are you satisfied with UCDSU

InFront

sorry if its been posted already but coulnt find it anywhere - how satisfied are you with the SU? Also on arelated issue should they disaffiliate themselves from the USI given that we're a huge university unlike places like LIT for example, which may need more central support than us? (I heard it costs UCDSU tens of thousands of yoyos per annum is that right??)

This isnt a hit on current SU members who may be up for reelection (i honestly dont know if there are any or who they are tbh) more a comment on the SU as a whole going back over all of your time here so far

Vainglory

(2) They should disaffiliate from USI

For the sake of information, it costs 92,000 for UCDSU to affiliate to USI each year.

Red Alert

(2) They should disaffiliate from USI

is this value for money I ask? not really. but UCDSU should be part of a wider student movement. the USI should not be a top-down affair which is one way it could change.

if people do want to disaffiliate it should be under the basis of setting up a separate organisation.

Stabshauptmann

(1) No I am not satisified with USDSU

Things which I love the SU for:
Cheap / free condoms. I said in Pandas thread that its one thing Id love from the SU and now they're doing it. Hurray!

The accomadation office
Comprehensive list and access to free phones. You've no idea how much time and effort this saves

The Ents office
Much better than last year but still not perfect
What happened to the bus thing they promised, ive only seen it once this yr?
Good quality gigs, and 2 new balls on campus. Hard core man!

Unhappy with:
The student bar being more expensive than my local. How is that? I thought it was non-profit or close to?

Narrow variety in SU shops. Im not complaining about ban on nestle or coke but if they sold milk, bread, cornflaskes and sausages (yay they sell condoms now) Id be a happy camper. Centre is a rip off.

Welfare, education, womens, irish, and offices Ive never heard of. Are these ppl doing anything

The widespread waste of student monies

Protesting needlessly or when needed ineffectivly

Chinafoot

Kaptain Redeye wrote:

Welfare, education, womens, irish, and offices Ive never heard of. Are these ppl doing anything

Welfare and Education should be the most important ones IMO.

Stabshauptmann

(1) No I am not satisified with USDSU

Well maybe I just have my head in the sand. Are these offices doing anything?

InFront

(2) They should not disaffiliate from USI

presumably education and womens officers are working with individuals behind the scene as they have less 'public' roles to play. But the irish officer... who/ what is that? Apart from seachtain na gaeilge (apparently it's this week?) what does that dude actually do???

Stabshauptmann

(1) No I am not satisified with USDSU

its a gril afaik

Dave!

(2) They should disaffiliate from USI

Not at all -- nearly every time I see them, they're protesting over something stupid (eg. that one where they shamed half of a chemistry class into not doing a test), or something which is nothing to do with UCD.

Stick to your job, ffs

Mr.Nice Guy

(2) They should disaffiliate from USI

Hell No

Sangre

(2) They should disaffiliate from USI

Kaptain Redeye wrote:

Things which I love the SU for:
Cheap / free condoms. I said in Pandas thread that its one thing Id love from the SU and now they're doing it. Hurray!

Now you can have all the posh **** you want.

Gone West

(2) They should not disaffiliate from USI

start your own union.
Give everybody else important sounding, but ultimately useless jobs.

InFront

(2) They should not disaffiliate from USI

Sangre wrote:

Now you can have all the posh **** you want.

classic

Sangre

(2) They should disaffiliate from USI

FuzzyLogic wrote:

start your own union.
Give everybody else important sounding, but ultimately useless jobs.

Like irish/womens officer?

Pythia

(2) They should not disaffiliate from USI

Sangre wrote:

Like irish/womens officer?

You might have been sarcastic here but I totally agree.

Sangre

(2) They should disaffiliate from USI

I wasn't being sarcasitc. They're utterly useless positions only existing to go down on people's CVs.

tintinr35

(2) They should disaffiliate from USI

Sangre wrote:

I wasn't being sarcasitc. They're utterly useless positions only existing to go down on people's CVs.

agree!! what do they actually do???

Syth

I think if people could leave the SU if they were dissatisfied with it, then the SU would listen to the students more, or face massive 'walk outs'.

This is the responce I recieved from James Carrol when I enquired about leaving the SU:

James Carrol wrote:

You can't. Bye.

Rats. I wanna leave the SU!

