using its existence as a springboard to further student engagement. I am eager to introduce more activities that improve our students physical health, to reduce the library entrance fees and to create daily events to increase engagement whilst also continuing on from all the brilliant projects and campaigns this year’s team have been so dedicated to. I look forward to seeing everybody in September and wish you all a relaxing and enjoyable summer.

CALLAGHAN COMMONS - VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

You would think that after five years in DCU I would be finished and ready to move on, but not me, I know I have more to give to the Students’ Union and the students of DCU! The decision to rerun for the position of Vice President for Academic Affairs was not one that I took lightly. I believe that I achieved a lot this year but there is so much I want to do and see finished off. I was absolutely thrilled to be re-elected into the position and can not wait to get to work again with such an incredible team of strong women!

Some of the plans I have the coming year are to work on the current feedback policy. DCU has to ensure that both staff and students are aware of what to expect from feedback and what timeline to receive feedback in. I also wish to develop a Student Partnership Agreement with the University to ensure that the student voice is always at the centre of the university’s decisions. Finally, we have recently elected a Constitutional Review Committee at CRC and I hope to work with the committee over the summer months to take a look and makes changes to our current constitution. #CalTakesDCUSeasonSix

AISLING FAGAN - VICE PRESIDENT FOR WELFARE & EQUALITY

Round two! I’m delighted to have been reelected as your VP for Welfare & Equality for 2019/2020. My passion, enthusiasm, confidence and commitment have grown enormously since I was elected last March, and I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to let that grow further. I am committed to working tirelessly once more to represent you the students on DCU to the very best of my ability. I look forward to working with Christine, Cal, Katie and Olivia this year to see what we can do for you. I’m looking forward to working further towards embedding consent education, focusing on accessibility and safety and many more equality campaigns. It’s going to be a great year!

KATIE FAY - VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENGAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT

I am over the moon to have been elected as the new VP for Engagement & Development on the Students’ Union for the coming year! This is a role I am very passionate about and my main aim is getting all students from all walks of life involved in everything that is the wonderful world of DCU. Some of my plans for the year include improving on the Class Rep System, making it more enjoyable and inclusive for everyone. The introduction of a campaign crew to get as many students as possible taking part in the running of SU campaigns throughout the year. I also want to work with the Volunteer Coordinator in terms of volunteer helpdesk and I hope to introduce new workshops for Clubs & Socs such as fund-raising and recycling workshops! I am very excited to get started and planning the year ahead, it’s going to be a great year!

OLIVIA FORDE - VICE PRESIDENT FOR EDUCATION & PLACEMENT I am delighted to be elected as the next Vice President for Education and Placement and am filled with excitement for the upcoming year. As I was a former Education Faculty Rep in 17/18, I feel quite confident in taking on this role as VP for Education and Placement. I am ready more than ever to help as many students as possible in my term as Vice President. I cannot wait to see what can be achieved and what the year will bring!

As your new Vice President for Education and Placement, I look forward to introducing Student Collaboration across courses where 3 rd / 4 th years can talk to the new 1 st years about their time in college and out on placement to help ease possible nerves. I look forward to working with the Faculty Reps in order to create Teachers and Nurses Weeks respectively to allow every student to have some much needed enjoyment time to blow off steam.

Genuinely, there are loads of things I want to get done during the year to benefit as many students as possible and now it is just time for me to get them done!!

SEAN SMYTH

EDUCATION FACULTY REP I am thrilled to be elected as the 2019/20 Institute of Education Faculty Rep. Having spent the past year as class representative for BEd2, I realise the important role that DCUSU plays in increasing student engagement. I look forward to working alongside the next VP for Education and Placement; Olivia Forde to increase student engagement on SPC. My plans for engaging the faculty include a faculty hour, weekly e-mails, and much more. On a final note, I want to thank my campaign team and each student that voted for me.

I cannot wait to start representing our superb faculty and making your voices heard..

CAOIMHE O CARROLL

SANIA AMJAD

SCIENCE & HEALTH FACULTY REP

HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES REP

The elections gave me a fantastic opportunity to talk to many of the students that fall under the Science and Health Faculty and after many classroom tours, I got the chance to listen to the many concerns of the students and discuss possible solution and changes they would like to see. My main agenda for the next year is to put forward a motion for a reading week for science and engineering students, lunch subsidization for nursing students and mentoring programs for 1 st and 2 nd year students to help make

My name is Caoimhe and I’m a first-year law student on Glasnevin campus. I am absolutely delighted to have been elected Humanities and Social Science faculty representative for 2019/20. Upon entering DCU in September I was immediately struck by the power of the student movement and was inspired to get involved! Election season was definitely the highlight of my first year at university and I was honestly honored and overjoyed to have been elected. Next year I hope to expand Erasmus options across the faculty and to improve commuter facilities across all three campuses, making them a home away from home to all students.

