What are you ok with sacrificing?

thattequilagirl

Polemic: Assuming most UL students are against fees, but also understand the current economic situation - what are you willing to give on?

The library extension?

Other capital projects?

Having larger classes?

Fewer lecturers?

Courses being axed?


Just interested.................

klong

Is that the scent of a would-be SU Exec I'm getting in my nostrils...?

DJCR

klong wrote: »

Is that the scent of a would-be SU Exec I'm getting in my nostrils...?

:D:D:D:D:D........ I'll let others answer first!!!

Tis an interesting question though!!!

Patricide

Libary extensions and pretty much anything that wouldnt sacrifice the current state of the college. I wouldnt be in favour of seeing courses axed but new courses coming in would be acceptable i guess. I personally would be fine without any other new buildings being built. The campus isnt in bad shape as it is.

1huge1

I'm in business studies, large classes are a daily thing to me, I doubt fitting any more into the concert hall would make the slightest difference.

I don't expect the campus to grow as fast as it did for the last few years, with less capital anfd probably fewer students going to college because of fee's.

garyegt

i would definately say that they should put off the library extention for another while, and put the money towards their students....... in a different way..... cos theres not much point in them building all these new buildings if they have no students to use them....

ULPaddy

garyegt wrote: »

i would definately say that they should put off the library extention for another while, and put the money towards their students....... in a different way..... cos theres not much point in them building all these new buildings if they have no students to use them....

Problem is there are two seperate budgets for capital projects (e.g. library extension) and everyday running (e.g. the students). Can't see how Don can redirect the seperate funds to focus more on everyday running!!!

Suggestions!?!?

Patricide

Change the budgeting system. If theres major problems with fundage then its going to take major changes to the way the money is alllocated to solve it. Sure its a pain in the ARSE but itd probrably the most efficient way of doing things.

Mr. CooL ICE

I'd reduce the size of the co-op office to about 1/10th its current size and order the remaining people to actually do some work. Should make no difference and save the college up to €1m per year

VivGrise

the presidents new house in the north campus €2 million....


WHY?????

Patricide

VivGrise wrote: »

the presidents new house in the north campus €2 million....


WHY?????

Yup, what exactly was wrong with the white house?

sceptre

Patricide wrote: »

Yup, what exactly was wrong with the white house?

The white house is mainly an office/administration building. The proposed building for across the river isn't. The two buildings largely have nothing to do with each other.

limericklady87

Yep, the library is definately grand the way it is... gets busy at exam time but sure where doesnt!

We can also go without any more new bridges of buildings for the next few years i reckon...KBS must have set them back a few bob!;)

GretchenWieners

LordChessington wrote: »

I'd reduce the size of the co-op office to about 1/10th its current size and order the remaining people to actually do some work. Should make no difference and save the college up to €1m per year

+1

cson

limericklady87 wrote: »

Yep, the library is definately grand the way it is... gets busy at exam time but sure where doesnt!

We can also go without any more new bridges of buildings for the next few years i reckon...KBS must have set them back a few bob!;)

Whatever about the KBS, the fooking living bridge at €16 million! :eek:

I wouldn't mind but just over a year and half after opening; its in shite. Very poor value for money right there.

Patricide

sceptre wrote: »

The white house is mainly an office/administration building. The proposed building for across the river isn't. The two buildings largely have nothing to do with each other.

Ok might have picked this up wrong but i was told untill recently the president used to live there?

rmacm

Patricide wrote: »

Ok might have picked this up wrong but i was told untill recently the president used to live there?

Not in the last while if I remember correctly, Roger Downer and Don Barry have both lived elsewhere so that covers the last 6+ years I guess.

1huge1

cson wrote: »

Whatever about the KBS, the fooking living bridge at €16 million! :eek:

I wouldn't mind but just over a year and half after opening; its in shite. Very poor value for money right there.

Its in bad condition already? how so, I rarely ever walk it so wouldn't know.

cson

Walking across it every day and night to College and beyond I think I'm probably qualified to say yeah, it's in terrible condition. The timber used on the benches obviously wasn't properly treated as it's very very weathered for a 1.5yr old bridge. A good few of the lights on the bridge are broken, they had to drill holes in it earlier in the year because of water accumulating in large puddles and I just think that for a piece of infrastructure that cost as much as it did it's deteriorating very rapidly.

Edit: Lack of bins on the bridge itself is a poor design oversight and obviously one thing that grates with me is the **** that walk their dogs there and let them ****e and piss all over it with out making the slightest effort to clean it up.

Edity Edit: And the tossers who speed across it on bikes. Can't help thinking I hope one of them gets mangled some day.

Patricide

cson wrote: »

Walking across it every day and night to College and beyond I think I'm probably qualified to say yeah, it's in terrible condition. The timber used on the benches obviously wasn't properly treated as it's very very weathered for a 1.5yr old bridge. A good few of the lights on the bridge are broken, they had to drill holes in it earlier in the year because of water accumulating in large puddles and I just think that for a piece of infrastructure that cost as much as it did it's deteriorating very rapidly.

Edit: Lack of bins on the bridge itself is a poor design oversight and obviously one thing that grates with me is the **** that walk their dogs there and let them ****e and piss all over it with out making the slightest effort to clean it up.

Edity Edit: And the tossers who speed across it on bikes. Can't help thinking I hope one of them gets mangled some day.

Then again none of the timber they have in ul seems to be treated, dromroe, thomand, capppa, the health sceince building. All oncce looked great but now they just look like dirt.

1huge1

Ya was definitely thinking that was true with dromroe alright.

