Student engagement with societies and the SU at UCD is traditionally poor. Jack McCann looks at the problem, and asks how we can fix it.
With the recent low turn-out in the Students’ Union elections and USI referendum, the question has been raised about student engagement with the Union and society events across campus.
Turn-out for some races in the elections was at a minimum 50 per cent down compared to the previous year, when turnout had been at one of its highest levels for years. Due to that extremely good turnout this year’s elections were always going to have a tough job to reach those heights. Student engagement with societies has always been an issue, no matter what society it may be. The idea of ‘provide it and they will come’ is not the case regarding societies. The lack of engagement can be put down to a few key things: communication, interest and what is offered.
Most people don’t read their emails. Plain and simply, when people receive loads of emails at the start of the week, they may read the start of them all just to see who they’re from but it’s probably rare for all the emails sent to a student to all be read top to bottom.
Some students’ main purpose is to spend the minimum amount of time as possible in college and get out after the minimum amount of time required. These people aren’t wasters – they’re people who, if they have a lecture at 11 and 2, they’ll go to them but either leave college at 2.50 or go to the library for a bit and then leave. They just don’t have an interest in being involved in the extra-curricular activities on campus, as often they have activities or commitments off campus that they’ve kept up and don’t want to drop.
That’s what they do and that’s allowed. However, when people talk about the lack of student engagement with societies, that group of students has to be remembered as they make up a large number of the student body.
Even though there are many societies – over 70 according to the societies’ website – many of the events that are held throughout the year hold a lot of similarities. There are only so many tea and coffee mornings that students are able to cope with. To be fair, societies have only limited resources. The people who make up the committees are full-time students and there are rules and regulations that they have to abide to when running events.
In terms of engagement with the Students’ Union, there has been an extremely indifferent relationship between students and itself for years; it is not a new phenomenon. Many students who have an interest in student politics feel that UCD Students’ Union has not been orientated around the students enough and has focused on other issues too much. This relationship came to the fore during the USI referendum.
Ask most students you come across on campus three questions: 1. Do you know where the Societies’ corridor is? 2. Do you know where the Students’ Union are based? and 3. Have you been to either? The majority will answer no to the last question, and most probably won’t be able to tell you where either of them are either. Students are a lot less likely to get involved in a society or Union if they don’t know where either is located. Many students, mainly first years, don’t know how to get involved even if they had an interest.
Getting first years interested is paramount to any long-term student engagement plan for any society or the Union. If you successfully engage first years, you have the foundations for a committee or Union representatives for the next two to three years.
Getting first years involved could be done by allowing them to organise a society or Union event from the start to finish with little to no other input from other people other than to offer guidance every now and then or when asked to help.
People interested in being involved will take the chance when they are offered it. To engage those who have less interest, it’s probably best to ask them why they’re not interested and start from there. Actions speak louder than words.
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