Hello my name is Paul Lynch and I am excited to be the welfare officer of Letterkenny institute of technology for the academic year of 2017/18.
On behalf of the institute I would like to extend a welcome to returning students to the college and hope that the incoming year will be as fantastic as the last. For new students I would like to wish you a warm welcome. It can be daunting and scary settling into third level education but remember to take things one day at a time. I hope that you have a fantastic time and don’t be afraid to ask any questions, the only form of a stupid question is a question which hasn’t been asked!
As welfare officer I am here to assist you on your student experience to ensure that you have the best time as you possibly can. I help in many different ways such as helping deal with issues with mental health, accommodation problems and grant issues. If any situation arises in which I am unable to help I can still send you in the direction of those who can offer you the sufficient supports needed. The SU office is located on the first floor of An Da¡nlann so please never hesitate to call over if you need to talk, no matter if your issue is big or small.
The students union here in LYIT has an open door policy which means that no appointment is necessary to talk. When not in the office I may be around the college helping students, working on different campaigns or attending meetings. If you come across me at any time don’t hesitate to stop me to say hello. The most important people in this institute are the students. Please also remember that I have a code of confidentiality in place meaning that any details spoken to me on private matters will be kept totally confidential as privacy of each and every student is important.
Throughout the year I will be spearheading many campaigns for example mental health week, road safety week, shag week, healthy living week and anti-bullying day. To make sure these campaigns are as successful as possible always feel welcome to participate in events or if you wish to become active in the students union, contact me privately and you could volunteer for these events allowing you to get to know more people in the college. College is a place in which individuality is celebrated so remember that and do not be afraid to be yourself.