When should SU elections be held?

billy the squid

The elections would be far more equitable anyway if they were held in week 2 where the effect would only effect the students attending the college

as it stands those coming in in september have no say in who represents them and those in 4 th year have a say in an election that wont be of interest to them.

but that is a digression, a debate for another day.

billy the squid

ninty9er wrote: »

ULSU has 6 full time staff, that includes an administrative secretary, a general manager, a receptionist and a Clubs and Sociteies Development Officer. We don't have enough resources as it is, never mind taking on work from those we don't represent.

It all sounds good, but there's only 24 hours in a day. It is up to the University to let people know the education is there for them, where we come in is when they get a student card.

I disagree

whever is elected will be representing students who are in UL from september and therefore should be represented by the SU.

this is why holding the election so late in the year is flawed.

Any introduction of fees will happen on a phased basis. They won't start charging third year student fees they will start charging first years first. If the SU feels it is ok to campaign against the introduction of fees, then it should be ok for them to campaign on this issue.

sceptre

Moved from the thread discussing the current elections as the timing of the elections is a side issue.

As it happens, holding them in week 2 (presumably at the beginning of the academic year in September) makes little sense for a few reasons:

1. It gives the elected no time to prepare over the summer for campaigns, events etc that they will be running during the year which has already started.

2. It causes problems with election eligibility. Outgoing fourth years are no longer students and are therefore ineligible. Students in other years have started their academic years and therefore are less likely to run for a position for which they are too late to apply for a formal year out from UL. Apart from eligibility and even if that is sorted for outgoing fourth years, some wil have started jobs and hence won't run. You'll effectively be left with runners who haven't or can't find jobs. Odds are better than zero that most of the better candidates won't be running then.

Neither of these are problems with the part-time positions as they're part-time. However, they are problems with the full-time positions. Practicalities, people.

Those two reasons should be enough (there are other reasons but those are the most obvious from a practical point of view). Especially the first one. But that's just my opinion.

Aside, they're earlier this year than they've probably ever been. While there are reasons behind that (inability to move them to week 10 due to an inquorate UGM, which in turn was a permanent proposed solution to a temporary problem, to avoid a concurrence with Rag/Charity Week, to be held in week 9), they're pretty early and I think too early. But then I'm aware that elections being held the week aftger Rag/Charity Week leads to lots of free helpful labour as election candidates like to give a hand to get their face seen and I'm a big fan of exploiting election candidates. Cheaper than a far east sweatshop wage, the cynic might say.

ynwa_17

I disagree with them being held in week 2. Theres no valid reason as to why they should be. Allow them to be held in semester two allows for a period where the new sabats can find their feet over the summer before getting down to work. Allowing the elections to be held in week 2 would make for a very messy change over mid semester which would only further damage the SU.

However, i don't really agree with them being held this week either. I would've preferred them to be held later in the semester. Just seems everything is happening this week. This week also coincided with the announcement of Charity week's line up. Not implying anything, just think its a small bit more than a coincidence. Not that the line up of gigs should actually encourage more people to vote for the current SU.

Mossin

billy the squid wrote: »

The elections would be far more equitable anyway if they were held in week 2 where the effect would only effect the students attending the college

as it stands those coming in in september have no say in who represents them and those in 4 th year have a say in an election that wont be of interest to them.

Are you serious?

You want them in week 2?
Most students write off the first week or two on returning to college in Sept, and having an election would be a disaster imo.

Also, how could you expect 1st years to be introduced to the SU officers during orientation, and then have them vote for new officers practically immediately?

As for 4th years voting - they have to have their vote heard. I did my undergraduate in UL, and now I'm a postgrad here, so I am around to see how the people I helped elect do their job. They are as entitled to vote as anyone, and considering most people who run for sabbat positions are 4th years, taking away their vote would seriously diminish the amount of people voting in elections imo.

The only problem with the current system is that the elections are before charity week, and thats just because the UGM didnt reach quorum which meant we couldnt push-out the elections until week 10...

billy the squid

Mossin wrote: »

Are you serious?

