UCC students get library hours extended after sit-ins
Student protests have been prompted by “inadequate” library opening hours this year. With the library closing at 5.45pm the day before exams commenced students have staged sit-ins over the past two nights.
Over 150 students stage sit in @UCCLibrary in @UCCSU campaign to secure longer library opening hrs #LetUsStudy pic.twitter.com/bQSptM74yp #Cork
— Eoin English (@EoinBearla) December 9, 2014
On Sunday they staged a one hour sit-in, protesting against the current opening hours in the lead up to Christmas exams.
After talks on Monday, the university refused to extend opening hours or give any guarantee of increased opening hours for next term, leading to a further sit-in that evening.
Acting librarians again tonight & keeping the Library open to 11pm. Feel free to stay and study with us #LetUsStudy pic.twitter.com/W8vrgvJ2SA
— UCC Students' Union (@UCCSU) December 9, 2014
UCC Students’ Union (UCCSU) have described the current library opening hours as “unacceptable”, with the library closing at 5.45pm on weekends and 9.15pm on weekdays, during study and exam periods.
How we compare pic.twitter.com/P7QtUkroO7
— UCC Students' Union (@UCCSU) December 7, 2014
This is the first time that UCC students have been required to sit exams before Christmas.
The university has switched to a semester-based system which split exams into two periods, December and May, instead of holding all of the exams in May.
UCCSU claim that the library opening hours were not sufficiently adjusted to cope with the huge demand during this exam period.
UCCSU VP education, Joe Kennedy, said the Boole Library was a state-of-the-art, multimillion-euro facility and the protests show it’s lying idle when students want to use it.
Absolutely incredible response to #LetUsStudy tonight!! Q1 full, Q2 almost full and a good few on Q3! Will have exact numbers & photos soon!
— UCC Students' Union (@UCCSU) December 9, 2014
UCCSU wants opening hours to be extended until 12am on the weekdays and 10pm on the weekends during the exams.
Update:
Library hours at University College Cork have been extended for the duration
of the exam period, following a campaign by students.
A number of people staged sit-ins over three nights at the Boole Library in protest at the refusal to open the facility for longer as the students prepared for their tests.
Last night UCC Students Union confirmed it had agreed a deal with library staff to extend the opening hours from 9.15pm to 10.45pm on weekdays during exams.
Success! #LetUsStudy has worked & we've agreed @UCCLibrary will stay open extra hours for the remainder of exams! pic.twitter.com/Mh6uI6Flxd
— UCC Students' Union (@UCCSU) December 10, 2014
