C:\Users\Anne\Downloads\Colm  Main  Campaign  Photo  1.jpg

Hi.  I’m  Colm  Collins  and  I’m  campaigning  for  your  vote  to  be  UCC  Student  Union  President.  I  believe  in  a  Union  ulFmately  answerable  to  you,  the  student.  The  Student’s  Union  is  funded  by  the  student  contribuFon  which,  in  my  opinion,  makes  the  sabbaFcal  officers  employees  of  the  students  of  UCC.  The  president  of  the  Student’s  Union  is  not  only  the  leader  of  this  oKen  diverse  and  hard-­‐working  team,  but  also  the  link  between  University  College  Cork  and  the  student  body.  To  properly  represent  the  interests  of  every  student  and  simultaneously  keep  the  SU  working  smoothly,  the  SU  president  must  be  honest,  determined  and  fair  minded.  Outlined  below  is  my  plan  if  elected.  I  hope  it’s  a  plan  you  can  believe  in.

Transparency

I  want  every  student  in  UCC  to  know  what  their  Union  is  doing  for  them  with  their  money

Digital  signage  across  campus  and  in  the  Student  Centre,  and  hopefully  in  the  Kylemore  Main  Rest,  Brookfield  and  the  Western  Gateway  Building.

A  weekly  newsfeed  both  on  the  digital  signage  and  online  of  what  the  SU  has  achieved.

Publish  the  esFmated  monthly  expenditure

Frequent  notes  from  each  Full  Time  Officer  as  to  what  they’ve  done  this  week  for  the  SU,  published  both  on  the  digital  signage  and  online

   What’s  the  point  of  a  UCC  Student’s  Union,  paid  for  by  all  UCC  Students,  if  not  all  students  feel  involved?  

An  all-­‐students  pre-­‐rag  week  forum  so  all  students  can  get  involved  in  R&G  week

Any  part-­‐Fme  employment  from  the  SU  should  be  adverFsed  on  campus  &  collegeroad.ie  

Create  a  YouTube  Chanel  for  the  SU  

Publish  the  highlights  of  Student  Council  to  YouTube

Accountability

It’s  your  union.  The  only  way  to  guarantee  a  truly  accountable  Union  is  to  generate  a  sense  of  ownership  of  the  Union  in  each  student.

A  minimum  of  eight  hours  a  month  walking  around  campus  engaging  with  students.

An  open  Q&A  secFon  on  collegeroad.ie

Weekly  ‘Ask  Me  Anything’  segments  on  collegeroad.ie

Ensure  that  every  class  in  UCC  has  a  democraFcally  elected  representaFve  

A  deadline  for  each  class  to  have  a  class  rep  elected  by  November

A  Rep  Recall  OpFon  with  50%  +  1  majority  

I  fully  support  any  class  rep  or  EducaFon  Officer  fighFng  for  more  transparent  marking  schemes.

Collegeroad.ie

The  official  Student’s  Union  website  has  become  an  outdated  informaFon  page  for  the  SU.  The  official  Student’s  Union  website  needs  to  be  a  dynamic  student  

resource.    As  of  March  3rd  2013,  the  homepage  arFcle  is  merely  the  2012  

conferring  schedule,  published  in  October  2012.  As  of  March  3rd    the  “Job  Vacancies”  tab  is  merely  a  link  to  the  Careers  Office,  offering  either    consulFng  work  for  Analysis  Mason  or  “fruit  picking”  in  Australia  with  Workabout  Inc.  Ltd.    

Ensure  only  relevant  arFcles  posted  and  conFnue  to  be  hosted

Post  offers  of/requests  for  grinds

Have  real  part-­‐Fme  jobs  in  Cork  adverFsed  directly  on  collegeroad.ie

Publish  the  minutes  of  each  Exec  meeFng  online  for  all  to  see

Publish  combined  officer’s  &  expense  reports  of  SU  events  

   

Action

Convince  local  business  to  take  on  ‘One  More  Student’  that’s  struggling  to  pay  rent  or  buy  food.

Work  with  the  CommunicaFons  &  Commerce  Officer  to  provide  more  SU  markeFng  and  adverFsing  on  campus  to  bring  more  money  into  the  hardship  fund

An  open  kejle  and  microwave  facility  for  students  in  Brookfield  and  the  Western  Gate

A  printer  for  the  Open  Access  Computers  in  the  WGB  

Either  open  the  library  in  Brookfield  an  hour  earlier  

Or  add  some  Open  Access  Computers  &  Printers  to  Brookfield  separate  from  the  library

Bring  many  but  manageable  R&G  week  events  to  Brookfield

Argue  for  more  tutorials

Security  cameras  along  College  Road

Support  the  conversion  of  the  Windle  building  into  a  Student  Hub

Maintain  our  associaFon  with  the  Signature  Group  but  work  for  more  ‘Student  ID  Only’  nights

Help  the  Clubs  Exec  and  SocieFes  Guild  negoFate  a  group  deal  for  mulFple  balls  with  the  hotels  of  Cork.    This  would  make  the  hotels  compete  for  bigger  contracts  covering  more  than  one  ball  and  our  minimise  expenses

