Simple things you'd like the SU to achieve next year?

Bluefox21

By achieve I mean something realistic, it can be something very small. They don't really have any avenues for suggesting ideas and I know (from experience) they are hard to approach so maybe this might help create some positive ideas.

1. Talk to the AIB and get them to put ten euro notes into the ATM's. This is for self-explanatory reasons but is especially relevant nowadays. Nothing worse then trying all the machines most of which run out of twenties pretty fast.

2. Sort out the parking. Can actually see this as being a huge income generator. Could be a simple system involving student & staff parking passes but at the moment during term time at least 5 people in my workplace in town drive to UCD and then take the bus into work. They should also endeavour to increase signs and notifications letting people now where they can and cannot park for free. Amount of times I have seen people buy tickets for the express bus stop car park is ridiculous. I understand this would be hard to implement but it is by no means impossible and would be of major benefit to students and staff.

3. Sort out the SU council attendance count. People should come down and sign in with their student numbers before the meeting starts, they can come down after if they are late. Not only does this save a large amount of time it would also allow the reps to get to know the C&C officer who is taking the count. Another small thing but nothing used to frustrate me more then listening to names for half an hour sometimes longer.

4. Increase avenues whereby one can talk to the sabbats even if it was just through something like boards. All the officers need to increase their presence next year.

As I said these are very small things. Obviously there are countless other things which they will need to look at (the ball, fight against fees, clear up the whole science day drama etc) but im looking for small things that would make life a bit easier around campus.

errlloyd

This may seem a little bit weird considering we have a specific SU building....

But maybe council should be put on in the arts block a few times a year. There are people (myself included) that are actually too lazy sometimes to go to the SU center.

Big props to the addition of that gravel garden thing between Newman, Tierney and the Lake, more nice areas of UCD would be wicked. Possibly more covered seating for smokers? (I don't smoke hence question mark).

I'm fairly sure the SU run the trap. Change machines working would be cool.

I think the SU should look to making a visible effort to try and cut down the waste, especially in areas like rep training.

Do a better job of running Newman games. Has the potential to be awesome if run well....


Just a few.

El Siglo

Stop wasting students' money, it's a fucking joke at this stage. On a more of a general note, introduce Schols like in Trinity might also be good, you get rewarded for academic ability and not if you're playing for GAA, Rugby, Soccer etc...

IrishKnight

Disband itself...

Failing that get right of USI membership...

gamgsam

More bike parking spaces all over are campus badly needed

UCD will never have enough it seems

dyl10

Free hot '****ing' water for tea.

Actually give me something useful for my €150 I give you every year.

El Siglo

dyl10 wrote: »

Free hot '****ing' water for tea.

Actually give me something useful for my €150 I give you every year.

"Gee, I don't know. Buy a bullet and rent a gun?"

HavingCrack

El Siglo wrote: »

Stop wasting students' money, it's a fucking joke at this stage. On a more of a general note, introduce Schols like in Trinity might also be good, you get rewarded for academic ability and not if you're playing for GAA, Rugby, Soccer etc...

Damn Straight. Offering free/half priced accomodation for academic achievement as well (know this will never happen but still would be a good idea)

Possibly find some way of getting more students employed on campus-in the centra, bookshop, cafes etc. There is a huge amount of students looking for part time work in UCD and I can only think of one student I know personally who works in a non SU run shop.

alan4cult

1. Sort out the Ents website (It's a joke really)

2. Get a second student centre, perhaps in the Daedulus building, after all there's loads of IT centres around campus

3. Turn down/off the heat in Science.

4. More SUAS stations in Science. Perhaps move the SUAS stations that are in the basement of the restaurant to Science.

(insert name)

Suas/Computer room in Quinn.

I know there are study areas and we all have laptops but sometimes you actually just need to look at a timetable or email or sometimes there are no seats with plugs in the study areas.

Maybe some SU run vending machines/shop in Quinn too because insomnia is a bit of a rip-off and Centra is far away

Killer Pigeon

Reduce the amount of posters and leaflets circulated around campus. I know people have to advertise but I'd say lots of people are sick of them at this stage. Oh yeah I'd say the environment is sick of them too. Jeez. Anyway, hardly anyone reads them.

delta_bravo

gamgsam wrote: »

More bike parking spaces all over are campus badly needed

UCD will never have enough it seems

Where are you talking about exactly? UCD has loads of bike racks. The only place they are short now is the sports centre due to construction work

antomorro-sei

Sort out the bloody car parks. Especially the ones near the church/science buildings.

dyl10

El Siglo wrote: »

"Gee, I don't know. Buy a bullet and rent a gun?"

