18:08 Despite the weather warnings Class Rep Council is still going ahead. First session of the semester. Quite a few in attendance, 31. Quorum is 30.
18:11 Still setting up, a few more class reps still coming in. Looks like it will be a full house tonight.
18:12 All the SU in attendance and a rep from SPAR is here also. We are still having some technical difficulties with the projector. Turning it off and on again has been suggested.
18:15 Ian has been nominated to fix the computer while Ronan gets started. Laura Harmon form Marriage Equality as well as reps from the Hub and from SPAR are here.
18:16 Aaron has proposed a minute’s silence for Patrick Halpin who died recently while on a trip to London with DCU Drama.
18:16 USI has been pushed down the agenda and some emergency motions have been pushed up to number 5 on the agenda. No objections.
18:18 Reviewing stuff to catch up on from last semester. Benches around camps, no plans fro the immediate future but is part of the overall campus development plan, time frame of the next couple of months. Sean Cassidy asked for a comment by Aaron re the benches to be included in the minutes but it wasnt and no one can remember what it was.
18:21 No written response from Restaurant on the provision of kettles and microwaves. Lorna details the new veg delivery scheme. could sign up yesterday, and still can if you get in touch with your class rep.
18:22 No news on Tesco deliveries. Aaron looked into online delivery of Dominos “I ordered Dominos online and it was delivered to campus.” Seems remedied.
18:24 Aaron informed DCU president on councils stance of support of the Defend the University charter. The motion was questioned as it said that Aaron was to discover his stance. He didn’t do that as it wasnt what the council mandated.
18:26 BOI banner has been taken down, “Epic” – Sean Cassidy. Ciaran got campus management to agree to spot checks for nails in chairs. Re library shelter: Ciaran talked to the head of campus management and he said they he will not be be providing a shelter for people to smoke in outside the library. He says there is enough signal downstairs in the library, there are also bike shelters you can use.
18:29 On gym price. Gym said it can’t do split pricing. It was brought up that it could be changed next year so it was decided that Lorna is to meet them at the end of this year and discuss it again.
18:31 Reports taken as read. No comments or objections.
18:32 Damien West operates campus property limited and Damien Walsh, manager of SPAR here to answer questions. Fruit and veg all there “Its your shop”, “if anything is reasonable will will get it”. “If there is enough demand, We wont refuse to stock anything.” Finnoula asked if they could replicate the fruit deals in SPAR on the Ballymun road, But they said they cannot do that, they have too few weeks a year in which they operate. Small product orders. “We do our best, we try to be as competitive as we can”.
18:36 Questioned on the use of reusable cups for coffee. Said they will talk to DCU SU about their cups they have and a discount if you bring your own cups.
18:38 Someone has to leave so other motions have been moved forward. Two Emergency motions proposed. Motions being typed up now.
18:40 First motion is about embedding sustainability as a part of all SU campaigns. Questions on reducing hard copy assignments as part of the motion. Sean questions the validity of the motion. Says its too open ended. Sarah, sustainability officer. She has asked some of her lecturers to reduce hard copies, being run as pilot scheme, trying to make it campus wide them. Sustainability is part of the new DCU plan, trying to be the new leaders in Ireland in it.
18:45 It seems the motion is too vague, could gain a life of its own. Needs to be a mandate to the SU to actually do something. Sean proposes a motion to postpone motion to next crc (to give more time to firm up motion)
18:49 Motion postponed.
18:50 Next motion is to implement a review of the CRC officer structure which aims to make this more efficient and clear cut. Very little recognition to CRC officers who get very little credit, not even listed on the website. Even Ronan isn’t sure how many officers there are. Sean agrees that there is potential to officer structure but says that the SU structure will undergo a radical change in the next few years. Ideas include: reports made by officers, removal of useless ones. Only 3 of the 11 present here.
18:55 Suggestion from Sean is to let the officers sit on the relevant committees. Power and responsibility will help firm up roles and give them more recognition. Ronan seems to be moving towards reports by officers and reviews of the structure.
18:57 Motion 8 has been moved up to now. Motion recognising the rights of the LGBT community. Laura Harmon, equality officer in USI for the pro side for marriage equality. Ronan says he couldn’t get anyone for the against side.
19:00 Marriage equality is “One of the biggest civil rights issue of our generation”. This is a “Huge opportunity, its about changing peoples lives really”. “This is certainly a students issue, students want to see change”. USI unanimously voted last year for marriage equality, over 70% of society is pro marriage equality.
19:02 Laura mentions the issue of children, which is where a lot of the contention. She says there is already same sex couples raising children in Ireland and Alan Shatter is trying to get a bill through to afford rights to children in same sex couples and even allowing fostering by same sex couples. The civil partnership issue come up with 160 differences between it and legal marriage. Panti gate gets a mention.
19:07 “Civil partnership does nothing to normalise same sex relationships in society.” “One of the key things students can do is to register to vote and to commit to vote on the day [of the marriage equality referendum]” She cautions on becoming complacent on the issue, the polls arent always correct. The RTE payout was mentioned, [despite the funds they] have “but we can still beat them.”
19:10 No questions. Slight changes made to the motion. Additions Claire- suggestion to get the SU to start something to get students registered. “Maybe get a voting station near here”. Aaron says they will get on that. Sean “its gonna be a tough campaign”. One of the students questions the donation of €2000 to MarriageEquality. “€2000 is a lot of money…”
19:15 Aaron mentions that the budget next year will benefit from knowing this provision now so they can budget for it. Mention of money put aside by BOI. Coming back to that later.
