DCU’s Class Rep Council (CRC) is to decide whether DCU Students’ Union oppose the implementation of water charges across the country.
However, the motion was forwarded to the next CRC as each rep is to hold a vote in their respective classes and then vote for or against the motion at the next CRC which is to be held in the coming weeks.
The motion, proposed by student activist Sean Cassidy, mandates that DCU SU is opposed to the imposition of water charges in their current format.
The proposal would also mean the DCU SU Executive would arrange and organise protests against the controversial water charges in line with anti-water charges movements which are led by civic organisations and unions. As well as this, if the motion is passed at the next CRC, the SU would also have to propose and lobby the motion at the next meeting of the USI national council.
Speaking to The College View, Cassidy said that “the Students’ Union has an inherent duty to protect the interests of its members. One of those interests would be the general financial situation of its students.”
“It’s a logical progression for a union to oppose the introduction of a charge that would further financially burden its members, especially in the context of the union being very proactive on the issue of the financial implications on students from the rent/accommodation crises,” he added.
The contentious issue of privacy around the new Loop system for DCU students was also brought up at the CRC.
In its current format, Loop allows users to view the profiles of any other Loop user along with their student card picture, email address, last and first access of Loop, currently registered modules, and full name. The proposal concedes that this information can be essential to staff members but it states that no student should be able to see their own profile.
The SU Executive must contact the college and work with them to improve Loop privacy for all users as a matter of urgency and report back to the CRC as soon as possible.
Privacy improvements would include revoking the ability to view any profile other than a user’s own, ensuring that no student is able to access module participants, email addresses, access times, full name, or pictures of any module, or Loop user.
Finnian Curran
Leave a Reply