EXECUTIVE MEETING NO. 30
Monday, 18th March, 12.00 noon
Present:Kaz Dyson (chair), Nick Pringle, Luke Newton, Khalil Secker and Tabz O’Brien-Butcher and Cat Gray
In Attendance:Membership Services Director, Student Voice Manager, Exec and Campaigns Assistant (minutes) Democracy Assistant (part)
1.Apologies & Absences
Apologies from Tommy Fish andSaad Wahid (no apologies give)
2.Actions and matters arising from previous meetings.
Minutes from the last meeting were approved with amendments.
3. Sections Conferences
The Democracy Assistant attended to discuss choosing delegates for Sections Conferences (post grad, mature/part-time and international students). So far nothing had been done on this as it was carried over from a previous meeting. Nick updated that usually, the Exec Officer related to that area would go to the conferences, which meant Saad would be attending, however, he is currently still away.
It was noted that these conferences combine training with democratic decision making including elections, meaning that both legitimacy as a representative and the benefits students will get from having someone better trained in these areas both need to be considered.
Tabz emphasised the need for Exec to set out a clear process for deciding who goes so that students understand if they are not chosen.
It was suggested and agreed that initially we should look at whether any members of the incoming Exec Team who fit into each section category want to attend, as they all have a democratic mandate and also the opportunity to implement anything learned at the conference for the benefit of students.It was suggested that for Postgraduate students the delegate could be found from among the elected postgraduate representatives in the Union. It was suggested that, if the incoming Exec Team cannot fill these places, there would an election between those students who want to go for mature/part-time and international conferences.
Date assigned / Owned / Secondary owner / Policy / Priority / Action / Complete18.03.13 / Student Voice / To check demographics of the new Exec. / 25.03.13
18.03.13 / Student Voice / To check which reps are post graduates. / 25.03.13
4. Policy Update
Cat updated that she was starting from scratch with the Sexual Assault policy. New posters would now be designed and she was going to speak to night clubs in Manchester about displaying them. Tabz asked when the posters would be out, and Cat said by Welcome Week. She also updated that self defence classes were now booked.
Luke told Exec that he had presented the policy for module selections at the Student Experience Leads Conference and will be talking about it at the Teaching and Learning Group, as the University were forming a working group to look at it.
Kaz updated that she would be holding another Ethical and Environmental Action Group tonight along with Khalil.
5.Welcome Week Promoters
Khalil briefly discussed workers rights for promotional staff employed by companies the Union allows at the Welcome Fair, and suggested that he would come up with ways to monitorthis and report back to Exec.
Date assigned / Owned / Secondary owner / Policy / Priority / Action / Complete18.03.13 / Khalil / To come up with suggested ways to monitorworking conditions of promotersduring Welcome Week / 15.04.13
6. Society Funding
It was noted that the proposal on Society funding from the Activities Forum had been approvedby Exec on email and would be communicated to societies shortly.
7.UURC Agenda Items
The Exec discussed what items they wished to be put on the agenda for the University/Union Relations Committee. Tabz updated that the Facebook page "SPOTTED" in the library and Learning Commons has been getting worse and she had received complaints before she went on leave, and she wanted this to be on the agenda. Nick added that the block grant will be up for discussion and he will update Exec on this prior to the meeting. He also suggested including an election update.
8.Campaigns Bids
Cat submitted a bid for £30 for self defence classes. It was approved.
9. AOB
a)Tabz asked if there would be a debrief for elections and if there would be a candidates survey to gain feedback, and the Student Voice Manager confirmed that there would be. It was also updated that the election turn out was 8410 making it the highest on record but below the Exec’s targets, andthere would be another update once Student Voice had looked into further voting data.
Date assigned / Owned / Secondary owner / Policy / Priority / Action / Complete18.03.13 / Student Voice / To create and send a candidate survey to Exec to check, then send out as soon as possible / 25.03.13
b)Tabz asked how many Assembly Ideas had been submitted so far for the next round and the Student Voice Manager offered to send an update to Exec. The Voice Teamwill be contacting election candidates who weren't successful about their manifesto points and if there is anything they want to submit as ideas. She asked Exec to encourage candidates to do the same. The Exec Team discussed the relative merits of suggesting ideas themselves and encouraging students to suggest these ideas themselves.
Date assigned / Owned / Secondary owner / Policy / Priority / Action / Complete18.03.13 / Student Voice / To email societies reminding them that these are the last assemblies of the year / 25.03.13
18.03.13 / Exec / To encourage one student to submit anidea for Assemblies / 25.03.13
18.03.13 / Student Voice / To put Exec transition on next weeks agenda. / 25.03.13
10.Date of Next meeting – Monday 25th March (chair: TBC).