Advice on becoming a class rep?

Jonny Arson

I'm thinking about running for class rep for one for my subjects should I return to UCD next year. I don't have alot of knowledge on how the Students Union functions and I'm concerned about this as it appears to me that the Students Union is nothing but a political minefield. I have no political affiliations but my own personal views and ideas would be leaning towards the left.

I'm interested in becoming a rep as my class reps from last year failed to do their job by failing to make themselves known to other students, failure to act as a medium between the students and the union and barring one of my subjects, failed to organise any events which would help to people integrate with people from their classes. I interested in being involved in the Union and most importantly of all I want to represent my fellow every day students to help them with any problems and to give them a voice within the union.

I'm interested in becoming involved but I'm very worried about this ''hack'' culture in the Union. I don't want to get involved in any of this nonsense and I beleieve the Union should do what it says and be about Unity.

Could anyone give me any advise on what it is like being a class rep, do you need to be a very politically minded person and could I have more insight into how the union fuctions?

A.

boneless

First advice: think carefully!! Do you really want to do it? Second advice: If you run a campaign don't make it a negative whinge... that puts people off. Be positive and present yourself as approachable. Too many appear aloof and elitist. If you are a left-leaning individual you can contact me by PM and I will try to prime you on issues to concentrate on.

Best of Luck and BTW, what subjects are you doing?

Red Alert

Well Zane i think you certainly have a lot going for you. Most student just have issues that they want sorted out, and all they need to be sure of is that you're the man to do it. I think you'd be excellent in the job and you probably have a good chance to get in too. Best of luck.

Blut

Do you get paid for being a class rep? or any good freebies?

Syth

I doupt you'd really need to organise a campaign or anything, I've never seen any posters for any candidates. You just have to tell all your friends to vote for you.

An alternate is to get organisied in the faculty days. Less hackdom and much better for geting loadsa people to meet other people.

Nah Syth, my friend ran for B&L class rep last year and had to conduct a campaign of sorts. It really depends where you're in...usually in the Business or Law side of things the elections tend to get competitive, whereas elsewhere the places often get filled by default. That's not to say you shouldn't run!

Going on memory here...I think that UCDSU bring all the class reps down for a weekend of bonding in Wexford or something. You're required to go to SU Council (as well as some other committees I think) but I've found most class reps prefer the side of it which is directly helping their classmates, through nights out or mentioning a problem that your class is having with a lecturer.

I can't comment on the hack/political side of things cos I'm not in UCD, and although involved with the SU here (Trinity), you can't compare the workings of one organisation to another!

Zane, send Jane Horgan Jones an email over the summer about it, or closer to when you return yourself. She's there for the summer.

But anyways, this probably isn't helpful. Meh, I've avoided studying for another 10 minutes. Huzzah!

Ed

A lot of the time you don't need to run any sort of campaign to become a class rep. This is due to a general disinterest on the part of many people, and traditionally poor advertising of the elections. It can depend on what subject you're in (you're in sociology, i think, so i can think of at least on person who's going to be in 2nd sociology who may be running for class rep). So it may be necessary to get up in front of your classes and convince them to vote for you.

Class reps aren't paid. They do get sent off on a training weekend.

In relation to the political end of it, you don't have to be politically minded to be a class rep, although many of the poeple who get involved and attend council(a lot of reps don't) tend to have some sort of political affiliation.

Many classes/faculties also have student reps (sociology does anyway) who work as intermediaries between the class and the dept, but aren't officially recognised as SU reps (all that means is that they can't vote at council). Most of the time they're not elected and just volunteer.

Generally the best thing to do is drop into the union and have a chat to one of the officers about it.

Red Alert

Yeah, to clearify that the two are usually separate. I used to be the class rep on the faculty commitee but not for the SU (that happenned to be a different guy). There's no reason you can't be both, and there's some talk about combining the two offices which i think would be very good.

Blut

why would you do it if theres no pay? jeese

Fergalscully

Hi Zane,

on the class rep thing, you need to get a nomination form from the SU when they come out around late september, fill it in get five of your class to sign it and hand it back in before the deadline.

Most classes you only need to maybe stand up and introduce yourself infront of the class and tell them why you want to do it.

Most of the class reps are not mad political and see the union as you do which is all about unity and they agree on most things but there is disagreement. You certainly don't have to be political.

