1. DCU Office Of Student Life
Biannual Activity Report
VOL 5, ISSUE 1; DEC 2016
2. Letter from Editor
REPRESENTATION
CHANGE
AWARENESS
OPPORTUNITIES
COMMUNITY
EVENTS
HELP AND SUPPORT
MARTINA BROWNE
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS CO-ORDINATOR
First of all I’d like to introduce myself as the new Marketing and Comms Co-Ordinator
in the Office of Student Life. As a DCU alumni, I know how hard everyone in the SU,
Clubs and Socs and The Student Body work to make DCU great.
Semester one here is always buzzing! We spend the whole summer getting to know the
new team, looking forward to seeing some familiar faces along with some new ones!
This year there was extra excitement with the incorporation of St Patrick’s and Mater
Dei, which in turn brought our DCU SU Sabbat team up to 5 members.
We have achieved so much in such a short space of time and hope to show you the
highlights of many weeks of hard work, student engagement and fun times here in the
Office of Student Life, Clubs and Societies and the Students’ Union. I’d like to congrat-
ulate all of those who organised and put in so much extra time making sure that the
events ran smoothly and that students had a great experience.
I’m delighted to be back in DCU and working with such great people upstairs in the
Hub.
I look forward to getting to know you all in my new role and wish you all the best for the
Semester!
CONTENTS
3. PRESIDENT
DYLAN KEHOE
Semester 1 has been tremendous! It has been both the wildest and fast-
est 12 weeks imaginable. From installing the DCUSU Marquee in Week 1
to closing off the Semester with 12 Days of SU Christmas; it has been a
jam-packed few months. Some highlights for me were Freshers’ Fortnight
and the mayhem that came with it; closing off Oktoberfest with 2 of Ire-
land’s most notorious drag queens; Davina Divine & Dolly Grip and every
Shite Night along the way! Next Semester I’m looking forward to ticking off
more of my objectives with Gay Pride Fest and introducing cocktail/barista
workshops.
It has been an absolute pleasure representing all of you this Semester. I
want to thank you for engaging in everything we do and I can only hope we
continue to do you proud for the remainder of the year. Have a great break
and the very best of luck in the upcoming exams!”
REPRESENTATION
JAMES DONOGHUE
Well, folks hopefully you know my name at this stage but just in case,
I’m James and I work in Academic Affairs in DCU Students’ Union.
Starting out this year, my second year in Office I was excited as ever.
Although this time was slightly different, they’re five sabbats as
opposed to three, and three campuses as opposed to one.Things are so
exciting. I was lucky enough to have played a part in the Incorporation,
sitting on Governing and Authority Committee within the University and
overseeing the final stages of the Incorporation.
Just like last year, semester one has been extremely hectic,
Freshers Fortnight was a great buzz, doing multiple talks and of course
the events with the Freshers ball being the highlight in the Wright
Venue. This semester I have worked a lot on teaching for students with
the Teaching Enhancement Unit and Quality Assurance.
The highlight for me was presenting to over 14 Universitys in Boston on
Student Leadership. Roll on semester 2.
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
EIMEAR MAGUIRE
What can I say about this semester? It has been amazing,stressful,hec-
tic and fun all in one. It has been a tough semester but I feel like the
team all come together and developed a great work ethic .
We have achieved so much and ran some great campaigns.
I have enjoyed meeting new people and being challenged in my
everyday work and in developing new expertise.
Travelling to Poland with USI and meeting other members from SU’s
around the world was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever
had. The conference was so engaging and informative.
Another high for me was of course the great class rep training we ran in
Glendalough and seeing such large numbers of student representatives
participating in our class rep council meetings. I hope that I have done
you all proud this semester and I promise to continue to work hard for all
our students throughout the DCU community
ENGAGEMENT
&DEVELOPMENT
CODY BYRNE
I don’t really know where to begin! Semester 1 has just been insane.
Literallyeveryweektherewassomesortofcampaignormassiveevent
happening that we have been prepping for. There’s a whole bunch of
things that I definitely didn’t expect walking into (like dressing up as
a vagina and wearing a lederhosen for two weeks in a row). I’m not
going to lie - there have been really stressful moments. I will say that,
if you take them with a pinch of salt and look back at some of the re-
ally cool things that have happened, it’s been a great semester. 700
students attending our protest, having the most petitions signed in
the country,DCU’s first ever Oktoberfest,three week-long campaigns,
most engaging Clubs and Socs Week ever, first ever consent classes
in DCU, and so much more. Most importantly - meeting all the new
and welcoming faces. Everyone has been so great to interact with on
a daily basis and I’m really looking forward to another successful
semester you all!
WELFARE & EQUALITY
MANUS MCLOUGHLIN
First semester has brought with it a wealth of positives and
negatives but overall it has been a success. There have been a few
teething problems with the Incorporation but nevertheless progress
has been made towards developing a community spirit across our
multi-campus university.
“Vice President for Education & Placement” is a new role with no
predecessor so the learning curve is steep but I am embracing the
challenge. The issues that students face on placement are quite
extensive and I am delighted to try to help resolve them. I am
predominately based on St. Patricks Campus and this year the
campus is home to over 4,000 education students.
The campus has been alive with life and this year it is home to early
childhood, primary and post primary education courses.The campus
is now a hub for the teachers of our future.
EDUCATION & PLACEMENT
4. REPRESENTATIONALLAN STEVENSON- POST GRAD OFFICER
This has been a crazy first semester, what with
sitting on Governing Authority, Academic
Council and Graduate Studies Board to mention
but a few. The insight into how everything works
in DCU is mind blowing.
