CIT SU News
25 February, 2014
Bunreacht Na CIT SU
With the upcoming Students’ Union elections I thought it only too fitting that we would write a piece on the general well-being of CIT and the role of the Students’ Union. First and foremost, allow us to introduce the meat and bones of the situation.
Cost of Education:
€2,750 (Registration Fee/Student Contribution)
Time & Labour in terms of your investment in study i.e. The Leaving Certificate, Opportunity Cost. Also, don’t forget that every time you earn/spend money you pay a considerable sum to the ‘taxman’ which in turn pays your tuition fees (4.5k – 10k approx.) and your grants. So in actual fact, education is not free, we all contribute and we should be conscious of this fact when it comes to getting value for YOUR money.
Where does the SU come in? With approximately €51.56 of your student Contribution Fee going to the Students’ Union, plus monies generated from commercial activities CIT Students’ Union last year spent circa half a million euro on student centric activities. One of the many roles of the SU is to act on your behalf and ensure that you get the best value for your time and money whilst here at CIT in terms of the quality of academic delivery and campus life.
How do we represent you?
The management of education lies in the public sector where a lot of decision making is done or influenced by groups i.e. committees, boards etc. The SU team have seats on all these groups/committees where decisions made will have an impact our members i.e. you the student body. These positions are mainly held by the officers in the SU, and although we have little managerial experience it actually makes us far more effective on these committees as we are students, and therefore understand better than anyone else the impact that decisions at a management level can have on students. We also continuously consult the student body through surveys, General Meetings and by the old fashioned ear to the ground.
The specifics of the role
Sabbatical officers get paid €446 per week. Some of the major seats held by us on behalf of the student body are, Governing Body, Finance Committee, Strategic Development Committee, Academic Council, Student Finance, Appeals Board, Disciplinary Board & Student Service Company (Canteen).
THe Student Contribution Charge Vs. Student Service Fee
Once upon a time your registration fee was known as a Student Service charge which meant that all monies went to student services i.e. sports, societies, careers, counselling, medical services, chaplaincy, Students’ Union, accommodation and the access office etc. This charge is now called a student contribution as it allows the increases in the registration fee to be transferred to CIT’s central funding while the Government reduce funding to CIT. These blurred lines presents lots of challenges for the student body as there is a lot of grey area around student services and the transfer to the capital development reserve (student funded money pot) and its subsequent use. Throw Munster Technological University into the mix which is a merger between CIT and IT Tralee and now we have a need for a robust student voice.
In the context of these issues there are many other issues that face the students. Ensuring academic standards are maintained, Sports Arena, Students’ Union Information Management System, and the public image of the student body are items that we strongly recommend stay on the agenda. There are a lot more issues that need listing, and you can be sure that the one’s mentioned here need a lot more explaining so you can reach us at e:citsu@cit.ie should anyone need help in identifying what issues they would like to see progressed.
Safety Week
The next big item we got for you guys is… CIT SU Safety Week 2014, taking place from the 24th to 27th February. The aim of Safety Week is to promote all aspects of safety – road safety, personal safety, fire safety, alcohol & drug safety, water safety, all in the context of life-saving! Safety is part of our everyday lives and is something we all need to be aware of. There is a packed week of events happening so be sure to check out our timetable on the inside cover of expliCIT.
Throughout the week come and visit all the information stands from the various organisations. The HSE, Drugs Taskforce, Cork City Council, Irish Water Safety, CIT Health and Safety Committee, An Garda Siochana, the RSA and the Students’ Union will be in the Main Corridor throughout the week.
Keep an eye out for our ‘Rules of the Road’ Snapchat competition and be in with a chance to win an All-4-One Voucher valued at €100. Find the various road signs around campus, take a snap, and send it to: CITSUWelfare along with the correct meaning of the sign.
Take a look at our timetable of events, look out for posters and check the CIT SU Facebook and Twitter pages for updates throughout the week.
Danny, Ciara, Rich, Dean, Michael, Aaron
