Vol XXII - Issue 6 - Broadsheet

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uo The University Observer

above Irish cancer society fundraising during rag week PHOTO Joanna o’malley

THE long road to the white house An insight into the us presidential election

sexual consent is ucd doing enough?

Soccer

Gavin Tracey P4

Eithne dODD P8

David kent p20

A discussion on the new fifa prseident

UCD’s senior academic positions predominantly held by male staff GRÁINNE lOUGHRAN Information obtained by the University Observer under the Freedom of Information Act has revealed a huge gap between the numbers of male and female academics currently in senior positions in UCD. The figures show that although there are 306 female and 285 male lecturers in the university, there are more than four times as many male professors as there are female, with just 33 female professors compared to 135 male. They also show that there are 90 female senior lecturers compared to 149 male, and 26 Associate Professors compared to 55 male. UCD did not respond to requests from the University Observer to comment on the figures. The release of the figures follows a recent UCD Gender Equality Seminar and Workshop for staff and faculty on January 20th, organised by the UCD Athena SWAN Steering Group, which President Andrew Deeks commented in a recent email to all faculty had a “relatively poor attendance of male colleagues”

despite being well-attended. The UCD Gender Equality Seminar and Workshop was organised to “invit[e] the wider University community to engage with the process” of applying for the Athena SWAN Award, which recognises universities’ commitment to achieving gender equality, according to the invitation sent out by the Steering Group Chairperson Prof Orla Feely. The HEA are currently conducting a national review of gender equality among the staff of third level institutions. The most recent figures from the HEA from a review in 2012/2013, which was published in November 2015, show that among HEA institutions, 45 per cent of the total academic staff are female, whereas just 29 per cent of senior academic positions are filled by women. UCD have outlined a commitment to achieving gender equality in the Strategic Plan 2015-2020.

UCD200 allegations “based on hearsay” Gráinne Loughran An investigation undertaken by UCD into recent allegations of a Facebook group sharing inappropriate images of female students has found “no evidence” as to the group’s existence. A report compiled by Deputy President and Registrar Professor Mark Rogers has detailed the timeline and the results of the investigation into the allegations, which were originally reported by the College Tribune, and have not been upheld by the University. In an email sent to all students on Friday evening, Professor Rogers wrote that “the evidence cited in the article was based on hearsay from anonymous comments on Yik Yak by a quoted source to the College Tribune”. The full report on the investigation, which was undertaken from the 2nd until the 12th of February, is available at www.ucd.ie/registrar/ The reporter who wrote the original College Tribune article, Jack Power, appeared on the Marian Finucane show on Saturday morning on and claimed that he “absolutely stand[s] over” the original story. Evidence of just one anonymous Yik Yak message potentially relating to the existence of the group was found during the investigation. “I have found evidence of only one anonymous Yik Yak posting around this time which purports to be from an agricultural science student claiming that “I don’t even

partake in what’s happening, I personally only have sent 3 photos and a story or 2”. However the anonymity of this social media site does not allow me to ascertain whether this posting is genuine or fraudulent. Similarly, while there are hearsay allegations of others making similar claims, no evidence was presented or found,” writes Professor Rogers in the report. Professor Rogers wrote in his email to students that the investigation “expressed disappointment” that information relating to the potential existence of an “Ag science facebook group” had not been passed to the University when it came to the attention of the College Tribune and the Students’ Union between 28 December 2015 and 5 January 2016 through Twitter and email. Emails seen by the University Observer show that a student contacted the Students’ Union on the 28th of December asking if they could “confirm/deny these allegations”, and advising that “I think it would be beneficial for you guys to state that if the allegations are true you will work with the university and Gardaí to ensure the situation is resolved, particularly considering your #NotAskingForIt campaign”. SU Communications and Research Assistant David Burns responded to the email on the same day,