The highlight for me has been the support and
encouragement I’ve received from Post
Graduates in my role and I plan to continue
fighting in their corner for more and better
representation.
LUKE O RIORDAN - SOCIETIES OFFICER
My first semester as Socs officer was very enjoyable
as I got to represent and be the voice of over 80
Societies on the SU & SLC. Since being elected I’ve
had the chance to be involved with so many
different societies and meet people from all corners
of DCU. So far this semester we have already finished
all the budget apps, introduced GIG week with
Sadhbh, rolled out the weekly Society Calendar and
am currently working on plans for the Clubs & Socs
Ball.The highlight of the semester though would have
to be the buzz created in Glasnevin & SPC for clubs &
socs days
SADHBH CANDON - CLUBS OFFICER
Semester 1 has gone so fast and has included challenging but
rewarding work. I am very grateful to have been given the
opportunity to run my Give It a Go initiative during Week 1. From
collaborating with Societies Officer Luke, to the great uptake
from clubs and students, the week was a huge success!
I’m looking forward to making Give It a Go bigger and better for
Semester 2
#GIGWeekTake2! Being involved in DCUSU Exec, Class Rep
Council and the Club Life Committee has allowed me to meet
some remarkable people, both students and staff.
The experiences I’ve had this semester are second to none and
I can’t wait to see what Semester 2 will bring!
RIAIN CONDON
ENGINEERING & COMPUTING
Overall,semester one went very well.I began to work with this
years executive and instantly saw how
amazing each and every officer on it are, in terms of
involvement, as well as interest in their positions and
improving student’s lives in various ways. I partook in several
events throughout the semester such as the fresher’s events,
helping hands week and also the fees protest. I also got to
meet the fantastic class reps of the engineering and
computing faculty on multiple
occasions and set up a faculty council. This year we have
some amazing students doing unbelievable work to better
their classmate’s experience in DCU. Semester one has been
great and far too quick! I can’t wait to pick back up in
semester two.
NIALL BEHAN - BUSINESS
I’ve been massively engaged in working on my manifesto, and so far
I’ve helped implement more support for Accounting Students and have
set up my own faculty hour so students can come to me for any sup-
port they might need once a week in person.
So much has happened in the Business School in semester one. The
investment society has set up their very own Student Managed Fund,
The MSc in Management is now ranked among the World’s Top 90 in
it’s field, and boundless changes are occurring daily in research and
development. It’s a great time to be in the school and it’s all been on
the up since the AACSB accreditation, ranking it among the top 5% of
schools worldwide !
CAOIMHE NI MHAOLAGAIN
HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES
Semester 1 started off with a bang! We had such an unbelievable
freshers fortnight filled with some hilarious events and even funnier
stories. It was great to meet so many new students from all different
walks of life and it has really added a great buzz to the campus.
I am delighted with the new team of Humanities and Social Sciences
Class reps.They are really going to do a great job in representing their
classes at both programme boards and Class Rep Council.
Society and Club life are in full swing and I would urge anyone who
hasn’t already done so to get involved. It will be the best decision you
will make during your time in DCU!
JASON BOLTON - SCIENCE & HEALTH
To say this semester has flown by in the blink of an eye is an under-
statement. From Fresher’s Fortnight, Oktoberfest, SHIFT Week, Helping
Hands week and Scene week we’ve packed as much as is possible into
the 12 weeks. I’ve had a lot of good memories from semester 1 but my
favourite part has to be Fresher’s Fortnight. Being re-united with all
the familiar faces and meeting a lot of new ones has definitely been my
highlight. I can’t wait for semester two to get working on the Science
and Health ball, Nurse’s Appreciation Day and a few other items that
were on my manifesto. Although I’m sad my last semester one is over I
am looking forward to what semester two holds. I’m sure whatever it is
it’ll be great craic.
EXEC
Each faculty is represented by elected representatives.
They work with their faculty class reps and the Students’ Union to
ensure the voices of the students in their faculty are heard.
Club and Society members and Post Grad students are represented by
Officers.
All elected convenors and officers sit on “The Exec” which is the
main student committee in the University and the SU.
They discuss the issues that are important to the student body
and make decisions to better student life.
CAOILINN TIGHE
EDUCATION FACULTY REP
From Academic council to Oktoberfest. This first semester as
Education Faculty Representative has been a crazy one!The amount
of opportunities we have had this year to meet fabulous people
is uncountable. I’ve gotten a chance to get to know the Class Reps,
Staff Members and even some outside organisations. With regards
to my manifesto, I’ve already started to take action on a number
of the biggest aspects with The Education Faculty Ball being a thing
for the first year ever. The stress is on in semester two but I am still
excited to see what is to come.
CAIT NI CHEALLAHAIN
Bhí an seimeastar seo gnóthach leis an Ghaeilge. Mar post
nua ar Aontas na MacLéinn i mbliana, bhí sé deacair ag tos-
nú. Táimid tar éis obair a dhéanamh ar ionad na Mic Léinn a
chur ar fáil ar Campas na Naomh Uile. Chomh maith le sin,
táimid tar éis revamp a dhéanamh ar an Seomra Caidreamh
agus anois is áit cúl é chun buaileadh suas le do Chairde, nó
do scíth a ligeant. Táimid tar éis go leoir obair a dhéanamh air
so bí cinnte chun buaileadh isteach agus bí ag faire amach do
na imeachtaí ar fad ina mbeidh againn don dara seimeastar!!