19:17 The policy doesnt restrict people going against the policy. And it also means the council is under no obligation to give the same amount of money to a anti marriage equality campaign. Now there are questions as to if €2000 is enough. Aaron asked to do up a provisions plan/budget for the campaign.
19:20 Motion passed unanimously.
19:21 Motion to get the SU to outline that DCU is in favour of the Irish Language and to help out with Lá Mór na Gaeilge by organising buses. The event is in 4 days so the feasibility of organisation is brought up. The event is on in the garden of remembrance so the number 4 bus goes there. Its more that DCU has a presence. “Its actually a civil rights issue.” Vote passed by majority. No opposers.
19:25 Motion proposes that a cultural officer is appointed. Someone whose primary focus is the Irish language but is involved in other cultural events and motions.It would be a staff position. Ronan has admitted to actually helping out with this motion, meaning he isn’t actually impartial on this topic. Fiontar is looking into the funding of the position. Voted by Consensus.
19:28 Sean is “tired of the ridiculous fining culture in this university”. The fine is an ‘audit check’ to make sure your face is the same. Alan mentions that the fine is an incentive to actually bring your card, so it shouldn’t be abolished. Respect for the card is a main reason against the motion. The motion is about a “double fine” as there is a fine for exams and then to also pay for a new one. A second part of the motion is to introduce an ‘Emergency identity form’ to be available during exams. Aaron mentions that time for filling out the forms is an issue. Motion changed that the fine be changed from €20 to €10 and the word ‘abolished’ be removed. Motion passed by majority but there were some opposers.
19:36 On the motion about the student centre Aaron mentions that all the provisions are either done or in progress. So the motion goes straight through.
19:38 Motion that elections be moved to May 23rd so students can vote not during exams. Motion ran through super quick and passed.
19:40 Ian mentions that with the new change of academic calender will mean the two study weeks before exams will be split with one before Christmas and one after. Ciaran mentions that the exams will be starting on the 11th of January so you have a little time. Aaron mentions that the main plan is the bring the exams before Christmas (eventually) but Ian says that he has asked this and he has been told that this one week difference is the only plan.
19:44 It seems the decision was made in a meeting on December 11th but there was no formal decision made and they was taken to be agreement.
19:46 The move is part of the move with St Pats so now the motion is skipped and it seems Ronan is going to get all the class reps to contact their classes and come back to council.
19:48 Ian proposes the DCU has a month of the GAA initiative “Off the Booze, On the Ball”. It’s not a motion, the SU already supports the initiative so it is more about awareness. Ian wants to implement courses people can do, coaching/refereeing and then benefit directly from the idea. The idea is proposed that the idea is being included in the welfare working group and initiatives not including sport so as to be open to everyone.
1952 The next motion is to allow class reps to sit in on the lecturer selection process. Problems with lecturers are difficult as academic tenure and contracts are fixed. Comments include filling out the academic review form, or encouragement of it. Aaron mentions the HR implications and says to actually fill out the survey. The point of the motion is to make the survey mandatory.
19:58 Sean suggests filling out the survey or not getting your results. The motion passes. Majority but ther were a lot of abstainers in this vote.
19:59 Fionnula questions the freedom of the Bialann to send out emails to students. She questions the amount of emails they are allowed to send out. Ian also mentions the careers emails, and there is an audible groan. Ian asks that ISS publishes instructions on how to set the emails to read and deleted. Another suggestion is the ability to unsubscribe from said emails. Ronan mentions that he tried to unsubscribe himself and he was told not to allowed. The main issue seems to be the amount of emails they are allowed to email.
20:04 Motion passed by majority. CRC is close to losing quorum at this stage.
20:05 Motion that CRC supports the USI ‘Everyonelovesnurses’ to fight against the low nurse wages. Motion passed.
20:07: Motions to get staplers in labs and recycling bins is made an outstanding issue. To be followed up by the proposer Laura.
20:09 Edited motion on academic year changes is passed.
20:10 Ronan is biased in the USI referendum so has resigned as chair of council until after the referendum. Thanks and a clap to Ronan. Eolann Kitterham voted in as the new CRC Chair.
20:12 Jack is the returning officer so is trying to get in contact with the electoral committee so he can set out a provisional plan for the referendum. So the referendum has to be called in the next two weeks. Provisionally set for the 26th-27th of the month.
20:14 So the plan at the moment is to open 9-5 Wednesday and 10-7 on Thursday. Questions about online voting being ready by then but Jack hasnt managed to get in contact with electoral committee. Jack hopes to have both online and physical voting.
20:17 Ronan has proposed that the procedures from last year be used just with the dates changed. Passed.
20:18 AOB. The on campus bank has always set aside some funds to provide for clubs and societies. Due to the volume of demand this year for the funds the bank has asked for help from the SU in allocating the funds. The sum of €40,000 has been set aside and it will be allocated to clubs of Socs. How to apply for the funds seems unclear. Proposal by Ronan that the SU set out how the money will be allocated and how to apply for funds to be presented to next crc. Issues with fairness of allocation as a lot of people dont know about this. Aaron, there was no previous rules about this.
20:25 Money gets all the questions. Also no pizza this week at CRC. All class rep jackets are in Ciarans office, come collect them.
20:27 Now someone is soliciting a lift to Heuston station. Quorum is gone.
20:29 Crc is dismissed!
Till next time, Eimear
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