USI membership - good or a bad thing?

griffdlk

Just wondering what everyone thinks of being members of the USI and having to pay astronomical affiliation fees for the pleasure.
What do we get out of it and would a development of FUSU into a political entity not be more worthwhile?

Oirthir

The feeling of deja vu is overwhelming...

What is FUSU?

The Usi represents us(students) on the education board.But if you want them to be more proactive.Try to get a referendum on leaving the USI to happen.This would scare the bejaysus out of USI as trinity would be one of their strongholds and they would be desperate to keep ye in.

IMO!If dit,ucd, or trinity left!It would more than likely collapse.

cuckoo

griffdlk wrote:

What do we get out of it

You post an awful lot on the DCU forum for someone who's attending a college that's SU is a member of USI.

(DCU SU aren't members of USI)

griffdlk

What is FUSU?

Its a forum where sabbiticals from the different unions get together and talk about issues internally within their SUs so that they can learn from each others common policies.

There is no affiliation charge but national events are not discussed at present.

As for posting on DCU all the time...
I'm a DCU student and I ran for Vice President this year before pulling out of the election race late on.

Thought it would be interesting to gain the perspectives of other Universities on the whole USI question.

europerson

Deleted User wrote:

What is FUSU?

FUSU=Forum of University Students' Unions.

This group might overtake the USI, in terms of importance, at some stage, in my own opinion.

griffdlk

Probably won't at the moment unless something dramatic happens.
Only two Presidents, two Education Officers and four Welfare Officers attended the last meeting in DCU and there was only five meetings this year.

griffdlk

griffdlk wrote:

Probably won't at the moment unless something dramatic happens.
Only two Presidents, two Education Officers and four Welfare Officers attended the last meeting in DCU and there was only five meetings this year.

Is it even as many as 5 this year?

Deleted User wrote:

IMO!If dit,ucd, or trinity left!It would more than likely collapse.

Bollox.

And by the way, holding USI 'to ransom' like you're suggesting would mean that the USI Officers would have to attend your college. Great, you might think. Oh wait, but then who is in the office?

Crash

Aye, the idea of the shotgun approach was discussed within trinity and decided against because it was mindnumbingly stupid like - i mean we are essentially a USI stronghold - one of the few SU's that pays cash on time etc. and that does in a way allow us a tiny bit of power in that way - but is that the best way to go about it?

Danger Bob

I'll try not to hack this whole thing up but kinda felt the need to reply. I have to agree 100% with what Myth and Trash are saying. Holding USI to ransom achieves nothing. It just makes it so that USI officers feel like they're always walking on egg-shells in case they piss off an SU. Also, if I was to call the USI Education Officer for a bit of help/advice next year and heard that she was unavailable because (for example) DIT were holding an affiliation referendum, I'd be just a tad resentful. Of course it's every students' right to question their membership of such a group but if it's just being done to try and pressure USI into acting a certain way, then it's a bit selfish, IMO.

Also, I got very interested in USI this year and started the year thinking it was crap. Now I think that it's on the way up and it's brimming with potential. Maybe it's just me, but I reckon we get a good deal from being members. Also, if other universities who aren't involved at the moment would try and help to improve the national union we have before trying to turn FUSU into a new USI, I think students in general will be much better served. Just a thought.

griffdlk

It would be great if non-affiliates were able to help in the restructuring of USI but as it stands since October non-affiliates cannot attend any USI run functions or debates.

This means that it has become increasingly difficult for non-affiliates to learn of structural changes and positive re-shapings of the USI.

All we hear about are resignations and strife.

As such it could be seen as quite difficult for non-affiliates to be in anyway involved in the restructuring process.

griffdlk

griffdlk wrote:

It would be great if non-affiliates were able to help in the restructuring of USI but as it stands since October non-affiliates cannot attend any USI run functions or debates.

This means that it has become increasingly difficult for non-affiliates to learn of structural changes and positive re-shapings of the USI.

All we hear about are resignations and strife.

As such it could be seen as quite difficult for non-affiliates to be in anyway involved in the restructuring process.

I don't really wish to get into any debate on USI, but at the most recent Congress it was decided to invite non-affiliate members back to UOS (Union Organisation Seminar - when sabbatical officers get trained during the summer). Plus all non-affiliates were asked to contribute in the constitutional amendments brought to the Special Congress in November, so we were told.

Oirthir

Myth wrote:

Plus all non-affiliates were asked to contribute in the constitutional amendments brought to the Special Congress in November, so we were told.

Yup, I emailed them all the stuff myself...

griffdlk

I don't really wish to get into any debate on USI, but at the most recent Congress it was decided to invite non-affiliate members back to UOS

Hadn't realsied this had changed.

