It's Been a While

Being on holidays this week has actually given me a chance to give a bit of an update.

GET YOUR GRANT APPLICATIONS IN. CHECKOUT studentfinance.ie FOR ALL THE INFO YOU NEED

MAJOR NEWS: The reduced rate Student Contribution of €1,500 will be administered by the Revenue Commissioners. €2,000 per student will still have to be paid to each institution, but a tax credit of €500 will apply for the 2nd and subsequent students in a household.

I haven't been up to much out of the ordinary. In two and a half weeks Tara will take over and I've been spending some time with her, going to meetings etc. A handover document is unfortunately still lacking completion, which is entirely my fault.

So some bits I've been at:

• The Alcohol Working Group needs a bit more insight to reality. Ignoring what some students drinking habits include and simply 'banning' them isn't going to work. Prohibition doesn't work, that's why the US repealed it. This needs to be worked through practically, not idealogically.
  
• There were some excellent ideas last week at the Please Talk Steering Committee. For anyone interested, contact Tara who is looking into having a campus PT Committee, it's on my 'didn't get round to it' list.
  
• I've been planning for the coup, looking at ideas to make your Union more accountable and democratic.
  
• I've sent the Foundation a proposal for a scholarship for those who fall just outside the limits of the Higher Education Grant that would be worth 15 hours minimum wage work per week for 3 students in each faculty. The donation level required for this would be almost €1.5 million to sustain it forever, so it's a big ask, but I hope to set up a meeting with the Director of the Foundation to put the case to him in person.
  A key feature of my two terms which will come with me into my term as President is the need to recognise that the students who are least supported are those who are seen to be doing alright, who don't form part of any minority and who don't have wealthy families to rely on.
  
  There's a lot of boring stuff that goes on, but I was delighted to be part of the interview panel for the position of General Manager. It was gruelling, stressful, interesting and rewarding, both for us and the candidates interviewed.
  
  While it was an experience that I gained a lot from, it is not an experience I would want to repeat too often. It was one of the most stressful days of my life.
  
  Being realistic about it, I'll probably be President before I get another blog done, so let me say thank you to all of you, each and every one of you who bothers to read these. It's been a great 2 years, where I've helped I'm glad I could, where I couldn't I hope I was able to point you in the right direction, and if anything fell through the gaps, sincerely, I apologise.
  
  Mind yourselves,
  
  D
  
  
  
  
  

[Press Release] Minister Announces Details of Grant Reform

Quinn overhauls administration of student grants
CDVEC to operate single student grant awarding authority
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn TD, today announced that a single student grant awarding authority is to replace the existing 66 grant awarding bodies.

The new system will come into effect for the 2012/13 academic year.
This landmark decision reforms a student grant system that has been in operation in the State since 1968 and it will gradually replace the existing 66 VEC and local authority grant awarding bodies.

The City of Dublin VEC will operate as the new centralised authority following a competitive process carried by an independent selection panel. Minister Quinn will formally designate the CDVEC following agreement on implementation with his Department.

The single grant authority will operate on a transitional basis.

It will accept all new applications from 2012.

For this year, 2011, students will still apply to their local authorities or VECs for a grant and these bodies will continue to deal with renewal of existing grants on a wind-down basis over three to four years.

Minister Quinn said he has strongly supported student calls to overhaul the student grants system and he is delighted to be able to move quickly to introduce this very significant development which was enabled by the passage of the Student Support Act earlier this year.

It also represents a concrete development in meeting the objectives set out in the action plan for the education sector on the Croke Park Agreement.

More than 72,000 students are eligible for grants currently and this number is on the rise.

This reform will bring about greater simplicity and efficiency for them when it comes to applying for a grant and getting their grant on time.

“While I am grateful to the VECs and local authorities currently operating the student grant function, the system is clearly overloaded resulting in late outcomes to applications and late payments for students,” said Minister Quinn.

“I have said many times that this is not good enough. I expect the single authority to address these issues delivering a very significant service enhancement to students”, he concluded.

