I'm sick to death of DIT suiting itself

miss no stars

My main gripe at the mo is the library.

They library staff really do suit themselves. Is DIT run for the students or for the staff? Cos it certainly doesn't seem like the fomer :mad:

Why does the bolton street library only open at 0930? Why not 0900? I mean really, there are always people outside waiting on it to open!

Does anyone know how to go about making an official complaint?

wixfjord

Yip its a bit ridiclous alright. The fact they dont open on sundays during exam time is stupid aswell imo. This is what the su should be doing instead of organising ****ty nights out.

projectmayhem

wixfjord wrote: »

Yip its a bit ridiclous alright. The fact they dont open on sundays during exam time is stupid aswell imo. This is what the su should be doing instead of organising ****ty nights out.

I would tend to agree that on the surface of things, it appears the SU pours most of its money and time into "events" that end up going wrong or being mediocre, rather then actually tackling issues regarding the attainment of a qualification.

LadyJ

The SU are in the process of trying to change the library hours. Talk to your class rep and they should be able to fill you in. There was a protest last year but only a few people turned up and weren't taken seriously by the DIT president so next time something is happening GET INVOLVED!

People power is the only way changes can be made so get involved in helping the SU. Keep yourself informed and turn up for protests etc. Tell your class to get involved as well. You are all part of the SU. Every student is a member so it's up to all of us to help out, not just sit on our asses whinging.

wixfjord

LadyJ wrote: »

The SU are in the process of trying to change the library hours. Talk to your class rep and they should be able to fill you in. There was a protest last year but only a few people turned up and weren't taken seriously by the DIT president so next time something is happening GET INVOLVED!

People power is the only way changes can be made so get involved in helping the SU. Keep yourself informed and turn up for protests etc. Tell your class to get involved as well. You are all part of the SU. Every student is a member so it's up to all of us to help out, not just sit on our asses whinging.

I disagree with this. We have elected officers to do this sort of thing on our behalf, the same as electing TDs. Its ridiclous to say get off your asses. The SU should be doing something. In fact I voted for a guy (not sure who) last year based on a couple of promises including a promise of better library opening hours, yet I havent seen or heard anything from him or seen any of his policies! Its a sham imo

LadyJ

wixfjord wrote: »

I disagree with this. We have elected officers to do this sort of thing on our behalf, the same as electing TDs. Its ridiclous to say get off your asses. The SU should be doing something. In fact I voted for a guy (not sure who) last year based on a couple of promises including a promise of better library opening hours, yet I havent seen or heard anything from him or seen any of his policies! Its a sham imo

Eh the SU are doing things about this but, like anything, your support is needed. They organised a protest for opening hours of the library last year. 30 people showed up and DIT decided that obviously not many people were bothered about the issue so they weren't prepared to put more money into it.

The SU fight every issue as best they can but your help is needed. Spread the word about protests. The government need people's support just like the SU do. Get off your ass and help out. We can't do anything unless the people in charge take us seriously and we won't be taken seriously unless people get involved.

Btw, there are still 3 places to fill on governing council so if you're so concerned why don't you run? Not many people have thrown their hat into the ring so you may automatically be elected. Do something to help make a difference but don't complain because library hours is a big issue which we are trying to change but we need everyone to get behind us.

wixfjord

Aha we have a member of the SU in our midst! Where/When was this protest and where was it advertised because I dont remember any of it? Will there be a protest against fees like there has been in many other colleges? Whats the latest on Grangegorman? Whats the SU doing to change the problem of isolation of DIT sites? Why is there no student bar around aungier st? Why do DIT nights always have the same bands? (Bluemoose Blizzards Rep of Loose etc) So many questions! To be honest I dont take the SU seriously ehrn elections are fought on issues such as: Vote for Doyler, hed do the same for you!1 :rolleyes: (Note: I do not know or bear a grudge against this so called Doyler!)

the_syco

wixfjord wrote: »

I disagree with this. We have elected officers to do this sort of thing on our behalf, the same as electing TDs.