Do Chara Gaelach,
Cáit
5. CLASS REP TRAINING
Class Rep Council (CRC) is held four times a semester, every two to
three weeks. CRC gives class reps the chance to put forward motions
and issues that affect them and their class.My job as Chair of CRC is to
ensure that the council runs smoothly, equal time is given to people to
speak and to sit on exec to ensure that motions mandated for the exec
are followed through. This semester, CRC has seen several officers of
CRC and the electoral committee elected, many motions passed and
discussions on the proposed changes to the constitution.
It has been a successful first semester and I was delighted to see so
many classes engaging with the CRC and I hope this follows through to
next semester. - Callaghan Commons
CLASS REP COUNCIL
“It’s safe to say
our Student
Representation
is in good hands.”
This year we have had so much engagement through our wonderful class reps.
We have had one of the highest turnouts for voting as well as extremely high
nomination rates. Our class reps have been great and have started sitting on
programme boards and making a difference within their individual classes.
In the past semester we had a productive training day in Glendalough alongside
some very interactive class rep council meetings.
6. THE UK & POLAND
NETWORKING
ABROAD
In November, Dylan, James and Una (OSL Manager) travelled to Boston to attend the
annual ACUI (Association of College Unions International) conference. Taking place
on the University of Massachusetts Lowell Campus, it was a great opportunity to
meet with other unions from across the world and exchange some best practises and
tips.
As well as engaging with some of the world’s leading Students’ Unions, Dylan and
James both gave talks during the conference. James gave a session on Hurling and
its place in Irish culture while Dylan gave a speech on his journey to DCUSU. Whilst in
Boston, Dylan and James also visited Harvard, MIT and Boston University; taking in
as much as they could to bring some ideas back to DCU.
THE USA
It’s great to see so many
different Students’ Unions
from all over the world.
However we all share all the
same goal and values.
“ “
Every year the Incoming new Sabbaticals
take a trip across the pond to the UK to
garner some ideas to implement back home
and to develop our Union structure.
This year was no different as the new team of
Dylan, Manus, James, Eimear and Cody
alongside Podge, flew to Scotland to check
out Universities in Edinburgh and Glasgow in
August.
The guys checked out three Universities in
Glasgow and a further five in Edinburgh. They
came home with new ideas on teaching
supports, placement packs, student safety
and even got to check out some ideas for the
new Hub.
The trip was also a great bonding experi-
ence which had the guys ready to take on
the challenges of the new year. Eimear
Maguire was fortunate enough to be cho-
sen by VP for education of the USI Jack
Leahy to be a delegate of the 71st ESUBM
(European Student Union Board Meeting).
This board meeting focused on
governance and student
engagement. Eimear and 5 other
delegates from around Ireland travelled
to Gdansk for 7 days which was an amaz-
ing experience and learned loads of
practice that could be implemented in
DCU.
7. CHANGE
CLC and SLC
In September our Freshers experienced the new multicampus DCU with
the Incorporation. Our new DCU sees over 16000 Students and 5 full time
Sabbatical officers working together to make the new DCU great!
This incorporation has blended the student body and seen existing and new
services spread out over both the Glasnevin and St Patrick’s Campuses.
Orientation and Freshers Fortnight saw student engagement on both
Campuses as the SU planned fun filled activities to cater for all.
With a Comedy hypnotist on Glasnevin and an outdoor back to school movie
night on Patricks’s campus, all of the Freshers also welcomed DCU Fresh-
ers Goodie Bags to kick start their year in the new DCU.
The Society Life Committee (SLC) and the Club Life Committee (CLC) are
committees, elected by you, that represents all clubs and societies in
DCU. They allocate funds, provide support when things go wrong and they
make sure your club or society has a voice.
“What is CLC?” is probably the most common question or first thing that pops
in mind when you hear of us. CLC is a committee made up of students and DCU
staff that make sure that club activities run smoothly and try to solve any issue
that comes up. The student members are elected each end of the academic year
and they have to be part of a club to run. As for the staff positions they are
permanent positions held by DCU staff members that help the committee
throughout the year and make sure the committee itself runs smoothly while
taking care of other aspects such as budget duties and communications with
the Sports Gym. Each student member of the committee is a representative of
a number of clubs and each week we try to keep in contact with our respective
clubs and make sure there are no issues, if there is anything we bring it to the
weekly CLC meeting and we try to resolve it. Apart from that we look over and
allocate, in accordance with policies, budget for clubs for equipment,
competitions and other activities.
That’s in short what CLC is and does and hope it clarifies things a little bit.
Thank you,
Florin Frosin - Chair of CLC 2016/2017
THE NEW DCU
The New Hub
The build has officially started on the new Student Hub. With this new build came a lot
of changes to the Students’ Union and existing hub spaces.
The Old Bar as we knew it has descended into rubble in the last 12 weeks. Last year
the Students’ Union worked heavily with the architects in designing the new build so it
could be as student friendly as possible.
This July, the work finally began. From consultation with the builders we know that the
build is on schedule so that students get their new building as soon as possible. The
New Hub will be the figurehead of campus and will make DCU Students’ Union world
renowned. The new 4 storey space will be a purpose-built space for students’ social,
cultural, global engagement and entrepreneurial activities. The build is estimated to
be ready by February 2018 and by the looks of the mock up imagery, should be worth
the wait!
8. Finding a suitable space for events was something I was very keen to secure for Clubs and
Socs. Aside from building relationships with off-campus venues; I spearheaded the
introduction of a temporary, 1,200 capacity marquee on to the heart of campus. This is
something that has never been done before and was by no means an easy process!
