March 2020

Welcome to your weekly email from your Students’ Union. We hope you are all doing okay during this stressful time. Your SU is here for you so keep in touch.

COVID-19 Updates

We hope you and your families/friends are keeping safe. We know that this is an unprecedented and stressful time for you all, and we have been working with the University to try to make the next few weeks a little easier for everyone.

1. Please take time to carefully read ALL of the updates from the University here. This should answer a lot of your questions.
2. The advice from the University is that if you can go home (whether your home is in Ireland or abroad) that you should do so, in the interest of your own and others safety. If you cannot go home and are staying on campus – you will be supported and accommodated until the end of your lease. There is also new legislation coming into effect today that will prevent evictions from private accommodation for the next 3 months. If you had been staying on campus, you will be reimbursed for time not spent in the accommodation but this will take time as staff are trying to put things in place for students who need to remain. Tune in to the accommodation online Q&A 11am-1pm tomorrow here.
3. It is very unlikely that classes will resume this coming semester, and online teaching started on Monday. Over the coming weeks it is going to be hugely important for you to check your Blackboard and NUI Galway email address, regularly, for updates. If you have trouble accessing either of these, then please contact ISS in NUI Galway.
4. Exams and Assessments will be moved to online/alternative methods. These will be done with as much flexibility as possible as the University recognises that we have a diverse student population. We have been working with the University to ensure the fairest possible exam set up is achieved and they will be emailing you shortly about this.
5. This is an incredibly stressful time for all of us and no one knows when this will end. We understand that this is not the best situation for students to be in coming up to exams but we are all available by phone or email for students. We are trying to keep people updated as much as possible when we get information ourselves. Here is the link to the NUI Galway supports page where all the contacts for support services in NUIG are available and up-to-date: http://www.nuigalway.ie/student-life/student-support/
6. If you have any Education queries you can contact Cameron on su.education@nuigalway.ie and if you have any Welfare queries you can contact Brandon on su.welfare@nuigalway.ie

Have Accommodation Queries?

This Friday the 27^th of March there will be a live Q&A from 11am-1pm. This Q&A will be accommodation specific so any questions or worries you have can be answered by a relevant staff member at NUI Galway. This will be on the university website AT THIS LINK. There will be further online Q&A sessions on the other issues facing NUI Galway students next week.

Marchathon Update

We are in the final week of the NUI Galway Marchathon challenge! Well done to Fiona Drayne from NUIG for winning the Week 3 photo competition and big congrats to the Red Hot Chilli Steppers NUIG team who are in 14th place on the national leader board.

There’s 2 ways to win goody bags this week:

1. Send in your Limerick about Adventure
2. Enter the “In My Shoes” Story Competition saying what you learned/achieved/changed during the challenge

Submit your entries via the www.activetravellogger.ie website by 2pm Mon 30^th March.

Remember to log your final steps of the challenge by 2pm Mon 30th March and keep up that social distancing outside

Flirt FM

Flirt FM is still on the air and all their amazing volunteers are doing great work putting together new shows to keep you entertained. Tune in on 101.3FM or here.

Clubs Ball Update

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis the Clubs Ball is postponed. All ticket holders are being refunded via Eventbrite. Tickets will be on sale again when we have a new date for the postponed event which will hopefully be next semester. Anyone who is graduating this year will be welcome to the event also.

NUIG Support Services for You

Here is the link to the NUI Galway supports page where all the contacts for support services in NUIG are available and up-to-date: http://www.nuigalway.ie/student-life/student-support/

Socs Awards Update

The deadline for nominations for the NUIG Society Awards is the 29th of March and the awards will be celebrated in September. More info and how to nominate is available HERE.

Lockers

We won’t be emptying out any lockers during the campus shutdown. As soon as campus is accessible again you can retrieve items from your locker.

Societies Isolation Survey

The Societies Office are looking for your feedback on what supports you need during this tough time. Please fill out their survey about individuals during isolation, and societies during isolation. Survey link here.

ALIVE Volunteering Cert Deadline Extended

We are extending our Deadline for all students to complete the award to noon on Tues 31st March. Log in with your student id and your student password to update your Presidents Award application here: www.yourspace.nuigalway.ie Remember to hit save! All reflection questions should be answered for the review committee to deem your application qualified. All Certificates will be awarded online and students can download their Certificate.

Training Motivation and COVID-19

Here’s a great article by NUI Galway Health Psychologist Dr Jane Walsh about Training Motivation and how to stay focused in the face of COVID-19. Read it here.

Applications for NUIG Sports Scholarships extended to 15th May

These are open to new and current NUIG students. More info and online application HERE.

Bike Usage Survey

Some NUIG MSc students studying Global Environmental Economics would like you to take a couple of minutes to complete their survey regarding bike usage in Galway on behalf of NUI Galway HERE.

COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is a new social welfare payment for employees and self-employed people who are unemployed or who have their hours of work reduced during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. This includes people who have been put on part-time or casual work. You can apply for the payment if you are aged between 18 and 66 and have lost employment due to the coronavirus restrictions. Students can apply for the payment.

Free Sahaja Yoga Meditation Galway

Join a free online introduction to meditation class this Saturday 28^th March at 1pm at sahaj.me or meditate now at wemeditate.co.

Academic Skills Team

The Academic Skills Team are available to help. Contact them on academicskills@nuigalway.ie  if you have a query and they will do their best to help.

Helplink Free Counselling Services during COVID-19

Helplink Mental Health are providing the below counselling services nationally online (via a free app on Smartphones/laptops/PCs), for FREE or at low costs; 7 days a week to people’s homes and other private spaces (car, office, shed, barn, while you’re walking, etc.).

• Free counselling for people laid off work by the COVID 19 crisis (6 sessions).

• Free counselling for people with addictions to gambling, alcohol and/or drugs.

• Free counselling for Irish returning home.

• Free counselling for Irish living abroad.

More info here.

Academic Writing Centre open for Online Appointments

For the next two weeks, the AWC will provide distance appointments. Appointments can be made 1 day in advance. To book, email awctutors@gmail.com stating your student number and availability. One of our tutors will get back to you to arrange an appointment.

Mind Your Mind!

Minding your mental health is critical during this time. This will be a difficult time for many so we encourage you to try to keep to a routine with study, food and exercise and check in with friends and family using social media, the phone or other online platforms. If you are feeling anxious please reach out for support through the following channels:

1. Text SPUNOUT to 086 1800 280 for 24/7 support anytime/anywhere.
2. HSE www.yourmentalhealth.ie
3. LGBT Ireland Helpline: 1890 929 539 info@lgbt.ie or online chat at lgbt.ie
4. Rape Crisis Helpline: 1800 77 8888 or counselling@rcc.ie
5. Samaritans: 116 123 or jo@samaritans.ie
6. The Chaplaincy Service is available to support students and staff remotely during normal working hours ben.hughes@nuigalway.ie
7. NUI Galway Student Counselling is continuing to operate, remotely online or by phone email counselling@nuigalway.ie

Sin

Read the latest issue of Sin newspaper online HERE for all your NUI Galway news.

Keeping Active

1. Cultivate an exercise routine (preferably with a dose of fresh air or bodyweight exercises)
2. Preserve sleep routine and hygiene (decrease screen time 30 min prior to bedtimes)
3. Maintain healthy eating and adequate hydration
4. Incorporate basic mobility practice such as yoga

Online Library services available during Library closure

The Library is closed until further notice due to the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. This link gives information on contacting the Library and accessing online Library services during the closure.

Fines will be suspended for books due back during the library closure.

Contact Us

You can contact the Students’ Union by email to studentsunion@nuigalway.ie with any questions you may have.