Dude, unless you do something yourself, it won't get done. The person you elected to represent you sounds like they have their own agenda, which is different from yours.

=-=

As for only 30 people, sounds like bad timing, or not enough reps told their classes.

LadyJ

wixfjord wrote: »

Aha we have a member of the SU in our midst! Where/When was this protest and where was it advertised because I dont remember any of it? Will there be a protest against fees like there has been in many other colleges? Whats the latest on Grangegorman? Whats the SU doing to change the problem of isolation of DIT sites? Why is there no student bar around aungier st? Why do DIT nights always have the same bands? (Bluemoose Blizzards Rep of Loose etc) So many questions! To be honest I dont take the SU seriously ehrn elections are fought on issues such as: Vote for Doyler, hed do the same for you!1 :rolleyes: (Note: I do not know or bear a grudge against this so called Doyler!)

I'm a first year class rep and was away at the training weekend this week so I'm only just finding out about all of this.

The fees protest will be on the 22nd Oct at 13.30 on O'Connell St. AFAIK. Posters should be up. As for the rest, ask your class rep (who should have been at training and should be attending meetings where all of these questions can be answered). Class reps are your voice. Ask your rep questions and he/she will ask the heads of SU at the next rep meeting.

Btw, all this talk of "the SU" is pointless. YOU, THE STUDENT, ARE AUTOMATICALLY IN THE SU. YOUR REP IS ONLY A REPRESENTATIVE. You need to keep yourself informed by asking your rep to ask questions at meetings and find out the outcome after these meetings. Your rep can do something if they know what the class wants/needs. They can't wipe your ass for you.

EDIT: Actually, the Grangegorman issue: We are waiting for the budget to come out and for the government to give us some fcuking money (as they've promised). If they don't then the protests will begin presumably. We're playing the waiting game at the moment tbh.

miss no stars

LadyJ wrote: »

I'm a first year class rep and was away at the training weekend this week so I'm only just finding out about all of this.

No disrespect but if you weren't there..... you certainly aren't getting the entire picture.


By the way - question for you. Why should I "Protest"? I already do protest, in private and wish to make a similar objection, privately but with my name to it. You know, a kind of civilised way of doing things.

Rallying is NOT what I want to do. Why not have a vote? Ballot all the students, like most colleges do! Expecting people to take TIME OFF CLASS to go whinge in public is ridiculous. Not all of us are hippy type students that rally to the cause of labour. Some of us have career expectations and realise what continuous protesting can do to peoples' perceptions of you...

tony 2 tone

miss no stars wrote: »

No disrespect but if you weren't there..... you certainly aren't getting the entire picture.


By the way - question for you. Why should I "Protest"? I already do protest, in private and wish to make a similar objection, privately but with my name to it. You know, a kind of civilised way of doing things.

Rallying is NOT what I want to do. Why not have a vote? Ballot all the students, like most colleges do! Expecting people to take TIME OFF CLASS to go whinge in public is ridiculous. Not all of us are hippy type students that rally to the cause of labour. Some of us have career expectations and realise what continuous protesting can do to peoples' perceptions of you...

If you protest in private, does any one else hear? Or is it just "giving out"
Have you writen a letter and given it to year head, head of library, people higher up in the student union?
Don't want to protest, grand, get a petition going. If the library see that people want it to be open early then things might start happeing.
What people seam to be missing is the fact THAT EVERY ONE IN DIT IS A MEMBER OF THE STUDENT UNION. Class reps are there to give the class a voice and to make it easier to get the classes worries/points/etc across, and to try and help people who have problems.

PS I'm no hippy student either, and have career expectations too. But think that any employer that would not employ you because you protested over library/ reintroduction of fees etc, would most likely threat you like **** cos they could get away with it.

LadyJ

miss no stars wrote: »

No disrespect but if you weren't there..... you certainly aren't getting the entire picture.