PATRICK ROGERS

JOSH MALONE

DAVID MARTIN

POSTGRADUATE OFFICER

ENGINEERING & COMPUTING FACULTY REP

CLUBS OFFICER

I am delighted to be elected to represent postgraduates and follow this past year’s efforts to develop DCU’s Graduate Students’ Union alongside my colleagues on the Executive. I hope to encourage postgraduate students to become more fully engaged with the Students’ Union.

We need more postgraduates to become involved as class representatives on the Class Representative Council, and become more involved in societies. I believe that both undergraduate and postgraduate students will benefit from this engagement. I look forward to achieving this in the upcoming semester.

SORCHA NI CHONGAILE IRISH OFFICER

Ba mhór an onóir dom le bheith toghadh arís don chéad bhliain eile mar Oifigeach na Gaeilge.

Bhain mé an-sult as an bhliain deireanach agus táim ag iarraidh an fuinneamh sin a thabhairt liom isteach chuig an chéad bhliain acadúil eile.

Is ollscoil iontach í DCU ó thaobh na Gaeilge le mic léinn atá dóchasach fúithí. Tá neart rudaí iontach ag tarlú i mbliana ó teach na gaeilge go Bál na Gaeilge - is é seo an bhlian chun a bheith gníomhach leis an nGaeilge! Tá Cumann Gaelach iontach againn agus cabhraíonn sé le mo phost le fáil déanta. Táim ag súil le níos mó Gaeilge a chur amach tríd na gnáth fheachtais a bhíonn ar siúl ag an Aontas i mbliana mar d’oibrigh sé go maith do Sheachtain na bhFolláine!

Being elected as faculty representative for the Engineering and Computing faculty is a great feeling. I have always wanted to contribute to the community I participate in, my candidacy for this role may be seen as a self-serving pursuit, but by making our collective goal feel like a personal accomplishment, I find myself more driven towards achieving targets and exceeding expectations. That being said the road is only uphill from now on. I am really looking forward to working with other elected officers as we work together to represent this group of extraordinary and diverse students, I hope we can get a lot done in our tenure.

HAZEL BYRNE

Being elected as clubs officer for the 2019/2020 year, is an amazing feeling. Running in a public election was such a nerve wrecking, rewarding and enjoyable experience. Although it was tiring it was definitely worth the effort!

Learning more about yourself, others and DCU life in general are only a few reasons to run for elections, as well as making new friends and going to the after parties. I hope that I can build on the work done by the Clubs officer before me and put my own twist on it. Clubs are such an important part of Student life and can help students make friends for life as well as give them the chance to represent their college on a national or international level. Like all the other SU officers my door will always be open for any questions about the clubs in DCU as well as anything else.

MARK MCGEE

BUSINESS FACULTY REP

SOCIETIES OFFICER

I am so happy to be elected as Business Faculty Representative for the coming year, and I’m very excited to get started, along with the incoming executive team! Elections were brilliant, and I’m looking forward to implementing my manifesto.

From the very beginning, I want to work closely with all class reps to create a strong representative team for all business students. I wish to implement changes so that communication between students and lecturers is much easier, as well as work with the brilliant business and international societies to give the opportunity for all students to really get involved in college life!

I hope to make career development opportunities more accessible as well as aid in the INTRA process. Really looking forward to making the Business School the best it can be!

I’m still shocked that I was voted as DCU’s next Societies Officer. I wanted to challenge myself to try something different and have always been interested in working alongside the SU. My fellow peers and SLC members are all amazing and I can’t wait to work alongside such a strong team this coming year. I’ve seen how much hard work has been put in the past and I am hoping to stay true to my Manifesto and work on the ideas I have. My main aims for the year will be to create a more coherent guide for new societies, BOI account guide and setting up a weekly office hour to consult with DCU Societies and committee members.

SU ELECTIONS 2019 On March 6th 2019, your Students’ Union team for 2019/20 were elected. Election candidates were out and about over the fortnight campaigning hard to earn your vote. Between hundreds of class addresses, dozens of fruit, pizza, lollies and viral election videos, your candidates were on the ground informing you of some of the great ideas they hoped to implement if elected. Of course, being an election, there were more candidates than seats. This year we see 4 female Sabbatical officers for the first time ever. It was a fantastic way to celebrate International Womens Day. Win, lose or draw we’d like to congratulate everyone who put their name forward this year to run in the elections. It is a massive step to put yourself out there and a lot of work went into each and every single campaign. We welcome in our new team officially on June 15th 2019 where the summer will be spent planning and preparing for another fantastic year in DCUSU.

