A significant majority students in University College Cork (UCC) have voted to pay more in capitated charges, in order to improve funding of the college’s student media outlets and establish common rooms in UCC’s satellite campuses.
Sixty per cent of students voted to pay an extra €5 per year for the services, in a referendum run alongside University College Cork Students’ Union (UCCSU) elections.
Previously, UCCSU charged students €2 to fund its three media outlets, the University Express, Motley Magazine and UCC 98.3FM. A further €3 went towards the upkeep of common rooms on campus.
The new charge will go towards the establishment of new common rooms in UCC’s satellite campuses, and will provide more money to the college’s student media.
A straw poll conducted by the University Express before the referendum predicted that 64.8 per cent of students would vote for the increase.
In a tweet last night, Motley Editor Lucas Brun said he was “delighted” at the result: “Months of planning and hard work, doubts and worries, all in the attempt to allow our media to survive.”
Cailean Coffey, the Editor of the University Express, tweeted: “Thank you so much to everyone who took time out of their day to vote for the capitation increase for Student Media in UCC.”
The results of several other referendums run by UCCSU were also announced last night. In one, 53 per cent of students voted to make pronouns in UCCSU’s constitution gender neutral, while 57 per cent voted to restructure UCCSU’s system of electing representatives from different schools.
Students also voted to mandate UCCSU to campaign for drug decriminalisation, with over 70 per cent voting in favour.
Ben Dunlea was elected UCCSU President, defeating Bea McCarthy to the role.