Sell  Fckets  for  city  gigs/venues  in  the  SU  Box  Office

Water  fountains  in  every  UCC  Building  (plumbing  permilng)

ConFnue  to  oppose  conferring  fees  

A  voters’  registraFon  staFon  on  campus  before  all  local  &  naFonal  elecFons

Fees  and  the  grant

I’m  not  going  to  lie  to  you.  The  SU  President  cannot  stop  fees  from  going  up  no  more  than  he  can  prevent  cuts  to  the  grant.  What  I  can  do  is  conFnue  to  lobby  for  alternaFves  and  peFFon  those  with  the  power  to  protect  the  educaFon  of  the  most  vulnerable  in  our  college  from  these  economic  difficulFes.

Highlight  how  even  a  3%  increase  in  the  grant’s  income  threshold  could  force  7,040  students  out  of  third  level  educaFon.

Fight  to  restore  even  a  parFal  Cost  of  EducaFon  Allowance

 Work  with  the  college  to  find  ways  to  find  savings  and  improve  financial  efficiencies  with  the  aim  of  protecFng  the  welfare  of  students.  

Grant-­‐applicaFon  tutorials  for  students

ConFnue  to  oppose  conferring  fees  

Student  Protests

I  believe  in  the  right  of  every  ciFzen  to  protest.  However,  an  ineffectual  protest  just  becomes  a  public  disturbance  and  a  burden  on  the  taxpayer.  If  we  are  to  protest,  let  us  ensure  that  our  voices  are  directed  at  those  directly  responsible  for  the  injusFces  against  which  we  protest,  our  local  TDs  and  specifically  those  on  the  Select  Sub-­‐Commijee  on  EducaFon  &  Skills.

“Without debate, without criticism no administration and no country can

succeed and no republic can survive.” – John F. Kennedy

A  coordinated  all-­‐college  Munster  wide  protest

Pressure  Dublin  VEC  to  ensure  that  grants  come  through  on-­‐Fme.

Lobby  for  conFnued  review  into  whether  Dublin  VEC  is  the  best  organisaFon  to  administer  the  grant  system.

Protests  targeted  specifically  at  the  Select  Sub-­‐Commijee  on  EducaFon  &  Skills

Undergraduate  Employment

Times  are  Fght  and  many  students  are  struggling  to  make  their  way  through  college.    In  the  past,  students  who  may  have  relied  on  their  parents  to  help  them  get  by  unFl  their  grants  come  in  simply  can't  anymore.  It’s  an  unfortunate  fact  that  many  families  can't  support  their  struggling  children  through  college  these  days.

Part-­‐Fme  jobs    in  Cork  adverFsed  on  collegeroad.ie  

‘One  More  Student’  scheme  to  encourage  local  business  to  take  on  just  one  struggling  student  for  small  jobs

Encourage  Brand  Army  to  come  to  UCC  more  oKen  and  employ  more  UCC  students  when  they  do

Postgraduate  Employment

Nobody  likes  to  see  educated  young  people  forced  from  their  homeland  due  to  economic  difficulFes.  I  want  to  work  with  organisaFons  such  as  [}  and  the  government  to  ensure  as  many  of  our  graduates  can  find  work  here  in  Ireland  aKer  they  leave  UCC.  However,  with  an  unemployment  level  of  14.10%  (as  of  February  2013)  and  a  European  Unemployment  rate  of  10.8%,  many  of  us  are  forced,  to  travel  further  and  further  a  field  in  search  of  work.

Arrange  free/discounted  membership  of  Irish  learned  socieFes  for  

UCC  graduates.

Maintain  contact  with  graduates  aKer  they  leave  UCC,  asking  if  they  managed  to  find  work  in  their  field  and  if  they  know  of  any  work  for  younger  graduates  at  home  or  even  abroad.

R&G  Week

R&G  week  2013  was  a  resounding  success  in  terms  of  both  fund  raising  and  public  order.  It  had  to  be  as  the  University  were  threatening  to  end  the  tradition  if  it  led  to  repeats  of  the  alcohol-­‐induced  anti-­‐social  behaviour  of  previous  years.  Thanks  to  dialogue  and  an  educated  drinks  policy,  we  raised  over  €30,000  and  had  the  greatest  craic  of  our  lives.  It’s  my  hope  to  see  that  Gigure  increase  in  the  coming  year.

Host  a  pre-­‐rag  week  all-­‐students  forum  to  generate  ideas

Continuing  with  Student  Community  Support

Promote  fun  day-­‐time  events  on  campus

Involve  as  many  clubs  and  societies  as  possible

Conclusion

I  hope  to  be  a  SU  president  that  you,  the  students  of  UCC,  can  believe  in  and  lead  a  union  that  you  can  be  proud  of.  If  I  can  make  things  a  little  bit  better  for  the  students  of  UCC,  then  I’d  consider  my  time  as  president  a  success.  Thank  you.

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