USI CONGRESS This year DCUSU brought 17 delegates to Mayo for USI Congress. Over the course of four days students from across the country debated on various motions that affected students. DCUSU were involved in many debates ranging from Students Against Direct Provision to Environmental Sustainability.

The elections of USI Executive Team also took place during Congress and DCUSU were delighted to see our very own Craig McHugh elected as the next Vice President for the Dublin Region.

Furthermore, at the end of Congress Awards DCUSU won Best Large Delegation due to the active participation and involvement with Congress throughout the week which was great to see!

CRC AWARD WINNERS

We’ve had over 300 reps this year working hard to enhance your college experience. There are many activities that your rep does for you behind the scenes that may not always be noticed.

They may have fixed the water cooler in your area, brought your issue to a programme board meeting, eased your timetabling issues… the list is endless. We wish to thank the reps for all of their hard work and commend the staff who contributed to improving the experience of student life at DCU. A particular mention to the following who were highlighted for their work:

Humanities Class Rep of the Year: Cormac Flynn Science & Health Class Rep of the Year: Dean O’Reilly Institute of Education Class Rep of the Year: Seán Smyth DCU Business School Class Rep of the Year: Hazel Byrne Engineering Class Rep of the Year: Cathy Brennan Postgrad Class Rep of the Year: Sean Quinn Part-Time Student Class Rep of the Year: Emma Tunnicliffe First Year Class Rep of the Year: Thomas O’Dowd Class Rep of the Year: Seán Smyth Outstanding Contribution to Student Life: Tadgh Jenkins Ciarán Mac an tSaoir Keziah Rae Manuel Dean O’Reilly

THE U The new ‘U’ student centre is already a frequently used facility and a favourite location among the student and staff population. Almost 1 year since it opened its doors, the U has been booked for various Clubs and Socs events, external conferences, hosted the cultural festival ‘Anam’ along with being the main venue for SU events ‘DCU Fest’, ‘The Blizzard Ball’ and ‘The Grand Stretch’. After about 2+ years of construction, it is truly fantastic to have the facility at the heart of the Glasnevin campus.

Student engagement has never been higher.

The state of the art building has much to offer, with various meeting rooms with interactive displays, function rooms and quiet spaces for students

CHANGE

As a Students’ Union, we constantly strive and work for change. By assessing and reassessing our own union and the environment around us we hope to make changes for the better for our students.

to study. The ‘Escape PODS’ on the first floor are a fantastic feature for anyone experiencing sensory overload to take some time out. The SU have also placed a piano on the Steps for the more creative students to use and are also going green with using digital displays to advertise upcoming events and campaigns.

We plan on adding more features to the U as we receive feedback from the student body but in the meantime are delighted to see students taking ownership of the new space. If you would like to book or avail of any of the services in the U, please contact us at clubsandsocsbookings@ dcu.ie or pop up to the SU helpdesk on level 1.

DCU JAVA STUDENT HUB

DCU Java Student Hub opened it’s doors in March after a long anticipated renovation. The social space off D block on St Patrick’s campus is now officially open and available to everyone to use. Since the renovation of the Hub on Glasnevin, there was a call to redecorate ‘ Java’ on St Pats and to bring it into the 21st century.

The new space now includes all new vibrant furniture, charging outlets, an interactive projection display, a new sound system with a plug-in feature for students to play music, a brand new coffee shop and fantastic Graffiti wall art, which was designed based on the culture and history of St Patrick’s campus.

It has been in the pipe-

line for many years and students were delighted at the opening ceremony, with free coffees available to students and staff for the whole day. The current SU team had a major input into the design and feel for the space, alongside Eanan O Doherty in DCU estates, and were ecstatic to see their plans brought to life.

The outside has also been renovated and is now more welcoming to passerbys to drop in.

Pool tables have been installed in the conservatory for a game in between lectures.

If you find yourself on campus, be sure to drop in to view the new space!