"Here's an idea: Why don't you give me half the money your were gonna to bet, then we'll go out back, I'll kick you in the nuts, and we'll call it a day! "

El Siglo

dyl10 wrote: »

"Here's an idea: Why don't you give me half the money your were gonna to bet, then we'll go out back, I'll kick you in the nuts, and we'll call it a day! "

"Woo hoo... Big bet for a BIG man... Sure you don't want to save a few bucks for the buffet?"

P_1

€10 notes in the ATM is a good idea, can't see the self serving pricks in the SU getting off their asses to do anything worthwhile though.

Maybe they can sort out a few free passes for D2 or something like that.

ironclaw

pithater1 wrote: »

€10 notes in the ATM is a good idea, can't see the self serving pricks in the SU getting off their asses to do anything worthwhile though.

Maybe they can sort out a few free passes for D2 or something like that.

Definitely want €10 notes in the vending machines. Multiple's of €20 doesn't cut it really.

Parking is another one. A simple free permit system for students / staff (Many colleges have it and NCPS actually supply the system) so we can actually see how many people are using UCD as a park n' ride center. Especially with this new parking levy UCD will be full in no time once that comes into full force.

Lucet

Parking! I wouldn't be angry if they even introduce some kind of symbolic fee (for example €20 a month) but just in case that you'll know you're going to get a place even if it's 11 or 12 o'clock. Well, I'll keep dreaming

mad lad

Stop wasting cash. It's easy for the SU to run a surplus, as it did for years.

USI - €96,000
USI should be forced to publish a full budget and have it hosted on their site. They have to account for where money is spent. Membership is only a fiver per full-time student, but it all adds up.

University Observer - €50,000
This should at least be reduced, the Tribune survives on advertising. The Observer is one of the biggest drains on the unions accounts, more than welfare, campaigns or promotional materials. Of course, no one will put this in their manifesto / act on it in office because of the flak they would recieve from the paper itself.

Elections - €40,000
I wonder what the breakdown of costs is between published materials and wages for vote counters. Election posters are pointless - a waste of time / money / space .At least manifestos contain policies.

Class rep training - €15,000
Hold it in on campus and open it up to everyone who wants be involved in the SU. There are two arguments against this
1) people wouldn't turn up 2) reps need to socialize / bond to work effectively. The latter of these arguments is bullsh1t - people have no problem getting pissed bonding in Dublin. As for the former, if reps won't show up for training on campus, the SU shouldn't reward them by subsidizing a drunken weekend in privately rented accommodation.

'What's on Guide' and 'January Magazine' - €13,750
The SU already pays for full page ads in both campus papers. All of this info could also be contained on the SU website, if it was decent.

Stop f.ucking around with the SU website - €12,000 (includes IT)
Every year some newly elected gobsh1te decides that the SU website needs to be redone. You don't need a slow-loading pile of flash or crappy javascript. Buy some hosting, get a free open-source CMS and buy a template for 50 quid and your done. UCDSU.net still exists, but with a different design and info to to UCDSU.ie.. All it takes is 30 seconds for someone to set-up a 301 redirect from one to the other.

Hoodies - €3,000
Hands up if you've heard the one about 'making the union more visible'. This essentially means buying hacks hoodies so that you can spot them from miles away. To paraphrase Shakespeare - a hack in a hoodie is still a hack.

Actually represent students best interests, rather than being a Brady apologist.
Who cares about the Union supporting Brady on introducing health service charges when you have sofas and fatman scoop. FFS.

Fad

Get rid of class rep training.

I never saw a single copy of the what's on guide in my year in UCD......

Stop Ents officers selling lists of student phone numbers..... >_<

Website seriously needs to be sorted out. It really needs to be tested before it gets put online too. It does not need to be so complicated either, a simple website with simple navigation would be much more effective than the current one.

rainbow kirby

Actually focus on issues that affect UCD students and stop wasting so much money and time on external matters.