As I said most of us are out the loop, DCUSU didn't make this public knowledge.

Only three weeks ago they were making a point about how they weren't able to be involved in the training.

cuckoo

griffdlk wrote:

Hadn't realsied this had changed.

As I said most of us are out the loop, DCUSU didn't make this public knowledge.

Only three weeks ago they were making a point about how they weren't able to be involved in the training.

Do you think going to the training would make it more likely for non-affiliated SUs to join USI?

griffdlk

The fact that non-affiliates are now once again allowed to partake in the training allows non-affiliates to learn more about USI when on training as well as gaining from the experience of working with other colleges.

I don't see training as being a main reason to re-join.

cuckoo

griffdlk wrote:

The fact that non-affiliates are now once again allowed to partake in the training allows non-affiliates to learn more about USI when on training as well as gaining from the experience of working with other colleges.

I don't see training as being a main reason to re-join.

So, where's the benefit to USI in having non-affiliates at training events?

griffdlk

By allowing non-affiliates to go to training it takes away one more of the barriers that anti-USI people within the non-affiliate unions can focus attention on in order to discredit USI to those who know neither enough or care not enough to learn more.

It shows USI to be more open and approachable then if its a closed shop members only club.

The only reason i'm getting involved in these boards and on other boards is because i don't feel I know enough either and i'd like to see what others have learnt from being involved.

Agent Smith

Membership to USI is a touchy subject...

Its often seen as a sinking ship, sinking slowly but surely. what does it do for us?

Should DCU ( for example) be allowed to partisipate? I say yes. but in a Taster format.
ie. if there were 10 meetings in a year, DCU should be admitted, but not be given speaking rights.

to slightly parafrase a old saying
"no repersentation without taxation"

griffdlk

Should DCU ( for example) be allowed to partisipate? I say yes. but in a Taster format.
ie. if there were 10 meetings in a year, DCU should be admitted, but not be given speaking rights.

I think that would be a fantastic progression as it would allow DCU an insight.

Unions and union members change every year so its very hard to suggest that its utterly a bad thing to be outside USI if you can't see whats going on inside.

Of course the minutes of each USI meeting are freely available and reaction from other colleges is achievable but without getting first hand experience its very difficult to really make a judgement.

Even allowing UL, NUI Maynooth and DCU to attend one or two meetings in a Taster capacity would be useful I feel.

griffdlk

griffdlk wrote:

Of course the minutes of each USI meeting are freely available and reaction from other colleges is achievable but without getting first hand experience its very difficult to really make a judgement

Ye what? Have you looked at the USI website? Look for the lack of minutes here and here.

I think one point about colleges not in USI is that it can be difficult for them to get to know their colleagues from across the Country. I was down in CIT a few weeks ago, and I saw some guy called Brian going for President. Ignoring that he had a large photoshopped poster entitled 'Brywatch', one of this manifesto promises was 'no to USI' or something similar.

Since UOS is held at the start of your term, you can get to know other sabbatical people from around the country, so when a comparison or idea is needed, it is easy to give them a call. Again, another example being the pigs...

ApeXaviour

Meh I wanna keep all SU stuff here


Anyone imagine Tom Dillon doin this?
http://www.thatvideosite.com/view/2189.html

Now THAT'S a hack. What a gombeen

cuckoo

ApeXaviour wrote:

Meh I wanna keep all SU stuff here


Anyone imagine Tom Dillon doin this?
http://www.thatvideosite.com/view/2189.html

Now THAT'S a hack. What a gombeen

Hee hee, 'where did the air come from?'. Hee.

i'm going to go off to bed now still giggling at that.

Damn. I want some balloons.

I loved the guy behind the 'where did the air come from' guy, who was away playing and popping the balloons while the hack went mad.

Pet

That was brilliant. What a sap, he needs a good smack in the mouth.

Edwardius

Sounds like Labour/Green party "politicians".

Agent Smith

ApeXaviour wrote:

Meh I wanna keep all SU stuff here


Anyone imagine Tom Dillon doin this?
http://www.thatvideosite.com/view/2189.html

Now THAT'S a hack. What a gombeen

tom wouldnt care.... thats the Problem....

Pet

Pet wrote:

That was brilliant. What a sap, he needs a good smack in the mouth.

But that'd then be a waste of students time, money and air.

On the path of USI/SU vids:

http://nemo.it-netsoc.ie/~cdoyle/votedillon.swf

(he's going for IT Tallaght SU President )

Oirthir

If he gets elected, that video will haunt him......