OPPORTUNITIES THE ARTS BURSARY

The aim of the Arts Bursary is to promote excellence in artistic and cultural activities in Dublin City University and to encourage the pursuit of such excellence. The Office of Student Life, supported by the Educational Trust, offers a limited number of Arts Bursaries to full time undergraduate students involved in the Arts. This year nine students were offered the

bursary that resulted in supporting art forms as diverse as music, writing, visual art and all forms of videography. The Office of Student Life was proud to organise a small reception for this year’s recipients on 3rd April in the U Building. Mary Shine-Thompson from the Educational Trust discussed the value of being involved in arts and encouraged the students to

continue on with their interests.

The recipients were each given a certificate to commemorate their achievement and we had a special musical performance from Sean O’Connor.

If you are interested in applying for an Arts Bursary for the academic year 2019/2020 please email arts.bursary@dcu.ie for more information.

UANEEN MODULE The Uaneen Module is a unique scheme that formally recognises the work done and learning acquired by students within University and outside clubs, societies, community work and extra-curricular activity in general. This module is offered to all final year students within DCU. Students gain academic accreditation by producing a reflective portfolio that highlights the skills and competencies they have gained through their involvement with extra-curricular activities over the course of their college life. This year, we had 49 students who completed Uaneen via the contributory route (a contributing 5 credit elective) and 17 students who completed via the non-contributory route (a non-contributing optional additional 5 credits).

The Uaneen module is structured to reflect the holistic learning students gain through extra involvement and closely ties in to the six DCU Graduate Attributes, whose purpose is to shape our graduates into well-rounded individuals, ready to make an impact on society and on the workforce. The Uaneen module has been strongly supported by IBEC since its inception in 2004.

DCU VOLUNTEER Every year the DCU Volunteer Working Group, a collaboration between the charitable and civic societies on campus alongside the Students’ Union and DCU Volunteer, host a flagship fundraiser for a cause close to the university’s heart.

This year we ran a one-of-a-kind event on the 27th of March 2019, namely ‘DCU Game Night’ which said what it does on the tin; an evening of old favourite games to the U but with a twist.

Both DCU staff and students went head to head in Irish 30 Seconds, DCU Charades, Twister and more - including lots for attendees to get involved with. With the expert assistance of DCU Games Society, the night was full of nostalgic craic and competition from Mario Kart tournaments to Giant Connect 4 battles.

Our chosen charity was Inner City Helping Homeless (ICHH), a volunteer run non-profit organisation providing outreach support services and advocacy to Dublin’s Homeless. We have worked closely with ICHH over the last few months and this year in particular they were one of the Students’ Union Charity Partners. The incredible work they do in supporting the homeless of Dublin and beyond is outstanding, hence we were honoured to team up with them once again. In total, ‘DCU Game Night’ raised just under €620 which was a huge achievement for the charitable and civic societies involved in the Volunteer Working Group but most importantly, a tangible contribution for ICHH. DCU Volunteer would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who got involved on the night, helped out and donated - without you all it wouldn’t have been a success. We’re already looking towards next year’s festivities and another exciting year for DCU Volunteer. - Ruth Lynam, DCU Volunteer.

ENGAGEMENT AWARD The DCU Engagement Award formally recognises student engagement with university life and civic society. It provides you with a clear and structured approach over the duration of your college course to self-development and achievement outside of the formal curriculum. The Student Engagement Award is designed to optimise each student’s potential to achieve the six DCU Graduate Attributes that will boost your career prospects. There are 3 levels of the DCU Engagement Award. Although you may step on-board at any level, we strongly recommend you start in First Year and build towards the Final Award in your last year of college - the Uaneen module.

This is the first year of the Student Engagement Award and we were delighted to see a large number of students actively engaging in both the Bronze and Silver Awards.

If you are interested in applying for the Student Engagement Award and would like more information about it, please contact engageaward@dcu.ie.

MEDIA, ENTS AND U CREW This year the Office of Student Life employed a designated Media, ENTS and ‘U’ crew. The media crew were responsible for photographing and filming student events and activities throughout the academic year. The ENTS crew worked at student campaigns and events under the ENTS officer and the U crew were employed specifically to maintain and assist with bookings in the new ‘U’ student centre. Being a member of any of these crews is a fantastic opportunity to gain practical experience in your field of study and add to your ever-growing CV. This year’s teams

comprised of over 20 students who worked extremely hard throughout the year to create innovative media and who assisted with running engaging events adding to the student experience here in DCU. We’d like to thank all of this year’s members for being so active and accommodating, they were a fantastic asset to the Office of Student Life and we look forward to working with you again next year. If you’re interested in joining the media crew, you can apply via DCUSU’s student newsletter, which will be sent out during week 1, semester 1.

