Kevin
Donoghue
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For USI
President
WHY DO YOU WANT ME FOR PRESIDENT OF
THE UNION OF STUDENTS IN IRELAND
USI needs a strong capable leader to meet the challenges in the
year ahead. Having built a platform from which we can credibly
engage with the education funding debate it is crucial that we
choose the right president to carry our message forward.
This manifesto outlines a range of solutions I will bring to the
table and the opportunities I will cultivate if elected President
of USI. If we work together for the betterment of our education
system and our society we can deliver a better, more inclusive
Ireland for all.
what to expect from kevin
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Higher Education Funding
Student Supports
General Election
Legislation Working Group
Accommodation & Welfare
Mergers and Technological Universities
7. Institutional Memory and Organisational Performance
8. Part Time Officers
9. Ah Ghaeilge
10.Commericial Activity
11.Students’ Union Training
12.Finances
13.Graduate Employability
14.Social and Equality Issues
15.Entrepreneurship
16.Activism
17.Student Summit
18.Employment and Worker’s Rights
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Higher Education Funding
The decision on how higher education will be funded for the next
decade will be made in the life time of the next officer board.
It is essential that we build on existing links with our allies and
properly debate with advocates of funding methods that are not
in line with USI policy.
As VP Academic Affairs and Quality Assurance and a regional
campaigns officer I am ideally suited to ensuring that stakeholders and the public feel education should be publicly funded.
As President Kevin will:
• Make education a General Election issue.
• Make a strong social and economic argument for free education.
• Champion a strong national focus on free education.
• Build on existing links with Unions and other allies.
• Debate with other stakeholders in a meaningful way to secure support for free education.
Student Supports
Students cannot afford another cut to their core supports. The increased cost of living, particularly in densely
populated urban areas shows a strong need for an increase in supports such as the grant and back to education allowance. The current political climate presents an opportunity in securing these increases in budget
2016. In order to do that we need to make education an election issue.
As President Kevin will:
• Lobby for increases in core student supports such as the back to education allowance and student grant.
• Secure a seat for USI on SUSI’s governing body.
• Provide training to sabbatical officers on the back to education allowance, the fund for students
with disabilities and the student assistance fund.
• Ensure that all relevant sabbatical officers receive adequate training on student supports.
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Kevin for President 2015
3 General Election
In many ways the work of the next officer board will
revolve around this central event. With an “election”
budget likely in October the government will leverage
everything it can to ensure it remains in power for the
next five years. As a result they will focus resources
on areas they feel will generate the most support.
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Legislation
Working Group
There are a number of mandates on the policy book
that require USI to either engage with various departments in order to achieve change in legislation. In order to do this more effectively USI needs to engage
more efficiently with the legislative process.
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As President Kevin will:
• Make education an election issue.
• Lobby TDs and political parties on education issues throughout the year.
• Oversee a concise and consistent media
campaign around free education.
• Work with the VP Equality and Citizenship
to register students to vote in the run up
to the budget and the general election.
• Ensure that the student voice is being
heard locally and nationally.
• Provide comprehensive media and lobbying training to student union officers.
“Making Higher Education a General Election
issue is crucial in the year ahead”
President Kevin will:
Chair the legislation working group and work with relevant officers to complete mandates.
Distribute information on relevant legislation and bills to SUs and their members.
Build contacts with committee members and chief whips to more effectively lobby for change.
Accommodation
& Welfare
Student accommodation has hit crisis point in some
areas and is under significant pressure in others. USI
needs to outline clear proposals in the short, medium
and long term to alleviate this crisis. A student housing committee is needed to adequately address the
issues around accommodation across the country.
Looking outward to our international counterparts is
also necessary in this regard.
As President Kevin will:
• Establish the Student Housing Action Committee (SHAC).
• Launch a country-wide rooms for study campaign, targeting the pressure areas.
• Outline a comprehensive plan for dealing
with the crisis in the short, medium and long
term.
• Work with the VP Welfare on mental, physical
and sexual health issues.
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Mergers and
Technological
Universities
With the onset of the first merged institutions likely in
the coming twelve to twenty-four months two types
of support will be needed. A national focus on issues
such as legislation and quality assurance and a local
focus on the amalgamation of the institutions.
As President Kevin will:
• Ensure adequate support is provided to
Students’ Unions before, during and after
amalgamation.
• Work with relevant SUs, institutions and
organisations on the TU Bill.
