Class Rep training junket?

itzme · 12-10-2011 07:51PM

Congrats on the 800 (although I'm against the petition but fair play thats not an easy target), but on the online names/numbers I'd be careful. If you allow the names/numbers to be shown now, then future petitions won't be able to verify that the signatories actually signed the petition and all online petitions won't and shouldn't be allowed.

Liber8or · 12-10-2011 07:53PM

Mr Trade In wrote: »

Can I have a down with capitalism flag if I vote/sign the petition?

Abortions for some, miniature down with capitalism flags for others!

LeixlipRed · 12-10-2011 07:56PM

Well that was just a mistake on my part. The SU constitution doesn't stipulate, it just says petition. Plus a physical petition can be fixed too easily enough. Remember the petition won't actually do anything. All it does is allow us to call Union General Meeting which requires 5% of students to attend. Which is 428 students. That's where the democracy would actually take place.

LeixlipRed · 12-10-2011 08:23PM

Mr Trade In wrote: »

Can I have a down with capitalism flag if I vote/sign the petition?

You can have one of the clipboards some kind lady from the Access Office (i think) gave us today. Plus someone sorted out some of the petitioners with sambos as well. Gotta love Maynooth

lordgoat · 12-10-2011 08:29PM

LeixlipRed wrote: »

Well that was just a mistake on my part. The SU constitution doesn't stipulate, it just says petition. Plus a physical petition can be fixed too easily enough. Remember the petition won't actually do anything.

All it does is allow us to call Union General Meeting which requires 5% of students to attend. Which is 428 students. That's where the democracy would actually take place.

?

LeixlipRed · 12-10-2011 10:09PM

Front page of the Liffey Champion, my god I love local papers

Michellenman · 12-10-2011 10:21PM

itzme wrote: »

@Michellenman There is no "at least for me", unless you think you're special enough that the site transported you to your own personal sign up page with different settings to everyone else you're wrong here. Please check the site again to make sure to be doubly certain you don't have internet 2.0. In short, you can only control over your email address privacy.

WTF?

Calm the **** down and get over yourself. I'm telling you what I saw, don't act the dick.

LeixlipRed · 12-10-2011 10:38PM

A statement from Free Education For Everyone (FEE) NUIM calling for the Cancellation of the NUIM SU Class Rep Training Junket

We have succeeded in collecting the required number of signatures (856) to force a Union General Meeting (UGM) of NUIMSU. This meeting will allow the students of NUIM to vote on the cancellation of the Class Rep Training Junket. Under the SU Constitution, the meeting must take place between 3 and 5 college days of the petition being submitted. FEE intends to submit the petition tomorrow afternoon at 1pm to the Returning Officer.

As the UGM would take place after the planned junket, we feel that the SU Executive cannot in good conscience allow the trip to take place when the student body will have not had the opportunity, at the UGM to vote on its cancellation. The UGM is the highest decision making body of the SU and can overrule any decision of the SU bar a referenda.

Therefore we again call on the SU Executive to cancel the trip to the hotel and let the training take place on campus instead. We ask that all students who supported us over the last few days to gather at the SU at 1pm tomorrow, Thursday, for the presentation of the petition.

Free Education for Everyone (NUIM)
free-education.info
0863282745

Kinski · 13-10-2011 12:14AM

LeixlipRed wrote: »

We have succeeded in collecting the required number of signatures (856) to force a Union General Meeting (UGM) of NUIMSU. This meeting will allow the students of NUIM to vote on the cancellation of the Class Rep Training Junket. Under the SU Constitution, the meeting must take place between 3 and 5 college days of the petition being submitted. FEE intends to submit the petition tomorrow afternoon at 1pm to the Returning Officer.

As the UGM would take place after the planned junket, we feel that the SU Executive cannot in good conscience allow the trip to take place when the student body will have not had the opportunity, at the UGM to vote on its cancellation. The UGM is the highest decision making body of the SU and can overrule any decision of the SU bar a referenda.

To be fair, FEE can't expect to get its way like this. The same constitution which enabled you to call a UGM is also preventing you from holding it in time. Calling for a postponement of the training would have been more reasonable than demanding that the training be held on campus instead.

