Two of the five Students’ Union sabbatical positions will be based on DCU’s St Pats campus next year, under the new structure of the SU.
Speaking to The College View, current Welfare officer, Domhnaill Harkin, said that the union’s President, Welfare officer and Academic Affairs officer will be mainly based on the Glasnevin campus, while the officer for Education and Placement and the officer for Engagement and Development will both be working from St Pat’s.
However, Harkin stressed that while the officers will be based in one set location, all positions will be obliged to divide their time between both campuses.
“They will have to float and work together, as they are one sabbatical team,” he said, “In regards to how often, it’s hard to say yet, but it will be quite regular.
“It won’t be until the positions are elected and we start training them in summer that we’ll know exactly what’s going to happen.”
The amalgamation between DCU, St Pat’s and Mater Dei has led to the creation of two new sabbatical positions – Engagement and Development Officer and Academic Affairs Officer.
Former SU Returning Officer, Steven Conlon, said that the introduction of the role of Engagement and Development Officer is a result of DCU’s increasingly engaging electoral and class rep system.
“When you have a council like that that has an immense amount of power, you need somebody to ensure that it is being engaged properly, being trained properly, and that everybody is getting what they actually want to say, said,” he told The College View.
The engagement officer will also liaise with clubs and societies, as well as external and internal groups within DCU, in order to involve students in politics and civic engagement issues.
The other new sabbatical position, Academic Affairs officer, was created to dedicate a role to practice based learning, as the number of students participating in work placements has increased significantly since the amalgamation.
The reform will also see the introduction of three new part-time reps and officers, including an Irish Officer, Education Faculty rep, and a Post Grad rep.
Lisa O’Donnell
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