UCDSU has provisionally increased Class Representative numbers by 46% on last year, following the first round of elections.
With approximately 180 reps elected*, the SU has surpassed their most recent pre-COVID figures by 35 seats, with 135 reps sitting on the 2019/20 academic council.
SU engagement had been dwindling prior to the pandemic, culminating in last year's Sabbatical Officer elections, held twice due to a Re-Open Nominations (RON) campaign spurred on by how many roles were run uncontested. Subsequently, this most recent SU election season indicates a change for the better in SU engagement and perceptions of the SU on campus.
Outside of this massive uptick in Class Rep numbers, approximately 116 students further students ran for a position, but did not receive the necessary votes to hold their constituency council chair.
When asked how she felt about this years Class Rep figures so far, Campaigns and Engagement Officer Robyn O’Keeffe said, “Overall, I am happy with the level of engagement and eagerness students are showing for the upcoming year and we are already receiving interest from students looking to run in the by-elections, which will take place in a few weeks. We are encouraging unsuccessful candidates not to be discouraged as we still have positions available on the Campaigns Forum and the Ents Forum as well as opportunities to join our new campaigns crews and become community reps.”
Approximately 180 seats on SU Council are now filled, with more remaining on offer in the currently unfilled Class Rep seats, as well as officer and community rep positions that are unfilled. Full details on the open roles can be found on the SU website (ucdsu.ie), or by contacting Robyn O’Keeffe at campaigns@ucdsu.ie.
*At time of publication, finalised class rep figures have not been made public.