A former student at DIT has been elected president of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).
Mr Colm Jordan, currently education officer with USI, said he would be challenging the Government to address "the many areas of serious concern students have with various aspects of third-level education in this country".
Mr Jordan was elected at USI's annual conference in Ennis, Co Clare.
He received 106 votes from delegates; the quota was 73. His two rivals, Ms Averil Power and Mr Derek Scanlon, received only one vote each. Almost 40 delegates wanted nominations reopened.
Mr Jordan is highly regarded in education circles and is likely to raise USI's profile considerably.
He is already experienced in the media and regularly represents the organisation on television and radio.
He succeeds Mr Richard Hammon, a law student from UCC.
Mr Jordan said after the result yesterday: "I assure all students that USI will continue to grow in confidence and influence over the next year. It is through our cornerstones of representing, lobbying, influencing, listening and leading that we will achieve further concessions for a section of society that is still not treated fairly."
However, Mr Jordan's first job will be to answer criticisms from student unions at UCD and other big universities that USI is not working.
UCD students' union has boycotted the annual conference because Northern colleges have been given full voting rights even though they do not pay fees to USI.