After a long summer of talks, the DCUSU Arena was finally introduced for Freshers’ Week.
It hosted many events such as Iron Stomach, the Roast of Dylan Kehoe & James Donoghue,
Morning Rave, Oktoberfest and a host of other performances and rehearsals.
A special mention is owed to Events Manager, Peadar and his crew without whom no events
would have been possible in the DCUSU Arena. - Dylan Kehoe, President
DCUSU ARENA
One of the main points on my manifesto was to introduce a festival to DCU’s social
calendar. This came in the form of Oktoberfest in Semester 1; a carnival of German
culture, music and beer. Utilising the space in the marquee, we were able to put on
some great entertainment for the festival.
Monday saw the arrival of Oktoberfest with a traditional brass band playing all of the
favourite tunes in the marquee. This was followed by Tuesday’s ‘Shiza Nocht’; a play on
the usual Shite Night! Oktoberfest finished on Wednesday with one of the best nights
of the year; LipSync night with Davina Devine and Dolly Grip!
Overall, Oktoberfest went down a success. It was something that has never been done
in DCU and can certainly get bigger over the coming years!
- Dylan Kehoe, President
OKTOBERFEST
This year was the final year of students graduating from St.Patricks College and Mater
Dei institute of Education. Due to this myself and Manus McLoughlin (VP for education
and placement) felt it was only fitting to celebrate the end of an era with a big
celebration. We had over 580 people attend the ball which was held in the Regency
Hotel as per tradition. The evening went off without a hitch and was enjoyed by all. We
had amazing acts such as Keywest and we even had the resident DJ Alli B of Coppers.
So much hard work was put into this event and it was great to have the Alumni of these
Colleges enjoy one last night together.
- Eimear Maguire - VP for Engagement and Development
The DCU Graduation Ball took place in the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel on November
5th. The fashion on our DCU red carpet would have put the Oscars to shame, the
added novelty props illustrated how DCU students don’t take themselves too
seriously. With Live music, great food and company, the night was a big success.
The Class of 2016 went out with a bang and are now part of our growing
DCU Alumni.
GRADUATIONS
Congratulations Class of 2016!
9. DCUSU MOCK ALL IRELAND FINAL
As part of the Incorporation, DCUSU have been spreading out SU events over
our multi-campus University. On September 28th we kicked off one our
newest events to engage multiple campuses, this was our DCUSU “Mock All
Ireland Final.” Students on all campuses battled it out on the pitch on St Pats,
split up into rival teams Dublin and Mayo. It was a tough match but there were
comedic undertones as Hardy Bucks star Buzz and Salmon commentated the
action. The Dubs remained victorious and took home the “Ham Maguire tro-
phy”
A place to learn,
grow and develop
as a person.
Office of Student Life
This year saw the arrival of three new staff members in the OSL. Peadar Gill has taken on the
role of Events Co-ordinator, Martina Browne is the new Marketing and Communications
Co-Ordinator and Podge Sheehan is now the OSL Democracy and Development Officer.
The Democracy and Development role is a completely new position and aims to develop the
SU and OSL and retain a democratic environment amongst the Sabbaticals, OSL, Exec and
Class Rep Council.
““
Podge Sheehan (Pádraig if his mother is asking), an expert in student politics, is the De-
mocracy & Development Officer in the Office of Student Life. As a student, Podge was
heavily involved in all aspects of student life locally and nationally. He has over seven
years’ experience in student politics, spending the last two as IT Carlow Students’ Union
President empowering his team to strive to be the best.
Podge believes that University life is about much more than academics, but a place to
learn, grow and develop as a person. He is dedicated to helping students grow their
capabilities and capitalise on their skills and to getting them to that next level of success,
no matter where they are in the process right now. Podge is responsible for ensuring the
work of the sabbatical team is carried out in a professional and representative manner
and is instrumental in maintaining the strategic direction of the Office of Student Life in
line with the activities and aspirations of the membership of the Students’ Union.
Podge is passionate about lifelong learning, regularly facilitating team building activities
and Leadership PODs. In his spare time, Podge is often found spending time with close
friends and family. He enjoys politics, food,exlporing new placesand speaking about
himself in the third person… His office is upstairs in The Hub and you can contact him on
podge.sheehan@dcu.ie
10. Clubs & Socs Fair on the DCU Glasnevin campus was held over three days in the main
hall of DCU Sports Complex. The venue turned out to be extremely successful with all
stands on the same floor with more space than ever before.
Clubs & Socs Fair on the DCU St. Patrick’s campus was held on one day in
The Auditorium. After the initial worry, this also was a big hit.
Clubs & Socs have had very high registrations/sign ups across the board for semester
1. Overall registrations reached over 19,000, with Society sign ups at approx.. 14,000
and Clubs at approx. 5,000.
The Society with the largest amount of sign ups was ESoc with just over 2000 and the
Club with the largest amount of sign ups was SurfnSail with over 380.
We have 85 very active societies and 37 active clubs. Across campus interaction is
excellent with society events running very smoothly in the Auditorium on
St. Patrick’s campus.
A number of society events have been held in the Regency Hotel which have worked
very well. We had a very successful C&S Xmas Ball in the Crowne Plaza with over 200
students having a fantastic time.
After what was a very worrying time for society activity, we are fairly happy with how
Semester 1 has gone and look forward to a very active Semester 2.
We also have a number of societies travelling during the inter-semester break.
Have a great trip, Enjoy! Stay Safe!
