What you are voting for

With election time closing in – so close it’s actually today – it’s voting time.

Turnout in DCU has traditionally been low, which makes it all the more important to get your vote in today. To be able to vote though, you need to know who does what – starting with the big man first.

President: Top of the pile and often among the most handsome of students, the SU President oversees everyone and everything in the Students’ Union. They are responsible for overseeing the day to day running of the Union and the SU Executive, interacting with the general student body, making sure that the SU Constitution is upheld.

Education Officer: The Vice President for Education handles any academic issues that students may have.The Education Officer also sits on a huge amount of committees, like overseeing the SU Executive and the Class Rep Council (CRC). They also organise all of the Class Reps and Convenors, and try and get everyone to attend CRC meetings.

Welfare Officer: The second, but equally dashing, Vice President is the Welfare Officer. The Student’s Union Constitution states that they “shall give support to students with regard to their welfare”. But seeing as “welfare” is quite a vague term, this is perhaps the broadest position in the SU. They’re responsible for everything from organisng Mental Health Week to helping fist years find their way. Welfare Officer is mostly there to be a point of contact for any students who are having a tough time, and are kind of like a go-to problem solver. Think the SU’s Doctor Phil and more.

Clubs and Societies Officers: In a surprise to absolutely everyone who has made it this far, the Clubs and Socs Officers deal with – Socs and Clubs. Or Clubs and Socs. It’s their job to see that all Clubs and Societies are represented fairly in the SU, to sit on the SU Executive, and to help any new clubs or societies get organised.

Faculty Convenors: Perhaps one of the most overlooked positions in the SU, the Convenors are important. They are the link between class reps and the SU. The four Convenors represent their entire faculty – Humanities, Business, Engineering and Computing – and so free up Class Reps to focus on their class while helping the SU prioritise what each faculty needs. Convenors basically make sure that their faculties are represented in SU policies, campaigns, and most importantly, nights out.

To get in touch with your Union you can follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

Ballot stations are open today and close tomorrow at 5pm.