USI politics may take a turn for the better with consensus approach

After A long period that all associated with it would like to forget, USI seems to have a turned a corner. Glowing reports are emanating from such unlikely sources as the Revenue Commissioners and students' union officers who were elected on disaffiliation platforms.

In the midst of last year's faction fighting and farcical meetings, the union's trustees commissioned a review process to address serious shortcomings in its structures. Although the review, which has not yet been finalised, did not stop the resignation of several high-ranking members, including president Dermot Lohan, it seems that many of the changes it brought about are bearing fruit. A report commissioned by the trustees had earlier found that "USI used to be taken seriously as a player but is not any more". As well as a prevalent backbiting atmosphere USI had a "perceived unprofessionalism".

As part of the effort to address some of these criticisms, the number of support staff at the union has been increased from two to four, one of whom is a general manager entrusted with much of the day-to-day running of the union. These additions are meant to bring continuity and expertise to the union, enabling its elected members to stick to their primary role of lobbying.

The changes, it seems, came not a moment too soon: over the summer the union was the subject of a Revenue Commissioners' inspection.

According to USI president Philip Madden, the union was given the all clear. Although he won't describe the man from Dublin Castle as being surprised, he says "let's just say he didn't find what he expected. He had all these newspaper cuttings stretching way back but he said he couldn't see what all the fuss was about."

Madden says the union is "getting back to the fact we are a student body representing the students of Ireland and making sure we give them the service they deserve."

USI also runs training courses for member union sabbatical officers over the summer. In these also, Madden says, they adopted a more realistic view. "The meetings are normally a mix of politics and training, but this year we took all the politics out and concentrated on training," he says.

The politics was instead left to a national council in late August, where executive officers came up with timetables for translating election promises and council resolutions into achievable goals.

This mood of realism has impressed many. One president said that the training given had been excellent, and "I would have been on the opposite side in the elections". Another said: "I can't believe how well everything is going - it really gives you hope for the year."

The most uncharitable voice said that it seemed the executive officers were "talking the talk" about developing a consensus approach to matters. Needless to say, he would now like to see them walk the walk.

Another said that while it was early days yet, at least the ideas coming out were right.

Feedback such as this has given USI a new confidence and the desire to be take seriously again. "There is a lot of good will out there towards USI. People wanted it to work and will support us and that has made us more ambitious," Madden says.

This ambition takes them down avenues such as the post-Partnership 2000 negotiations, where Madden feels "it is time we got our feet under the table."

Madden says USI has also set about achieving its key campaigning aims - an increase in campus accommodation, raising the maintenance grant up to the level of social-welfare payments and abolishing capitation fees - with renewed vigour.

He also intends to keep "hammering away at the edges" of education and has had early success with ESF grants (see panel).

"We've set the Government a deadline of October 13th to get back to us," says Madden. And if it doesn't? "We will ballot the student population," he says. This could mean "strikes, protests occupation, some form of direct action - you never know what they might come up with."

Fighting talk. But as any student knows, its a long way from the optimism of freshers' week to the day you see your grades on the wall - and there is often a lot of heartbreak and hassle on the way.