CLUBS & SOCIETIES
Office of Student Life – St. Patricks Campus
For the first time ever, the Students’ Union on St.Patricks Campus will be located in a
permanent space on the Campus.
The Office of Student Life can be found just beside the Quad of D Block and it offers a
huge range of services to students.
The OSL has the following on offer to all students: A round table meeting room, free mul-
ti-phone charging docks, Payzone, Lost & Found, two Vice President sabbatical officers,
condoms, clubs & societies, social space, DCU merchandise, Leap Card top up and
much much more.
11. SHIFT WEEK
(SEXUAL HEALTH IN FIRST TERM)
AWARENESS WELFARE WORKING GROUP
Our Sexual Health Week took place from October 3rd - 6th. We
really wanted to deviate from the norm and include plenty of op-
portunities to learn as well as have fun with sex. We handed out
2,500 condoms during the week, paid for free sexual health tests
for the year and two of the sabbaticals even dressed up as a penis
and a vagina for the week! We discussed the growing HIV problem
in Ireland and had sex therapists on campus talking about the
importance of ‘loving your vulva’. We had a 26-table sex quiz with
sex prizes and had mental health organisation ReachOut available
to talk to students on the same day that we had a penis rodeo on
St. Patrick’s Campus. We discussed consent and the importance
of consent every day and had, for the first time ever, Rapid HIV
testing on campus. We’re VERY happy with how our SHIFT Week
went!EQUALITY GROUP
3rd - 6th of October
As there are so many campaigns and initiatives to roll out, our Welfare Officer
Cody has recruited volunteers to help out. Welfare Working Group member Lee
Licayan writes about his experience
“Volunteering with the Welfare Work Group was one of the best decisions I made
during my first year of college. Getting involved allowed me to get a better grasp
of the college community and it introduced me to people who shared the same
concerns as me, whether it was mental health
issues or human rights. Even though my individual contributions are small, the
group’s collective contribution has prompted change and encouraged diversity
throughout DCU and the wider community. The highlight for me, so far, was when
myself and multiple members of the Working Group went around the DCU
campuses to collect signatures for a petition to the Irish government. It gave me
the opportunity to get up and speak in front of 500 students and since I’ve never
done public speaking to that scale before, it was truly an amazing experience.
The result was us receiving up to 350 signatures in a single hour. Doing this made
me feel like I was really making a difference. To conclude, the Welfare Working
Group has allowed me to contribute to society and in return I was able to find joy
and self-fulfillment from that contribution. It was a great experience and I hope
to do it all over again next year!”
Our Equality Working Group is made up of seven student activist LO’s
(Liaison Officer) who encourage the better representation of five different
minority groups both in society and in DCU: two Woman LO’s, two Ethnic
Minority LO’s, one Man LO, one LGBT LO, and an African LO.
As Woman LO, my role entails attending, promoting and raising awareness
of protests, talks and issues of inequality facing women, as well as all other
minority groups in the DCU student body.
This year I attended the Annual March for Choice, in the fight for the
decriminalization of abortion services in Ireland. The Rape Crisis Centre
held a workshop on consent during SHIFT Week, which I attended and aided
in promoting across DCU.
I presently attend an eight week long Bystander Initiative programme in
DCU on the safe intervention in situations of sexual assault.
In October we attended the ‘Education Takes to the Streets’ demonstration
to lobby against the introduction of a third level education fee payment loan
scheme. In advance of this, we handed out petitions around DCU campuses,
collecting signatures to back the lobby against the introduction of the pro-
posed loan scheme.
I have enjoyed my role as the Woman LO so far and look forward to the
remainder of the academic year with the other members of my equality
team.
- Orla McGing
12. HELPING HANDS WEEK
A slight spin on the usual ‘Mental Health
Week’ that we have here in DCU, this
week was all about reinforcing the DCU
Community. Week 6 is the highest drop
out rate for students here in DCU so we
encouraged each student to identify
who in their class is struggling to make
friends and make them feel included.
Even a simple hello can make the world
of difference. We handed out 1,000
#SayHello stickers and 1,000 ‘Mind Your
Mates’ wristbands to remind students
that there are friendly people to be met
all over campus.
DCU Gym was free all week to highlight that positive physical and
mental health are interlinked. 30 more students were trained in
Suicide Awareness Training. We had yoga instructors and self-de-
fense classes, nail technicians, makeup artists and barbers for Treat
Yoself Tuesday. We had sleep therapists, mindfulness classes and
top psychologists telling us how to promote self-resilience. AND OF
COURSE; doggy therapy.
13. D i v e r s i t y
W e e k
This week could not have come at a more opportune time where
it was important for us to recognize each other’s differences as a
benefit and something to build upon and not to discourage relation-
ships. The poster campaign for this week was mugshot styled shots,
highlighting the diversity of our student body with three adjectives
and the underlying theme being that we’re all members of the DCU
Community. We looked at Diversity from a religious, cultural and
sexual orientation perspective. We had a pop-up shop displaying
traditional African fashion and had the Islamic society doing Henna
tattoos.
We had asylum seekers on campus providing free African-themed
lunches and joint events between Christian and LGBT groups to
highlight that being religious and a member of the LGBT group are
not mutually exclusive things. No Hate Speech Movement came in to
train students on how to be anti-racism/no hate speech advocates
and we organised over 500 petitions to be signed to call on the Irish
government to welcome the 4,000 Syrian refugees into the
country that they promised. We had Irish language classes and
African dance classes. We ended the week with the national
Breaking Borders Intercultural ball dedicated to celebrating our
Diversity. It’s 2016 folks - can’t we all just be friends?
