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Annual Report University of Limerick Students’ Union
s t n e t n Co s’ k Student ic r e im L f o University 010/2011 2 t r o p e R Annual
Newton Faulkner performs for a large audience in the SU Courtyard at Fresher Fest 2010. Image: Mark Delaney
Union
University of Limerick Students’ Union Annual Report 2010/2011
Introduction from ULSU President, Ruán Dillon McLoughlin
2-3
Facts in Figures
4-5
Charity Fundraising
6-7
Events
8-9
Postgraduate Students’ Association (PSA)
10 - 11
Awareness
12 - 13
Protests
14 - 15
Representation
16 - 17
Clubs and Societies
18 - 19
MnMs
20 - 21
Feedback
22 - 23
SU Building Improvements
24 - 25
New Stuff
26 - 27
Did You Know?
28
Your SU Online
29
Officers
30 - 31
In The Press
32 1
Your University of Limerick Students’ Union has completed its most successful year to date. We are now entering our 40th year and the organisation has grown beyond all recognition since it was first established by 113 Students of NIHEL in 1972. Over the last year, your Union has taken a very professional approach in self-development. We have critically evaluated how we operate and tasked ourselves with changing our structure to ensure greater accountability and a more strategic focus. This distinct change in approach has already proven very successful. This report, the first annual report produced by ULSU, serves to highlight the huge impact ULSU has on the UL community and the Limerick area. It aims to show the diverse nature of work carried out by your Union and how it not only acts as the life and sole of the University but how it provides critical peer support to ensure Students have the most positive experience during their time at UL. Our achievements would not be possible without the
Welcome 2
Ruán Dillon McLoughlin, University of Limerick Students’ Union President 2009-2011
help of a number of key staff within the University who help facilitate events and information flow. We are also extremely lucky to have a dedicated staff and sabbatical officer team who makes everything happen! But above all we are privileged to represent such a proactive and motivated student base who make the Union and University what it is.
An External Point of View Your Union is directed by an Executive group. At present, the Executive is made up solely of Students. They provide a fundamental role of oversight for sabbatical officers and help pave the path for your Union. This has always effectively ensured a continuous flow of student input into the organisation. As your Union develops, we need to ensure a more fixed, long term and strategic vision; more rigorous accountability and increased security and scrutiny in major decision-making. The Executive has highlighted these needs. It has sought best practices from similar organisations and has modified them to fit ULSU. The result is a proposal to restructure the Executive and clarify responsibilities and remit. The potential restructured executive would incorporate three external professionals with background in areas such as HR, Law and Finance. Such input would provide a vital strategic focus and vision for your Union and ensure its continuous developments over the next five years to meet the needs of UL students. The proposal is to be presented to Class Reps Council in Semester One Academic Year 2011/2012.
UK to get a sense of where we stood in relation to your Union’s developments. What we found was compelling. Your Union is competing very well with the UK unions for its size and stage of development. We have been providing a huge level of service for our staffing levels. The most interesting and beneficial aspect of these benchmarking trips was that they provided the Union with a clear vision of what can be achieved. It allowed officers to modify strategies and techniques from other Unions and incorporate them into ULSU.
At present we have four commercial outlets. The most active outlet is the SU Spar shop located in the SU Courtyard. We run two other convenience stores located in Cappavilla and Dromroe student villages. Our final outlet is the newly open Campus bike shop, “UniCycle”. As our commercial activities continue to expand we have introduced a Commercial Manger to oversee and drive their operation. This represents a key strategic move for the Union as it distinctly separates representative and commercial responsibilities.
Your Union has been providing a huge level of service for its staffing levels.
It is important to note that ULSU and its commercial operations are Not-For-Profit ventures. It’s not that we don’t make a profit, it is what we do with it that counts. All profits are driven back into key Student services that are provided by the Union.
Building a Better Future The current student centre was officially opened in 1999. Almost 12 years later very little has changed. The building provides key administrative services for Students but does very little to act as a “Student Hub”. Over the last year, your Union has developed a comprehensive proposal to develop the Student Centre so it becomes state of the art and the best in the country. It proposes large amounts of easily assessable, open common space as well as breakout study areas and increased provision for student entertainment. The concept is still in its early days of development. If the project takes off, it is envisaged that completion would take up to three years.
Taking Inspiration
Not For Profit, For Students
How does the other half live? This is what we asked ourselves. So we said we would find out. This year’s sabbatical officers visited and examined SUs in the
Your Union has developed a strong commercial arm. This is designed to provide funding to the Union so we can expand your Student services.
