How Your Union Works
- Details
- Category: Your Union
- Published on Saturday, 09 August 2008 15:21
Mary I Students’ Union (MISU) provides support, representation and services to its members who are the students of MIC. MISU represents the student body in negotiations with college staff and management and with other organisations on a local, national and international level. Students are represented by the elected Mary I Students’ Union executive committee officers. The union is administered by the General Manager, Receptionist and Accounts Technician.
Mission Statement | Aims | Objectives | Referendum | Union General Meeting | Union Council | Executive Committee | President
Mission Statement
"Giving you a voice, helping you to use it, enriching your college experience."
Aims
- Give students a say in their own student/college life
- Protect and represent students in academic and non-academic matters
- Create a positive college experience for students
- Help new students integrate into college life
- Facilitate extra-curricular activities for students
Objectives
- Working together with all college departments to ensure that key relationships are developed and maintained
- Providing assistance, information, services, guidance, security and entertainments for the student population
- Providing the best possible balance between academic and social experiences
- Being an approachable and welcoming point of contact for students, even if it’s just for a chat!
- Encouraging increased student participation in extra-curricular activities
- Improving the college physical environment
Referendum 
A referendum, like any referendum, is the ultimate decision making device of the SU. If you want something big to change in the SU or how it works, this is how it’s done. A referendum can be called by the Exec, Union Council or a petition from at least 15% of the Union’s membership. For a referendum to be valid, at least 5% of Union members must vote.
There' more info on referendums here.
Union General Meeting [UGM]
The General Meeting (UGM) is the supreme governing body of the SU and is held twice a semester. UGMs are open to all students to attend. The UGM has the power to mandate Union Council and the Exec. There must be at least 5% of the Union at it for it to actually take place.
Union Council [UC]
Union Council (UC) meets every second Wednesday and consists of all the Class Reps and the SU Exec, although it is open to all students. This is where students can come and vent about what’s annoying them about life in MIC. More importantly though, Class Reps inform the Exec of any problems they are having in their classes as well. The Exec will then try and sort these issues out or at least explain why they are the way they are. So it is vital that you link in with your Class Rep if you have a problem and then they will inform the Exec. We will achieve so much more as a Union if these lines of communication are kept open. Class Reps mandate the Exec to follow through on what happens at UC to make sure they are working for the students. If we’re not doing our jobs, call us out on it!
For more info on Class Reps, see here. For more info on Union Council and the minutes of Union Council, click here.
Executive Committee [Exec]
The Exec consists of the SU President and Vice President, the six elected SU officers (elected each March) and the UC Chairperson. The Exec meets on a weekly basis throughout the year. A lot of what is discussed at UC is discussed in more detail at Exec, as well as the planning for various events.
For more info on the Exec, click here.
President
Mairéad is our glorious leader this year. She’s the woman when it comes to co-ordinating all aspects of the SU and its dealings with you, the students. She sits on over 20 committees with all the big-wigs in Mary I (and sometimes UL) which means she’s at meetings a lot on your behalf. She fights for all the big stuff like parking, better student rights and a whole heap of other important things. So if you have a problem, she needs to hear about it.
There's more details on the President here.