Over 250 NUIM Students DELIVER A Petition Against 'Professor' Ahern

Joe1919

Hi all.
Guys, I hope you don't think I'm being personal and I'm sorry if I caused any offence to anyone. My intention was to give you a little of your own medicine. My apologies if I was too enthusiastic and seemed to get carried away. I do hope that you take my criticisms in good spirit and get something constructive from them.
I wish you all the best of luck.
Joe

synd

Hi all.

Hi Joe

Guys, I hope you don't think I'm being personal

Not at all Joe, although I do feel a little dejected over FEE being compared to a bunch of ''storm troopers''

and I'm sorry if I caused any offence to anyone.

I love it

My intention was to give you a little of your own medicine.

Didn't really work out for you Joe, did it ?

My apologies if I was too enthusiastic and seemed to get carried away.

Its ok Joe, I forgive you

I do hope that you take my criticisms in good spirit and get something constructive from them.

Joe, your an inspiration

I wish you all the best of luck.

Thanks Joe

Rozabeez

Impressive numbers in the Herald poll !

banquo

Seems nuimsu.com is getting updates... Good stuff good stuff

PrivateEye

Our respsonse to The Irish Examiners piece of lazy journalism last week (Don't have Google up there obviously), written by a member of FEE NUIM (Aidan Rowe)

I like how they've printed it now this story is quite large, but wouldn't print it for like 3/4 days after we emailed it to them. Journalists should check their facts, it would only take a matter of minutes to establish the FEE campaign (not petition, campaign!) began in April if not earlier, and the lecturers letter in June.

Bertie the lecturer a ‘morally offensive’ proposition


Saturday, December 05, 2009

AS a member of FEE (Free Education for Everyone) in Maynooth, and as a concerned student, I would like to respond to Ryle Dwyer’s column headlined ‘Did highly paid academics object because Bertie would do it for free?’ (November 28).

This question is clearly trying implicitly to ascribe some cynical ulterior motive to the opposition to Bertie Ahern’s appointment as honorary professor. However, when one dissects it, this position makes no sense.

Clearly, academics are not motivated by self-interested concern for their pay, as the handful of lectures Mr Ahern will be giving will have no effect whatsoever on the pay or conditions of academic staff.

Nor can it be an expression of opposition to the concept of an unpaid lecturing post, since the concept of an honorary professorship is commonplace in universities across the world – Maynooth included. One imagines the purpose of such a question was to get the phrase "highly paid" into the column, presumably on the basis that if you can charaterise your opposition as overpaid you win, which is facile at best. The fact of the matter is that students and lecturers are united in taking a principled stand against an appointment which we find morally offensive. The policies enacted by Mr Ahern during his time as Taoiseach directly precipitated the economic crisis which is currently crippling our country.

Furthermore, as a sitting Fianna Fáil TD, Bertie Ahern is part of a government which imposes cutbacks in education and other vital public services, as well as the pension levy which attacks the living standards of students and our families.

To welcome him into an institution which he is an active part of attacking makes no sense. In addition, the substantial ambiguity surrounding Mr Ahern’s personal finances and his inability to give consistent answers when pressed by journalists on the issue have profound implications which cannot be dismissed or ignored.

Ryle Dwyer also claimed the decision of academic staff to strike was "in defence of their privileged positions". This is factually inaccurate. University staff were on strike in opposition to cuts being made across the public service. They stood in solidarity with students, bus drivers, nurses, firefighters and others who are facing savage incursions on their living standards. To project the strike as having been solely self-interested is disingenuous at best.

Finally I would just like to clarify something Ryle Dwyer failed to pick up on during his exhaustive research: the petition with 1,000 student signatories was initiated by students, not by staff. This is because there is substantial and justifiable anger felt throughout the student body (as well as among staff) at this appointment.

Prof John Hughes’s decision to ignore the views of concerned students and staff is wrong and should be reversed.

Aidan Rowe
FEE (Free Education for Everyone)
NUIM
Maynooth
Co Kildare

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Saturday, December 05, 2009

PrivateEye

..and Joe1919, sound enough mate. I don't think anyone should be silenced from giving an opinion online, while we obviously disagree, that's not exactly unhealthy. Such is life. I am extremely proud of the fact students from my University, off their own back, have taken this stand. While we disagree on issues like the means of protest, and democratic nature of the campaign, this is an internet forum.

A sincere thank you to everyone who signed the petition, everyone who helped deliver it, and everyone who has even helped spreadt the word about the appointment. To think, without such a campaign its likely loads of students wouldn't have even known of the appointment until they seen a picture of Bertie with John Hughes in The Irish Times.

I cant over-emphasise the fact I think this will happen, and we wont know a thing. It could be during exams, it could be at a bizarre hour. Now though, we've made our case and people all over Ireland have heard it, and know not all students agree with this appointment. Parades and rain, I forget whay they say.

leopoldbloom

Brilliant article, good on ye Aidan!