We have critically evaluated how we operate and tasked ourselves with changing our structure to ensure greater accountability and a more strategic focus. 3
11,000
Facts in Figures
1,100
75,000
2
4,600 3,865
Awards Won By ULSU Newspaper, An Focal. People Joined A Club Or Society
Students Seen by Your ULSU Education Officer The Number of Euros Given In Financial Aid
2,801 Online Views of An Focal Issue 11 2,000 The Number of Euros Raised for Charity by the PSA 20,000 Euros In Second Hand Book Sales
Voted in the ULSU Elections
96
3,000
Class Parties Fresher Packs Distributed
3,000 Exam Packs Distributed
1,000
1,263
600
300 4
The Number of Euros Raised During Charity Week
Students Attended the Halloween Ball Hoodies Sold Students Attended A Mystery Tour to Ballybunion Students Attended Road Safety Week’s Lifesaver Project
MORE than 500 UL Students stood up for peace on 21 September 2010, by joining in a candle-lit procession across The Living Bridge. The event, coordinated by SU President Ruán Dillon McLoughlin, began with free tea and coffee in The Millstream Common Room where students were given candles for the event. Shortly after this, participants began to light the way across river Shannon in the name of peace. The 'Stand Up and Light' procession was planned to coincide with World Peace Day. This day was established by an organisation called Peace One Day, which is dedicated to raising public awareness about the need for a global ceasefire. Founded by filmmaker and actor Jeremy Gilley, the organisation’s objective is to establish one day a year free from conflict and war, one day of global truce. While UL held a candle-lit procession, elsewhere in the world people were attending concerts, art installations, tree plantings and prayer sessions.
The Number of Euros Raised by Students Throughout The Year
6,300
25,000
50,000
Users Connected to ULSU’s Facebook Page
Condoms Distributed by ULSU 5
A number of other charity fundraising events were also held by Students, the Stables and The Scholars Club, your Clubs and Societies and the Postgraduate Students’ Association throughout the year. These included:
Charity Fundraising
€7,020 - Get BACk Challenge (MSc Marketing, Consumption and Society)
Students have raised a lot of money this year; more than € 50,000, for charities. From Charity Week to various events in the Stables or Scholars clubs to Class Projects, students have shown great support and commitment to deserving charities. The nature of charities varied greatly and reflected the interests and concerns of UL’s diverse campus population. From awareness of serious illnesses, to overseas development to natural disaster relief, Students took an active interest in a vast number of humanitarian concerns. Some of the university’s newer societies, such as the Medical Society and the Development Society, were particularly active in raising funds and awareness about causes close to their members. This year also marked the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, which Students marked by raising money for Chernobyl Munster. Nor did sudden calamities go ignored: the Japanese earthquake prompted a rapid response from Students and members of the Japanese department. While some issues may be out of the headlines, like the continuing struggle of the people of Haiti, they were still very much part of the focus of Students’ fundraising activities. ULSU held its annual Charity Week in Week 6, Semester 2 (late February, early March 2010). Charity Week is the single biggest 6
charity fundraising event on campus. As always, four specific charities were selected after a long consultation and consideration process. These chosen charities received funds that were raised from Charity Week activities. The charities were the Mid-Western Cancer Foundation, the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, the First Tee and Console/1 Life.
Students have shown great support and commitment to deserving charities. The total money raised from Charity Week this year was €11,400. The Mid-Western Cancer Foundation received €2,500, the Alzheimer Society received €2,500, the First Tee received €2,500 and Console/1 Life received €3,900.
€6,600 - Cian Cleary Benefit Fund €4,000 - Fr. Gerry Daly Fund €3,600 - Movember (Medical Society and ULSU) €3,500 - Milford Hospice €2,000 - Scholar Games €2,000 - SOFT €2,000 - Daughters of Charity €1,940 - C&S Haiti Concern Fundraising €1,700 - Irish Cancer Societ (Science and Engineering Ball) €1,500 - Special Olympics €1,500 - St. Gabriel’s €1,250 - Childline €1,200 - Cancer Ireland €1,120 - Pakistan Flood Relief (Development Society and ULSU) €1,000 - Oncology Day Ward €1,000 - Chernobyl Munster €875 - Japanese Earthquake Appeal €800 - Pradera Community Centre Colombia €560 - Irish Kidney Association €350 - Terry Fox Run €300 - Operation Smile €250 - Irish Heart Foundation
Charity Week is the single biggest charity fundraising event on campus.
