Maynooth University Are Axing Yet Another Important Student Facility
It was announced on Friday that Maynooth University is taking away the Rye Hall venue from the Mathematics Support Centre (MSC) to convert the space into a lecture hall. The service has been helping students since 2007, and according to the Maynooth Students' Union Facebook page, 'the MSC makes a significant contribution to the student learning experience and has had over 130,000 student visits.'
The decision was made completely without any sort of correspondence with the Students Union. Not only that, but the University have also made the decision to change the common room into a classroom. Like in any college, the common room is absolutely integral for societies, commuters and student life in general.
Computer Science and Maths student Dylan told us how important both facilities were to his student life;
'The Maths support centre was so invaluable to me to help with assignments, general study throughout the year and then coming up to exam time with the various workshops they ran for different modules. I can easily say that I would not be doing nearly as well in my degree if it wasn't for the services that the MSC provided and should continue to provide for future students.'
Maynooth Students' Union have started a petition to keep the common room as it is, and students have been showing their support on Twitter;
MU is fast becoming a vampire of a university. Pack in the students, gut the services and facilities, shut down the SU voice, make profits.
— rick and morto (@DylanTeeBH) May 5, 2017
@gomaynooth @MaynoothUni
Overcapacity & lacking classrooms? Just take yet another resource from the student body!#CommonRoomNotClassroom— Eoin M. Hoey (@Eoin_Hoey) April 27, 2017
(2)... when it comes to building more space to accomodate living and learning. #maynooth #commonroomnotclassroom @MaynoothUni
— future south dublin rugby dad (@_postpunkdad) April 27, 2017
This is another instance of a university taking away student facilities that play an integral part of student and society life. Dylan went on to say, 'Students, especially commuters, need these spaces to sit and relax, get some study done, meet friends, eat lunch etc.' He explained, 'only recently the Students Union installed microwaves and other facilities for students which were really positively accepted by people who use that space.'
The Maths Support Centre is one of the reasons that I am now in Final year. Maths was never something that I found easy, so having a place..
— Manus (@MannieIV) May 5, 2017
It's clear that Maynooth students are absolutely disgusted with this behaviour by the University. Both of these major decisions were made without any consultation with the Students' Union.
Should major decisions like this be allowed to pass without any say by the students? Let us know in the comments below.
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