February 16th 2016 Volume XXIi issue 6 universityobserver.ie

Poetry and Fiction Submissions of poetry and fiction from UCD students

The plan states “…we will put in place a comprehensive performance development programme having undertaken a full review of our promotion procedures, training processes and leave provisions. We will work to ensure that all members of faculty and staff are enabled to achieve their full potential and are appropriately rewarded for their contribution to our mission, vision and community, and together, we will promote gender balance and equality of opportunity among students and employees of the University.” However, the Equality and Diversity office has not updated the UCD website with any initiatives taking place to work towards achieving the goals laid out in the Strategic Plan, and the current version of UCD’s Dignity and Respect policy available online has not been updated since October 2013.

otwo p14 & p15

FROM Olympia to the 3ARENA INTERVIEW WITH THE ROCK SENSATION FOALS

REBEKAH RENNICK Otwo P17

Illustration: Aisling Mcguire

saying that the SU couldn’t confirm or deny the allegations because “we are unaware of which group is in question, of the alleged content and of many other important details.” The email continued with advice to the student to contact the Gardaí if they had seen photos or posts that constituted sexual harassment. In response to Professor Rogers’ criticism, Burns told the University Observer: “They were the only allegations we had received at that time and we didn’t think it was necessary to pass on the information to the University based on allegations from just one tweet.” Burns continued, “We replied to the email that we received advising him to go to the University and the Gardaí with any information he had.” SU President Marcus O’Halloran had not commented on the report at the time of going to print. The College Tribune did not respond to requests from the University Observer as to whether they will be issuing a statement on the matter. Professor Rogers ended his email to students by saying that although the investigation has been concluded, he does not believe that UCD is immune to this type of activity. “If you have been affected by the inappropriate sharing of private information on social media, the student advisors and wider University support services are available to you,” he wrote.

No UCDSU voting registration drive to take place UCDSU have recently confirmed that they plan to “mobilise” students to vote in the upcoming elections, but that they will not hold a voting registration drive. This comes after almost 85,000 students have registered to vote nationally in the last year, many as a response to the marriage referendum last May. The University Observer contacted UCDSU Campaigns and Communications Officer, Cian Byrne, for a comment on the decision not to hold a drive and the SU’s plans to encourage students to vote before the general election. At the time of going to print, no response had been received. Education Officer Dannii Curtis explained that “the drive last year was on registering the student vote, the drive this year is on mobilising it effectively.” Curtis went on to state that “given the growing certainty around future funding for third level in Ireland in the absence of a strong student vote during a general election, I think it’s very important for students to vote.” She noted that there was now a significant bloc of students who would be voting for the first time and that this could be utilised to make an impact on key issues. “We’re hoping to put in place a platform online whereby students can ask, tweet and message the email addresses and social media accounts of politicians in their constituency with specific questions on electoral issues put forward by UCD Students’ Union.” Some such issues include youth

Roisin GuyettNicholson

News Editor suicide prevention and sexual consent issues across campus. UCDSU has run campaigns focused on these issues, largely focused within UCD, since last semester. “Since taking office, we have campaigned on youth suicide prevention, sexual consent and violence and student housing and transport — important electoral issues which nevertheless need to be highlighted by young people to politicians ahead of the 2016 general election,” Curtis said. Accommodation costs and third-level funding have become key concerns for students in the last number of years, something that Curtis notes. “Over the last five years, areas rented by UCD students — Ranelagh, Rathgar, Rathmines, Clonskeagh, Booterstown and Stillorgan— have seen the sharpest rises in the Irish rental market.” She claimed that the focus of UCD has been campaigning on behalf of students with the Irish Strategic Investment Fund to keep rates for campus accommodation at the same level. Rent in UCD residences has gone up by 14 per cent this year. Funding is also a prevalent issue for students, with Curtis commenting “The Cassell’s Report has received significant media attention over the past year and there’s been a lot of national debate on third level funding. High profile lobbying on this issue has been important but the real challenge on February 26th will be doing our utmost to ensure a turnout.”

OLD SCHOOL

spring HAS COME KIERA BLACK Otwo P27

MYSTERY JETS

OTwo’s music editor SPEAKS TO THE BAND ABOUT THEIR SUCCESS AISLING KRAUS Otwo P22

February 16TH 2016


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