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Events
Event of the Year at the Clubs and Societies’ Ball. There was also the James Bond themed International Ball, a showing of Agnes Browne and a Reggae-thon in the Kilmurry Lodge.
Lighting of the Christmas tree ULSU has long organised entertainments and shows for Students, which are colloquially referred to as Ents. Ents take diverse forms, such as concerts, balls, competitions, trips, film screenings and many more. This year saw a number of successful events.
Week 12 saw UL students enjoy mulled wine and mince pies courtesy of the Stables Club and the Scholars Club as UL President, Prof Don Barry turned on the lights on the Students’ Union’s Christmas tree. Students from the Association of Irish Choirs sang Christmas carols at the event.
Student Tours More than 500 Students attended a Mega Mystery tour to Killarney, Co Kerry during Semester One. The Midweek Madness tour took place in Ballybunion, Co Kerry and 600 Students attended the biggest exclusive UL outing outside Limerick. The event was held in JD’s Ballybunion, and music was by Team Hype and UL’s very own Craicwhores.
Freshers’ Week Following a successful Orientation Week, ULSU had a free cinema night in the SU courtyard, as well as a free gig in the stables to welcome the new Students to their new campus home. The rest of UL’s Students arrived back on campus, and Fresher Fest was the highlight of the week. The biggest acts in ULSU’s history played in our very own courtyard. These acts were Ocean Colour Scene, Tiffany and Newton Faulkner. The annual Hallowe’en Ball was held in the stables, and it was a sell-out with 1000 UL Students dressing up for a night that would not be easily forgotten. The ball was sponsored by Nokia and one lucky Student won a brand new Nokia N8 phone.
International Week Week 2 was International Week, which was organised by the International Society, and saw the return of the renowned International Food Fair. More than 400 people attended the Food Fair with samples of food from all over the world. It was an amazing event which won Clubs and Societies’ 8
ULSU takes care of on campus promotional activities and coordinates them to supplement its events.
Ents Crew The Ents Crew worked hard all year to make sure Students were safe while being entertained at all of our events from Charity Week, to class parties and balls. The Ents Crew is trained to FETAC standard in door security procedures and members licensed by the Private Security Authority.
If you don’t know us, we’re a small group of UL students who get paid to safeguard your enjoyment at ULSU events. Why? Well it’s sometimes easier dealing with your own peers than some random outsider. We are pretty tolerant and almost always see the funny side of things. We spend most of our time minding, patching up and taking care of students, so I would like to think we’re friendlier than bouncers. Shane McCarthy, Ents Crew Head ers' Week.
Ocean Colour Scene play during Fresh
Your ULSU Ents Crew are always around to give you a helping hand. Ents means all sorts of entertainment, from inflatables to an outdoor cinema and everything in between.
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Postgraduate Students Association
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The PSA President is the primary source of help for all 2,500 postgraduate students, both taught and research. The role is complicated and varied, can be divided into a number of areas: representation, welfare, social, communications and the PSA common room. Much of the role of PSA President is helping students on a one-to-one basis and the daily workload for meetings.
Grade Re-Checks
The president is the representative for postgraduates on about 30 committees, including the Governing Authority, Academic Council, Institutional Review, ARC, APRC, CRC, Student Experience, Faculty Boards, PSA & SU Exec, PSA Rep. Council, Orientation working group, ERB to name the more popular ones. Alongside a number of researchers, a new committee and working group for researchers was introduced. This is the Researcher’s Committee and it has been working actively to improve the research community and focusing on postgraduates and their experiences in UL. The PSA Presidential election this year premiered an online voting system. The election broke two records: the highest number of votes in any previous PSA election and that the elected candidate had received more votes than any other previous candidate to become the PSA President Elect.
Welfare
After many meetings and working alongside your Union Education Officer, Aoife Finnerty, we managed to bring through a significant change in regulations to allow complete re-grading of exam papers after a recheck is submitted. Major improvements in research supervision have been achieved. The research candidate will now be supervised by a panel rather than an individual supervisor.
The PSA has guaranteed timely and fair administration of the financial aid fund to postgraduates in need and childcare assistance to postgraduates with children in need of childcare assistance and dealt with postgraduate issues regarding accommodation, grant and fees on a one-to-one basis.
Social There was quite a substantial list of social activities organised this year. The most successful ones included the PSA Graduate Charity Ball, which underwent a change this year to allow past graduates to attend and raised €1,500 for Pieta House, Limerick. There were faculty nights for
KBS, AHSS, EHS and S&E faculties. These were organised to help build a postgrad community on-campus. Charity week was two unprecedented PSA events. We also arranged careers talks, a series of workshops on future careers and a greater focus on fundraising. The PSA has raised over €2,000 for charity this term with more still to come in the summer months.