Chinafoot

Why can't you?

tribulus

DaveMcG wrote:

Not at all -- nearly every time I see them, they're protesting over something stupid (eg. that one where they shamed half of a chemistry class into not doing a test), or something which is nothing to do with UCD.

tbh i blame the "school of chemistry and chemical biology" for that one. We were given less than a weeks notice , told it was abouu 25% of our grade for that part of the course (about 2% total for chemistry) then those who did sit the "exam" were told at the end it didn't count for anything!!! c*nts

end rant

never really got too bothered with the SU (typical apathetic student etc)
maybe id take more of an interest if i needed grants or whatever the latest fuss is

i do however like the cheap condoms:) so good work there!

pigeonbutler

(2) They should not disaffiliate from USI

Some of the reasons you can't leave the SU is that as a student you are availing of its services. E.g. the subsidised condoms, would it be right for someone who's not contributing to the Union to benefit from such services? There's also other things like:

The Trap
The Copy Shop in the Library Tunnel
The Kiosk shop in student centre
Library Shop
Ents events

All of these are charging for their services but at a level way below the market price. This is because the Union is run as a cooperative so isn't trying to make a profit.

Asking to be a student of UCD without being a member of the SU is like asking to live in Ireland but not pay any tax (Sales and excise taxes too!) but avail of all the services the state provides. The most basic ones being Policing, National Defence, Roads and Street Light! One cannot choose not to avail of these services. The mere fact that a police service and national defence exists benefits all who live within our borders.

Similarily, one cannot be a student in UCD without benefitting from the services the Union provides. Sure you can choose to boycott SU shops and events, but the Union is still speaking on your behalf at the highest levels of Governance of the college and ensuring that the college does the best it can for students. You can't stick your head in the sand and not benefit from this sort of service!!!

End of rant. In future could anyone who suggests "leaving" the SU be pointed towards this post?

Chinafoot

Well I actually thought Syth meant leaving the SU council to be perfectly honest.

pigeonbutler

(2) They should not disaffiliate from USI

peachypants wrote:

Well I actually thought Syth meant leaving the SU council to be perfectly honest.

Is he/she a member of Council?

If so he/she can resign.

Chinafoot

Pigeonbutler, are you an SU council member by any chance?

Stabshauptmann

(1) No I am not satisified with USDSU

peachypants wrote:

Well I actually thought Syth meant leaving the SU council to be perfectly honest.

I thought syth ment the SU as a whole. What did you mean syth?

Chinafoot

Kaptain Redeye wrote:

I thought syth ment the SU as a whole. What did you mean syth?

I'd say he meant the SU as a whole.

Samos

(1) No I am not satisified with USDSU

peachypants wrote:

Well I actually thought Syth meant leaving the SU council to be perfectly honest.

peachypants wrote:

I'd say he meant the SU as a whole.

Sheesh! Talk about having your cake and eating it! Is it comfortable sitting on that fence?!

Chinafoot

Samos wrote:

Sheesh! Talk about having your cake and eating it! Is it comfortable sitting on that fence?!

excuse me?!

I initially thought he meant the council which is why I found it odd. Then after reading pigeonbutler's response regarding leaving the SU as a whole I realised that Syth must have meant it in that way. Hence my response to KaptainR.

Red Alert

(2) They should disaffiliate from USI

I think we need to scrap utterly useless positions like Women's Officerr (maybe replace with a part time equality officer - my union sub pays the women's officer who by her definition does not represent me).

The SU shops etc are really great and I'd hate to see Centra or anybody else that is 'in' with the commercial office of the college getting a foothold.

arbeitsscheuer

(1) No I am not satisified with USDSU

Red Alert wrote:

I think we need to scrap utterly useless positions like Women's Officerr (maybe replace with a part time equality officer - my union sub pays the women's officer who by her definition does not represent me).

Maybe you just haven't realised yet that you are truly a woman born in a man's body, and need the services of the Women's Officer to bring you to just such an epiphany?

Either that or she's fcuking useless, but ya know...
Open mind and all that!:D

Samos

(1) No I am not satisified with USDSU

peachypants wrote:

excuse me?!

I initially thought he meant the council which is why I found it odd. Then after reading pigeonbutler's response regarding leaving the SU as a whole I realised that Syth must have meant it in that way. Hence my response to KaptainR.

I was just joking... lighten up people!