Derek Daly for ULSU President Manifesto

WHO IS DEREK DALY? Hey guys, I’m Derek, a 24 year old Limerick native with almost 6 years in UL behind me. I studied a Bachelor of Business Studies majoring in Accounting and Finance taking a HR minor.

I have really enjoyed working on your behalf since I was first elected to do so in as a societies representative to the Clubs and Societies Executive in 2006. I was re-elected for a further two consecutive terms. It was an honour to be elected Welfare Officer in 2009 and I am dedicated to continuing this work for students having been re-elected in 2010. I have been entrusted with your confidence through my time in UL and those who have worked with me will attest my dedication to always putting the students first.

I am running for President of your Students’ Union to make your UL experience the best it can be. UL is a large community, much more than a place to get a degree, a place where you will be educated in not just academics, but more importantly, life. I am committed to ensuring that ULSU plays an active part in your life at UL. To do this I need your Number 1 Vote, Vote or next available preference.

Derek

DELIVERING FOR YOU Since I first got involved I have always taken an active interest in representing students. Going back through the time that I’ve been here I can pick out some memorable arguments (some won, some lost) where I took the best interests of the students of UL and gave it my all to get it for them. One of the wins was the Clubs and Societies 4x4, one of the losses an argument with the then SU President about how the campus bank was making my life as a society treasurer quite difficult and could he do something about it.

My point is that I have come to learn a lot about how the University works, works what makes it tick. I’d almost go so far as to say that I’ve learned more about bureaucracy and getting through it in my time as a sabbatical officer, than I did about accounting in my 4 years as a Business student.

I am your trump card. card Most of what I bring in terms of being able to tell you who to go to to get an extension on paying fees to telling other officers who to go to to book a space in the reserved car park for visitors is something that can be learned by anyone, but right now you can choose to vote for a candidate who already knows. I have dealings with people from all parts of campus and know how many of the key people interact with the campus community before the polls even open. Experience is sometimes thrown about as a dirty word, I don’t believe it to be when it comes with the type of progressive ideas that are outlined in my manifesto. This experience will be used for your benefit as UL students if you choose me to be your President by giving me your number 1 vote. vote

University Services Much like all large organisations that are heavily state funded, UL is under sever pressure to bring it’s budget in order. Identifying cost savings is something that needs to be done and we know that there is waste in every system. However, from my experience in dealing with division heads and faculty administrators I can honestly say that there is nobody in UL management who is out to get students. I’ve known and worked in other organisations where complete ^&*£ers get into senior management, round here it just doesn’t happen.

By recognising this and approaching the University from a positive rather than negative perspective I believe there is a lot that can be done to not only preserve frontline services, but also to reconfigure them to work more effectively.

24 Hour Library services have been promised in the past and not delivered, a more realistic approach is to seek longer opening hours for the Glucksman Library building in the 3 weeks coming up to exams each semester. This is the time when short-loan material is in highest demand and students need more access to study space. Re-configuring security to a late night base in the Library could facilitate this. It’s not the biggest election promise ever made, but it is one I will commit to.

Friday afternoon classes are impractical for many students. Campus empties pretty quickly come 3:30/4pm on a Friday. This isn’t always because students don’t want to stay around, it is often because staying for the weekend isn’t an option. My part time job was massively helpful in making my college life more bearable and less stressful. In this respect I understand many people need to get to different parts of the country for work every weekend. weekend Classes at 4 and 5pm on a Friday can sometimes make this a near impossibility. For faculty and staff being at UL is their job and for many students being at UL depends on their job, job so finishing in enough time to get you to it is important.

If elected I will examine the issue with your Education Officer together with the SAA Manager and the Director of Student Affairs. The timetabling system runs on one rule, rule that everyone must get a lunch between 12 and 2. This creates massive logistical issues, and if it were to be removed for Fridays, combined with the extra space being built on campus there is a possibility we could get classes finished in time to get you home to your job, your family and your friends.

YOUR EXPERIENCE UL is much more than just a place you come to learn. learn It is a part of your life. If you leave UL with just a piece of paper to show you have studied a course and passed the exams, then you haven’t had the UL experience.

To borrow a quote from an award winner at the Board of Irish College Societies 2 years ago, “If If you don’t get involved, if you don’t join a club or society, if you don’t do something more, then you haven’t been to college, you’ve just been to class”. class Coming to university is a defining part of your life, it will give you qualifications far beyond the academic. Employers now look for personal skills that can be developed through volunteering, teamwork that can be developed through sports, through clubs, societies. Paraphrasing instead of quoting this time, a graduate employer at a recent conference held on campus said “Give me a mechanical engineer, I can teach him to be an Accountant, I don’t want to have to teach him to deal with clients or work on a team. We’re looking for people not just employees” I have had that UL experience, I know what it’s all about, I want to make sure that you can have it too!

ENTS I am not promising the sun, moon and stars here because Ents sits mainly with the Campaigns and Services Officer and the Ents Working Group. ULSU is also lucky in that we have a full time Events Co -Ordinator who was hired last year from MCD (yes the one that does Oxegen). We have a great mix of students with expertise, but I want to add choice to that for you. X-Factor style - They will be the judges, you will pick the act. act You will be given a choice of 5 acts that have been confirmed as available and within budget and you will have the final say in which one is the headline act for the year.

A late night venue for UL is something which was previously examined and shelved. The Lodge closing must surely be a reason to re-examine it and I will work with Campus Life Services on this. I already have a strong working relationship with John at Campus Life and if elected we will closely examine if/where a campus nightclub/concert venue would be possible.