You want them in week 2?
Most students write off the first week or two on returning to college in Sept, and having an election would be a disaster imo.

On the flipside, if it were held in the beginning of the year , students would be less apathetic as they would be enthusiastic to be back at college again.

Also, how could you expect 1st years to be introduced to the SU officers during orientation, and then have them vote for new officers practically immediately?

They shouldn't be really introducint themselves to the new students, they should be introducing the students union - and telling them about the election and how they are entitled to vote.

As for 4th years voting - they have to have their vote heard. I did my undergraduate in UL, and now I'm a postgrad here, so I am around to see how the people I helped elect do their job. They are as entitled to vote as anyone, and considering most people who run for sabbat positions are 4th years, taking away their vote would seriously diminish the amount of people voting in elections imo.

If they return as postgraduates they can vote at the start of the year like everyone else. if they decide not to pursue a postgraduate course, they get no vote.

The only problem with the current system is that the elections are before charity week, and thats just because the UGM didnt reach quorum which meant we couldnt push-out the elections until week 10...

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Week 7/8 is a terrible time for elections. particularly as a lot of people have mid term assignments to complete - the last thing they need is canvassers pestering them.

munsterdevil

billy the squid wrote: »

Week 7/8 is a terrible time for elections. particularly as a lot of people have mid term assignments to complete - the last thing they need is canvassers pestering them.

All it takes is a few seconds to take the leaflet off the canvasser and say thank you, a student doesn't even have to stop, I have assignments due for the next few weeks and have no problem with canvassers, and hell I love the free sweets!!!:D:D:D

billy the squid

munsterdevil wrote: »

All it takes is a few seconds to take the leaflet off the canvasser and say thank you, a student doesn't even have to stop, I have assignments due for the next few weeks and have no problem with canvassers, and hell I love the free sweets!!!:D:D:D

will you have time to attend the hustings and get a better idea of what they stand for or ask them any questions?

munsterdevil

billy the squid wrote: »

will you have time to attend the hustings and get a better idea of what they stand for or ask them any questions?

I never said anything about the hustings, I was addressing your issue with canvassers. That said yes I will have time to attend the hustings.

In any case the idea of having elections at the beginning of the semester does not make sense, you might not get the best person for the job as they might have found something else during the summer, such as emmigration, post grad employment etc., whereas if the most ideal chosen canditate has been guaranteed a sabatical place they will stick around. It's why most colleges do it this way.

freyners

Mossin wrote: »

Are you serious?



Also, how could you expect 1st years to be introduced to the SU officers during orientation, and then have them vote for new officers practically immediately?


QUOTE]

im in first year and i liked the fact that we got to know who were our officers were for the comin year.
I think it wud be as confusin as hell for 1st years, one week into college to be asked to vote on candidates to run the students union when we still even havent got to grips with the university. Also how are we supposed to judge an officer running for re-election when we havent been affected by his/her tenure at all????????

bazkennedy

billy the squid wrote: »

On the flipside, if it were held in the beginning of the year , students would be less apathetic as they would be enthusiastic to be back at college again.

Doubtful. I don't think apathy is a seasonal thing

They shouldn't be really introducint themselves to the new students, they should be introducing the students union - and telling them about the election and how they are entitled to vote.

No as officers they have to introduce themselves. Its much easier to walk into the SU and talk to the officers if you know there names.

Week 7/8 is a terrible time for elections. particularly as a lot of people have mid term assignments to complete - the last thing they need is canvassers pestering them.

No matter what time of year we run it, it will be inconvienent for some people. The same goes for rag/charity week.

Overall i think moving the elections to week 2 is a crazy idea.

Question- when do you see that change over happening. The change over period is quiet a busy one for both the incoming and outgoing officers. Do you want this to be happen mid semester and take away from the time of the officers? A good example of the problem here is the education officer. If for example in week 2 you have a problem getting a module outline. In week 2 you could be dealing with officer A, in week 3 A is too busy to help you because he/she is training officer B and by week 4 officer A is gone.

UCC have gone the other direction and moved there part time officer elections such as the CRO and Equality officer as well as the election of Faculty Reps to the same week as their full time elections.