Patricide

The thing is, im no expert on the topic but even if the planners did woodwork at school they might realise its a good idea to you know, treat the wood. The places should have looked a lot better after 10 years than they do now.

Zeouterlimits

I walk across it every day and frankly I love the bridge.
Certainly not disagreeing that the lack of treating the wood was a ridiculous oversight (junior cert woodwork).

Funkstard

cson wrote: »

Walking across it every day and night to College and beyond I think I'm probably qualified to say yeah, it's in terrible condition. The timber used on the benches obviously wasn't properly treated as it's very very weathered for a 1.5yr old bridge. A good few of the lights on the bridge are broken, they had to drill holes in it earlier in the year because of water accumulating in large puddles and I just think that for a piece of infrastructure that cost as much as it did it's deteriorating very rapidly.

Edit: Lack of bins on the bridge itself is a poor design oversight and obviously one thing that grates with me is the **** that walk their dogs there and let them ****e and piss all over it with out making the slightest effort to clean it up.

Edity Edit: And the tossers who speed across it on bikes. Can't help thinking I hope one of them gets mangled some day.

Patricide wrote: »

Then again none of the timber they have in ul seems to be treated, dromroe, thomand, capppa, the health sceince building. All oncce looked great but now they just look like dirt.

Patricide wrote: »

The thing is, im no expert on the topic but even if the planners did woodwork at school they might realise its a good idea to you know, treat the wood. The places should have looked a lot better after 10 years than they do now.

Zeouterlimits wrote: »

I walk across it every day and frankly I love the bridge.
Certainly not disagreeing that the lack of treating the wood was a ridiculous oversight (junior cert woodwork).

So on a thread about why we should be reducing costs on infrastructure you're giving out about the non-treatment of the timber facades on the student accommodation and of the seating on the bridge?

The wood has been left untreated for a reason, not because the architects forgot basic woodwork technology. The buildings are designed to blend into the landscape that surrounds them, when was the last time you saw a coat of ronseal on a tree?

Patricide

Funkstard wrote: »

So on a thread about why we should be reducing costs on infrastructure you're giving out about the non-treatment of the timber facades on the student accommodation and of the seating on the bridge?

The wood has been left untreated for a reason, not because the architects forgot basic woodwork technology. The buildings are designed to blend into the landscape that surrounds them, when was the last time you saw a coat of ronseal on a tree?

Whens the last time you seen a tree that had electricity, lighting, a metal bridge, concrete etc? Yea we went a bit off topic and my appologies for it but still. Just saying the place looks very run down regardless, when it could look a hell of a lot better for the cash they through into the place.

Funkstard

Patricide wrote: »

Whens the last time you seen a tree that had electricity, lighting, a metal bridge, concrete etc? Yea we went a bit off topic and my appologies for it but still. Just saying the place looks very run down regardless, when it could look a hell of a lot better for the cash they through into the place.

On a length of timber? Never! Timber facades naturally age and if you get past the fact that it doesn't look 'new', you might appreciate the aesthetic value (and self-preservation qualities) of the panels on the student villages.





Although I have heard Thomond referred to as Auschwitz-esque a few times.

ninty9er

AFAIK the cost to the University of the KBS was minimal...less than €2m IIRC. Most of the cost was borne by an "anonymous" benefactor.

DJCR

ninty9er wrote: »

AFAIK the cost to the University of the KBS was minimal...less than €2m IIRC. Most of the cost was borne by an "anonymous" benefactor.

+ a grant for getting the building completed on time!!.... in the region of 2.5€ million ....... you have no idea the pressure the faculty was under to et in done on time!!!

sceptre

Patricide wrote: »

Ok might have picked this up wrong but i was told untill recently the president used to live there?

I don't think anyone's lived there in over 80 years. When the NIHE bought it (70 grand including the grounds), the roof was really bad, a lot of the house had to be reconstructed and the government wanted it knocked. It's definitely been mainly used as an admin block since the college was opened (some med students currently have tutorials there because they're better than us, I used to have some tutorials there in my first UL stint). None of the UL presidents have ever lived there.

There is actually an existing president's house out in Ballina, it's intended to be sold to defray a chunk of the cost of the new building if it's built (planning permission was sought and granted about a year ago IIRC).

rororoyourboat

Where the heck is the €1500 registration fee going so???

bluedolphin

sceptre wrote: »

I don't think anyone's lived there in over 80 years. When the NIHE bought it (70 grand including the grounds), the roof was really bad, a lot of the house had to be reconstructed and the government wanted it knocked. It's definitely been mainly used as an admin block since the college was opened (some med students currently have tutorials there because they're better than us, I used to have some tutorials there in my first UL stint). None of the UL presidents have ever lived there.

There is actually an existing president's house out in Ballina, it's intended to be sold to defray a chunk of the cost of the new building if it's built (planning permission was sought and granted about a year ago IIRC).

Yeah, Roger Downer had a house in Ballina (or was it Killaloe??? Hmmm what side of the bridge?!) which is being sold to contribute to the cost of the new house on the north campus. Planning permission has already been granted (since September, iirc).

rororoyourboat wrote: »

Where the heck is the €1500 registration fee going so???

To cover the fall in the government grant by 7.5 per cent. Universities aren't actually ANY better off from the increased registration fee; hell, they're worse off overall due to other funding cuts, but the increased reg fee was just as a counter to the fall in govt grant.

And then, on topic, how about changing all lights in the university to power saving ones? How about getting rid of bottled water at committee level? How about cutting back on the Governing Authority luncheons? Yes, students will have to bear some of the brunt of the financial deficit that the university and the country as a whole is experiencing, but surely there could be some cuts to luxuries at the top, too?