It feels like we’ve just had a meeting and yet here we are again! However, as always, a lot happened so let’s dive right into it.
No member from Sports Clubs was present to give an update however Societies was present and gave the following updates;
- New TVs have been installed in Bolton street, used for ads and campaigns as well as movie nights for societies
- A radio station is currently being built, and a radio society will be put together, which anyone can join.
- The Society Awards is coming up, however it will conflict with the Beast Ball. They are hoping that next year they will be able to avoid this.
- More updates will follow at the next council meeting
After Societies gave their update came the most important part of the meeting; the USI referendum. It had to be decided whether DITSU would be running a Leave, Stay or Neutral Campaign. USI was also present at the meeting and it provided a good chance for council members to ask questions and for USI to really tell council members why they should opt to stay. The meeting began with a letter from the SU Presidents of both ITB (Institute of Technology Blanchardstown) and ITT (Institute of Technology Tallaghat). Their letters, in short, reminded council that when it comes to merging the three student unions, it would mean that two out of the three campuses would need to be in agreement when it comes to such referendums. Both ITB and ITT said they hope DIT would oppose the leave campaign as they find being USI is very beneficial.
Next came the representatives from USI who gave their usual updates. They have been going to class councils to meet class reps on different campuses. It was good for them because they got to hear what students expect USI to do. This, for USI, means better communication with students and they know where they need to improve. In regards to emergency counselling services, they are currently seeking funding for this so it can be implemented. USI is also now listed on the Government’s Code, which means that they now have a piece of paper (evidence, really) that shows that USI is really doing the best that they can. It also means that they are an institution which can be held accountable. It was clear that they want to prove to people that they are a beneficial asset for DIT however they made it clear that they need to be guided in what the students want- they feel that if students want something then we need to make our voices heard. If you bring up an issue, or something you want them to do, they will do it.
Afterwards, the officers gave their usual reports and the President gave an update on the situation with Grangegorman; they would be holding a leadership group with DIT to work out a viable student center option, in order to be able to build the center. In regards to the Student Levy, this will be brought back to council for approval.
The motions for USI had to be gone through once again; a lot of the wording needed to be changed and let me tell you, there wasn’t a single motion that did not need a 9D (meaning the wording would be altered). These motions will then be reviewed at the next meeting. Then came probably the most anticipated part of the meeting; the vote on the USI Referendum. Which stance would DITSU be on during the referendum? Stay, Leave or Neutral? Taking turns for each stance, there would be one speaker at a time, each putting forward their argument for which stance DITSU should be on and why. There were many arguments for each stance. The main arguments put forward for;
Stay- by using USI for national issues, we have more strength than just going forward as DIT on it’s own. This way, our voice is much stronger. With USI, we get different training. If students know how much money is being paid towards these services (which is around 80,000 euros), students would take more advantage of the services that are being provided. Students should be more informed by electives. Sharing information of this would allow people to see what USI does for us.
Leave- students should be informed on both sides. USI will solely say things to makes us stay and we would not get both sides of the story. It would not be fair to run a neutral campaign when USI will be running a Stay campaign.
Neutral- it would be the best course of action because it would only be fair to not have a decision forced upon the students by promoting either side. Students should be able to make their own decisions on the matter. If a ‘No’ (Leave) campaign is run that that’s all the students will hear. We should encourage them to ask questions and find out more about USI, then make an informed decision.
Of course all of this could go on for a very long time, with a lot of back-and-forth therefore in the end, a council member proposed a 9A (finish the debate and go on to vote independently). The 9A was agreed on and each council member voted on a separate piece of paper. The result? The executive will take a neutral stance during the referendum.
Finally the executives gave their updates, the highlight of which was the emphasis of participating in RAG as well as a more detailed update on the status with the Grangegorman Student Center.
That’s all from this meeting, if you want to attend then the next one is in March and remember that you are more than welcome to attend if you are not a student councilor. You can still sit in and listen, you just can’t contribute to the conversations.
It feels like we’ve just had a meeting and yet here we are again! However, as always, a lot happened so let’s dive right into it.