CLUBS & SOCIETIES Club and Society life in DCU has never been in such a promising position. The enthusiasm and drive of its members has been an ever present asset. However, they now have numerous opportunities with the opening of the U, never before available to previous students. They have taken this opportunity and run with it as they made society life as vibrant as it could possibly be this year. Whether it was their weekly meetup or flagship events, Clubs and Socs this semester have truly been a credit to themselves and DCU. A big thank you must be extended to the SLC and CLC committee members, Aoife McDermott, Martin Nolan, Sarah O’Dwyer, Kevin Cleary, Cat Kane, Donal Corrigan, Yvonne McGowan, Jack Callaghan, Thomas Dorian, Una Redmond and Siobhån Byrne for all their effort to keep C&S life thriving throughout the year.

- Seanie Germaine, Clubs and Socs Events Co-Ordinator 18/19.

AWARENESS KISS WEEK Our sexual health campaign, KISS Week, came to life in Week 3 of Semester 2, right in time for Valentines Day! This week encompassed workshops, events, murals and much more. We held more SMART Consent workshops this week that were open to all students, bringing our total number up to 643 students who voluntarily became part of the wave of change that is SMART Consent. We had blood donations taking place all week, along with menstrual education workshops, a talk from Robbie Lawlor on HIV in Ireland, as well as Caroline West on Porn and Myth Busting.

HIV Ireland, the DRCC, the NWCI and Sexual Wellbeing joined us on

campus, as well as USI for their SHAG Roadshow. We unveiled our ‘It Stops Now’ Mural as part of the Ending Sexual Harassment and Violence in Third Level Education (ESHTE) project. ESHTE aims to prevent and combat sexual violence and harassment and build a culture of zero tolerance in third-level education throughout Europe.

The project is funded by the European Commission. DCU Dance, FemSoc and DCU LGBTA got involved by hosting their own events too, so it was a successful week all round starting the conversation around sexual health.

- Aisling Fagan, VP for Welfare & Equality

DCUSU’s first Rainbow Week took the University by storm, with Clubs, Societies, departments and even Londis going rainbow for the week by changing their social media profile pics to those of the LGBTQ+ flag.

RAINBOW WEEK

The week saw DCUSU and the LGBTA Society joining forces to celebrate all things LGBTQ+ in DCU - with free iced-coffee, nail painting, coming out safe spaces, DCU Drag Race (that rasied over €3000 for TENI!!) information and awareness raising, a trans history panel, Mental Health & The Closet with MHS and much more.

We wanted to show our support for all of our LGBTQ+ students and be loud and proud. Thank you so much to the LGBTA society for organising so much and for being such a huge help to the SU all year, and to everyone who got involved and enjoyed celebrating Rainbow Week with us.

To continue on with the celebrations the U has kept up our LGBTQ+ colours and signage to celebrate Pride month. If you’d like to get involved in all things LGBTQ+ you can contact dculgbta@gmail.com -Aisling Fagan, VP for Welfare & Equality

SMOKING REFERENDUM In April, DCUSU appealed to the student body to vote in a referendum to create smoke free zones on campus. This referendum was posed in order to reduce waste caused by cigarette butts and to also encourage a healthier campus by reducing second hand smoke. The results of the referendum were as follows: Quorum: 1,695 Total Valid Poll: 1,784 Yes/Tá: 1,224 No/Níl: 560 Therefore, this referendum has passed.

Details in relation to the smoke free zones will be released during the upcoming semester.

GREEN WEEK Continuing on with the great work DCUSU and the Sustainable Living Society started last year, we hosted DCU ‘Green Week’ in February of last semester.

This was a week long event with numerous events and initiatives across all campuses to spread awareness about climate change and pollution. Some of the key events were the ‘Non Waste Cookery’ show in the U with celebrity chef Adrian Martin, a ‘Green Week Fair’ and a documentary screening of ‘Just Eat It’. Outside of Green Week there are ongoing intiatives such as the ‘Clothing Swap Shop’ in the U every week and the selling of ‘Keep Cups’ at the SU Helpdesks on both campuses. We are on a steady path of achieving our goal of making DCU a plastic free campus by 2020.

If you would like to get involved in making DCU more sustainable, you can join the sustainable living society by contacting them at dcusustainablelivingsoc@ gmail.com.

CAREERS WEEK Careers Week took place in week two of the semester. This campaign was run in partnership with the Careers Service in Student Support & Development and was a massive success. This year we took an approach to the week by working with the Faculty Reps to design talks and workshops that were relevant to students in all faculties.