Mushy

Regards the ATM's, the reason AIB don't laod them up with €10's is that they'd have to be re-filled a hell of a lot more often. If you think the €20s run out fast, it'd be much worse with anything smaller.

annemarie13

What are the chances of a printing top up machine in the Ag building?

parker kent

Not that it is ever going to be my concern again (woo roll on graduation!) they could really improve what is in the SU shops, especially under the library at exam times. More of a focus on healthy snacks and food would do a lot of good to many students.

But aside from that, I can't really disagree with most of what others have said here. Anytime I see a breakdown of where their money goes, I feel a little sick!

WellCultured

Stop wasting money promoting the dead language of Irish, its bad enough that the government has rammed it down your throat for 10+ years before you get to college.

Extrasupervery

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

Reduce the amount of posters and leaflets circulated around campus. I know people have to advertise but I'd say lots of people are sick of them at this stage. Oh yeah I'd say the environment is sick of them too. Jeez. Anyway, hardly anyone reads them.

Yes, yes dear god yes. We do not need an entire wall devoted to poster after poster advertising 'Slapperz and Rapperz' or whatever the **** ****ty night they're running.

We've all just learned to ignore them at this stage. Simple, tactical advertising please. Covering every possible surface with posters isn't actually effective.

parker kent

Extrasupervery wrote: »

Yes, yes dear god yes. We do not need an entire wall devoted to poster after poster advertising 'Slapperz and Rapperz' or whatever the **** ****ty night they're running.

We've all just learned to ignore them at this stage. Simple, tactical advertising please. Covering every possible surface with posters isn't actually effective.

And whilst we are on this point, cut down the waste on pointless manifestos around election time that about 2% of students will actually read. They might make for excellent grafitti opportunities but other than that are pointless:D

Just send an email listing what each candidate claims they will do. There must be rainforests cut down in order to flood UCD with the paper required for leaflets and posters at election time.

AIR-AUSSIE

There is a severe lack of support for students in the Newstead Building and surrounds.

1 - Where has the printer credit machine gone from the Newstead Building?

2 - ATM 10 euro thing is a great idea, they had it when I was in 1st year, why did they stop it?

And saying that they'd run out quicker is not true. the atms would still be filled with 20s as well. if you ask for a tenner you get a tenner, anything above that you get it in 20s / 50s.

3 - Lunch Facilities on the Architecture side of campus BADLY needs sorting. I understand the SU prevented an additional food supplier in as they had not made a deal with the SU. This does not have the best interests of students and staff. O briens is no longer with to scratch and has reduced its standards greatly.

Mushy

AIR-AUSSIE wrote: »

2 - ATM 10 euro thing is a great idea, they had it when I was in 1st year, why did they stop it?
And saying that they'd run out quicker is not true. the atms would still be filled with 20s as well. if you ask for a tenner you get a tenner, anything above that you get it in 20s / 50s.

It is true. ATM's are programmed to give some of the highest denomination(sp?) available, so if someasks for €80, that'll come in 50, 20, 10.

Don't get me wrong though, it would be a great idea.

stop

Mushy wrote: »

It is true. ATM's are programmed to give some of the highest denomination(sp?) available, so if someasks for €80, that'll come in 50, 20, 10.

Don't get me wrong though, it would be a great idea.

They'd still run out of cash more often though.

IIRC cash machines have three drawers, for arguments sake lets say each drawer holds 200 notes.
with a 1x50 & 2x20 mix the machine would have €18,000
with a 1x50 1x20 1x10 mix the machine would have €16,000

I'd rather have the extra money (if it's in my account!) than walk to the next ATM.

dajaffa

AIR-AUSSIE wrote: »

There is a severe lack of support for students in the Newstead Building and surrounds.

3 - Lunch Facilities on the Architecture side of campus BADLY needs sorting. I understand the SU prevented an additional food supplier in as they had not made a deal with the SU. This does not have the best interests of students and staff. O briens is no longer with to scratch and has reduced its standards greatly.

Not quite what happened. The SU wanted to open a shop in Newstead but the space allocated wasn't near up to scratch for anything of the sort as the building was a refurb as against purpose-built. I don't think anyone else wanted to, the proposed shop was expected to run at at slight loss iirc.

Oh and they did get €10 notes in the Student Centre for a week or so this year, I tasted that freedom!