By the way - question for you. Why should I "Protest"? I already do protest, in private and wish to make a similar objection, privately but with my name to it. You know, a kind of civilised way of doing things.

Rallying is NOT what I want to do. Why not have a vote? Ballot all the students, like most colleges do! Expecting people to take TIME OFF CLASS to go whinge in public is ridiculous. Not all of us are hippy type students that rally to the cause of labour. Some of us have career expectations and realise what continuous protesting can do to peoples' perceptions of you...

:rolleyes: Contrary to what it may seem, I am no hippy either and have huge career prospects. However, I am also aware that to make a difference you have to do something.

The SU do not run the college. There are staff in charge who are there to allocate funds to certain departments etc. The library staff, the lighting bills etc. have to actually be paid. Why not tell your class rep what time your class need your site's library open and get them to report back to SU at the next meeting. That's what all the reps have been asked to go and do.

When we know what times we need each site open at, then we can go and strike a deal. There is no point saying "we want better hours" if only 2 people are there for the extra few hours. It costs too much money and the people in charge will not pay it. We need to know exactly who will be needing it and at what times.

Talk to your rep and make sure they talk to your class. We all have to work together on this. We need to know what people want and reps need to gather that information. If your rep is useless and doesn't keep you informed then stand up and take charge. Appoint someone else to do it.

wixfjord

LadyJ wrote: »

I'm a first year class rep and was away at the training weekend this week so I'm only just finding out about all of this.

The fees protest will be on the 22nd Oct at 13.30 on O'Connell St. AFAIK. Posters should be up. As for the rest, ask your class rep (who should have been at training and should be attending meetings where all of these questions can be answered). Class reps are your voice. Ask your rep questions and he/she will ask the heads of SU at the next rep meeting.

Btw, all this talk of "the SU" is pointless. YOU, THE STUDENT, ARE AUTOMATICALLY IN THE SU. YOUR REP IS ONLY A REPRESENTATIVE. You need to keep yourself informed by asking your rep to ask questions at meetings and find out the outcome after these meetings. Your rep can do something if they know what the class wants/needs. They can't wipe your ass for you.

EDIT: Actually, the Grangegorman issue: We are waiting for the budget to come out and for the government to give us some fcuking money (as they've promised). If they don't then the protests will begin presumably. We're playing the waiting game at the moment tbh.

Tbh as a first year class rep, Id say youll find out pretty quickly that the class rep system is a load off bollocks. I didnt vote for a class rep, they are normally the loudest/most popular person in a year! I did however vote for elected officers, people who promised me and the student body to work on issues and people who I havet seen since then!

Also on the "were all members of the su crap" do you really think that if one student out of the 18000 in aungier st goes into the su and gives an opinion that it wil be taken on board and fought for??


On the library issue, I think its pretty easy to see what times people want it open at and these issues have been there since i was in first year, yet nothing has been done. This is the problem with DIT the layers of bureaucracy and ****e that you have to get through is unreal! Hopefully this will be fixed if and when grangegorman is built (although the student body probably wont be given any info on this either:P)

LadyJ

I was at the rep training this weekend so I'm fully aware of the dopes people tend to vote in. In fact, the majority of reps probably are useless but, as a mature student, I intend to actually do something for my class and get issues sorted out. I've been to college before and I've sat in the back and kept my mouth shut. I have realised that that's just not good enough. I'm not the loudest or the most popular but I have enough balls to stand up and be counted and to fight for what my class need.

We are all members of the SU in the sense that anyone and everyone can get involved and help out and the union will strive to help anyone who comes to them with any issue (academic or other). You may not hear a lot of the success stories about what the SU has done for individuals but they do exist. The SU do more than most people realise and certainly do a lot more than most people give them credit for.