There was 30 events across the week to help get students the job the want once they leave DCU. All of the events were well attended and many students found them interesting and beneficial. I would like to thank the Careers Service and the SU Faculty Reps for all their help and hard work with this campaign.

SEACHTAIN NA GAEILGE This year’s ‘Seactain na Gaeilge” ran from the 4th-14th of March and had 2 weeks jammed packed with Irish themed events and activities. The Students Union worked alongside An Cumann Gaelach DCU to host ‘Tae agus Ple’ , ‘Shite Night Gaelach’ ‘Club Comhra Mor’ and ‘Oiche Scannain le film Soc’ to name but a few. The two weeks fnished with The Irish Ball or ‘Bal na Gaeilge’ at the Skylon hotel. It was fantastic to see DCU students engage with the Irish language and culture, both Irish and international students. We look forward to hosting these events again next year, making them bigger and better than ever!

BLINDBOY DCUSU were delighted to have ‘Blindboy Boatclub” join us in the Venue in March for a live Podcast. Hosted by Blindboy of the Rubberbandits, the eclectic podcast contained short fiction, interviews and comedy surrounding the topic of sexual and mental health along with general wellbeing. Two DCU Alumni were guests on the show, HIV advocate Robbie Lawlor and Caroline West, a fellow PhD student, who is researching pornography and feminist theory. The 2 hour show sold out the Venue and engaged students in subjects that are a part of college culture, addressing the stigmas and social attitudes towards them. DCU President Vito Moloney Burke said “It was one of the best events and highlights of the year.” The first event of it’s kind in DCU, the Podcast thoroughly engaged the audience throughout it’s duration and encouraged conversations about HIV PREP, sexual education, pornography, safe sex and female sexual pleasure. The positive response to the event was phenomenal and we look forward to hosting a similar event to this for next year.

HOLIFEST This year’s Holifest was just as successful as last years. This year the event took part at it’s original spot; All Hallows Campus. It was partnered with DCU ‘Sober Stock’ to encourage daytime fun without the need for alcohol. The event was packed and included a Food Truck, Inflatables, Gladiator and Sumo wrestling suits, free ice-creams and bouncy castles. A special shout out has to go to Sober Soc as they were instrumental in organising the event. The festival is known as the festival of colours and it is to celebrate life, love, the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It was such a fun day and I really hope it continues on for the fourth time next year!

FUND THE FUTURE

On Thursday March 21st, Secondary School students’ Trade Unions SIPTU, Teachers’ Union of Ireland and Third Level students’ joined together in a powerful lunchtime action on every campus in Ireland, calling on the Government to #FundTheFuture. This protest was in light of a 363% increase in student fees between 2007-2014 along with 25% of students waiting more than 4 weeks for counselling.

The students who need support the most are being left behind by the sys-

tem. DCUSU was proud to take part in this protest alongside other members of USI to highlight these issues to the community and the media. Students are currently being used as cash cows and will be vocal about these issues until they are resolved. We will proudly continue to take part in the Fund the Future movement, until progress is made.

COMMUNITY DARKNESS INTO LIGHT

Over 1500 participants took to the Glasnevin campus on the 11th of May at 4.15am to partake in DCUSU’s Second Annual Darkness Into Light - a walk from the darkness of night into the light of morning to help in the global fight against suicide and self-harm. Symbolically the walk represents the therapeutic counseling journey. It sparks conversation about the importance of mental health and wellbeing in all of our lives. The walk provides an opportunity for people to connect with their local community and to show their support for those who have been bereaved by suicide. The entry fees raised around the world allow Pieta House and their international charity partners to continue to deliver their vital services.

Thank you so much to the DCU DIL committee and our incredible volunteers who helped so much on

the morning, it simply couldn’t have happened without you! To our sponsors, Electric Ireland and Londis, Pieta House, DCU Security, DCU Health & Safety, the Gardaí and of course, our amazing participants - staff, students and the local community - thank you so much. Your support, help, participation, and donations will save lives. You are the spark that will ignite hope in so many hearts. You are bringing the Power of Hope into so many lives.

You are the light in the dark. Until next year!

- Aisling Fagan, VP for Welfare & Equality

RAISING MONEY FOR CHARITIES On May 2nd Alzheimer’s Tea Day celebrated 25 years of supporting 55,000 people living with dementia in Ireland. This year DCU OSL proudly took part in this Tea Day. Your Office of Student Life staff team, DCUSU Sabbatical team and DCU Volunteering spent the evening baking some lovely treats

for a coffee morning to raise awareness and some much needed funds. We would like to thank the amazing support from the DCU community and look forward to hosting events such as this in the future. Every day, more and more people are turning to The Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland seeking a range of

vital services like Day Care Centres, respite, home care, social clubs, carer support groups, Alzheimer cafés and the very busy National Helpline (1800 341 341). Be sure to log onto alzheimer.ie to see how you can take part and get involved.

challenges facing asylum seekers and refugees. The week serves as a very good reminder for what we are and what we are about in the university.

