Formal event also sees the official signing of the new SU Constitution by the President and Chairperson of the Student Council, witnessed by the Chair of the Electoral Commission.
TU Dublin Students’ Union recently concluded a packed annual calendar of events with the much-anticipated Inauguration Ceremony for newly elected officers at St Laurence’s Church, Grangegorman. The formal ceremony, chaired by former SU President Mark O’Donnell, also saw the official signing of the new Constitution by the Chair of the Student Council and The Students’ Union President. Glenn Fitzpatrick the Chair of the Electoral Commission also signed the new constitution as a witness.
The public signing of this historic document signifies an important milestone in the Union’s development, and formally marks the implementation of TU Dublin SU’s new structure, which is scheduled to take effect from July 1st this year.
In addition to the ceremonial inauguration of the newly elected Student Leadership team for 2023/24, the event also recognised and celebrated the achievements of this year’s outgoing officers. In an inspirational address, outgoing Deputy President for Tallaght, James Curry, thanked individual members of the 2022/23 Student Leadership team for their help, support and dedication to education over the past year.
Stating that the job had been “one of the most exciting experiences of my life,” he added, “I am so proud to be finishing my term in TU Dublin with such amazing and active students. You are the people who can carry this passion forward and continue to make progress and change for the lives of all students, and for that, I’m extremely grateful. Thanks to every single student for getting involved this year and I really do hope you continue to stay involved for years to come.”
As he prepares to take on a new national role in student politics, the outgoing TU Dublin SU officer concluded by saying, “This isn’t a goodbye from me, this is a ‘see you soon’. I’m not done with the student movement yet, and hopefully I’ll see some of you next year in my new role as the USI VP for Equality and Citizenship.”
The incoming officer team then made public declarations of office as part of the inauguration process, following which they were formally presented with their individual certificates of office. The final part of proceedings saw the delivery of the annual President’s Address by SU President Brian Jordan, who expressed his thanks to the outgoing team for their passion and enthusiasm, and commended them for ‘always putting students first’.
Reflecting on the experiences of the past year Jordan said, “The Students’ Union teaches you resilience. No other job in the world could possibly be this hard, or at least I hope not! But equally, no other job is so unimaginably rewarding.”
“I will do everything I can to make sure that this year’s incoming team feel empowered to achieve everything that they’ve promised students.” – Brian Jordan, SU President
The SU President said that he was grateful to have been re-elected for a second term and added that he was very much looking forward to the year ahead. “I will do everything I can to make sure that this year’s incoming team feel empowered to achieve everything that they’ve promised students. Whether its students feeling safe on campus, the improvement of canteen and bike facilities, more seating or sensory rooms, improving transport links, or reducing the cost of college for students nationwide, I know that every incoming Officer and myself will give it our all.”
Following the conclusion of the formal proceedings, friends, family members and staff of the university attended a celebratory reception to welcome the new officers and mark the achievements of the outgoing Student Leadership Team. We wish each of them every success in the year ahead.
The complete list of incoming Full-Time and Part-Time Officers for 2023/24 is as follows:
INCOMING FULL-TIME OFFICERS
President – Brian Jordan
Blanchardstown Campus Vice President – Jeremy Lawler
City Campus Vice President – Peter McCann
Tallaght Campus Vice President – Sheran Bahadir
Vice President for Events and Engagement – Ian Kelly
Vice President for Academic Affairs – Shauna O Toole
Vice President for Welfare and Equality – Nekesa Khisa Nancy
Vice President for Communications and Media – Louise Kavanagh
INCOMING PART-TIME OFFICERS
Gender Equality Officer – Silvie Molloy
Sustainability Officer – Magdalena Sedlmayr
ACCESS Officer – Jack Jennings
Ethnic Diversity Officer – John Benedict Divinagracia
Mature Student Officer – Roberto Leahy
International Student Officer – Marco Nocerino
Gaeilge Officer – Éadaoin Ó Snodaigh
LGBTQ+ Rights Officer – Samantha Corcoran
Disabilities Officer – Ciara McKenna
Feature image: Signing of new TU Dublin SU Constitution (Chair of Student Council Graham Hayes, President Brian Jordan, Chair of Electoral Commission Glenn Fitzpatrick).
