2020-2040

• We started the “RipOffNUIG” campaign for highlighting financial barriers to education like repeat exam fees that students pay. This included TikTok videos, petitions, letter writing, media coverage, meetings and extensive time being mentioned in the Dáil. We secured €60,000 in refunds for students doing repeat exams and students who receive the special rate of SUSI and Financial Aid Fund(FAF) will not be burdened with the cost ever again.
• We distributed 12,150 reusable masks to students in the SU Pop Up in the Quad for the starting weeks of the semester. This was the only interaction many students had on campus in person this year.
• We reduced the student levy via referendum from €224 to €140 for all students. As a barrier to education that not even SUSI covers, it’s vital to be as affordable as possible. €3 of the levy was mandated by council to go towards the Irish language and CÉIM’s found secure funding.
• The Charity Challenge had almost 400 participants raising money and challenging ourselves to do things out of our comfort zone with 6 challenges over 6 months.
• We raised €13,000 for our three chosen charities this year: Galway Rape Crisis Centre, Mental Health Helplink and Galway Autism Partnership through the Charity Challenge and other events.
• We ran and passed referendums on the creation of an Environmental and Sustainability Officer and changing of the Students’ Union Council Chairperson to an external position in line with best practice in unions across the country.
• We campaigned for accommodation refunds for any students who didn’t need accommodation when the university shut down. All university accommodation refunded students with many private operators following suit. One private operator was removed from the NUI Galway website for not cooperating.
• We ran a lot of successful events including 25 Hump Day Hoolies with the goal of creating new friendships online. Up to 200 students come for some weeks of the Hoolie. Students would stay chatting until late into the night and even kept one call going for a full week. The event was replicated by many other SU’s across the country.
• We presented and wrote regular papers to the University Management Team on student issues.
• We increased student engagement on various issues on campus through regular working group meetings on sustainability, student fees, the levy and nursing and health care staff.
• We increased voter turnout by 4.7% in the Students’ Union Elections Full Time Officer Elections.
• Delivered on a parking refund and price reduction refund to everyone in NUI Galway.
• NUI Galway SU was shortlisted for eight categories in the Student Achievement Awards Ireland including: Access Champion of the Year – #RipOffNUIG, An Gradam Éacht ar son na Gaeilge – Róisín Nic Lochlainn, Club/Society of the Year – Feminist Society, Full-Time Officer of the Year – Róisín Nic Lochlainn, International Student of the Year – Mansi Kesarwani, Postgraduate Champion of the Year – Sebastiaan Birema and Welfare Campaign of the Year –  SHAG Week.
• Received highest award of gold for Bonn na Gaeilge from USI.
• Got repeat exam capping removed, exam board leniency and deferrals for singular exams with less reasoning needed for students.
• Organised beach cleans along the Galway city coast and held Sustainable Mondays as part of campaigning on sustainability.
• Joined as champions of Galway Park City and passed a mandate at council for this to continue in years to come.
• We helped organise and participated in the third Christmas Tree Lighting celebrating staff and students coming together as part of the NUI Galway community.
• Elected nearly 600 class reps, 450 completed training, over 300 attended our first meeting and record numbers at our college councils.
• We engaged with both local and national media on many student issues including the review of SUSI, COVID-19, re-opening campus, mental health, international student issues and accommodation.
• Worked with USI on campaigns throughout the year including the Education For All Campaign, bringing a bill on student accommodation to the Dáil and a bill on international student insurance to the Seanad.
• We ran campaign weeks such as sexual health awareness and guidance, Seachtain na Gaeilge, diversity, the environment and sustainability, Substance Awareness and Wind Down Weeks before exams.
• CÉIM, our peer assisted learning programme, went online for the year with great success in connecting students together.
• Secured that Scéim Conaithe which will be starting in September to allow for Irish speakers to live with each other in on-campus accommodation.
• Weekly clinics for mature students and disabled students were setup, meet your officer events and essay workshops along with many other events were hosted by our part time officers.