Union Council does have a very varied makeup of students some political both right and left and some not and like everything else there is some idiots and some cool peeple.

A class rep is expected to attend council every two weeks during term. Council decides every year what day it would prefer to sit on and its usually tuesday or wednesday. They tend to last approx two hours but can be longer or shorter depending. The order of business is motions on notice, officer reports and question time, emergency motions and any other business. It can be a bit frustrating at times but usually is quite good.

Class rep training is usually organised on a weekend around halloween off campus. For the last two years it was in wexford. It is good crack but you do learn alot and work hard.

Your also expected to organise a party or activity for your class and the ents officer will be able to help with this.

I would recommend being class rep because you get to meet people from across the university, can really do something to help your class and also you may just get the odd free ticket for a gig thrown at ya.

Jonny Arson

Cheers everyone for getting back to me on that. Lots of food for thought and your advice and ideas have been more than helpful.

Cheers,

A.

panda100

Zane-u should defo go for class rep-ucd needs people like you!Really nice,sound blokes with no political agenda!once u get to know the peoole in stu union they are all really nice-i got to know loadsa the leftys this year cos i was going out with one of them and they were all lovely and not intimidating at all.just dont bring vodka and coke to one of there house partys like i did......

kasintahan

Zane is actually the founder member of an secret lizard army so ultra right wing that it's swung all the way round, through left wing, and is currently hovering somewhere around the centre. Other members it picked up on it's cyclic rotation include president Bush, Kim Jong-il and UN weapons inspector Hans Blix.

Zane himself actually has designs on the post of president of the Even Newer World Order and has gone so far as to have chosen the napkins for the resultant banquet to be held in a purpose built underground palace in Cabra.

Don't say I didn't warn you...

arbeitsscheuer

kasintahan wrote:

Zane is actually the founder member of an secret lizard army so ultra right wing that it's swung all the way round, through left wing, and is currently hovering somewhere around the centre. Other members it picked up on it's cyclic rotation include president Bush, Kim Jong-il and UN weapons inspector Hans Blix.

Zane himself actually has designs on the post of president of the Even Newer World Order and has gone so far as to have chosen the napkins for the resultant banquet to be held in a purpose built underground palace in Cabra.

Don't say I didn't warn you...

gibberish, all gibberish...

blondie83

Kas I see you've been reading Jon Ronson's "them"! Was an amusing book certainly, but Zane just doesnt seem like the giant lizard type Zane good luck if you choose to go for class rep, I know the people who did it for our year in eng, and they said it was very worthwhile!

kasintahan

SebtheBum wrote:

gibberish, all gibberish...

Seb too?

Jesus! He's got to the all.

kasintahan

blondie83 wrote:

Kas I see you've been reading Jon Ronson's "them"!

I've been reading it??? It's Zane's secret manual!

panda100

panda100 wrote:

just dont bring vodka and coke to one of there house partys like i did......

Heh heh heh...

Jonny Arson

kasintahan wrote:

Zane is actually the founder member of an secret lizard army so ultra right wing that it's swung all the way round, through left wing, and is currently hovering somewhere around the centre. Other members it picked up on it's cyclic rotation include president Bush, Kim Jong-il and UN weapons inspector Hans Blix.

Zane himself actually has designs on the post of president of the Even Newer World Order and has gone so far as to have chosen the napkins for the resultant banquet to be held in a purpose built underground palace in Cabra.

Don't say I didn't warn you...

Frightingly all of that is true. My underground palace is actually in Derka-derkastan but whats the difference between Cabra and a war torn country like Derka-derkastan anyway.

I am actually great mates with this great man.......


Please everyone go easy on Kim. He has recieved alot of abuse after the WMD controversey and Team America's stupidity. He is a very busy man at the moment and he does not need people like Hans Bricks breaking his balls by threating him with very angry letters telling him how angry the UN is with him. Thank goodness for the Film Actors Guild and people like Alec Baldwin F.A.G., Tim Robbins F.A.G., Sean Penn F.A.G. and Maaaat Daaaamon F.A.G. sticking up for him. I'm off to Derka-derkastan with Pat now for a bit of a terrorist attack but please don't question my integrity as a potential class rep.

Derka-derka, muhhama jiha, shoopa shoopa, derka-derka

Osama bin Zane