Student Speak

choice, just meant to placate students. The current committee haven’t done anything to anger me, and they come across quite well. I don’t blame them for the issues in the university at all. But if somebody can convince me that they could come in and actually improve the student experience then they will get my vote.

Some of the things I would like to see from the new and upcoming student union reps is accessibility! I find that it is difficult to get in touch with some of the representatives. If the representatives are elected by the students then I think it’s only fair that they make time for the students.

I’m looking forward to the SU elections this year! I love to see student candidates opinions on how to make University of Galway a better place for all. I don’t know who I’m voting for yet, but I am excited to see each candidates proposals. Everyone should be voting this election to have the chance to voice their own opinion on how to improve our University. I hope some of the candidates deal with issues such as the cost of living crisis in Galway.

Ailbhe O’Connor Masters Public Advocacy & Activism

Do the candidates have any plans to actually, tangibly improve the lives of students? Projects like the student pantry had little to no support from the SU other than mentions on social media. The Sibín has had several complaints that just haven’t been addressed. Since I started in college the issue of the lack of seating on campus has never been acted upon in any significant way. The SU has become a career stepping stone for a lot of the exec. Why should I vote for someone who just wants a better CV?

I am really excited for the new election. I am curious to see the new manifestos and to see if any candidate has any ideas to tackle the ongoing accommodation crisis here in Galway. I hope to see more support and involvement from the SU on impactful projects like the student pantry.

Ní dóigh liom go bhfuil a ndotháin troid déanta ag na ceannairí maidir leis na fadhbanna níos prainní a bhfuil ag cuir isteach ar scoláirí. Bhí agóid maidir leis an easpa tithíocht, ach ní raibh sé ro-éifeachtach, agus teastaíonn i bhfad níos mó acu. É sin ráite, caithfear aitheantas a thabhairt ar an obair iontach atá déanta acu maidir leis na imeachtaí a chuaigh ar aghaidh i mbliana.

Éabha Gaughan Final Year Law & English Student

Personally, I think that SU elections are a chance to actively participate in university life and taking part in deciding who to have as ‘guides’ through this journey. It is very important to vote and express yourself and I put a lot of hope and trust in events like this. Looking forward to seeing what the next generation of SU officers will be!!

Watts 2nd Year Global Media Student

If I’m honest, I don’t tend to take SU elections too seriously. I’m sceptical about how much power they actually have. Sometimes it seems more like an illusion of

I believe the Students Union is the most effective way for students to make their voices heard. In this election I would like to see candidates that really push against issues affecting students, particularly the issue surrounding unaffordable housing on campus, the declining mental health of university students and the move away from hybrid-teaching, decreasing accessibility to education. I think the SU has been somewhat passive recently regarding these issues and I would like to see that change. I’m looking forward to reading the candidates manifestos to understand what they view as the most important issues to be addressed this year.

Exit Interview with SU President Sai Gujulla

Looking back at your own election manifesto, do you feel this year has been a success?

Personally, I feel it has been successful. The main aspects of my manifesto that I have accomplished so far include accessible leadership, improved relationship with the University and Students, opening up the discussion of Students’ Union funding and preparing a funding proposal and much more.

What was the biggest obstacle you faced this year?

Time, I would say was the biggest obstacle this year. With different committees, approvals and the drafting of policies, time was something that was scarce. Each day was important when it came to bringing change in our university life. It did take me a while to realise but lack of time can be overcome by improved scheduling, delegation and most importantly stating your goals for the day.

What was the biggest issue facing students under your mandate?

Accommodation and the Cost of Living Crisis are the biggest things students have faced this year. With the lack of response and action from the government students have faced extreme hardship and I as the Students’ Union President tried every way possible to make the university experience as good as possible. We listened, we had meetings, we protested but we did not give up this year in making sure students had the best university experience possible.

What is your proudest achievement that you will take away from your term?

My proudest achievement would be the accessibility and the engagement of the Union this year as well as the improved relationships we have forged with the university that have allowed us to do numerous things that would have been out of reach before and these will only be amplified next year in the form of events, potential funding for our Union and increased student representation on University Committees.

What are your plans for the next academic year?

So, at the moment I’m currently running to be the next President of Union of Students in Ireland to ensure that reform is not only limited to our Union but is nationwide. Depending on the result of the election I will either assume the office of the President of USI or I will continue my studies at Ollscoil na Gaillimhe University of Galway as a Final Year Biomedical Engineering student.

Exit Interview with SU Vice President: Education Officer Joe Mee

Looking back on your election manifesto, do you feel this year has been a success?

Overall I am happy with what I have achieved this year although many goals on my manifesto changed. The reality of the role, the insight gained during the role, and the feedback you receive from students change your goals. I found that I pursued different objectives than I had originally thought I would. For example, I wanted to support students with disabilities, and in my manifesto, I wanted to push for increased funding for Disability Support Services at the Univesity. However, there was no reasonable accommodations policy and in terms of disability support, this is more crucial to ensure that students with disabilities received the support they needed. I therefore, pivoted my position to pursue this avenue.

A number of other issues came up during my term and I worked on those. One of the big things I pushed for was increased recreational and study spaces. There will be many additional study spaces opened in buildings around campus, in addition to the outdoor pods, and the Síbin. There are also plans to have microwaves installed in different locations around campus.

The biggest disappointment of the year was my not being able to get a program to develop more open educational resources off the ground. This was an area in my manifesto I really wanted to push but was unsuccessful in my efforts.

What is the biggest obstacle you faced this year?

The biggest obstacle this year was workload. There at different times when the workload of the education officer is very high. I also have a tendency to try and take on too much. In semester one this workload was particularly high. This meant I did not achieve some of my objectives as I had to drop them in order to focus on core responsibilities such as casework and class rep elections.

What is the biggest issue facing students under the education remit?

Recreational and group study spaces are a big issue brought up by students. Students want places they can relax and reheat food. They also want spaces where they can study or do assignments as a group. Blended learning is something students really want to see return to the university. During covid, students loved the flexibility offered by a flood of additional teaching resources. It was also highly beneficial to many students with disabilities as they could replay lectures and even adjust replay spends.

Although predominately a welfare concern, housing and the cost of living crisis was a massive issue as it interfered with students' ability to do well in education. Many students have had to take on more hours of work or commute large distances. It is affecting grades and pushing students to withdraw from the university.

What is your proudest achievement this year?

My proudest achievement this year was actually something I never thought I would be involved in. I developed a series of social events in conjunction with the internal office for incoming international students. There were eight events in semester one that all sold out and a further six events in semester two that had great attendance. The events were such a good opportunity for incoming students to meet one another. There are now plans to run these events every year.

What are your plans for the next academic year?

Next year I will return to the 4th year of my mechanical engineering degree. I really enjoyed my year as Education Officer but am looking forward to pursuing my future as an engineer.