Common Area This year, there was greater maintenance, care and upkeep of facilities in area and an increased capacity and promotion and in return the common room has been used more now than ever before. The room was opened to students to host meetings and research sessions
Communications The main means of contacting postgraduates is through email, An Focal, Facebook, the PSA website, postering, Twitter and an always-open door. Website usage has increased due to regular updates, our number of Facebook friends has increased significantly and we have pushed event prmotions well. We also built relations with other PG reps in Mary I, NUI Galway and Trinity Graduate Students’ Union (GSU).
The PSA has raised over â‚Ź 2,000 for charity this term with more still to come in the summer months.
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Mental Health Week
Awareness
Mental health is an important issue in Ireland and one that can often be ignored. This week helped get the message across about taking care of your mental health. The Union gave out stress surveys as well as free stress balls, free tea and coffee and a beat boxer thanks to UL Arts Office.
ULSU worked hard to inform and educate students on a wide variety of issues including mental and physical health, access to assistance and rights, coping with exams and assignments, cultural awareness and social involvement. This took the form of week-long information campaigns. Student Safety Week Students were informed on how to keep themselves and their belongings safe, with leaflets and laptop warnings in the Library.
Know Your Union Week This week was designed to let students know what the Students’ Union does for them. ULSU also started community clean-ups this week. These clean-ups focused on Elm Park, Oaklawns, Milford Grange and Briarfield.
areness. Cancer Aw
Peace one Day - Lighting the Living Bridge This year UL students marked Peace One Day by walking across the Living Bridge with candles. The event was organised by ULSU and was attended by more than 600 people.
Cancer Awareness Cancer Awareness Week raised more than €1,000 was raised for the Charity Week fund following a wax-a-thon. The volunteers were ULSU’s very own Welfare Officer Derek Daly, First Year Rep Tommy Bolger, ENTS Crew’s Shane McCarthy as well as Mark Crowe and Tony Sheridan. The Movember Campaign was held in conjunction with the UL Medical Society. Its aim was to raise awareness about cancer in men.
Study Weeks and I-grade awareness As part of the SU’s exam campaign, there was free tea, coffee and massages in the ULSU print room for three weeks. A handy map of where the exam centres are and information on how to obtain and I grade were designed and distributed throughout the campus.
SHAG Week
Road Saftey Week.
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ULSU’s SHAG Week (Sexual Health and Guidance Week) was held in Week 1 and all throughout campus, sexual health was promoted. There was a sexual health magician in the stables demonstrating through humour the importance of having good sexual health and a free booklet and sexual health was distributed by the SU.
Road Safety Week ULSU teamed up with the Limerick City Council, the University and the emergency services to bring to issue of road safety to the students. More than 300 students attended the Lifesaver project held in the Plaza. Students from Castletroy College also attended the event, and a road safety talk was held in the Jean Monnet theatre after the demonstration.
Alcohol and Drug Awareness Week Drinkaware were on campus to promote healthy drinking habits with students before Charity Week. There was a competition to win an i-pad, as well as free t shirts and drinking guides.
Charity Week UL’s annual Charity Week took place in Week 6, with events ranging from 5-a-side soccer, bungee jumping, a hypnotist, magician, jelly wrestling as well as many more events across campus. More than €11,000 was raised for our four Charities.
Seachtain na gaeilge Seachtain na gaeilge was organised by one of the new start up societies this year, an Cumann Gaelach and was a week ong celebration of the Irish language. Two of the highlights of the week were a balloon release and a fireworks display on Plassey House’s lawn. Your Union ran a Road Safety Week campaign, which saw hundreds of Students attend a demonstration of a the scene of a motor-accident, with live actors and representatives of the National Lifesaver Project. The event took place in the Plaza on Thursday, 10 February 2011.
Equality Week
Equality Week was held in Week 12 and there were many events held including an equality themed puppet show, face painting and a Roald Dahl reading. Out in UL held their annual Sparkles training and a survey was carried out to investigate students’ thoughts on equality issues. Equality Officer, Niall Curry spent a day in a wheelchair to highlight the difficulty students in wheelchairs face on a daily basis. ULSU cooperated closely with the Irish Wheelchair Association. 13
UL Students joined with more than 25,000 other Students from all over Ireland.
