Minutes of Meeting Held on Tuesday 1St April 2014 at 5.30Pm Location: Frenchay 1L1

Student Council

Minutes of meeting held on Tuesday 1st April 2014 at 5.30pm Location: Frenchay 1L1

Present:

Executive

Megan Edmunds (VP Education) Chris White (VP Sports & Health)

Tom Renhard (VP Community and Welfare)Charlie Roper (SU President)

Hannah Khan (VP Societies and Communication)Lauren Conen (EducationOfficer)

Rachael Shine (Community and Welfare Officer)ElizabethChestnutt(Sports & James Firth (Societies and Communication Officer) Health Officer)

Josie Alford (St Matts Campus Officer)

Student Rep Committee

Marc SeccombeErica Toms

Kevin WilsonEulalee Sandford

Rosie NewmanCatrin John

Sports and Health Committee

Matt HollowRyan Lewis

Sam WebbJillian Darling

Andrew InceHarry Winser

Daniel Phillips

Societies and Communication Committee

Louis Davis MeyerJordan Eyre

Virginia FaulknerChloe Gillum

Jessica HockerJamie Jordon

Louie Roberts

Community and Welfare Committee

William Anderson Ben Argo

Amelia Campbell Siân Hampson

Apologies:

ÅseRading (Community and Welfare Committee)

Chair of Meetings

Kaytie McFadden

Observers:

JJ ClarkBenoit Dutilleul

Alistair MaxwellSophie Evans

In attendance:

Hugh Boyes (General Manager, UWESU)

Nerys Neath (Membership Services Manager, UWESU)

Duncan Stokes (Representation & Support Manager, UWESU)

Julie Mcleod (PVCTeaching＆LearningandStudentExperience, UWE)

Rachel Cowie (ActingDirectorofCorporate＆AcademicServices/AcademicRegistrar, UWE)

SC1314/13Introduction and Welcome- Megan Edmunds

SC1314/14Minutes of the 18thFebruary 2014

The minutes were duly approved after agreed amendments to inaccuracies item SC1314/04f.

SC1314/15 University Matters

SC1314/15 aReport on the University’s ‘Fit to Sit’ Policy

Julie Mcleod and Rachel Cowie provided a verbal report and took part in a discussion around the proposed regulation changes around extenuating circumstances. It is noted that the discussion is ongoing and the union is collating feedback from you around the proposed changes so please let Megan Edmunds know if you have any questions about the changes. Additionally it is noted that VP Community and Welfare, Tom Renhard and Will Anderson are meeting university colleagues to discuss the changes in detail on 04/04/14.

SC1314/15bUpdate on Union’s Strike Action

Rachel Cowie discussed the university’s planned response to UCU’s proposed marking boycott and advised that the university will be producing communication regarding their response to the proposed boycott. It was noted that the deadline for UCU to announce the marking boycott is 28/04/14.It was also noted that UWESU will be polling its members on whether to support the marking boycott and releasing information on student impact (if any) on the proposed marking boycott in the near future.

SC1314/16Motions*
SC1314/16a Disabled Student Part time Officer**

This Union Resolves:

To elect a disabled students officer onto the union executive.
Revive the Disabled Students’ Network and support it to be more active.
To amend the by-laws as appropriate

Speaker for: Kevin Wilson
Speaker against: None

VOTE: Motion Carried

SC1314/16bMaking the case for Student-led Networks**

This Union Resolves:

To continue to increase the profile of our student-led Networks.
To continue to support the growth of all Network groups
To support the increased profile of identity-based and campaign-based Networks to initiate change and respect their autonomy on the issues they represent.
To lobby the University for funding to keep Networks free to join and ensure they are able to carry out their activities.
To provide fixed board space in a prominent location (e.g. by the cash points in the undercroft on Frenchay Campus) to ensure Networks can enjoy a similar level of exposure to that of Sports and Societies.
To continue to roll over Network memberships and not make students have to re-join each year.
To introduce a lifetime membership option for Networks so a student can join once in a hassle-free approach to getting involved in Community-based Networks, regardless of the length of their course of study.
To explore this lifetime membership option for other student groups where appropriate.
To introduce a clickable option for students that want to learn more about a Network but not necessarily join to help with quoracy at Network AGMs.
To develop media and communications training for Networks that helps to increase the profile of Networks and other student groups at the union.
To continue to provide a Networks Awards night that celebrates inclusivity and promotes the fantastic work that our diverse student community at UWE does.
To continue to use the Breaking down barriers to participation research to improve engagement and diversity in student-led groups.

Speaker For: Tom Renhard

Speaker Against:None
VOTE: Motion Carried

SC1314/16cMotion To Adopt The Magna Charta Universitatum

MOTION WITHDRAWN by Benoit Dutilleul.

See appendix

SC1314/16dMotion To Further The Interests Of Students And Education

MOTION WITHDRAWN by Benoit Dutilleul.

