NUI, Galway Students' Union

Infobox Students Union
name = NUI, Galway Students' Union
|Comhaltas na Mac Léinn, OÉ, Gaillimh

motto =
established = 1911
institution = National University of Ireland, Galway
president = Muireann O'Dwyer
location = Áras na Mac Léinn, NUI,Galway, Galway, Ireland
members = over 12,000
affiliated = USI
free_label =
free =
homepage = http://www.su.nuigalway.ie

The NUI, Galway Students' Union / Comhaltas na Mac Léinn, OÉ, Gaillimh is the representative body of students in the National University of Ireland, Galway in Ireland.

The Union

NUI, Galway Students’ Union is an independent body which represents its members’ interests inthe University and elsewhere. Every student who registers at NUI,Galway automatically becomesa member of the Students’ Union on payment of the Student Levy – a total of over 12,000members. Members are entitled to numerous benefits including representation by the Students’Union officers, membership of the Students’ Union Club (College Bar) and access to a wide rangeof Students’ Union commercial services.

Functions and Objectives

As outlined in the Students’ Union Constitution, the function of the Union is the “represent itsmembers and promote, defend and vindicate the rights of its members at all levels of society”. [ [http://www.su.nuigalway.ie/index.php?m=4&b=const_main Constitution of the Students' Union] ] Consequently, the Students’ Union sits on various University committees, which allows Officers tovoice the views of you the students to the University authorities. The Union also works with otherlocal groups and companies to ensure you get the best treatment and deals possible.The Union’s objectives include providing social, recreational and commercial services for ourmembers through the College Bar, entertainment events, the SU Shop and other commercialservices. In order to promote the unity of the organisation, the Union also assists on-campusstudent groups such as clubs and societies, while simultaneously promoting good relationsbetween students and staff of NUI,Galway.On a national level, the Union pursues fair and equal access to education for all sectors of the Irishpeople, and liaises closely with the Union of Students in Ireland to work towards achieving this goal.

The Executive Committee

While the President, along with the staff, is mainly responsible for the day-to-day running of theUnion, the Students’Union Executive is the committee that runs the Union on an ongoing basis.It consists of nine elected members, whose responsibilities cover the whole spectrum of studentconcerns from educational issues to accommodation to discrimination and much more.Of the nine members of the Executive, three are paid sabbatical (full-time) Officers, i.e. thePresident and two Vice-Presidents, while the other six Officers work on a part-time, unpaid basis.At each Executive meeting, the three sabbatical Officers present a report of work done since thelast meeting. The Officers of the Union are as follows:
• President
• Vice-President / Education Officer
• Vice-President / Welfare Officer
• Oifigeach na Gaeilge (Irish Language Officer)
• Equality Officer • Student Development Officer
• Postgraduate Officer
• Societies’ Chairperson
• Clubs’ Captain

The Executive meets on a weekly basis during term and is also responsible for all detailedmatters concerning the functioning of the Union. Importantly, the Executive Committee isanswerable to the Class Representatives Council (CRC), and, therefore, to the members of theUnion. All nine Officers must present a report of work done to the CRC on a monthly basis.

Class Representatives Council

The Class Representatives Council (CRC) consists of approximately 200 membersrepresenting every class in the University. The CRC is essential to the running of the Unionand beneficial to the running of the University. It also helps bring students ever moreclosely involved with the workings of the Union and the University.The CRC has proven invaluable to the Students’ Union since it’s re-formation a few yearsago, and is mainly used by the Union to inform students what is happening within theUniversity and also to get feedback from students regarding any problems, suggestions orpositive aspects they have found in the University.Members of the CRC also sit on their respective Staff-Student Liaison Committees withintheir academic departments, while others are elected as Faculty Convenors (one perfaculty), and represent students’ views at Faculty level.The CRC also elects the three undergraduate student representatives on the AcademicCouncil, and appoints students to the Student Health Unit Advisory Group, ComputerServices User Liaison Group and Library User Liaison Group.The Vice-President / Education Officer is responsible for co-ordinating the CRC andorganising the election of students to represent their classes.

Students elect their Students’ Union Officers. The term of office is from 1st July to 30thJune of the following year.To be eligible to run for election, you must be a full member of the Students’ Union, i.e. a registered student or current Executive Officer, and receive 20 nominations. Nominationforms are made available in mid-February and must state the post for which thecandidate is being nominated and the candidate’s name, student ID number and must besigned by the candidate and 20 (or more) nominators.Candidates may withdraw from the elections and have their name removed from the ballotpaper by writing to the Elections Committee before 5pm on the appropriate day. Within 24hours of this, the Elections Committee will publish a list of all validly nominated candidateswho shall contest the election.The election of the Clubs’ Captain and Societies’ Chairperson takes place at a meeting ofthe recognised clubs and societies respectively. Candidates require three nominators whomust be full members of the Union and Club Captains (where the position sought is Clubs’Captain) or Society Auditors (where the position is Societies’ Chairperson.)

History

The NUI Galway Students’ Union was originally established in 1911 as the Students’ Representative Council under the direction of Bryan Cusack, and was an offshoot of the Literary & Debating Society. This council was short-lived, but the re-establishment of the body was proposed by Conor O’Malley, auditor of the 1913-1914 session of the Literary & Debating Society in his inaugural address in November 1913. The council was firmly established by the mid-1920’s, and in the 1960’s was formally developed into the university’s Students’ Union, then known as Comhairle Teachta na Mac Léinn.

Former Presidents

References

External links

* [http://www.su.nuigalway.ie NUI,Galway Students' Union Site]
* [http://www.nuigalway.ie NUI,Galway Site]