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Protests
On Campus A demonstration was held in Week 3, Semester 1 against the proposed introduction of a student fee when Taoiseach Brian Cowen visited the University to open the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance. This protest saw 50 Students demonstrate outside the Schumann Building as Mr. Cowen’s car and entourage passed. Your Union President, Ruán Dillon McLoughlin and Deputy President Welfare, Derek Daly, met with Brian Cowen afterwards to discuss his Government’s proposed education cutbacks and fee increases. Six weeks later, 25,000 students from across Ireland marched on Dublin.
The National Student Protest Your Union took part in two demonstrations this year. On 3 November 2010 (Week 9 of Semester One more than 600 UL students travelled to the National Student Protest in Dublin to demonstrate against the Government’s plans to introduce a €3,000 student service charge. UL students joined with more than 25,000 other students from all over Ireland to prevent the Government from jeopardising our future. Your Union coordinated with the Union of Students Ireland (USI) in the strategic organisation of the activity. Your Union also arranged free transport, ULSU-branded demonstration materials and food. The protest began at Parnell Square in Dublin city centre, and ended outside Leinster House and Government Buildings at Merrion Street. It made international headlines. The Irish Times hailed the event as “The largest Student protest for a generation.”
Your Union is a political organisation, mandated to speak for you, the UL Student. Occasionally, one body’s voice is not enough. The Dublin Protest followed months of Student Union lobbying. 15
Representation
ULSU is used by the Media to ascertain UL’s student voice. What we say to the press and how we say it effects our student representation.
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Class Reps Training for Class Reps took a different form this year. Held in Longford, the hometown of this year’s Education Officer, Class Reps were given the ability to set the agenda themselves. The Reps dictated the areas in which they were trained and the questions which were answered where in past years the training had been more rigid, following a specific timetable of themes and topics. At last count there were 211 Reps representing their classes on a weekly basis. In Week 10, the Class Reps were awarded their certificates by UL President, Professor Don Barry at Class Reps’ Council.
Class Reps were given the ability to set the agenda themselves.
3,865 students voted from all over the world.
Elections There was a record breaking turnout for the annual SU elections. 3,865 students voted from all over the world in the first entirely online election. This allowed students who were on Co-op, Erasmus and Study Abroad to vote in the elections for the first time. The PSA Presidential election also used the new online voting system. The election broke two records: there were more votes than in any previous PSA election and the elected candidate had received more votes than any other previous candidate to become the next PSA President.
Press ULSU dealt with hundreds of press enquiries this year. From local radio to national television, students always present the press with dynamic news angles. Hot topics this year have ranged from graduate emigration to individuals’ achievements, the National Student Protest (3 November 2010) to Charity Week, controversial student websites to the visit of the Dalai Lama. The Communications Officer is ULSU’s Press Officer and works with the SU President and, from time to time, UL’s Press Office, to handle press enquiries. 17
Clubs and Societies There are now more than 4,619 unique memberships of Clubs and Societies and a combined multiple membership of all 62 Clubs and Socs of 7,070 people. Clubs and Societies is the largest social network on campus in terms of real human interaction. Our Clubs and Societies survey had 826 respondents and revealed that 84.3% said their main reason for involvement in Clubs and Socs was to make new friends or a social outlet, while 79.1% reported an increased number of friends in response to their perceived personal benefit . Overall, 95.7% had a positive experience of Clubs and Socs. Clubs and Socs development and success is supported by the Clubs and Socs Development Officer, Paul Lee and Liaison Officer, Liz Gabbet.
Club Intervarsity
Winners This Year • Sailing (third consecutive year) • Windsurfing (third consecutive year) • Kayak (second consecutive year) • Basketball (Ladies and Mens Fresher Intervarsity Winners
& Ladies Champions of All Ireland League Championship)
• Soccer (fourth consecutive year of Ladies Soccer as
WSCAI Premier League and intervarsity winners,
WSCAI FUTSAL title holders.
• Men’s soccer won Senior CUFL regional final) • Ladies Rugby (IV Champions, League Champions
12 out of the last 13 years, 7's Champions
for 2010-2011 season)
• GAA senior hurling (League & Fitzgibbon Cup Winners)
Our new on-line registration system now records membership. This was its first year and it was an extraordinary success. 18
• The Rowing Club now holds all of the Men’s
intermediate sweep championship titles in Irish Rowing.
• The following clubs have had success in at least one
Intervarsity: Archery, Athletics, Fencing,
Judo, Karate and Tae Kwon Do.
