A School Representative is the direct link and voice of the Class Reps within all of the programmes in the school, to the management of the TU Dublin School in which they have been elected from, the College Officer and the Student Council. We have 30 school rep positions across TU Dublin inclusive of Blanch and Tallaght, with a total of 24 Schools across the four Colleges in City campus.
There are many perks attached to the role. It is a great opportunity to better understand how the Students’ Union functions and how you can make change. I’ll let you hear (or read ?) from the horse’s mouth of some of our currently elected school reps….
Being a Changemaker
Omoyele Rahman – School Rep for Retail and Services Management said for him, it was “an opportunity not just to make a difference for your class but making a change and difference for the students in your school”.
Yele didn’t just want to leave an impact in his class, he wanted to be of help to his entire school.
For Eve Sutton, School Rep for Surveying and Construction Management it was being….
A Representative Voice
“To me being a school rep was an adventure, a journey. There has been new experiences that I would never have encountered, such as representing my school to make sure they had a voice to my very first student council meeting. As with any journey there has been ups and downs, but overall, I have enjoyed the experience. It is something I won’t ever forget, and it has taught me some very important lessons such as making sure that all students have a voice”.
It indeed felt like a life-changing experience for Eve.
A helping hand, supporter and Problem-solver!
Shane saw through the essence of the role and realising that from providing help to one, was the possibility of helping a lot more and making it a wonderful academic experience for everyone beyond the four walls of a classroom.
“Being a school rep is helping your campus, helping the class reps ultimately to help all the students around you. No one has a perfect college experience we all have some hardship in assignments classes or exams but when a school rep does their job right and works with the class rep all problems can be solved, and we have a happy working campus for everyone to enjoy” – Shane Gore, School Rep for Mechanical and Design Engineering
Ensuring Democracy…and getting some goodies ?
Everyone who knows Brian knows he’s truly passionate about democracy and that’s the core of the role to him, and loves the opportunity to get goodies too (who doesn’t tbh)
“Being a school representative this year has been so rewarding for so many reasons. Aside from the obvious perks (a school rep sweatshirt with your name on it), you’re given an automatic place on Student Council. This means you’re at the heart of the Student Union representing not just your school (which is hundreds of students) but the entire student population (twenty eight thousand students!)
Submitting motions was a particular highlight – through some dramatic speeches on my part I was able to get almond & oat milk supplied in the canteens, encourage the sale of Fairtrade products and reduce paper usage in student council itself by over ninety percent.
As a school representative, I was also encouraged to hold school meetings with my class reps (we had an absolute meme in Cathal Brugha Street) to discuss local issues. Plus, if nothing else will encourage you, then remember that it looks exceptional on your CV.
I’ve loved being involved in the Student’s Union and I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to make a positive impact for students this year. So if you want my advice? Just go for it! Free clothes, free food, a guaranteed place on student council and the ability to change the lives of 28,000 for the better!” – Brian Jordan, School Rep for Food Science & Environmental Health
Brian said it all!…For Irene however, how much she developed through the role was what truly stood out for her.
Personal Development
“Being a school rep gave me the confidence to approach students who looked like they were struggling whether they were in my course or not. Going to school rep training gave me the knowledge to know how to approach problems students would have by simply pointing them at the right direction and letting them know there is always a solution!” – Irene Valen, School Rep for Languages, Law & Social Sciences
So as Irene mentioned, asides all of the representation work we organise great training for School Reps each semester that is not only hugely beneficial to the role but will also enhance skills that you can use in your future career. These include communication, time management, negotiation and public speaking skills. Furthermore, other events and activities are organised in order to socialize with other School Reps and Class Reps, so a great way to make friends!
Lesley from the Tallaght campus wraps it all up with her personal experience as it was also the first time being run on their campus…
“Having been a class rep for three years I was unsure what being a school rep meant, especially as it was new to our campus. I really enjoyed the experience and it was not TOO different in practical terms to being a class rep. You are the next link in the system. A link between class reps and the union and if needed faculty. I helped out in class rep elections which meant I got to meet more students from across my school which was great. I also supported class reps with issues they were facing. It also meant sitting on student council which was a brilliant experience. Student council is where as a student representative you get to make decisions and be a voice of the students you represent. You also get to meet lots of new people not only from your own campus but from across all three. I’d highly recommend putting yourself forward for the role for the upcoming term” – Lesley Barrett, School Rep for Business and Humanities (Tallaght)
So?….RUN! RUN!! RUN!!!
This year’s elections will all be done online!! Nominations are now open until Monday 20th of April at 5pm. Details on how to submit it, along with a short manifesto and picture for ballot paper can be found in the following link: https://www.tudublinsu.ie/representation/schoolreps/
