By 2nd Year Editor Aria Kazi.
With 16 students vying for Part-time Officer (PTO) positions in the student union elections, the competition is intense.
But what can realistically be achieved in one year?
Eleven candidates responded to the Bulletin, outlining their priorities, goals, and plans for the year ahead, not just what they promise, but also whether they are achievable.
Communication and visibility
Across faculties, communication, or the lack of it, emerged as a shared concern raised by each candidate.
While a few argued that support is entirely absent, many suggested that students often struggle to access or even become aware of the resources already available to them.
Nivedhika Stanley Paul Blessing, the Business School Student Leader candidate, believes that the issue is not a shortage of support, but a lack of awareness.
As a Class Representative and Faculty Board attendee, she argues that communication needs to be more structured and tailored to each year group. Her proposal includes weekly updates on Business School activities, more visible signposting of opportunities, and regular check-ins with class representatives to ensure information flows both ways.
The Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) representatives framed both accessibility and visibility as huge issues. One candidate, Lu Moreira, pointed to what she described as a divide within the faculty, where students often feel disconnected from other courses.
She proposes that she will open feedback forms and provide clearer updates on progress to emphasise her responsiveness and transparency. Similarly, fellow candidate Michael Farrelly stressed the importance of stronger feedback and for students to voice their concerns often so issues can be identified and addressed collectively.
Clubs Student leader Ansh Jain identified engagement and awareness as a central issue in DCU. In fact, he argues that students, especially first year and international students, feel left out of clubs and societies because they simply do not know how to get involved.
His proposals include clearer event calendars, stronger social media promotion, regular “Try a Society” events, and structured feedback systems to ensure students can directly shape club activities.
Jain emphasises implementation and accountability, promising monthly goals and measurable engagement tracking to ensure that increased visibility translates into real participation.
Postgraduate Student Leader candidate, Josh King, framed communication as a structural issue. He points out that he sees underrepresentation within the student union and limited engagement for postgraduate students.
Although their approaches differ, candidates across all faculties appear to agree on one point: representation must be visible, responsive and structured.
For Societies Student leader candidate Jayanr Chauhan believes that the issue is simply not just awareness but accessibility. He says that many students perceive joining societies as confusing and effort-heavy, which therefore discourages participation.
Chauhan proposes clearer funding transparency, simplified membership processes, and more collaborative events across societies to foster a stronger sense of campus community.
His campaign centres on practical delivery rather than broad promises, focusing on what students would tangibly notice within a year: clearer information, easier access, and more inclusive events.
Careers, placement and professional preparation
Another dominant theme across the faculties is employability and career support. Many of the candidates linked student pressure to not only academic stress but also placement, internships and life after graduation.
HSS representatives Niamh Dolan and Lu Moreira both highlighted what they see as a lack of faculty-specific career opportunities.
Niamh proposes organising a dedicated careers fair for Humanities and Social Sciences students as she argues that the existing fairs seem to only centre around business and law. Lu echoed this too, emphasising the need for earlier professional connections in fields where placements are limited or non-existent.
As for Engineering and Computing, Aznat Kareem also focuses on professional exposure, proposing more internships and “day in the life” talks to students, particularly to first-year students, to different career paths early in their degree.
Kamil, on the other hand, stressed the importance of identifying academic and workload issues that may be impacting long-term preparation, and he promises to collect clear student feedback on this.
For students in the institutions of education, Róisín Buckley centred her campaign on financial pressures linked to mandatory placements. She points to calls for a Placement Support Fund to assist student teachers with transport and material costs, arguing that financial strain should not prevent students from fully engaging in required professional training.
A common theme in the campaigns is students’ growing concern about life after graduation, not just their degree.
Accessibility, commuting and campus inclusion
Beyond communication and career support, candidates highlighted physical and structural barriers that affect students’ daily experience. From commuting to accessing software and faculty-specific places, these practical issues shape how supported students feel.
The candidates for HSS say that commuting was a frequent concern. Niamh notes of her two-hour daily journey and believes that there is a need for daytime events and accessible social opportunities, particularly for commuters and postgraduate students. Michael echoed this and highlighted the need for academic software and resources that students can access from home, which reduces unnecessary travel.
Science and Health candidate Rean Abu Rahman focuses on community and dedicated spaces. He explains that he was previously the chairperson of the Science and Health society and that he aims to create a social and academic hub for the faculty, just like those seen in engineering and Redbrick, providing a clear home base on campus.
Josh King points out that Postgraduate students also face additional challenges. Therefore, he proposes a housing platform to ease the search for accommodation. Alongside expanded orientation programmes, he hopes in both semesters to improve engagement and accessibility for students juggling multiple responsibilities outside college.
Across faculties, several candidates noted the importance of faculty-specific or student-led spaces. Lu wants quiet and well-equipped areas for HSS students, Rean seeks a dedicated social room for Science and Health, and Engineering candidates highlight the benefit of connecting first years with peers through workshops and “day in the life” talks.
The recurring theme is clear: students want more than academic support. They seek accessible resources, inclusive events, and spaces to feel part of their faculty community. Candidates propose practical ways to achieve this in a single year.
For both Clubs and Societies leadership candidates, inclusion is framed not only as social but structural. Ansh Jain focuses on beginner-friendly and cross-cultural engagement, while Jayant Chauhan stresses inter-society collaboration and transparent funding processes as tools to reduce barriers to entry.
Their proposals suggest that engagement is not simply about hosting more events, but about lowering the threshold for participation.
Structural change and long-term impact
While many campaigns focus on immediate improvements, better communication, accessible resources, and career support, some candidates are also pushing for longer-term structural change.
Postgraduate representative Josh King’s campaign is the most explicit example. He aims to expand the single, unpaid postgraduate officer role into three paid part-time positions, increasing representation from 7% to 20% of the SU Executive.
He also advocates for a Research Rep Council to ensure PhD researchers have a formal voice, alongside digital and orientation initiatives that would improve engagement across semesters. These proposals reflect a systemic approach, seeking to embed representation and support into the student union’s framework for years to come.
Other candidates are considering structural improvements on a smaller scale. Niv Stanley Paul Blessing in Business proposes clearer, year-specific communication pathways, ensuring opportunities are better targeted and class reps are supported.
Rean Abu Rahman in Science & Health aims to create dedicated faculty spaces to foster a sense of community and identity. For HSS candidates, Iara and Niamh focus on bridging divides between courses and improving feedback loops, while still acknowledging the practical constraints of a one-year term.
Across the board, candidates are balancing short-term deliverables with long-term vision. While some focus on concrete projects such as software access or social hubs, others are attempting to reform the structures that govern representation itself.
Together, these approaches illustrate the dual role of PTO candidates: addressing the immediate needs of students while also laying the groundwork for sustainable, long-lasting improvements.
Image Credit: DCU SU