Societies Also Did Well: • International Society’s Kieran Phipps was named Best Society Person in a large college in Ireland at by the Board of Irish College Societies (BICS). • The Debating Union’s David Hartery won the Glasgow University Union Ancients competition and was best speaker as part of a composite team.
Their main reason for involvement in Clubs and Socs was to make new friends. The UL Sub-Aqua team dived many of the most famous and extraordinary wrecks and reefs of the Northern Red Sea in Summer 2010.
This year's Windsurfing Intervarsity winners with their trophy on Plassey lawn, May 2011.
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Meitheal na Mac Leinn Last year, your Union set up Student Patrols called the Meitheal na Mac Léinn (MnMs) in response to the increasingly re-occurring anti-social behaviour in Castletroy. This year MnM patrols were used again for Charity Week, and once again proved to be a brilliant success. The MnMs worked in groups from 8pm to 3am. Their purpose is to ensure students make it home safely and to stop Students from upsetting local residents. They also picked up litter in the estates. The MnMs’ primary role was to complement the Gardaí in stemming anti-social behaviour in Castletroy. They did this by advising any students walking in the area to keep quiet, by calling to houses with loud music and advising students to keep the noise levels down and consider their neighbours. The MnMs were joined by a clean-up every morning led by the Community Relations Officer, Deirdre Wilson, who organised the students who had University-mandated community service to complete. They went to each of the estates every morning from 7am to 9am and cleaned up broken glass and rubbish from the night before. The initiative was a resounding success, and residents complimented the Students Union on a very well run Charity Week. The success of the MnMs was due to a partnership between ULSU, the University, the County Council, the Gardaí and the residents. 20
New Texting Service This year an SMS Texting Service was set up by Brendan Bolger, a member of staff from the University and local resident, so that residents could easily contact the MnMs if there was a problem or if litter needed to be picked up. Resident texts were received by the student patrols immediately and often led to real-time responses.
The text service proved to be central to the success of the MnMs.
This proved to be a great success, and the text service proved to be central to the success and effectiveness of the MnMs. Local media referred to the service as “pioneering”. The local community applauded the MnMs initiative.
Essential Planning You Union also had other initiatives to kerb antisocial behaviour. All events hosted by SU were on campus; a secure environment, away from the estates and laid out for Student safety and enjoyment. The “bring your own beer” cinema night was a successful initiative to draw students away from the estates and on to campus, whilst catering for budget entertainment.
In the past, migrating students have caused upset in the estates surrounding UL. This year’s Charity Week coincided with other college RAG weeks so that the number of students coming to Limerick for the week was reduced.
Residents complimented the Students Union on a very well run Charity Week.
Student Patrols responded to litter problems in Castletroy.
Events were hosted on-campus to reduce noise pollution in the Castletroy estates.
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UL Student Jenni Murtagh shows off the ULSU website during the Clubs and Socs Recruitment Drive 2010. The website now has a feedback feature on the bottom right. See www.ulsu.ie
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Feedback Your Union this year placed a strong emphasis on communication with students, staff and the surrounding community in order to better understand the needs and ideas of these diverse groups. Feedback is central to your Union’s attempts to improve its services and the way in which it relates to and co-operates with Students, stakeholders and externals. Website You Union website was given a new feature specifically designed to allow Students to send a direct message to the Students’ Union to comment, criticise and advise the SU on its services and its activities. This facility also allows the SU to remain in contact with the Students by providing them the option of leaving an email address. Your Union also has an sufeedback@ul.ie address to facilitate easy feedback.
Student Surveys Each year, the SU undertakes an online survey. The survey asks a number of questions relating to SU services, Clubs and Societies, the SU building, accessibility, the perception of the SU and its officers and the general use made of the SU and the facilities it provides. Last year’s survey had a larger uptake than in previous years and showed that
more Students than ever before consider the SU to be a good thing that works in their interest. A vast majority of students felt that the SU was open and welcoming and they made good use of the facilities it provides. The Clubs and Societies survey investigated the views of 826 members of UL’s 62 clubs and societies to determine why people join and what their perception of clubs and societies. The vast majority of people surveyed said that their membership of a club or society had allowed them to make more friends. An overwhelming majority of clubs and societies’ members said that their experience had been positive. ULSU also carried out a survey for Equality Week. This survey revealed students’ genuine concerns about their mental health and about disabilities. In particular, this survey revealed Students’ apparent unwillingness to seek help if they felt that they had a mental health issue. This survey allows the SU to understand the concerns of Students on these very important issues and to know what to campaign and lobby for in the future.