Throughout the week we had various activities on celebrating the university of sanctuary students and also highlight the direct provision system and everything that is flawed with it.”

SU to document living on this figure on social media.

REFUGEE WEEK DCUSU hosted the second ever refugee week on campus. This was in partnership with DCU Chaplaincy Office and Universities of Sanctuary (UoS).

DCU UoS means that Fifteen scholarship students have enrolled at DCU since September 2017. Five students are currently studying in the University’s faculties; one student per faculty, and the remaining ten students are studying via the online learning platform - DCU Connected.

DCUSU President Vito Moloney Burke said that “the week was an interesting mix of serious and lighthearted events while reminding students of the

One of the core elements of the week was the €29.80 challenge. This figure is the amount of money that refugees survive on each week. It’s a terribly low figure that essentially means you can only just about survive and not do much else with your life. We asked 4 students in the

They found it extremely hard and it demonstrated just how expensive Ireland is to live in.

Nearly all of the students had spent the money by the middle of the week. Overall the week was a great success and continued to keep the stength behind the ‘Save our Shepherd’ campaign and appeal, keeping it in the spotlight on a national level. We were very happy with the success of the week and have no doubt it will continue to run just as successfully next year.

SOCIETY LIFE

HIGHLIGHTS

Clubs and Societies delivered some events of the highest calibre this semester. Their attention to detail, whether the event was for 70 people such as Redbricks impactful Sistem conference or 700, such as Style’s incredible fashion show. Some calendar highlights came back for renewals such as RAG Relief, Blind Date, Take Me Out, Glee’s Showcase, Drag Race, Best Dance Crew and Drama’s musical. Special mention must be given to new events that occurred this year and showcase the creativity and innovative nature of Club and Soc members. Some of these such as Amikon, MiSoc’s Boat Party, Speakeasy’s BESK and Soberbowl highlight the innovative nature of student events perfectly. Overall it has been a fantastic year for events here on campus and it has set a high bar for incoming committee members, one which I have no doubt they can achieve. - Seanie Germaine, Clubs and Socs Events.

CLUB LIFE HIGHLIGHTS There are over 40 Clubs in DCU with something for everyone!

• DCU landed the title of sports college of the year 2019. This was due to the many successes from the ladies Rugby team, who swept up every victory throughout the year. The level of dedication and sportsmanship was outstanding and it showed as many of our clubs thrived.

• Both Karate club and Tennis club had amazing Intervarsities.

• DCU swimmers swept up at the Irish National Intervarsity Championships this year when they bagged 13 gold medals.

• DCU ladies basketball Team came away from their All Ireland final with an impressive 73-60 win over Ulster university.

• DCU Trampolining reaches success as Niamh Ní Iceadha took home gold in Open Advanced and Higher Synchro at a recent competition in Trinity.

• The DCU ladies Gaelic Football team claimed the O’Connor Cup Shield with a victory over the National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) in the final.

• Three DCU fencers won their first competitive medals in March, at a novice competition that was held in Galway.

• The DCU Dóchas na hÉireann junior footballers won the Leinster Higher Education final by four points, beating Dundalk Institute of Technology in the final.

• DCU Weightlifting came back from their Inter-varsity competition in Galway on February 16th with seven medals to their name.

• DCU placed first in the IUAA Cross Country Championships in Galway on the second of March. Three of the male competitors placed in the top five positions with three of the women grabbing the top three places. The athletes club were also successful bagging many titles and remaining undefeated.

• DCU’s Ryan Farrell added another table tennis award to his list as he captured the Intervarsity Singles Title for the second year in a row in NUI Galway.

• DCU Badminton finished top of their group to advance to the Tier 1 Cup Finals. DCU Handballer.

• Fiona Tully also won the Irish Collegiate Handball Association’s Women’s Open Final in Belfast.

• Leinster player and DCU scholarship student David Hawkshaw was named Ireland’s under 20s captain ahead of their first U20s Six Nations bout against England.