The “Pay Equality” rally was a massive success with a huge turnout of 5
buses full of DCU student teachers. The INTO (Irish National Teachers
Organisation) held the rally on the 27th of October right outside
Dáil Éireann.
It is safe to say that the DCU student teacher’s voices were heard on the
day.“Students Today, Teachers Tomorrow” was the motto.
Post rally refreshments were provided for all hungry rally goers in Quinns
pub, Drumcondra. The student teachers may not have earned the right to
Pay Equality after the rally, but they surely made their voices heard!
EQUAL PAY FOR TEACHERS
USI STUDENT LOANS PROTEST
Education Is is a USI campaign calling on the Irish government and the Joint
Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills to make a historic long-term
decision and invest in the publicly-funded third level education model as out-
lined in the Cassells Report. USI know that income-contingent loan scheme is
not a viable solution to third-level funding. This system will create a burden of
€20,000+ debt on anyone who wishes to attend third-level education.
The financial strain of carrying a debt to cover fees spans across all
communities and groups including parents, children, staff and teachers – not
just students. DCU students took to the streets on October 19th to express their
opposition to this scheme. There was a massive turnout and DCU
students were a key presence at the event. Even other colleges and
individuals joined in on the DCU chants “ 1,2,3,4 - show student loans the
door!”
14. The Uaneen Module is a unique scheme, offered to students in
their final year, that formally recognises extra-curricular
activity both internal and external to DCU. This includes
experience gained through outside clubs, societies, community
and volunteer work.
Taking this module sets students apart from other applicants
in an interview and job situation, as the skills gained through
extra-curricular activity are being recognised and valued more by
employers.
The employer’s organisation IBEC works in co-operation with DCU
in facilitating these awards.
The Uaneen Module can be either a contributing 5 credit elective
(UM404) or a non-contributing optional additional 5 credit module
(UM405).
During the year long module, students are required to attend two
compulsory workshops and submit a short reflective essay
(500-700 words) in the first semester. Students attend another
two compulsory workshops and submit a 4,000 word portfolio at
the end of Semester 2.
The portfolio is the culmination of all the work and achievements
students have gained through their extra-curricular activities.
This includes a Log of Activities which students can begin to
complete as early as their First Year in college and gives a
detailed outline of every extra-curricular activity you been
involved in.
In 2016, we were proud to honour 105 students who successfully
completed the Uaneen module at a reception held in The Blue
Room, The Helix on 2nd & 3rd November. DCU President Brian
MacCraith and Deputy President Daire Keogh spoke of the
importance of extra-curricular activities and the transferable
skills that benefit the employment market that students gain.
Guest speakers were Jackie Fox and Dónal Mulligan, both DCU
alumni who went on to carve successful careers in media and
education respectively.
For more information of how beneficial involvement in this
module can be to you, please go to www.dcu.ie/Uaneen. If you
have any questions or queries, in relation to the Uaneen module,
please contact Sandra at uaneen@dcu.ie, phone 700 6163 or
come to the drop-in clinic every Tuesday at 12pm in the Uaneen
office.
ARTS BURSARY
OPPORTUNITIESThe 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 Arts Bursary was established in 2009/2010. The Office of
Student Life, supported by the Educational Trust offers a limited number of
Arts Bursaries to undergraduate students involved in the Arts. All art forms
are considered and students are asked to submit an application detailing their
achievements to date, their hopes for the future and some detail on how they
propose to spend any bursary they may be awarded. To date over 50 students
have benefited from the scheme.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications for Arts Bursaries are invited in the first Semester. Applicants
are required to complete and submit an application form. Visit the ‘Resources’
Section of dcusu.ie to download an application form. This is due in on
December 16th.
“Film photography is my passion and thanks to the Arts
Bursary I was able to purchase the equipment to develop
it myself.This has allowed me to further my work and also
led to me having a better understanding of how film
photography works.The arts bursary was so helpful to me,
I cannot recommend enough that you apply!”
Colin Tonge, CS, 2015
15. The teachers did not go hungry on “Teachers Appreciation
Day”.
A food truck came onto campus to supply students with
NuBar Goujons and Chips for only €2, a cracking deal to say
the least.
“St. Patrick’s Campus” was hopping with life as Cody Bryne
our Welfare & Equality Officer ensured the campus was jam
packed full of events.
TEACHER’S APPRECIATION DAY
Now in it’s third year,the SHH campaign is going strong.
DCUSU are very conscious that we are located in the
middle of a community and that people are living and
working in the area completely independent of DCU.
Being aware of this is really important to us and we en-
courage our students to do the same. Without a venue
this year, it was tough, however we managed to keep
the noise level in the DCUSU Marquee and surrounding
areas as quiet as possible.We’d like to remind Clubs and
Socs to continue to use this logo for late night events
that cause Noise. Be neighbourly and considerate and
above all, keep up the great work!
CYCLE SCHEME
SSH CAMPAIGN
A teacher affects
eternity
They can never tell
where their influence
stops.
“
“
Giving DCU students more professional opportunities was something I was very keen
to work on this year.This came in the form of a partnership with Jobbio.This will open
DCU students to thousands of new job opportunities over the coming academic year.
From part-time roles in the local area to full time graduate positions; there’s
something for everyone on our jobs marketplace.
By creating your profile you can apply for jobs, view jobs that are currently available
and even connect with companies to be alerted when they have new roles all done with
a simple one click application process.