In Brussels the other day on a training trip with LY, I first received a standing ovation and then I was chastised by our National Organiser for "having more press exposure in the last week than any of our TDs."

The thing is... EVERYONE knows about it!

PrivateEye

Piece in the Tribune says this kind of frosty reception, in Academia, is usually reserved for "war criminals and page 3 models"

Kiwi_knock

If anyone is listening to Joan Burton did she earlier on refer to Bertie as Professor Ahern. Do not know if I was imagining or not. If she did fair play for the sly dig

LeixlipRed

She also made a terrible joke about NAMA killing Santa Clause.

Kiwi_knock

LeixlipRed wrote: »

She also made a terrible joke about NAMA killing Santa Clause.

Cant wait to buy that single, Christmas No.1 anyone ?

LeixlipRed

That was what she was suggesting. I reckon Joan in a sexy neglige on the cover should insure that single sells almost a negative amount of copies.

Effluo

LeixlipRed wrote: »

She also made a terrible joke about NAMA killing Santa Clause.

She came across as some twat!
Looked like the rest of her party were laughing at her when she was giving out too...

hypersquirrel

Effluo wrote: »

She came across as some twat!
Looked like the rest of her party were laughing at her when she was giving out too...

Her party and the rest of the nation. I can't remember ever taking her seriously.

PrivateEye

Apparently Bertie decided to play hide and seek on campus today around Saint Patricks? Uncomfirmed as of yet, anyone know some Ogra Eff-Effers they can ask?

To be honest the whole thing is now a shambles, as his day out is ruined regardless.

LeixlipRed

The Bishops were having a conference today, dirty feckers.

banquo

Turned out to be just a rumour. He has yet to grace us with his presence.

Ulysses Gaze

Have to say as an alumnus of NUIM I'm absolutely delighted to see students show this clown Ahern the contempt he richly deserves. Unlike the spineless shower in UCD who feted him like a returning Hero.

Have at it boys!

PrivateEye

^ You wouldn't believe the amount of emails from Alumni students saying as much, yep. What happened in UCD was shameful.

For anyone who doesn't know, Bertie was the 'Honorary Chair' at a debate on the Lisbon Treaty. When he showed up on stage, he recieved a better reception than any speaker on either side. Cringe worthy.

Michellenman

BERTIE ALERRT!!

Bet he'll be in college tomorrow. If he is it's the college's way of trying to prevent ructions.

Source (albeit not official) :

http://twitter.com/aengusmaynooth/status/6636910514

PrivateEye

Not heard a thing from journos. Amazing. I think it'll happen in circumstances similiar to this, where they basically sneak him in and out, he meets the Ógra Eff-Effers and then gets bundled into a black car. Doesn't matter at this rate- it's been ruined already. I'd LOVE nothing more than to get a few hours notice, but I dont expect it.

LeixlipRed

Evidence as if you ever needed it, that the man is a crook. 2,500 euro tips :eek:

Link

Effluo

LeixlipRed wrote: »

Evidence as if you ever needed it, that the man is a crook. 2,500 euro tips :eek:

What happened to the €2,500 tip?

Bertie: I lost it on a horse

lol

Ostrom

Did he f**k...

cian1500ww

.....€11 for a pay-per-view movie charged to Mr. Ahern's room.

LOL !!

banquo

Any word on this? Was asked to man the south campus gate to keep a lookout but had to get something to eat...

PrivateEye

http://free-education.info/2009/12/16/irish-daily-mail-report-a-fianna-fail-professor-who-helped-bertie-land-his-role/

Daily Mail

A MAYNOOTH professor helped get Bertie Ahern appointed as an honorary professor - just weeks after he attended the Fianna Fail Ard Fheis.
The former taoiseach was named as an ‘Honorary Adjunct Professor’ of NUI Maynooth’s new Mediation and Conflict Intervention programme on April 7. He was proposed for the post by the head of the university’s business and law school, Dr Robert Galavan.

The appointment has provoked outrage from a large number of students and academic staff.

On Thursday, a petition signed by more 1,200 students against the move was handed over to university president Professor John Hughes, after a protest march by 250 students.

The Irish Daily Mail has learned that Dr Galavan is a Fianna Fail member who attended the party’s Ard Fheis in the City West hotel in February.
Dr Galavan said he thought the appointment of Mr Ahern was a brilliant move. ‘I think it’s a fantastic idea,’ he said. ‘It’s got nothing to do with what I’m a member of or what I’m not a member of.’ The student petition said it condemned the appointment of Mr Ahern as it contradicted the views of large numbers of students and staff at the University.

LeixlipRed

FF member in "jobs for the boys" scandal :eek:

PrivateEye

Bloody shocking.

Ostrom

It’s got nothing to do with what I’m a member of or what I’m not a member of

This is the standard to which we hold the title of professor? I may as well wipe my arse with my phd next year