And yes, if one person addresses an issue at a class rep meeting, it will most certainly be discussed. There are certain things that just can't be done (eg. getting microwaves for the students in Portland Row was one issue that can't be solved for health and safety reasons), but the SU really do listen to every rep at these meetings and if you have a good rep then he/she will keep bringing the issue to their attention and eventually something will be done.

Try to elect the right people to speak on your behalf or run yourself. Hundreds of issues are tackled every year and, depending on how committed people are to changing things, plenty of these issues can be sorted out.

yevveh

I'm a postgrad in DIT and based on my previous experiences in my undergrad elsewhere I'd also be pretty cynical about some SU types, but given that there's a complete spate of apathy amongst college students I doubt they're entirely to blame. As LadyJ and tony have already pointed out, if they don't see you wanting something, then they're going to assume you don't care. If they don't see that people want change, why the **** would they give it out? Sitting on your arse will get you nowhere and nothing. Protesting may or may not work, but if everyone has the same attitude then no change will happen.

miss no stars - as for protesting, it would show people that you give a damn about something enough to fight for it, and if that isn't a show of aspiration and dedication then I don't know what is.

just to be clear, i have no affiliation with the SU, unless you count being involved with a society. the societies organisers i've met have been well enthusiastic about everything and have been nothing but helpful to us.

miss no stars

Let me clarify

I want to bypass the SU as they only organise protests in DIT - not like in other colleges where the SU will propose something, ballot the student body and get results that way. Protesting is inherently dodgy seeing as a lot of people, myself included, are unwilling to take time off lectures or study to go protest.

When I said I protest in private, I mean basically all other methods of making an opinion heard other than standing with a placard. I will sign a petition if the SU started one. As for starting one myself, I'm actually very busy. I start at 9am (up at 7) and finish at 10pm every day. It's a busy course and running around getting a petition started isn't an option. nor is it really an option for the class rep (who was voted in by default - no otheres wanted it) as his schedule is just as busy.

Oh and for the record - protesting can be held against you. Lets put it this way, someone I know was a student many moons ago. They were a typical student and showed up for protests. Decades later, their employer requires them to travel back and forward to the USA on work. Upon applying for a visa, US officials produced a photo of him, protesting as a student and refused him his visa. Believe me, I'm smart enough to learn from other peoples mistakes. So as a rule, I don't protest. Wouldn't even have the time if I wanted to, honestly. (MAKING THE SU'S METHOD OF DEALING WITH THINGS PROBLEMATIC!!! Considered exactly WHY people didn't show up to the library protest?)

Hence, I would like to bypass the SU as all they seem to do is protest.

How do I do this?

tony 2 tone

If you go to the student union, and talk to them about the problem with the library, it does not mean they will automatically start an all out protest. They are capable of sit down talks too. If you don't have the time, send them an email to find out more.

For my own nosey interest, what was your friend protesting against? Was he a member of a party/group? In Ireland? Was he holding a petrol bomb? Just need to know how far I can go with the protesting

miss no stars

He was protesting over something the government did that the US government was in agreement about.

They basically turned around and said "you publically protested against something that the US government supported, yet you want us to allow you to work in our country? The door's over there"

joeybloggs

I propose that the DIT library meet the students half-way.Allow a SU member to open the libaries at 9.00 o'clock.Turn on the radiators on, the computers on, a general cleanup ETC.When half nine comes about the libarians can come in and open the reception part and the SU member is free to go.
It would mean that we wouldn't be able to withdraw books until half-nine, but at least we would be free to use the library and its facilities.
The Librarians win, and we kinda win.
Unfortunetely members of the SU would have to give up a morning or two, but there all fairly chirpy anyway.Plus, if it was done they would score major points.*

*This idea is copyright joeybloggs 2008.

