Your Postgrad officer:

Martin Lawless

Phone: 087 257 3060

Email: graduate@ucdsu.ie

Hi Folks,

My name is Martin Lawless and I am your elected Graduate Officer representing all postgraduate students in UCD for the 2011/2012 year.

Post graduates have particular and discreet requirements for support, resource allocation, study needs and time allocation. Many of the UCD facilities are geared towards under graduates and it is the Student Union's intention this year to attempt to refocus the allocation of these resources more equitably to reflect the substantial and growing numbers of postgraduate students in the University.

In order to achieve this, we in the Students' Union need your support in order to prioritise what you require. There are in excess of forty vacancies on students' council specifically for graduate representatives and previously less than five of these have been filled, leading to serious under representation of postgraduates when decisions about resource allocation are being made in relation to issues such as welfare, education and entertainment. We therefore need your help to understand what is required and how you would like to see both the Students' Union and the University deal with postgraduate students and their affairs.

Please feel free to contact me at graduate@ucdsu.ie if you need any help or support, assistance, advice or just need someone to talk to. I am here to help and plan to conduct weekly clinics in different faculties each week where I will be available at specific times if you need assistance or advice. Check the Students' Union website for my availability and location.

Thanks,

Martin