LeixlipRed · 13-10-2011 12:21AM

The demand isn't that they hold it on campus this weekend, but we are demanding it's held on campus at some stage. Thought that was implicit in the cancellation of the junket, we want the training to take place, just not with the added cost of hotel accommodation.

Kinski · 13-10-2011 12:37AM

But you're now using the proposed UGM as another reason why the trip should be cancelled:

As the UGM would take place after the planned junket, we feel that the SU Executive cannot in good conscience allow the trip to take place when the student body will have not had the opportunity, at the UGM to vote on its cancellation.

This was not something the student body would ever have expected to vote on. You might have collected enough sigs, but since the constitution prevents a meeting being called at such short notice, you're too late. As such, I don't think it's legitimate to argue that the UGM not being called in time is another reason why the trip should be cancelled.

Kinski · 13-10-2011 12:41AM

Just to add, I'm not a supporter of this kind of exercise at all. In my view, the Student's Union should be stripped down to its core functions - representing its members interests, and assiting students in difficulty.

In other words, quit the USI, dump the class reps, get rid of the position of Ents Officer, and all other such bollocks.

XxMCRxBabyxX · 13-10-2011 12:44AM

Kinski wrote: »

..., get rid of the position of Ents Officer.

Eh, they did that

Kinski · 13-10-2011 12:51AM

As you can see, I'm not a big follower of SU stuff! I'll have to start reading, er, what's the paper called now? I know I picked it up in Iontas a couple of times last year...

banquo · 13-10-2011 10:05AM

Oh. My. God.

Hide these numbers from public viewing. You have no earthly idea how unbelievably vulnerable having your name and student number publicly available leaves a student, or the million different ways this breaches the Data Protection legislation and internal university rules. You could seriously screw over someone else and yourself at the same time.

Hide this immediately please. How long has this been up?! Are you sharing this link around the internet?!

LeixlipRed · 13-10-2011 10:22AM

Good to see you're as concerned about this as the money of mine you've been wasting. This was all discussed with the Returning Officer. The petition has been submitted and closed. And the names removed.

cython · 13-10-2011 10:37AM

LeixlipRed wrote: »

Good to see you're as concerned about this as the money of mine you've been wasting. This was all discussed with the Returning Officer. The petition has been submitted and closed. And the names removed.

For future reference a form as a frontend for a Google Doc would be a far better and more secure way of going about something like this. In fact (and I know this is somewhat off topic, but I don't think it warrants a thread of its own) I'd almost suggest (if such a thing can be done) that this be stipulated by the Returning Officer in future as the preferred means of gathering signatures, and if someone wants to go another way they must ensure that the person(s) collecting signatures must take the necessary steps to ensure the signatories privacy?

banquo · 13-10-2011 10:39AM

I've used Google Docs forms in the past to this end, good idea. I'll say it to the RO today, see if we can have a guideline somewhere.

watchingd · 13-10-2011 01:55PM

A Chara,

As of this week Maynooth Students’ Union is offering to any student who is hungry, but can’t afford food, a meal voucher.

We have reached with Chill and with Compass Catering (the cafeteria) a deal whereby any student can come to the Students Union offices on North Campus and, in complete confidentiality, receive a voucher for one standard meal + drink in either establishment.

You do not need to prove you need a voucher to receive one. Just drop into the Students' Union offices and ask for Rob, Fiach, Naoise or Broni.

There is no special process in either establishment to use the voucher - just grab the food you want and hand the voucher over at the till.

We will not see you go hungry.

Our best,

Maynooth Students’ Union

Read this too in my emails, as it is confidential (which im guessing means no student no. or name is needed to be given) and there is no need to prove in any way you need the voucher etc it is something that could easily get abused.

This "no student goes hungry" thing is a bit over the top, students are adults and should easily be able to plan ahead for lunch.... If this is something that comes out of the 93euro "student levy" then their should be measures to ensure people don't abuse it, or you could just give everyone their 93 euro back and let them buy their own lunch!!!!