No member from Sports Clubs was present to give an update however Societies was present and gave the following updates;
- New TVs have been installed in Bolton street, used for ads and campaigns as well as movie nights for societies
- A radio station is currently being built, and a radio society will be put together, which anyone can join.
- The Society Awards is coming up, however it will conflict with the Beast Ball. They are hoping that next year they will be able to avoid this.
- More updates will follow at the next council meeting
After Societies gave their update came the most important part of the meeting; the USI referendum. It had to be decided whether DITSU would be running a Leave, Stay or Neutral Campaign. USI was also present at the meeting and it provided a good chance for council members to ask questions and for USI to really tell council members why they should opt to stay. The meeting began with a letter from the SU Presidents of both ITB (Institute of Technology Blanchardstown) and ITT (Institute of Technology Tallaghat). Their letters, in short, reminded council that when it comes to merging the three student unions, it would mean that two out of the three campuses would need to be in agreement when it comes to such referendums. Both ITB and ITT said they hope DIT would oppose the leave campaign as they find being USI is very beneficial.
Next came the representatives from USI who gave their usual updates. They have been going to class councils to meet class reps on different campuses. It was good for them because they got to hear what students expect USI to do. This, for USI, means better communication with students and they know where they need to improve. In regards to emergency counselling services, they are currently seeking funding for this so it can be implemented. USI is also now listed on the Government’s Code, which means that they now have a piece of paper (evidence, really) that shows that USI is really doing the best that they can. It also means that they are an institution which can be held accountable. It was clear that they want to prove to people that they are a beneficial asset for DIT however they made it clear that they need to be guided in what the students want- they feel that if students want something then we need to make our voices heard. If you bring up an issue, or something you want them to do, they will do it.
Afterwards, the officers gave their usual reports and the President gave an update on the situation with Grangegorman; they would be holding a leadership group with DIT to work out a viable student center option, in order to be able to build the center. In regards to the Student Levy, this will be brought back to council for approval.
The motions for USI had to be gone through once again; a lot of the wording needed to be changed and let me tell you, there wasn’t a single motion that did not need a 9D (meaning the wording would be altered). These motions will then be reviewed at the next meeting. Then came probably the most anticipated part of the meeting; the vote on the USI Referendum. Which stance would DITSU be on during the referendum? Stay, Leave or Neutral? Taking turns for each stance, there would be one speaker at a time, each putting forward their argument for which stance DITSU should be on and why. There were many arguments for each stance. The main arguments put forward for;
Stay- by using USI for national issues, we have more strength than just going forward as DIT on it’s own. This way, our voice is much stronger. With USI, we get different training. If students know how much money is being paid towards these services (which is around 80,000 euros), students would take more advantage of the services that are being provided. Students should be more informed by electives. Sharing information of this would allow people to see what USI does for us.
Leave- students should be informed on both sides. USI will solely say things to makes us stay and we would not get both sides of the story. It would not be fair to run a neutral campaign when USI will be running a Stay campaign.
Neutral- it would be the best course of action because it would only be fair to not have a decision forced upon the students by promoting either side. Students should be able to make their own decisions on the matter. If a ‘No’ (Leave) campaign is run that that’s all the students will hear. We should encourage them to ask questions and find out more about USI, then make an informed decision.
Of course all of this could go on for a very long time, with a lot of back-and-forth therefore in the end, a council member proposed a 9A (finish the debate and go on to vote independently). The 9A was agreed on and each council member voted on a separate piece of paper. The result? The executive will take a neutral stance during the referendum.
Finally the executives gave their updates, the highlight of which was the emphasis of participating in RAG as well as a more detailed update on the status with the Grangegorman Student Center.
That’s all from this meeting, if you want to attend then the next one is in March and remember that you are more than welcome to attend if you are not a student councilor. You can still sit in and listen, you just can’t contribute to the conversations.
Visual Artist, student at DIT, and writer for DITSU.tv
I've been writing for DITSU.tv for 2+ years now, still ongoing
I mainly cover events but also like to write a few helpful, lifestyle pieces and here and there