2020-21
President: Pádraic Toomey

• We distributed 7,000 reusable tote bags and 3,000 SU keep cups to students in the SU Pop Up in the Quad.
• We secured additional outdoor seating on campus.
• We raised €11,000 for our two chosen charities this year: Galway Rape Crisis Centre and BeLonG To LGBT+ Youth through different events such as Take Me Out, Sex Toy Bingo, Charaoke, Raffles, Sports Day and more.
• We organised different events such as the Hump Day Hoolie, Vintage Clothing Fairs, Bingo Loco, Taylor Swift Club Nights, Outdoor Cinema and Walk & Talks.
• We ran and passed a referendum on the creation of a full time Vice President for the Irish Language (Leas Uachtarán don Ghaeilge), becoming the first SU in third level to do so.
• We spoke at several launches in NUIG such as the official launch of their Stráitéis na Gaeilge (Irish Language Strategy 2021-2025) and the launch of the Speak Out Report Tool.
• We presented and wrote regular papers to the University Management Team on student issues.
• We were shortlisted for ten categories in the Student Achievement Awards Ireland including: Access Champion of the Year – Anne Marie Ward, An Gradam Éacht ar son na Gaeilge – Club of the Year – Surf Club, Full-Time Officer of the Year – Róisín Nic Lochlainn and Clodagh McGivern, International Student of the Year – Matthew Connolly, Part Timer of the Year – Eímear Nig Oireachtaigh, Sai Gujulla and Niamh McGrath, Environmental and Sustainability Campaign of the Year – Sustainable Mondays and Student Pantry, Academic Representative of the Year – Jason Sherlock, Society of the Year – Mincéirs Whiden, Outstanding Mental Health Activism – Mincéirs Whiden
• Received highest award of gold for Gníomhaí Gaeilge for USI/Conradh na Gaeilge.
• We began a partnership with the Hygiene Bank Ireland and did monthly donation drives.
• We created our SU TikTok account which had the highest engagement of any SU on TikTok.
• Organised beach cleans and held Sustainable Mondays as part of campaigning on sustainability.
• We spoke at the first Housing Rally of 2021 and attended other events such as the launch of Galway Pride.
• We helped organise and participated in the third Christmas Tree Lighting celebrating staff and students coming together as part of the NUI Galway community.
• Elected over 600 class reps, 300 attended our first meeting and record numbers at our councils which were returned to in person, and we trained over 100 class reps in JAM card training. We engaged with both local and national media on many student issues including the review of SUSI, re-opening campus, mental health, international student issues, minimum unit pricing, gender-based violence and accommodation.
• Worked with USI on campaigns throughout the year including the Cost of College Campaign, Give Us Our Grads and more.
• We worked with Conferring Office to finally get in-person graduations after 2 years for the classes of 2020 and 2021.
• We ran campaign weeks such as sexual health awareness and guidance, Seachtain na Gaeilge, Diversity, the environment and sustainability, Mental Health Awareness and Brain Week.
• We ran our first ever Consent Week in NUI Galway SU.
• After meeting with the Minister for Higher Education, we secured €9 million allocation for free antigen tests for students
• We ran our #NoInPersonExams campaign, 50% of exams were moved online as a result.
• CÉIM, our peer assisted learning programme, continued to go from strength to strength.
• Weekly clinics for mature students and disabled students were setup, meet your officer events and essay workshops along with many other events were hosted by our part time officers.
• We received a commitment from NUI Galway to provide free period products on campus bathrooms and began the procurement process for this.
• We provided free Irish classes to students.
• We officially launched the “Ask for Angela” scheme in Galway City, working with Galway City Council and local venues to roll this out.
• We launched JAM card with the University
• We held a protest outside the April meeting of Governing Authority to lobby for lecture recordings to be made available for students.
• We worked with class reps to launch the Student Pantry, the first of its kind in third level, to tackle food wastage.
• Two of our Full Time Officers, Clodagh and Róisín, were elected to the USI as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Leas Uachtarán don Ghaeilge
• We celebrated NUI Galway’s first Irish Traveller Ethnicity Week, led by our ethnic minorities officer Anne Marie Ward who was the first Irish Traveller ever elected to this position.
• We hosted USI Comhairle Náisiúnta in Galway in June.

2021-22
President: Róisín Nic Lochlainn

• Received 9 Student Achievement Award (SAAI) Nominations and won 4 SAAI Awards – International Student of the Year, Environmental & Sustainability, Full-Time Officer of the Year and Access Champion of the Year
• Won the Gníomhaí Gaeilge Gold Award for Irish language Activism
• It was our first year of having a Full-time Irish language officer
• Developed future plans for the Student Pantry
• Held Social Events for Postgraduate Students
• Won Best Delegation, Best Speaker and Best Speech Awards at USI Comhdhail
• Secured more Outdoor seating on campus including Outdoor Pods
• Secured extra Study Spaces for exams
• Launched the SU Síbín a new Social Space in the Library Basement
• Signed the Partnership Agreement with the University around Student-Centred Decision-Making and Student Participation and Engagement
• Hosted our first ever SU Drag Race in Sult
• Seachtain na Gaeilge – Hosted the annual international festival promoting the Irish language and culture
• Seachtain Ghaelach – Weeklong events in Semester 1 promoting the Irish language and culture
• International Conferences: Attended two Enlight conferences in Göttingen and an ESU (European Students Union) Board meeting in Georgia.
• Large scale events: SOS & Hallows with the Socsbox along with Fáilte Fest, Christmas Day and Consent Week.
• Refreshers Fairs for everyone in September and January welcoming them back to the campus
• Launched the Fainne Nua Ollscoill na Gaillimhe for the University which shows fluency in, or a willingness to speak, the Irish Language
• Youth Assembly on Climate change
• Hosted USI Pink Training, Launched An Foclóir Aiteach – the first ever Queer Dictionary in Irish
• International Orientation semester 1 & 2
• Accommodation Protest, WalkOut, PhD Stipends Protest, Gaeilge4All, Cost of Living Protest, CATU Protest, BDS Palestine Protest, Ireland4All, Talk to a TD
• Increased a block of 16 to 32 rooms on Campus as part of the Sceim Conaithe dedicated to students who wish to live together and use the Irish Language
• Raised €19,000 for the SU charities – Galway Rape Crisis Centre and Galway Simon Community with events such as the Shave Off, Galentine’s Day Brunch, Take Me Out, Sex Toy Bingo and Drag Race.
• Funding secured for a Consultant Psychiatrist
• Revived the Irish language drama society An Cumann Dramaiochta
• Environmental and Sustainability initiatives such as: Global Activism Week, green careers events, Beach clean-ups, Lunch with the sustainability officer, Wasted Week, SU Climate Crew, Eco-Bricks, SDG Panel and Glassary
• Drafted and Launched the Union’s Environmental and Sustainability Strategy
• Participated in the HSE STI test campaign which was viewed over 2 million times
• Class Reps: 563 Class Reps elected; created and launched E-learning Module for Class Reps; safeTALK Training; Election reforms for Postgraduates

2022-23
President: Sai Gujulla

2023-24
President: Dean Kenny