This partnership will make it much easier for DCU students to find and secure work
throughout their time in university. It’s something I was very keen to introduce and I’m
delighted we’ve done it.The old jobs section on our website was completely inefficient
and never had much traction from the wider student body. With this new partnership,
DCU Students have a whole new window of opportunity ahead of them!
The page will be launched on the dcusu.ie website in the coming weeks. Check it out
and as a DCU student I really hope you make the most of it!
- Dylan Kehoe - President
DCU JOBBIO
Last Bike Clinics of the Semester:
Tuesday (29/11) : DCU Glasnevin : 13.30 - 16.00 :
Albert College Foyer outside AG00
Wednesday (30/11) : DCU St Patrick’s Campus :
13.30 - 16.00 : PF207
Tuesday (6/12) : DCU Glasnevin : 13.30 - 16.00 :
Albert College Foyer outside AG00
The Rediscovery Centre deliver the bike clinics/services i.e. checks to make sure your bike is
safe are free of charge but you need to pay for any parts needed. ALL the clinics are open to
ALL DCU Students and Staff i.e. Students/Staff based on SPC or AHC can avail of the clinic on
Glasnevin Campus and those based on GLA can also use clinic on St. Patrick’s Campus if more
convenient.
Condoms and Bike Scheme
Myself and Cody Byrne (VP for welfare and equality) are currently trying
to gather finances for a student intercampus bike scheme. To do this we
have decided to sell condoms in packets of 144 for €30. The money made
from these condoms then goes into our bike scheme ‘kitty’.
This initiative benefits both your sexual and physical health. We’d
encourage students to pop up to our offices in the SU on Glasnevin Cam-
pus, where they can purchase condoms and have a chat with us about the
scheme.
- Eimear McGuire VP for Engagement and Development
16. COMMUNITY
This semester we wanted to really embody the Christmas spirit in DCU.
Events Co-Ordinator Peadar Gill envisaged an event where the DCU community all
came together for a day long event with as many fundraisers as possible running
simultaneously.
As opposed to having the annual DCUSU Christmas Ball, we have decided to go for
DCU’s “12 Days of Christmas” commencing from December 1st until December 12th.
This 12 day festival will engage DCU students and staff with a multitude of festive
events, including DCUSU Christmas number 1, International Night Christmas
Dinner, Movie Screenings and Christmas Carolling.
Our big Christmas event will be Christmas Day which will be on December 8th.Santa
will be arriving in fashion and will have his grotto stationed outside Henry Grattan.
Come along for some gifts and live entertainment and to get a word in with the man
himself before December 25th arrives! All of the proceeds from these events will go
to charity. The specific charities are listed on DCUSU.ie
DCUSU’s 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
My gave to me.......
The SU are very much so aware of the fact that our students have a
massive impact on the local community.
Apart from local engagement from our extensive list of Clubs and
Societies, be it RAG’s Operation Ballymun or SVP’s weekly soup runs,
DCU SU organises workshops for our students to engage in, which do
have positive repercussions on the surrounding areas.
Semester One introduced our Bystander Intervention workshops
which helps to teach students to safely engage in incidents which
may result in sexual harassment.
We’ve also been organising safeTALK suicide awareness training
with the Health Services Executive. Both of which will continue in
Semester Two.
Semester Two, we’re going to be introducing 4 three-week
self-defense programmes on both Glasnevin and St. Patrick’s
Campus, as well as look at bringing in CPR Training.
All of this have extensive repercussions on both the local DCU and
greater Dublin community. DCU SU are committed to ensuring that
there is a good working relationship between all members of our
North Dublin region!
17. EVENTS
LARKFIELD BLOCK PARTY | LOCK &
KEY NIGHT | SHITE NITE | ORIENTA-
TION BALL | INTERNATIONAL NIGHT |
COMEDY HYPNOTIST | OUTDOOR CIN-
EMA | COUNTY & COUNTRY COLOURS
NIGHT | OKTOBERFEST | 99 Souls |
NEIL DELAMERE | MARK MCCABE |
Semester one was a challenge, as the Old Bar was being demolished and Spar was settling
into the Venue. We knew we had a lot of work to do, to ensure that students had the usual
enjoyable and exciting events. With the help of the Students Union and the society
committees, we believe semester one was a huge success and I thank everyone who came
along to our events.
Kicking things off with Freshers Fortnight where we saw the installation of the DCU Arena,
which housed some brilliant events such as the “Comedy hypnotist” , and “Iron Stomach”
along with some other great society events. The first big Ball of the year, the Orientation Ball
in memory of Harambe, took place in the aptly named Big Tree, this was a huge success
and engaged students as they were invited to come along and pay their respects in a jungle
themed club. First semester also saw one of DCUs biggest ever Freshers Balls where over
1,500 students made their way to a sold out Wright venue to see Mark McCabe, and 99 souls
take to the stage with an amazing light show and effects. It was definitely a highlight of
semester one for me.
The dust had just settled on Freshers Fortnight when I set my sights on Oktoberfest,
another first for DCU. It was a huge challenge to transform our DCU Arena into a suitable
venue to house our own version of the world renowned Bavarian festival. With the help of a
Bavarian brass band along with some Drag queens and traditional Oktoberfest
decorations, Oktoberfest was another big hit.
We are finishing off the semester one event calendar with the 12 days of Christmas, each day
the Students’ Union shall give back to the community through music, freebies and
general Christmas cheer. With the help of DCU clubs and societies, 12 days of Christmas
hopes to raise funds for several different charities and we look forward to doing so.
I would like to thank all of the events crew, 1 Plus security staff and society commitees who
help me pull these events together, without their help, and the consultation of Damo our tech
officer and “Shite Night” master, these events would not be possible.
