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.

Drop in Week 14 (Exam Week 1) - Monday/Tuesday

Myself and Aoife will be about in CG-054/CG-059 tomorrow as well as time in the office. I'll be there from about 11 setting up tea and coffee for stressed studyers as well as those stressed coming from the exam they've just had.

I'll be there until about 1:45 as I have a meeting at 2:30 that I need to get sorted for.

Tuesday I'll be in CG from 11 setting up again until about 2 and in the office from 4-5pm

For those of you dropping in extra documentation for SAF, if I'm not there just make sure you hand it to Reception and tell them it's for me.

So this is study week...

Right, so before I head home to get some dinner I've been threatening to update this for an age so I may as well do it now before I forget again.

I've reclaimed the whiteboard in my office fromt he serial doodlers and it now has a tiered to-do list on it which is helpful, but nothing is ticked yet, which isn't.

I was at Science Fun Day recently which went really well and showed the University very positively.

Waxathon was on Week 11 too and We reaised almost somewhere between €1,500 and €2,000 for our charities. €1,000 is ringfenced for Console as Tony Sheridan has requested that all of his funding go to them specifically and considering he raised so much it's only fair. Thank's to Mark Crowe for the idea and to Noelle O'Connor for doing a lot of running on it. Thanks also to Velvet Beauty at the Castletroy Park who provided the waxing for free!!

Register to vote. Viv is organising a Garda to come witness you sign your form this week and next and we'll update you on that.

The Student Assistance Fund is nearing completion, thankfully. I have to thank one particular member of staff for the effort on this one and that is Lee in Accounts who ahs been doing initial assessment for a number of weeks in addition to his other work.

So much gone one...so much that it's all a blur. I probably won't update again for ages, not because I don't mean to but because I get distracted by work and other such shiny objects.

D