• Run a mergers working group for all institutions, based on identifying and tackling
issues raised by the merger practice.
Kevin for President 2015
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Institutional Memory and
Organisational Performance
USI, like many unions, has struggled with institutional memory due to the nature of our term limits. While it
is an issue we have recognised for a number of years it is not something we have dealt with adequately. USI
needs to deal with this issue, keeping in mind the value of our democratic structure.
Furthermore, the organisation stands to improve itself with a comprehensive external review of how we operate on a day to day and year to year basis.
As President Kevin will:
• Put in place a system for recording and detailing projects, campaigns and initiatives that USI engage with each year.
• Require all members of officer board to submit reports, for the records, of all campaigns we undertake.
• Engage in a comprehensive, independent review of our operations to ensure the strongest national union possible.
“Proper grassroots engagment will require
changing the way we support our members”
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Part Time Officers
The current method of training part time officers is ineffective and difficult to deliver. Campaigns such as the
one around the budget pose additional difficulties in providing adequate training for part time officers. We also
need to be more aware of the commitments part-time officers have over the summer and during term time.
As President Kevin will:
• Provide multiple opportunities for part-time officer training between June and September
• Encourage part time officers to engage in national council, particularly those from the hosting
institution.
• Introduce an all officer email to include part time officers.
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Kevin for President 2015
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An Ghaeilge
Tá sé tábhachtach d’AMLE an-aird choinneáil ar an Ghaeilge sna blianta amach romhainn. Tar éis dom rún a
chuir os chomhair na comdhála an bhliain seo chaite ag plé an ábaltacht a bheadh ann don LU Gaeilge a íoc,
mothaím gurbh éanois an t-am gur cheart dul ina bhun.
Agus é ina Uachtarán, déabamh Kevin cinnte:
• Rún a chuir os comhair comhdháil AMLE 2016 chun íocaíocht a chuir ar fail d’Leas Uachtarán an
Gaeilge, agus deis a thabhairt an tacaíocht a chuir ar fháil chun a bheidh chomh éifeachtach agus
chomh Iárnach is gur féidir ar champais.
• Feachtais ar son Scoláireachtaí na Múinteoirí Oilta san nGaeltacht.
• A bheidh lárnach lei an LU Gaeilge, le bheidh ag obair le earnáil na Gaeilge.
• Tacaím le dul chun cinn an Straitéis 20 bhliain don Ghaeilge, feachtais cearta teanga na heagraíochta, agus le Polasaí Gaeilge AMLÉ.
10 Commercial Activity
In line with reducing the cost of national engagement we need to increase our commercial activity. Meaningful cost reduction cannot be
achieved without gains in this area. USI has struggled in the past to successfully deliver major wins on commercial activity.
With the introduction of a commercial manager, and under my leadership, USI can and will see success in this area. A two pronged approach
of increasing revenue streams and reducing the cost of major events
through sponsorship will help with this.
As President Kevin will:
• Seek to increase appropriate sponsorship for major events such as Pink Training and the Student Summit.
• Outline a comprehensive target based approach to the work of the commercial manager.
• Reduce the cost and increase the value of the fresher’s packs.
• Launch the USI Extra Card and commit to its success across the country.
11 Student Union Training
Reducing the cost of SUT should be a priority for USI. Meaningful and
sustainable reduction has to be achieved in a responsible manner. This
can be done in line with the financial and commercial component outlined earlier.
Furthermore we need to ensure the training we provide is the best it can
be for our sabbaticals and their members. The introduction of SUT+ was
welcome and beneficial. However there is still room for improvement,
training and improvement should not be so restricted to early in the
year.
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President Kevin will:
Reduce the cost of SUT in a responsible and sustainable way.
Provide appropriate training to the appropriate officers.
Provide time relevant training throughout the year.
Kevin for President 2015
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12
Finances
At a time when SU budgets are being cut the cost of
working with USI remains punitive for many Students’
Unions. There are ways in which to reduce the cost
burden on unions while still delivering the high quality service they deserve.
Reducing the cost of USI engagement will also allow Students’ Unions to have a more well-resourced
union on a local level. A list of simple, non-invasive
actions will lead to an overall cost reduction for institutions.
As President Kevin will:
• Strive to reduce the cost of participating in
National Council, the national day of action,
congress and other events hosted by USI.
• Incentivise engagement in national campaigns by providing all necessary materials
to participating colleges.
• Introduce video conferencing services to reduce the cost and time of travelling to national meetings.
