Welcome all!

14 September, 2015

Hey Guys,
A warm welcome to the wonderful place that is CIT. We wish you all the very best as you embark on the start of your journey in third level education. To all returning students, welcome back, we hope you all enjoyed the ‘Irish’ summer. We are honoured and privileged to be your elected Students’ Union Executive for the year ahead. It is the role of the SU to actively represent its members and continuously work towards the improvement and enhancement of the student experience, and you can rest assured that YOUR Students’ Union Executive will be constantly working tirelessly in this regard for the duration of our time in office.

Communication with the Student Body

Throughout the course of the year we will use a range of mediums of communication to interact with YOU, our members. The main ones will be:

• Social Media: Be sure to like our Facebook page: CITSU and follow us on Twitter: @CITSU
• Website: www.citsu.ie – The SU Website has been greatly enhanced over the last couple of years and contains useful information galore and will continue to be updated on a regular basis.
• Snap Chat: CITSU – They say a picture tell a 1000 words, why not send us a snap?
• General Meetings – All students as members of the SU are invited and encouraged to attend General Meetings, a great way of finding out what’s happening around the place and the ins and outs of how the institute is managed etc.
• As a union we believe communication is key, we need and want to hear from our members. #TogetherWeAreStronger

Bus Services

CHANGE TO 219 BUS SERVICE – NOW DEPARTING CIT AT FIVE PAST THE HOUR

Please note the following in relation to the 219 Bus Service, which took effect from August 31st:

• With the exception of the 07.15 departure from Mahon all other departures will now depart at 05 minutes past the hour and operate 5 minutes later at all stops along the route
• With the exception of the 18.45 departure from C.I.T all other departures will now depart at 05 minutes past the hour and operate 5 minutes later at all stops along the route

This is something that Shane, as SU President  pushed for at a recent meeting with Bus Éireann Management on behalf of the Students’ Union and we’re delighted that they have followed through on this, as the buses leaving on the hour was far from ideal for students and staff who were still in lectures as of this time!
We would urge all students to give themselves plenty of time to get to CIT when commuting via public transport, in particular early in the morning, the reality of the situation is that CIT’s location here in Bishopstown is an extremely busy one. Also, be sure to consider all possible routes in terms of getting close by to CIT, to beat the traffic etc. For instance the 208 bus service is an alternative to the 205, with less than a 10 minute work from Curraheen Road to CIT. The 220 offers a viable alternative to the 219 for those commuting in from Douglas, with the drop off point for this service being Model Farm Road… less than a 5 minute walk through Parchment Square and you’d be in CIT.
In terms of the construction of a much awaited bus shelter on Rossa Ave, we will be consistently fighting for this and will be pushing for this to happen over the January break.

We urge all students to conduct themselves in a manner befitting to that if your Mammy was sat alongside ya, whether it’s in the morning on your way into college or on the way into town for a night time event. Remember that all buses have CCTV installed…Bus Éireann is watching you. Students of CIT at all times are representative of the student body of CIT and as such we as a Union want that to be a glowing one. There’s an old saying and a very true one don’t do the you know what on your own doorstep!

Class Reps

It is vital that each class elects a Class Representative at the beginning of the academic year. This person acts as a representative for their class and is their class’s chief spokesperson, very much the voice of the class. One of their main duties is reporting back to the executive at Union Council Meetings in relation to particular issues which are of concern to the group.
It is important that the person who is elected is committed to the position, not only will they speak for the class but they may also organise class parties and social events. College is not just about studying, it is important that you have an active social life and the Class Rep is there to organise such events so that classmates can form close friendships. Shane, John & Ruth will visit classes at the beginning of the first semester, in order to facilitate the elections of class representatives.

Some of the benefits of becoming a Class Rep:

• Opportunity to exercise leadership and initiate change
• Opportunity to voice the opinions, concerns and ideas of your classmates so that they may be addressed
• Receiving first-hand information from the lecturers and the Students’ Union regarding their activities and services
• Improves your CV
• Build and improve on your communication and public speaking skills
• Acquire many useful people skills
• Learn how to organise successful events

Class Rep training will take place on Tuesday 13th October this year, this will be an over-night stay in a secret location, here elected Class Reps will be shown the ropes and will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to actively represent their class from the get-go.
At the end of the year each students will have the opportunity to nominate their Class Rep for a Union Council Award. The Union Council Awards recognise outstanding Class Reps for their contribution to their class and the Union as a whole. Each Class Rep will also receive a Certificate of Merit.
Class Reps play a huge role in the work of the Students’ Union and aid our progression and success in actively representing all the students of CIT. It is a big responsibility, but brings with it an education in itself! Can you be the voice of your class? Go for it, it’s a decision you’ll never look back on.