As President I would also have a seat on the board of Plassey Campus Centre, which would have responsibility for the project should it proceed. I have worked with a number of the other directors through their roles on Governing Authority and can get straight to work on this if you choose me to be your President.

In the meantime, as cheaper alternative to taxis, it may be possible to extend Nitelink services to run into town once it is finished dropping people home and run every 45 minutes until with a final pickup in town at 3am.

Union Services The ULSU Bookshop is an excellent resource, but can be improved from what people say to me. Our staff are committed to developing this service and there are avenues which can be explored such as a Facebook Apps.

Arranging pharmacy services IS possible. Together with your Campaigns and Services Officer I will engage local pharmacies to see what is best for you. There are a number of pharmacies in the area, including the newly opened Boots which recently did some health screening on campus. Imaginative opportunities need to be examined.

Services such as the Laptop Repair Centre, SU Bike Shop, Bed For a Semester and phone charger borrowing were advanced in response to student demand. If you can provide a demand for a service, your Union will do its best to get it for you.

Extra Curricular Activities Whether the extent of your extra curricular activity is having a kickabout with your housemates a few times a week or being on the committee of a number of clubs and societies, there is no doubt that these require some space.

Capital development for students is now necessary. As one of the students’ unions with the most past experience in this area, we can learn from issues that have arisen with the past 3 projects. Providing a space to have a kickabout may sound stupid, but the pitches are regularly in use for training for our clubs and the neighbours get narky when you play on the green.

A new student centre is on the cards as is a clubs and societies project. Providing the student input into the design stage we need to work on an open, welcoming common room as well as a fit for purpose service desk, desk properly laid out group study rooms and multimulti -purpose space that can be used for talks, gigs or as a cinema. cinema Sports facilities for just student recreational, nonnon -competitive use should also form part of this Volunteering can now be recognised on your student transcript through the Preisdent’s Volunteer Award. This is something that I have been working on so that you can get recognition from prospective employers. Up until recently the view was that a certificate would have been enough, but I believe recognising volunteering on your transcript gives you the opportunity to gain an advantage that few other Irish graduates can.

Once this programme has a strong enough take up I believe it will be possible for ULSU to lobby the University to provide a subvention to pay for a volunteer coco - ordinator who can find you a volunteering project. Nottingham is an example of where this system is already in place.

Finances Having this as one of my current responsibilities allows me to see just how difficult it is for some students to get by. It will be mainly a role for your Welfare Officer, but if elected I will push an undergraduate campus ccommodation scholarship for students who have just missed out on the grant. I have already developed the document and sent it to the Accommodation Office, but it has not yet made it to the agenda of the board of the company. As a director I can push for this to be examined.

The costs involved are substantial to Campus Life Services, but I believe the other directors will see the benefit.

Grants on a national level are currently undergoing the largest reform since the late 1960s. This is long overdue and will mean that payments will be made direct to students in future after successful pilot projects with a number of councils and VECs. I have worked on this for over 18 months now and it is really satisfactory to finally see a result. result

YOUR UNION ULSU is not about the President or the staff or making money. The purpose of ULSU is to advise and represent UL students and to provide useful services. We do this as a team. team From the students who get involved to help in our campaigns, to the officers and the staff, it is a team effort. No one person is bigger than the team. team If I am your President, I commit to leading your Union team with dedication and assisting the team how I can. Importantly, I know that there are areas where I am not expert, this is why ULSU has a permanent staff team. The staff of ULSU have amassed decades of experience and it is important that as an elected officer I know the limits of my capabilities and draw on that support provided to ensure your Union is secure and operating to the best of its capabilities.

New vision ULSU has come a long way from 1 full-time officer 4 decades ago to an organisation with 5 full time officers, 10 permanent staff and a subsidiary company with a turnover in the millions.

We need a vision now that will lead us towards the next decade. A strategic plan for ULSU has been discussed for a number of years now. I believe that it is time this plan gets put together with your input. put It should be put to a referendum next year to give certainty to the officers coming after that about how UL students want their union to develop.

Ranging from the services you want to how you want them to be provided, a strategic plan will put ULSU on a student focussed path to ensure the student experience you get is the student experience you want.

Union reform To make your Union stronger, we need to streamline and reform our democratic structures. As an officer team we need the support of the students and our staff, but we are missing one important support, specialised expertise. expertise If elected I will seek to rectify this by seeking established professionals in vital competencies such as law, human resources, finance to sit in an advisory capacity on the Students’ Union Executive. This serves a double purpose: One is to ensure that the students you elect to the Executive make informed decisions, decisions the second is to provide oversight of staff to ensure that there are always people at the table who know what to look for and know what questions to ask.

Class Reps Council has developed greatly in the past few years, but it still doesn’t fulfil its role in being the body that is supposed to hold the Executive to account. account Many class reps are happy to organise class parties, arrange hoodies and interact with lecturers, but it is rare that debate is generated around an issue at Council. Individual students need a greater variety of ways to become a member of Council and responsible for Union decision making, such as being elected to represent on accommodation issues, sporting issues, facilities issues.. I commit to get the ball rolling on this if you choose to elect me.

Student focussed Students currently have 2 times of the year where they get to come together and tell ULSU what they want in a large forum. The Annual General Meeting and Union General Meeting fail to attract students as there are a number of boring procedural matters that must be taken care of before you have your say.

With a stronger reformed Council, the procedural stuff can be moved, but in the meantime I commit to 2 Open General Meetings next year where you will have your say. Ask what you like, say what you want. The Semester 1 OGM will form one of your chances to have your input to a strategic plan.

ULSU exists because of students, not because there is a university. We need you to be part of it!