Gary Redmond, President of USI offered his congratulations to the CDVEC.

He said that the enactment of the Student Support Act earlier this year was a critical milestone on the road towards equity of access to education in this country.

Mr. Redmond said that, while the move to a single grant awarding agency is a much welcomed development given the obvious cost saving benefits associated with centralisation of responsibilities, the priority for this new agency has to be the students who depend on the prompt arrival of grants.

Jacinta Stewart, CEO of City of Dublin VEC (CDVEC) welcomed the Minister’s decision to invite CDVEC to act as the single awarding authority for student grants on a national basis.

She said that CDVEC recognises the enormous challenge involved and is fully committed to applying all its experience and resources as a public service body to creating an efficient and effective on-line application system.

CDVEC looks forward to working with the Minister and his Department along with Third Level Institutions, Further Education Colleges, student representative bodies and other organisations to provide a responsive and timely service to all grant applicants.

CDVEC sees the Minister’s decision as a recognition of the strength and potential of the VEC sector to play a prominent and vital role in the delivery of education services across the country and it looks forward to this new opportunity with confidence.

Ends

Other improvements to the student grant schemes on the way

Students can look forward to other improvements to the student grants scheme for the 2011/12 academic year when it is intended to introduce a single unified scheme to replace the four existing schemes. Subsequently, an independent appeals board will be established.

In addition, the online grants application facility and payment to students by way of electronic funds transfer will be rolled out further this year.

Wow...Week 10

So Week 10 is here. What have I been up to for the last....age I suppose?

I've finally gotten round to completing last July's report on Volunteering from the UK Universities. It's available in the documents section of my page on the ULSU website.

Grant authorities are working off a unified scheme for the first time since the 1960s and there should be one national body for grants by 2012/13. This has been as a result of pressure from students' unions nationally as well as the University in our case. A number of governors of the University, as well as SAA and Don have been really supportive in this and I would like to thank them for it.

I had my hair dyed for charity (see right) and I've raised €370 doing this for Charity Week. It raised a few eyebrows and even Don commented
"and his hair is back to normal" when I received my Class Reps Certificate for the year at Council this week.


I started writing this on Wednesday morning and it's now Thursday evening. I keep getting up to go to meetings, lunch or to talk to someone who's dropped in. It's getting to the time of the year where meeting drop off an there's more time to focus on the more important policy and development issues that are part of the job.

Currently on my way to Exec. Looks like a short meeting, but who knows what can happen. The Alcohol Policy (UL) is on the agenda, but following a meeting of the Alcohol Working Group yesterday this is kind of a moot point as the Working Group is going to examine the Policy, its goals and its implementation at the next meeting. This will include a debate around whether an Alcohol Policy is actually necessary (I believe it is) and whether UL's Alcohol Policy is fulfilling its aims (I believe it isn't). A copy of the Alcohol Policy is also available in the documents section on my page.

I had the President's Volunteer Award Working Group this afternoon too. Floated the idea that the SU might take on the management of student volunteering so that there is one central point where students can come to get a few hours volunteering or get a full long term committed volunteering opportunity regardless of ability. This is now going to be recognised on students' transcripts, but there is still nobody on the campus with a full-time responsibility the providing students with an opportunity to volunteer.

Financial Aid is coming close to its end for the year and to date over €71,000 in financial assistance has been provided to just undergraduate students through loans, bursaries and childcare assistance since September. The postgraduate figure will probably bring this closer to €90,000. I would like to acknowledge the assistance of Chaplaincy in helping to administer this. I have moved this online dureing my tenure and I hope that has sped the process up for people receiving money.

The Student Assistance Fund trial has been partially successful and partially unsuccessful. We have gotten the money to students earlier than previously, but not as early as we expected. Thanks to the Access Office for assisting in this, but I am not wholly convinced of retaining it within the Students' Union for the 2011/12 Academic Year as it has significantly slowed the progress I could make on other issues, even with a running start, so I'm not sure how it would be for Tara trying to negotiate time for that as well as everything else.