- Peadar Gill, Event Co-Ordinator
SVP GIVING TREE
Now in its fourth year, the SVP giving tree appeal run by DCU
Clubs and Societies had it’s biggest response yet. DCU staff and
students were invited to the launch of the tree on Glasnevin and
St Patrick’s Campuses. At the launches we decorated the Christ-
mas trees with tags that represented children and adults who
would receive the gifts. There was a great turnout for the mulled
wine and mince pies, and DCU students were definitely getting
into the festive spirit.
There was an amazing response and the St Vincent de Paul were
delighted to receive the gifts to distribute to people in need
before Christmas.
TO DONATE A TOY, COME TO THE GIVING
TREE, TAKE A CHRISTMAS CARD AND
BUY A GIFT FOR THE CHILD
Any queries, contact the helpdesk at suhelpdesk@dcusu.ie
19. DCU Students’ Union is a member of the Union of
Students Ireland. This body represents every DCU
student on a national level. During the summer the
sabbats attended USI SUT (Student Union Training) in
Athlone. This was a great opportunity to get to know
all of the SU’s around the country and make contacts
so that we can all work together to support one
another.
These few days gave us plenty of information on
starting in our new roles and how to progress
throughout the year. USI is a great support network
and it is great to see the way different Student
Unions’ are run. They also keep us up to date with
matters arising nationwide and support us in
campaigns we feel strongly about such as the
Student Loan Scheme Protest which took place on
the 19th of October. USI will also be leading a few na-
tionwide campaigns throughout the rest of the year.
HELP&SUPPORT
LEADERSHIP POD
SUPPORT FROM USI
The Leadership POD (Programme of Development) is in it’s third year in DCU.
Run by DCU Clubs and Societies along with U & Sport from DCU Student Support and
Development, the programme provides a framework where students can learn and develop
as they volunteer and lead activities,. This is achieved via development days, training,
workshops and resources.The programme this year had an extremely successful launch day
on September 21st where the committees of each club and society were given an overview
of how to approach the upcoming year with advice from DCU OSL staff, DCU Operations staff,
Sports Development staff and past and present students with a leadership background.
One of the key PODS this Semester was Ian McKinley’s talk on “Resilience” where he
discussed his sports career following a sports injury that cause his eye to rupture.
Throughout the academic year there will be more PODS focusing on different strengths and
skills including managing finances, safe practice codes, event management, entrepreneur-
ship and casualty management. It is hoped that by fostering our student leaders and rein-
forcing their skills as leaders they will excel in their student leadership positions thus creat-
ing an even better environment for even more DCU students to learn and grow.
This year, the SU were very proactive in tackling
accommodation. Last year’s SU did a great job at
amplifying the usual service so that everything is
present online rather than using paper format. In
response to this, we did a massive community
appeal around the Glasnevin, Saint Patrick’s
Campus and All Hallows Campus for
accommodation in the local area. The SU, plus
hired students, handed out more than 7,000 flyers
into homes and local businesses. We were
published in the Independent, the Herald, and
local newspapers. We were even on Joe Duffy!
Currently, we have over 300 digs still available for
students to take. We’ve also typed up a document
for International Students coming to DCU to
ensure that they will be safe in securing
accommodation to reduce the number of scams
that they experience.
Exams are tough for every student. Education Officer James Donoghue writes
about how he has worked to help students out during exam time.
Exams are a stressful time for students and here in the Students’ Union we are
acutely aware of this and try ease this at all times.
We have goodie bags ordered with the January exams in mind to make sure
students know we are there to help. We have been working closely with
Student Support and Development to make sure students know the
workshops that are available to them. Most importantly we will be there to
assist students if exams don’t go their way.
EXAM SUPPORT
ACCOMMODATION
Finally, we’ve even been successful in working alongside local accommodation
groupings to ensure that they are treating our students fairly. to do this. I was
able to compile large digs list and I posted any ads that came our way on the
accommodation page. Digs are something that many students were hesitant
about but the fact was it was all there really was. We managed to weather the
storm and are hopeful there will be more long term solutions made by the
University and government.
Cody Byrne - VP for Welfare & Equality
20. REPEAL THE 8th
DCU Students’ Union maintains a pro-choice stance with regards
to the Eighth Amendment. There was a preferendum last academic
year which reinforced our position. For the 5th annual ‘March For Choice’
protest on Saturday, September 24th, the SU organised transport to and
from the city centre for DCU students. We had marketing material included a
DCU SU Pro Choice Equality Banner. We met with other DCU staff and students
in the city centre and were represented amongst the 65 groups and 20,000
protesters present.
DCUSU HELPDESK
THE DCUSU Helpdesk is the first port of call for many students who come
into the SU. There are lots of services available at the SU Helpdesk,
including:Dublin Bus tickets,Leap Cards,Ticketmaster,SU event tickets and
DCU branded clothing and merchandise. Students can also book
meeting rooms 1 &2.
Students are encouraged to use the Helpdesk and the resources in the SU.
Just use the new temporary entrance and follow the white hoarding down
the corridor until you reach the reception.
Helpdesk opening hours Monday - Friday 9.00 am -17.15 pm.
Student travel card issued between
9.15 am and 16.00 pm Monday -Thursday Friday 9.15 am -15.00 pm
Please check @dcusu on twitter and Facebook for updates on Christmas
opening hours.
DCU STUDENT UNION
PAPER 1995 ISSUE
21. DCU Office Of Student Life
Email us : suhelpdesk@dcusu.ie
Phone:01 7005392
