Union victory for students
An automatic financial charge on Elms students who need a replacement room key on 10 occasions throughout the year has been wiped out by the University The Gown has learned. VP Welfare, Ciárnan Helferty, and VP Clubs and Services, Steffan Rafferty, pleaded the case on behalf of the 1500 students who make Elms their home for 38 weeks of the year.
The practice had been a £20 charge on top of the ten £3.50 charges per replacement key. This charge was demanded even if the student in question returned the misplaced key after receiving a replacement. With automatically locking doors, finding yourself locked out of your rooms is understandably easily done; therefore many students have had to avail of the replacement key facility. However, the £20 extra charge on top of the £35 already forked out seemed harsh on the student according to Mr Helferty and of advantage to no-one but the University.
The removal of this section of the Elms contract is a small victory for students and proof that, occasionally the Student’s Union can actually be of practical assistance… Meanwhile, a mandatory £20 charge on every student at the end of the year cited as ‘administration fees’ is being “looked into” by both the Union and the University.
The practice had been a £20 charge on top of the ten £3.50 charges per replacement key. This charge was demanded even if the student in question returned the misplaced key after receiving a replacement. With automatically locking doors, finding yourself locked out of your rooms is understandably easily done; therefore many students have had to avail of the replacement key facility. However, the £20 extra charge on top of the £35 already forked out seemed harsh on the student according to Mr Helferty and of advantage to no-one but the University.
The removal of this section of the Elms contract is a small victory for students and proof that, occasionally the Student’s Union can actually be of practical assistance… Meanwhile, a mandatory £20 charge on every student at the end of the year cited as ‘administration fees’ is being “looked into” by both the Union and the University.
posted by Gown Team at
3:37 pm
23 Comments:
I was informed by e-mail this morning from an Elms village official that there would be "essential maintenance" taking place at the site this week. What this did not include is that leery workmen will be perched outside 2nd floor windows at 8am every morining of Freshers week. Good to be told 2 days after work began! Way to go Elms!!
After 3 months of their term this is such a victory!!!
The thousands of pounds of University money spent funding them thus far is NOT a waste of money.
P.S: Anyone know what the relationship is between Mehall Harkin and the other executive officer? (Do you want me to repeat that in Irish?)
Is it true Mehaell Harkin proposed the erection of bi-lingual English-Oirish signs in the Students' Union and was told by his fellow executive members to quite frankly STFU?
Round of applause to Mr Helferty, what a truely outstanding accomplishment - I stand in awe of someone like you! Cometh the hour, cometh the man!!
If this is the greatest victory the exec can achieve why bother?
Yeah i know what you all mean, because making retrospecive changes to legally binding contracts is easy done... no problems there.
Seriously guys... if anyone wants to atctually talk to me about what i do all day - if anyone has any real concerns then please call in and see me. I am on the second floor of the Union Building... i would be more than happy to discuss any element of what i get up to wih any student.
And just to let you know
To date i have had 137 student cases in person and 279 enquires via email.
and have dealt with 16 Staff Student Consultative Committies, 14 Diciplinaries, 7 Appeals.
Queeran,
How could you have dealt with 16 SS/CCs when they have not been reconstituted?
As a member of an SSCC last year I have not been told of any meetings with yourself.
It is clear you have not followed the correct procedure in your dealings. Therefore if you have any self-respect you would RESIGN!
Umtata Ottobong...
I apologise, i meant SSPC'S.
Hope that clears that up and so... if its ok with you i will keep my post.
well done to Ciarnán - a good victory and one of many to follow.. i hope
Surely the replacement keys charge is an entirely appropriate "idiot tax." Now that the Elms can't raise this money from idiots are they going to have to increase rent for everyone else?
Come off it, it's hardly an 'idiot tax'!!
it is very easy to leave a keycard behind when you nip up to the kitchen, especially when you're coming from home where (i suspect) you're not used to having to remember your key every time you leave your bedroom!
In response to earlier comments, I think this is a great result, and hopefully a sign of things to come. The officers cant be expected to walk into their roles and start throwing their weight about, right away. It's only to be expected that these things take time, so well done ciarnan.
Cernand Helferty should lead an uprising on this issue.
Come on- power to the people -yeah!!!
We can do it!
Creran should resign.
Why? Why the hell should he? I do hate idiots who have noting better to do than snipe.
Peter Simon = Ciarnagne Helfery's friend
Peter Simon is prob Ciarnan's only friend, he's so false and pretentious is it any wonder people are talking about him. Ciarnans idea of a "victory" (when he's not saving the world obvisiously) is to have someone listen to him without switching off! he's just an OTT prat. The union exec is a farse, Mehaw is as thick as two short planks and as for our wonderful president- (i think not) who must have one heck of a sore ass sitting on the fence all the time, it's about time he realised that there is more to life than group hugs!!! Grow a set of balls!
Now now Emily, Ciarnan is not that bad (aye right). He did sort out the Queen's Elms key - life or death issue afterall. Isn't paying the sabatical officers £12,000 a year worth it for such victories??? I do have to agree with you on the Mehaw issue, yes he is as thick as two short planks and he's also incredibly inarticulate and is it just me or does he wear the same clothes i.e. GAA tops all the time!! One would have thought that on his sabacical salary he would have been able to afford more clothes, although it can be quite pricey travelling around Northern Ireland protesting at every Loyal Order March and Band Parade. Maybe he should speak to Ciarnan and enquire about a student discount card or open a Bank Of Ireland account and get one for free!! Cos if anyone can Ciarnan can (he's probably the only person who believes that)
Well said Shelly!! The Sabbatical officers are useless wasters and the biggest waste of money. John and Sarah aren't too bad. As for the other three, Ciarnan is a complete and utter bigot who would start a fight in an empty room. He has no room for compromise, although i suppose for compromise to occur he'd have to shut his face. Steffan, if he didn't have GAA in his life it would be empty. As for Mehaw - a complete and utter waste of space who's vocabulary doesn't stretch to words with more that two syllables. Whats happening to the union!!!
Emily and Shelly... its easy snipe from the back benches isn't it? maybe you both could grow a set of balls and confront ciaran and michál if you have problems with them.
Or maybe you could put yourself forward for election? I would think not though... as you both (if not the dame person) seem so self righteous that no one would vote for you
how much cash will the 'victory' save students?
bring back last years exec. Yeeeeeeooooooo!
Well apart from you kevin.
P.S: have you ejected any NI supporters from bars lately?
what is wrong with you people?
would it be too much to ask the few mindless people who leave comments on these pages under the guise of several different usernames and personalities to wise up, and put an end to this childish and slanderous behaviour?
The content of the comments some of you have left is nothing short of disrespectful.
Haven't you got enough work to be doing for your degree without trying to give other people a hard time? Or haven't you got any friends or any trace of a social life, that your only form of satisfaction is derived from sitting by yourselves writing nonsensical and pointless comments?
From reading your comments, the sabbaticals don't seem to have done anything to wrong you. John comes across as a good guy and the rest of his team seem fairly capable, so you could at least give them the benefit of the doubt.
If those of you who post negative comments and responses feel that you are so confident and knowledgeable on all things student and university related, then why don't you put yourself forward and seek election to the unon executive?
... or, wait, maybe you have???
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