Next Week is I-Grade Week, but also Organ Donor Awareness Week. Watch out for the lads on Tuesday knocking around with the pins and keyrings.

For now I think I've bored you enough, but any questions email me on SUWelfare@ul.ie

D

Drop in Week 4

Hi All


Apologies for the slack updates. Hope to get blogging again soon.

Drop in Week 4 is extended hours to facilitate Student Assistance Fund applicants in signing forms:

Mon 2-4pm
Tue 12-2pm
Wed 12-1pm
Thu 1-2pm
Fri - Appointment only

For an alternative time just drop me an email on suwelfare@ul.ie

Have a good weekend.

Derek

It's hard to tink of witty names for blogs when you're a business graduate

So this week the Student Assistance Fund is edging ever closer to payment. I had hoped it would be week 12, but we are assured that payments can be made beofre Christmas once we get people to sign forms of undertaking stating what they are getting money for.

So Monday was pretty routine, started out with a Sababt meeting, boring stuff. I had to call into my letting agent to get a new mattress as I was receiving no email reply. Dyno Rod also made a trip to my house and the mattress arrived on Tuesday...that little personal visit nudge worked out well!

So yesterday I did the annual pilgrimage to Musgraves to get small tokens of appreciation (small box of chocolates) for the people who help in the University throughout the year. There are plenty that do lots of unseen work and that are extrememly helpful and we like to show appreciation for that.

I met with Campus Life during the week about issues in the cost of on campus accommodation. UL On campus accommodation is the cheapest nationally, but I did point out that it is local comparisons that are needed. There are issues in service level that push the cost up and there is re-investment. Plassey is undergoing a complete refurb, from carpets, sinks, TVs, even kitchens and windows and that is 50% complete. The total cost runs over €2 million. Over €1 million will be spent next summer on Kilmurry and Dromroe on fittings upgrades. The rents facilitate this and the 24 hour in village support. I have however requested that rents be reviewed.

Budget 2011 was announced on Tuesday. There are a number of changes affecting students, but I'll look into that more whn I get a chance some time before Christmas hopefully.

Voter Registration is going well. Don't forget to call in next week on Tuesday evening 7-8pm to have the Gardaí stamp your form.

I've cleaned the fish tank in the office. It was really long overdue, I've bought a few new fish for it too as the filter eats a lot of them.

I've opened a feedback thread over on the UL Forum on Boards.ie for anyone who has any feedback for me. I can't please everybody adn I won't be able to give answers that people want, but that's not how I operate. I give the straight answer, not false hope.

Dropping my housemate to the airport this morning I came across an idiot driving a silver Mondeo. He was planted in the overtaking lane on the way to Shannon plodding along at about 90-100km/h. So I waited for him to pass the one car in the left lane, then put on my indicator and when he didn't pull in I flashed the lights. At this point there were 2 other people behind me trying to overtake also. HE BRAKED!!! Fucking muppet. I beeped and he EVENTUALLY pulled in about 2 km down the road. I beeped again passing and pulled straight back in. The 2 cars behind me passed and pulled in. What did he do?? That's right, Muppet MacCan't-Drive pulled back into the overtaking lane!! Dear idiot, I wish on you this Christmas 10 minutes on an Autobahn!! - There's my rant of the week! If I remembered his reg I'd have reported him for failing to keep left (which incurrs 2 penalty points). That, my friends GRINDS MY GEARS!

Tea, coffee and hot chocolate has been ongoing for the week and will resume from 1-3 on Monday in the SU Photocopy Room

Apart from that I now have to go and get Jeans for the staff Christmas party as all of mine have developed random holes over the past few weeks!

Have a good weekend!

D

Drop in

Hey everyone,

My door is open this week if I'm about. Because of people trying to schedule meetings before Christmas at the last minute there are times I'll be out unexpectedly at short notice.

If you have any queries you can email me on suwelfare@ul.ie and I'll pick it up on BlackBerry.

If you need to drop anything in you can leave it with Reception if I'm not in my office.

D

Edit to location

CG times have been changed to the Photocopy Room/My office in the Students' Union.