Printing
Every year, 12 million pages are printed in UCC. On any given day of the week, students queue for printing facilities in UCC. Even in the run-up to exams, few if any queue for library space (where there is full library capacity). Hundred of hours of study time are wasted by queuing for printers this can only get worse in the current arrangement

The number of printers in the open access labs are inadequate. Firstly, we should follow the line from Argos – when your number pops up your printing is ready to be printed and secondly – print dialogue boxes should be on each computer so we can view, select and cancel print jobs rather than queuing for hours.

Trends in 3rd level are toward re-distribution of information. Print Quotas/paid must be resisted. Internet-driven teaching techniques including Blackboard and JSTOR etc are often the only alternative to our under stocked library. Restricting access to printing would seriously damage learning.

Computer Facilities
While the number of PCs on campus has increased in recent years, more open access computers are still needed. We must keep up pressure on the University to maintain the facilities we have effectively and to develop new resources. The provision of wireless network has been of benefit but the Union must provide an effective lap top purchase scheme so that students who can afford laptops get the best value for money. Also, wireless technology is mostly available in UCC’s restaurants, which is frequented by people who want to eat as opposed to work. We need to look at where wireless can be expanded i.e. all areas of the new library


I will campaign for:

• An end to queuing in open access labs – we should be able to sit till our jobs are ready to been printed (IE, when there is only 3 people in front of you)
• We should explore ideas to cut down waiting time such as slow/fast printing labs
• Increased provision of open access PCs
• Continued free printing without quotas
• Maintain the updating computers in the open access labs and install more printers
• Work with Learning Technologies Unit to ensure the academic staff in UCC take simple steps such as uploading PowerPoint slides ready to print multiple slides to a page.
• Investigate the development of extra Wireless hotspots (especially in libraries) and look into stream lining the registration process.
• The Student Information Network (sin.ucc.ie) should be a desktop link on every open access computer – this will assist with its promotion and make it a facilty for students.

Student Email

Webmail is infinitely better in recent times than it has been. However, cheap software can only go so far. We must insist that the disparity in funding between staff email accounts and student email accounts be bridged if the college is insistent on moving towards the electronic admin model. It is simple not adequate. Dropped emails, spam and capacity issues aren’t acceptable if students are to actually rely on their student email.

ALLSTUDENTS Emails
I'm guilty of it, many students who organize student activities are. There shouldn’t be so many allstudent emails. Student activities should not be hampered in advertising themselves – we just need to work though effective alternatives.

We need to target announcement emails better, Random 2nd year Food science student (etc) shouldn’t be annoyed by random Commerce class party (etc). Simple? I think so.

Every society now has their own member’s mailing lists for announcements. These will really take full effect next year when sign ups lists are tailored for digitizing from the start. These should drastically reduce the spamming of allstudents. College data can (and has) been used to pre build mailing lists with class information. Just like this year Societies used an allfreshers list.

• Encourage maintenance of society mailing lists
• Directed class mailing lists and appropriate year lists should streamline the emails from the SU/Reps/UCC
• Reinstate class rep mailing lists for contacting members of the classes they represent
• Proper use of blackboard for class based announcements