CLUBS & SOCS WINNERS 2019

Most Promising Club Fresher (Female) Maeve Og O’Leary

Aoife McDermott - MPS Addie Perry-Lennor - Snowsports

Most Promising Society Fresher Dylan McClorey

Excellence in Coaching Martin Cunningham Archery

Most Promising Club Fresher (Male) Taka Hession Best Society Poster Mental Health Society “Craicin Up” Best Society Promotional Video Sober Soc “Stay Trunky” Best Society Photography RAG Soc “On the Ropes” Graduate Contribution to a Club or Society Terry Keegan Club/Society Alumni Engagement Award Law Society Individual Award for Sporting Excellence David Hawkshaw - Rugby Fiona Tully - Handball Brendan Hyland - Swimming Individual Award for Contribution to Club Development Eimear Corrie - Rugby Orla McNabola - Karate Conor MacGinn - Boxing Rhiannon O’Connor - Archery Matthew Boyle - Surf n Sail Individual Award for Contribution to Society Life Bronagh Kelly - Style James McDermott - Redbrick Hannah Gallagher - MPS Mark McGee - International Erasmus Student Network Hannah Leonard - RAG Seanie Germaine - Society Life Committee Chloe Demolder - Dance Riain Condon - Drama Grainne Byrne - Speakeasy Emma Collins - Style Elizabeth Hurley - ESOC

Best Society Publicity Campaign MPS - DCUtv 24 Hour Broadcast 2018 Comms & Marketing Surf n Sail Sports Scholar of the Year Emma Hooban Best Society Event Style Soc - DCU Fashion Show 2019 “Life Imitates Art” Team of the Year Athletics, Men’s Cross Country Squad Best New Society International Erasmus Student Network (I*ESN) Most Promising Club Rock Climbing Most Promising Society Redbrick Sports Personality of the Year Padraig Foley Society Personality of the Year Riain Condon Best Society in a Charity or Civic Field RAG Society

Club of the Year Ladies Rugby Best Society in a Cultural, Academic or Social Field Drama

EVENTS DCU has had no shortage of events this semester. ‘The U’ continued to bring a huge amount of student engagement back to campus over this semester as it also did in first semester. Clubs and Societies continue to thrive with over 140 Clubs and Socs active across all campuses, alongside the events run by the Students’ Union and support from the Office of Student Life it has made DCU one of the most lively, vibrant and active universities in the country.

This semester saw many SU run events such as the Blindboy Podcast, the ‘Grand Stretch Fest’ and Darkness into Light being some of the highlights. The feedback from these events has continued to be positive with good ticket sales and high engagement. As always, we continue to encourage students getting out of lecture halls and classrooms whenever they can to enjoy college life and we look forward to bringing more events for students to campus in the next year.

- Conor Doyle, Events Co-Ordinator

EVENTS SEM

MESTER TWO

HELP & SUPPORT ISSE SURVEY A record number of DCU students participated in the 2019 Irish Survey for Student Engagement (ISSE) in early March. The survey showed an overall response rate of 33%, representing 3,264 participants (2018 - 34% / 3116).Thank you to all involved in achieving this high level of engagement. ISSE is an important tool for students through which they can provide feedback relating to their student experience. There’s also great prizes up for grabs each year so be sure to take part next year!

HELPING YOU The SU is here to help you better your time in DCU. We offer a range of services, support, advice, events and opportunities. We make sure your voice is heard and that you have an unforgettable experience in DCU. We like to help our students by making free welfare products such a feminine hygiene packs, pregnancy tests, condoms and drug tests available on all campuses. We also like to promote physical and mental wellbeing by having free fruit and food available during campaign weeks and having our doors always open. If there is anything you’d like to see available in your SU or a cause you would like to raise awareness about, you can contact us at helpdesk@dcusu.ie. We wish you all the best with exam results and hope you have a fantastic summer - DCUSU

THE SU HELPDESK Our SU Helpdesks continue to be an invaluable resource to us all. The staff who work at the desk supply a range of services including SU merchandise, printing, binding, Ticketmaster, Ticketsolve and Travel tickets. They also act as a vital information point for the campus staff, students and visitors. Pop in to see us upstairs on the first floor of the U on Glasnevin campus or off D Block on St Patrick’s campus.

4600 Travel cards sold for full year.

14371 Transactions have gone through the SU Helpdesk this year.

27% of DCU student population got their Student Leap card here at the SU Helpdesk.

HELPDESK SALES SEMESTER 2, 2019 Aine

98000 Trips have been made by DCU students this year

11451 people have had their Leap card topped up at the SU Helpdesk this year

Cathal

HELPDESK

DCU Office Of Student Life

Email us : suhelpdesk@dcusu.ie Phone: 01 7005392