An Focal’s letters page hosted uncensored comment and criticism from Students and staff on a weekly basis and the paper showed neither fear nor favour in publishing often controversial news and analysis written by Students with Students in mind.
An overwhelming majority of clubs and societies’ members said that their experience had been positive.
An Focal This year’s success of the Student newspaper, An Focal, was unprecedented. It has been a real feedback forum. The readership of An Focal, as recorded online, reached the highest it has ever been. On average, more than 1,500 students read the newspaper every time it was published, reaching a peak of 2,800. In previous years, online readership never exceeded 600 unique readers. An Focal had the most contributors ever (approximately 45 per issue) and published students’ diverse opinions on controversial national, local and college issues and often published two dissenting opinions side by side, meaning the variety of Students’ views was fully represented. 23
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SU Building Improvements Your Common Room One of the overwhelming successes of the year was the revamping of the common room and its subsequent usage. The common room is a great place to chill out, listen to music, chat with friends and enjoy your lunch. With comfortable couches and vending machines for refreshments, it is by far the most comfortable place to relax on campus! Whether it’s to come and enjoy lunch with friends or to take advantage of the wireless internet access we offer, the room is always here for students to use and enjoy. The games room contains eight pool tables as well as arcade machines, refreshment machines and a jukebox. The common room is open for students during the day and up to 11 at night during term! Hundreds of students have used the room every week since its revamp. It has also seen a number of events throughout the year, including an Equality Week debate hosted by your Union and the UL Debating Union in Semester Two.
Welfare Officer now a permanent member of its national steering committee. Pictured on the right is organiser, Derek Daly and a group of volunteers who braved the rain to be there on the night.
Class Reps Training
students by suicide. The campaign urges students to understand that talking is a strength and that if they are experiencing problems, there are people to talk to. ULSU has been involved with Please Talk since 2008 and over the past two years has strengthened that relationship with the Union’s
Another noteworthy event which took place in the common room this year was the Semester One class reps training. The space offered by the common room along with its convenient location and low cost was just right for the annual event. The training saw between 40 and 50 students part-take in a weekend-long series of literally “inhouse” training seminars. These included team building exercises, general training, communication and public speaking training, warm-up games, negotiation training, dealing with aggressive behaviour and Q&As.
Please Talk Candle-Lit Vigil A noteworthy event held in the common room this year was a candle-lit vigil, which saw a group of students gather to highlight the importance of mental health, in association with national organisation, Please Talk. Please Talk is a national campaign in response to the death of a number of
With budgets being a lot tighter in recent years it’s tough to train clas reps for a reasonable amount of money. Using the common room we were able to train class reps in an informal fun and familiar environment at low cost. - Aoife Finnerty, Education Officer 2009-2011 25
New Stuff Website This year, your Union made better use of the website as a resource to supplement direct communications such as Facebook and All-Student Emails. The website was nominated for a Student Media Award for Best Website of the Year 2011. The website’s new features are: Grinds Register Your Union website now has a feature that allows people to advertise grinds by subject so that students seeking help can find tutors in whichever class they are struggling with. Bed for a Semester Another new feature of the website is an accommodation listing for people returning from Co-op and Erasmus who need somewhere to live for just one semester. Feedback The website now has a feedback facility which allows students to tell the SU what they think of the services the SU provides and to rate them out of five.
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Your Union Also Established Some New Services Exam Link During exam time this year, the SU provided special buses to take students home after their exams. This was supplementary to the Nitelink service that the SU already provides for students who stay in college late, often to study in the Library, especially during the weeks coming up to exams. Passport Photos The new passport photo machine provides another convenient service for students. You Union sold 185 passport photos this year. Laptop Repair Centre Located your Union print room, the new Laptop Repair Centre repaired 600 students’ laptops throughout the year. Students’ laptops are often their most important tool for study and coursework and by providing this service, students can have their laptops repaired quickly, conveniently and at low cost. Phone Charger Service Your Union now provides phone chargers. The scheme, part-sponsored by Nokia, allows students to borrow a charger from the Campaigns and Services Office by leaving their ID card as collateral. Nokia provided various phone chargers for all types of phones. So far, 100 students have used this service.
Unicycle Bike Shop Your Union opened a new bicycle shop in June 2010. Located in the Student Centre, the shop was officially opened by three-time winner of the Tour De France, Greg LeMond. The shop is called “Unicycle” and stocks a range of bicycles and accessories. Students get a 15% discount on bicycles and a 10% reduction on the cost of all other products. Unicycle will provide a vital service, in particular, those who want a handy, quick-fix solution to green transport.
