The DIT Students' Union is the representative body for all students in the Dublin Institute of Technology. All students within the Institute are automatically members. It aims to represent and defend its student members and their interests at local, national and international levels on matters primarily relating to their education and welfare and to protect and further their rights as citizens. In addition it promotes clubs, societies and other non-academic activities and provides a range of services for its members. As of 2019, Pierre Yimbog is the Union's president. History The first record of student forums is in the mid-1950s where Student Representative Councils formed in the various CDVEC Colleges. The Councils discussed and dealt with local issues as best they could, without a formal representational structure in place. Prior to the 1980s, the Student Union had been run, in the main, by elected Sabbatical officers with the back up support of permanent staff; the Union Secretaries. Each of the Colleges had a Student Union 'Site' President (and Welfare Officer / Deputy President in the larger 'sites'), in addition to the Union's secretary. In the early 1980s, DIT students first gained direct representation on the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee itself. With the DIT Act of 1992, and the DIT Amendment Act of 1994, the DIT Governing Body membership expanded to include, amongst others, two students (male and female). By 2005, student representatives held seats on all relevant central and major local committees (approximately 45 committees in total), including sub committees of the Governing Body and Academic Council. In addition, staff from the Students' Union have been permitted to sit with the full-time Sabbatical Officers on various committees. In 1985, the Student Union set up a limited company (DITSU Limited) for a number of legal, accounting and corporate governance reasons. DIT Students' Union post DIT In 1992 as the Dublin Institute of Technology (as it is now known) was formed on a statutory basis. The first "overall" President was elected in March 1993, and their responsibilities included being the chief spokesperson of the DIT Students' Union, co-ordinating the activities of all the 'site' sabbatical officers and being CEO of the organisation. DITSU Trading Limited In 1994, the commercial wing of the Students' Union was formally separated from DITSU Limited to form another company (DITSU Trading Limited), which thereafter solely dealt with the SU shops and staff, and associated matters.