See appendix

SC1314/16eHealth Centre – Improving Sexual Health provision**

Amended

This Union Resolves:

To continue to run Sexual Health, Awareness and Guidance weeks every academic year, ensuring they are able to have a demonstrable impact on student wellbeing.
To lobby the university and the health centre to ensure contraception and information on sexual health is more widely available on campus.
To lobby the university and local health services to fund an improved offering at the Health Centre on Frenchay Campus.
To lobby the university and local health services to provide a walk-in/drop in service for students to use at the Health Centre on Frenchay Campus that negates the need to always have to have an appointment or need for permanent registration.
To lobby the university and local health services to provide a specialised Sexual Health-orientated walk-in service at the Health Centre that is inclusive of the needs of the LGBT community.
To lobby the university and local health services to build a newer and more fit-for-purpose Health Centre on Frenchay Campus as part of the Masterplan development.
To lobby the university and local health services to ensure that students have good access to Sexual Health services regardless of their campus of study.
To lobby the university and local health services to provide the option to do HIV fast-testing and access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
To assess the feasibility of introducing free “racks” that contain free condoms and other “protection” similar to some nightclub venues in Bristol in our bars and new SU Build.
To work with Health watch to achieve these aims.
To conduct focus groups with the health centre at least once per year

Speaker For: Tom Renhard

Speaker Against:None
VOTE: Motion Carried

SC1314/16fUniversity Issued Cards**

Amended

This Union Resolves:

To lobby the University to complete the integration of student cards into a single smart card for a variety of University services including Wessex Red bus passes.
To investigate the feasibility of integrating UWESU membership cards with Student ID cards.
To ensure continuing student representation on the existing University working group.
To report in each issue of the Western Eye the current progress of the project, pending editorial approval.
To investigate the feasibility of incorporating all campus students and students with a need to access further areas or facilities due to responsibilities and/ or disabilities.
To lobby university to ensure no functionality is lost in the merger of cards.

Speaker For:Ben Argo

Speaker Against:Harry Winser
VOTE: Motion Carried
SC1314/16gPetitions section on UWESU's Website**

Amended
This Union Resolves:

To introduce a make a change section on the website with clear guidance on how to petition and lobby the Union to make change as an individual student.
To strengthen “Campaign Culture” within the Union and make it easier for students to effect change.
A member of the exec team to work with the media office to achieve this.

Speaker For: William Anderson

Speaker Against: None
VOTE: Motion Carried
Procedural Motion:to bring forward Finance Report AOB (SC 1314/07) to the next item.

VOTE:Procedural Motion Passed

SC1314/17 Finance Report

To note: Finance Report verbal update received.

SC1314/16h International Politics on UWE Campuses and in UWE Students' Union; Maintaining a politically neutral environment in the Students’ Union (both home and globally)**

Amended

This Union Resolves:

That UWESU will continue to encourage all students to campaign on these important issues in an inclusive and positive manner.

That motions which take a global political stance should not be accepted by the Students’ Union at Annual General Meeting or Student Council on the grounds that they conflict with its core values of inclusivity.
For politically sensitive motions from now to directly adhere to this motion.

Speaker For:Rachael Shine

Speaker Against:Benoit Dutilleul

VOTE: Motion Carried

SC1314/16h Cap On Candidate’s Spending During UWESU Election Week**

Amended
This Union Resolves:

That the amount which a candidate is able to claim as election expenses should be a set limit.
That students should not be allowed to spend any more than the amount set by the Returning Officer of our Union’s elections.

Speaker For:Kaytie McFadden

Speaker Against:Harry Winser
VOTE: Motion Carried

*The order of the motions will be chosen at random using a ‘draw out of a hat’ method in front of the Student Council.

**All Motions will be referred to the UWESU Board of Trustees as per clause 40.3 in the Articles of Association.

SC1314/18Trustees Report

To receive:An update from the Board of Trustees– Charlie Roper, SU President
To Ratify: Claire Davidson as external trustee. Claire Davidson was ratified as trustee by Council.

SC1314/19AGM Policy Update

To receive:An update from the Executive on policy implementation from the 2013 AGM

SC1314/20Reports from UWESU Committees and Executive

SC1314/21AOB

No other business received

SC1314/22Date of next meeting
TBC- next academic year

Appendix
The proposer of Motions SC1314/16c and SC1314/16d requested an appendix to be included outlining his reasons for withdrawal. Unfortunately this appendix gave specific mention to a complaint so we are unable to publish it as per section 3 of byelaw 9 (UWESU Membership Disciplinary Incident and Complaint Procedure) of the constitution. For more information see
“3. Non Disclosure

To ensure UWESU protects staff and maintains a confidential relationship with and between thoseinvolved in any complaint; informal and/or formal, information relating to the complaint will not bediscussed with any third party”