BC

joeybloggs wrote: »

I propose that the DIT library meet the students half-way.Allow a SU member to open the libaries at 9.00 o'clock.Turn on the radiators on, the computers on, a general cleanup ETC.When half nine comes about the libarians can come in and open the reception part and the SU member is free to go.
It would mean that we wouldn't be able to withdraw books until half-nine, but at least we would be free to use the library and its facilities.
The Librarians win, and we kinda win.
Unfortunetely members of the SU would have to give up a morning or two, but there all fairly chirpy anyway.Plus, if it was done they would score major points.*

There would be insurance and other implications with this as the SU are not DIT staff. Incidently i don't think the library staff have refused to open the library early, it has never been really put forward as a formal proposal as far as I understand. It would have to come from the President & HR as a proposal that would probably go to their union for discussion as there would be issues over pay & conditions and whether extra staff are required as existing staff would already be scheduled to work their maximum hours per week etc etc.

miss no stars

So pay a few students (making them staff) to be in a bit early and open up.

That's a really great suggestion about the SU opening really!

I know of other colleges where students are paid to run the computer centres so there couldn't be any mega problem with "staff" also being "students" and vice versa.

bug

Porters could open the library I suppose.

Either way the only thing you can do is get those in the queue at 9am in the morning to sign a petition with their class course code and comments as to why it would be beneficial to open the library prior to nine am for them individually.

Then get your class rep to sign it as if you've gone through the relevant processes and present it to your head of school with a nice cover letter in the post.

On the cover letter cc the SU, (no harm, its just a copy of the petition, and keep a copy for yourself).

If your in the queue to get in in the morning its not going to take any extra effort on your part, except passing a list up the queue.

Its not as if you are protesting against terrorist detention, its the opening hours of a library, so I somehow doubt it will go on any record.

elementalwater

Library Staff: Like you, the library staff are members of a Trade Union. To do certain things, like opening the library, the Trade Union must agree. They haven't so far.

18000 Students in Aungier Street: HAHAHAHAHA...take ur head out of your ass. there's only 22,000 students in DIT, 12,000 of whom are full time undergrad.

If you have any suggestions as to how the students union could work better, get off your computer and go into an office and take a look at how the union actually works and how many things hold them back from doing certain things.

The SU hold seats on EVERY body within the institute. They fight for students rights constantly. But we can only do so much without the students stepping out and showing thier support for certain projects.

Update on Grangegorman: In the budget €7 million was given to the grangegorman development agency. While this was not the €25M we were looking for. It is sufficient to begin the planning permission process. The extra money was going to go on the purchase of outlying buildings, but these can just be bought next year under the new budget.

Bitch-Craft

Elected officers have been campaigning for years to improve Library hours. One of the main reasons is both DIT bureaucracy and the Librarians Unions have prevented this being sorted out. It all comes to down to an agreement that needs to be renegotiated, and still hasn't.

In relation to last years protest, there was TONS of posters plastered all over the colleges and there were people on loudhailers at lunch time trying to get students out. There was also a petition which had nearly 2000 signatures on it that was handed into the President of DIT, he also received alot of emails from students directly which irked him alot cos it clogged up him email LOL, yet when the protest day came there was only a hand full of students that actually came out, which was really embarrassing!!!!!

If more people stopped bitching and helped out maybe they'd get more out of their SU

as for "protesting privately" that is highly laughable and screams of someone who is all mouth and no action, which is funny cause thats what they're accusing there SU officers of being!!!!!!!

sunnyjim

Hey there SU type. How about you tell us what exactly that protest was about, because I turned up but didn't know what it was even about.

Regards

tony 2 tone

sunnyjim wrote: »

Hey there SU type. How about you tell us what exactly that protest was about, because I turned up but didn't know what it was even about.

Regards

So why did you go then?

miss no stars

Bitch-Craft wrote: »

as for "protesting privately" that is highly laughable and screams of someone who is all mouth and no action, which is funny cause thats what they're accusing there SU officers of being!!!!!!!

Picketing and shouting is not the only form of protest. I try to use other methods. That comment screams of someone who is ignorant and narrow minded.

sunnyjim

tony 2 tone wrote: »

So why did you go then?

To find out, and at the same time hope it was for earlier opening hours.