DB21 · 13-10-2011 06:47PM

watchingd wrote: »

Read this too in my emails, as it is confidential (which im guessing means no student no. or name is needed to be given) and there is no need to prove in any way you need the voucher etc it is something that could easily get abused.

It relies on the honesty of the student, and the SU is trusting people to not abuse the system. If it is abused, I'm sure the voucher system will be cancelled.

This "no student goes hungry" thing is a bit over the top, students are adults and should easily be able to plan ahead for lunch.... If this is something that comes out of the 93euro "student levy" then their should be measures to ensure people don't abuse it, or you could just give everyone their 93 euro back and let them buy their own lunch!!!!

You'd be surprised what could happen between the start of the week and the end. Equipment could get broken and need replacing. Cars could break down. Medical issues could crop up. Stop trying to make a negative out of what is clearly a good deed by the SU.

LeixlipRed · 13-10-2011 07:12PM

Thanks to everyone who turned up today, everyone who collected signatures and everyone who believes in holding the SU to account. We collected almost 1,000 signatures and the Returning Officer will let us know soon if everything is correct and proper to call a Union General Meeting.

For anyone who's interested, here's the schedule for the weekend. Definitely couldn't have been done on campus, that hour long talk by Naoise could only be conducted in a hotel....

Kiwi_knock · 13-10-2011 07:32PM

Great job getting all the signatures. Hopefully the SU will act, sure you collected more signatures than some of them got votes in the SU election. That itinerary further proves that this training should be held on campus, sure all it is a series of talks.

LeixlipRed · 13-10-2011 07:48PM

Well for anyone who attended today and seen the debate between me and Rob and other students it's pretty clear they won't back down. It's a pity someone didn't video it because I think both Rob and Naoise would come out of it looking pretty badly.

battries not included · 13-10-2011 08:03PM

I am in no way affiliated with NUI Maynooth, but I must say it is refreshing to see students taking an interest in their SU and holding elected members accountable.

SWOT · 13-10-2011 08:07PM

In fairness without a recording of the conversation, it's a bit unfair to say that. Bit late to cancel it anyways as they're heading off in the morning if I heard right. Contacting all the people involved with a proper notice would sure be messy..

Don't get me wrong, waste of money most likely, although they sure ain't going to the Hilton! From the people I have talked to, it's gonna be a piss up friday evening and a bit of craic :pac:

No one protested the Gathering, and that was a real sham.

LeixlipRed · 13-10-2011 08:15PM

Unfair, it's my opinion on how it went. Others who were there can post their own opinions.

SWOT · 13-10-2011 08:30PM

Better to leave it out imo and stick to the point. Topic is about the Class reps, not endearing personalities

XxMCRxBabyxX · 13-10-2011 08:32PM

SWOT wrote: »

Better to leave it out imo and stick to the point. Topic is about the Class reps, not endearing personalities

The topic is about the SU who are representing us. It's relevant

mickstupp · 13-10-2011 08:38PM

watchingd wrote: »

This "no student goes hungry" thing is a bit over the top, students are adults and should easily be able to plan ahead for lunch.... If this is something that comes out of the 93euro "student levy" then their should be measures to ensure people don't abuse it, or you could just give everyone their 93 euro back and let them buy their own lunch!!!!

I think it's brilliant. And I'd be delighted if my 93 was going towards this.
And sometimes planning ahead doesn't always make a difference, there's been a couple of times I've made sandwiches in the morning only to find the bread had gone off by lunchtime. Hungry days.

As for the rep situation, I was talking to a third year rep earlier today who hadn't (yet) received any word on this training. She said she's only heard about through the guys for the petition. No emails in her inbox. Maybe it's just her? Maybe this year it's all about real short notice? Have any other reps not been informed until today?

LeixlipRed · 13-10-2011 08:52PM

My inside source only received the email this afternoon. Assuming it's an attempt to keep things on the down low. Reps will depart from SU at 12 tomorrow. We're gonna head over and explain about the petition to them and see if we can persuade some to not attend. And hopefully the Returning Officer will have gotten back to us at that stage and we'll know about the UGM.

Class Rep training junket?

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