• Devise a strategic plan, in conjunction with
the commercial manager of USI to significantly reduce the cost of events such as SUT.
13 Graduate
Employability
While it is obviously necessary for USI to represent
students while in college, we also have a duty to ensure that they are best placed to face the world upon
leaving college. This is already done through engaging with quality assurance and promoting meaningful
student engagement. However we can do more in relation to graduate employability.
As President Kevin will:
• Work with SUs and career centres on campuses to run career information days on
campus.
• Hold a C.V. workshop at the student summit,
run by companies offering jobs at the event.
• Host regional events on graduate employability and worker rights throughout the
year.
14 Social and
Equality Issues
While the ME referendum is by no means won the
campaign undertaken by USI in the coming weeks
and months will demonstrate the value and power
of the youth vote, particularly in the event of a Yes
vote. We owe it to ourselves and to others to ensure
that we capitalise on this elevated platform and to
work on other equality issues. A successful campaign
on the issue would be a huge step forward for Irish
society. We cannot afford to rest on our laurels when
it comes to equality issues.
Issues such as the lack of women in leadership, the
8th amendment and gender recognition need to be
focused on in the coming years.
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President Kevin will:
Work with the VP EQ&C to execute a lobby of the Oireachtas on social issues.
Include suggested legislative amendments as part of this lobby.
Prioritise a student campaign on the 8th Amendment.
Continue the work undertaken by this year’s officer board on Women in Leadership.
Work with relevant organisations towards completing USI mandates.
Work with LGBT representative organisations such as TENI, BeLonG To and ShoutOut to determine how best the student movement can contribute to their campaigns.
• Work with a broad range of other representative organisations on equality issues.
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Kevin for President 2015
15 Entrepreneurship
16 Activism
There is serious potential for engaging with entrepreneurship in the national organisation. We need
a national event that focuses on the value of social
entrepreneurship. This event should provide support
and financial assistance to those involved. An event
that benefits not only the participants but society in
general is a significant opportunity for us.
Activism is a central and crucial part of what USI does.
In light of evolving tactics USI needs more comprehensive activist training to get the most from our activists so we can deliver more for our members. The
return of activist academy this year was a welcome
one and gives us an ideal platform on which to build.
As President Kevin will:
• Run a national event called Student Solutions to promote social entrepreneurship
among students.
• Build a network for social entrepreneurs
in college, through societies and on campus support networks.
• Distribute information on social enterprise supports throughout the country.
• Lobby relevant departments and organisations to increase funding in social enterprise.
As President Kevin will:
• Improve on this year’s activist academy.
• Build a more inclusive and connected
network of activists in towns and cities across the country.
• Encourage local and regional academies.
17 Student Summit
The Student Summit has the potential to be a major
yearly event for USI and its membership. The program designed by the current VP Welfare has seen
the event improve significantly in just its second year.
However we cannot rely on the interest of a handful
of officers each year if we wish to maintain and improve this event.
18 Employment and
As President Kevin will:
• Work with the commercial manager
and SUs to devise a five year strategic
plan for the student summit.
• Commit to a blended event that supports graduate jobs opportunities
and supports student enterprise.
• Introduce a competition called “Student Solutions” that will allow students to pursue social initiatives in
enterprise.
Worker’s rights
In line with work on social enterprise and graduate employability it is crucial for USI to ensure its members
are aware of their rights in the workplace, be that part-time work during college or full-time after. We cannot
ignore the exploitative nature of Job Bridge schemes or zero hour contracts and the effects they have on both
students and graduates.
As President Kevin will:
• Run a comprehensive campaign on workers’ rights in conjunction with graduate employability and enterprise events.
• Include information on workers’ right focusing on part-time work, in the USI Fresher’s bags.
• Make USI policy on workers’ rights and Job Bridge a priority.
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Kevin for President 2015
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Some of Kevin’s Experience
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Current USI Deputy President and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Quality Assurance.
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Chair of Education Working Group.
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Established USI’s first Legislation working group.
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Served as VP Border, Midlands and Western Region.
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Board member of Quality and Qualifications Ireland.
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Board member, National Forum for the enhancement of Teaching and Learning.
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Project leader on research retention project “why do students drop out of Higher Education?”
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A project leader on USI Fresher’s bags.
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Co-ordinated leaflet distribution for “Homes for Study” Campaign.
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Regional lead on USI’s “fed-up stand-up” campaign.
Kevin for President 2015