Students get a 15% discount on bicycles and a 10% reduction on the cost of all other products. The idea for the shop arose from a project called “The UL Bike Scheme”. The scheme ran for the first time in 2006 under the management of the University of Limerick Environmental Society and International Society. It began as a not-for-profit response to the needs of Erasmus Students, who wished to sell the bicycles that they had bought for their Semester in UL. Following the scheme’s success, ULSU made a contribution of €4,000 to provide the scheme with new bicycles. In two hours, all 40 new bicycles were sold in UL’s student courtyard, with a waiting list of 25 for a second sale. In 2007, the idea of expanding the scheme to include new bicycles arose. In 2009, courtyard sales were abandoned in favour of using the current location which was kitted out as a full retail unit during June. The University of Limerick Erasmus Office has subsidised the bicycle shop by €10 per bicycle per Erasmus Student for the first hundred Erasmus Students. The bike shop now also contains a shoe repair centre so that students can have their shoes repaired on campus at a convenient location.
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Did You Know
The SU provides a lecturer evaluation service to give Students the option to provide feedback on modules and lecturers.
We provide free legal aid for all our Students.
Your Union provides funding and development support for UL’s 62 Clubs and Societies, Ireland’s most active Clubs and Societies group.
Students voted to ban Nescafé from campus shops in 2001. The ban still stands.
All SU shops and services are not-for-profit.
ent paper since 1991.
An Focal has been your free Stud
Your Students’ Union runs Unicycle, UL’s on-campus bike shop. It recently launched its new website. See www.unicycle.ie
We operate a free Nitelink bus service for students around Castletroy.
Established in 1972, we are now entering the Union’s 40th Year.
The University Boathouse was conceived, constructed, paid for and opened by your Students’ Union.
You Union was the first Students’ Union to be formally recognised 28
Your Union has undergone a complete restructuring this year to make its operations more effective.
in the articles of its University.
Your Union Online Over the last number of years, your Union has been developing its website and web resources to increase the relevance and accessibility of our services. Facebook We have a number of Facebook pages, including our main page which we use for general communication, interaction and questions and answers in a user-friendly format. Our main page now has over 6,000 “Likes” and is connected with our partners, including Heads Up, Reach Out and The University of Limerick. The SU Education Officer, Ents and An Focal also have pages, which are connected to the primary page.
Twitter Did you know, our Facebook and Twitter updates are connected to our website homepage. So each time we update our status, we also update our tweets. Just one of the many clever ways we have of ensuring we communicate a consistent message.
Ulsu.ie From news and events to An Focal and frequently asked questions, your Union uses www.ulsu.ie as a resource pool and often connects the website’s content to links in all-student emails. This has proved to be an extremely successful means of communicating with Students because it avoids the pitfall of sending text-heavy, too-easy deleted emails.
Postgrads.ie Check out your PSA website. It’s also full of information you’ll need as a postgrad, in particular, news and events are updated regularly. We Also Use:
Boards.ie Issuu.com
App Store Now you can download the ULSU app for your iPhone online. Have your SU in your pocket all the time!
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ATIONS C I N U M M O C Tara Feeney, Welfare Officer 2011-2012
WELFA Finn McDuffie, Communications Officer 2010-2011
Kelly O'Brien, Communications Officer 2011-2012
Derek Daly, Welfare Officer 2009-2011
CAMPAIGNS AND SER VIC ES
Aoife Finnerty, Education Officer 2009-2011
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Aoife Kenny, Education Officer 2011-2012
ED
UC ATI O
N
Your Officers Outgoing and Incoming
ARE
Sarah Jane Hennelly, PSA President 2011-2012
PSA PRESIDENT Dan Comerford, PSA President 2010-2011
Paddy Rockett, Campaigns and Services Officer 2011-2012
Vivion Grisewood, Campaigns and Services Officer 2010-2011
NT E ID S E PR
Ruรกn Dillon McLoughlin, President 2009-2011
Derek Daly, President 2011-2012
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The
In The Press
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Vice President of Skydive UL, Cormac Reidy, jumps over Castletroy for ULSU Charity Week 2011. Image Courtesy Skydive UL PRO.
sufeedback@ul.ie | 061 202324 | www.ulsu.ie | Find Us On Facebook Produced for you by your University of Limerick Students’ Union. Post: UL Students’ Union, Castletroy, Co. Limerick. Layout and design by Cassandra Fanara. Printed by Impression Print and Design Limited.