The committee of the Accounting & Finance (A&F) society should resign, according to a hand delivered letter from several DCU clubs and societies.
It is currently signed by 31 clubs and societies, and was given to the Student Union (SU) and Clubs & Societies on October 17. A petition on chang.org was also made by DCU’s Feminist Society.
The letter demanded that a portion of A&F’s budget go towards running more consent classes on campus. It also added that all society chairs, class representatives and members of DCUSU Executive and Sabbatical teams need to undergo further consent and respect training.
Vice President for Engagement and Development, Karl McGovern, was criticised in the letter.
“[He] was present during the EGM and at no point made any attempt to intervene or put a stop to the deplorable behaviour of the committee.”
McGovern, who was last year’s chair of A&F, declined to comment to The College View.
SU President Vito Moloney Burke said he was very upset with what happened.
“We want this environment to be a safe and welcoming and comfortable [place] for everyone” he said.
“When something like that happens, necessary action needs to be taken and I’m comfortable in the knowledge that that was taken.”
The president has no current affiliation with A&F. However when he was in second year he said he “had a good bit of fun with them”.
Moloney Burke said the investigation concluded quite quickly. He said the event occurred at night on October 4, and that the next day, the chair of A&F was in the offices of Clubs and Societies.
However, Ógra Shinn Fhéin DCU treasurer Cian Hade said it was “disgraceful” that it took 12 days for an official statement to be released.
Brendan Fernando Kelly Palenque & Clara Kelly
Image Credit: Clara Kelly