Welfare Campaigns

Our VP Welfare Ruth will be running various Welfare Campaigns throughout the year. These campaigns will help students to manage personal issues which they may be faced with such as sexual health, mental health, physical health, accommodation, safety, finance, bullying, addictions and so many other welfare issues.
Our first Welfare Campaign is S.H.A.G Week (Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance Week) which will take place October 19th-22nd. Positive Mind & Body Week is in November from the 9th-12th and Exam De-Stress Week in December. During the year we will also be holding Welfare Tuesdays which will consist of focusing on other areas of student welfare. Welfare Tuesdays won’t be happening on a weekly basis but they will be spaced out throughout the year. In the second semester we will have Safety Week in April and again Exam De-Stress Week in May.

Welfare Crew

It has been a very busy summer preparing Welfare Campaigns. In the next few weeks we will be looking for students to be part of the Welfare Crew. The Welfare Crew help out in all Welfare Campaigns and have lots of fun doing so. If any of you are interested in being part of the Welfare Crew, please email Ruth on suwelfare@cit.ie or text 0863842977. We here in the Students’ Union are hoping the year ahead is going to be a great one.

Is there a wannabe Charles Dickens out there…?

Do you have a story to tell, that will be of interest to the students and staff of CIT? If so, we want to hear it. Send it onto Keith at supublications@cit.ie and if we can we will publish it in a future edition of ExpliCIT.

Getting the Balance Right

College life is all about getting the balance right, while you’re here have a fantastic time, go to absolutely everything you can possibly fit in but always remember why you’re here in the first place, to get the best possible education you can! Trust us cramming over-night is no craic at all. Box Clever throughout the year and always put your studies at the forefront of your priorities. #SUWordsOfWisdom

Respect For Your Environment

When you’re passing by an elderly resident’s garden, think to yourself would I like someone doing unmentionables there if that was my Grandmother’s? The Students’ Union Executive have worked extremely hard over the past number of years in fostering good relations between students and the local residents and we hope this may long continue, after all we want the students we represent to have the best possible reputation, and our job in many ways is to ensure and protect this.
IF YOU BOUGHT IT BIN IT
Last preach we promise, please be conscious that all catering outlets are self-catering and as such rely on students to dispose of their rubbish, and to put cutlery in the designated areas etc. We urge all students to do so. The staff in these areas work extremely hard, so your help and cooperation in regards to this would be much appreciated by them and us.
Last year a Food Ban was implemented in the Student Centre Common Room, this was removed at the end of the last Academic Year on a trial basis and this will be still the case for the duration of the month of September. Should students be viewed to be not treating this area with the respect that it deserves, disposing of rubbish etc. the Food Ban will be re-implemented with immediate effect.
Remember guys that CIT has many links with external organisations many of these are potential employers. We do not want the first thing they think when they walk through the front door to be something like ‘That crowd treat the place like a dumping ground’.

SU Involved Projects completed over the summer

• CIT Crawford College of Art & Design renovated Canteen – €20,000 Funded by SU
• Bishopstown Campus Library Power Sockets at all study spaces – €10,000 Funded by SU, this project would not have been able to go ahead had this funding not been available
• Phone Charging Hubs – Funded by Student Finance Committee
• Water Fountains (located top of the stairs student Centre, outside the library, Food Court) – Funded by Student Finance Committee

National Voter Registration Day

On Thursday 8th October a National Voter Registration will take place in colleges across the country including here in CIT. The purpose of this event is to highlight to the Government and public representatives that students are registering to vote and will do so. Through our affiliation with the Union of Students in Ireland we have had involvement with their pre-budget submission. “A properly funded education system is the foundation stone of a compassionate, thriving and successful society. Education is proven investment in our future”, said Kevin Donoghue (USI President).
CITSU fully support this.
The submission focuses on 5 key areas:
1. Grants
2. Accommodation
3. Student Contribution Charge
4. Student Assistance Fund
5. Under 26’s Social Welfare

Payments

And with that brings an end to our first Officer Address of the Year. We look forward to meeting and engaging with many of you over the course of the year. May the year be a productive, happy, fun- packed and successful one for you all.

Always remember YOUR SU is here for YOU.

Best Wishes,
Shane, John, Ruth,
Dave, Kate, Rebekah