Minutes for Student Representative Forum

MINUTES FOR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE FORUM

20th November 2014 6pm

SRF

Chair welcomed all and started the meeting with a 1 minute silence for Transgender Remembrance day.

Minutes from last meeting approved – Request that Ruairi Hipkin’s name is corrected

Apologies received from Stephen Brennan and Hristina Kamburova

Procedural motion F requested to change the order of the Agenda – Agreed to move Attendance Monitoring to after the Free Education Motion

Free our Education Motion

·  Chair stated that the Articles of Governance ( article 51) take priority over the by laws as they are not consistent with each other.

·  Procedural motional B – challenging the ruling of the chair

·  Went to a vote:

-  Chair’s ruling that Article 51 is followed which would mean that if a simple majority voted in favour of the motion w then it would be taken to a referendum

Vote was in favour of following the Chair’s ruling

·  Motion was discussed – At last month’s SRF the student body voted to support the Free Education demonstration. Part of this motion included the SU funding a coach to the next demonstration being held in London

·  After the vote the NUS pulled support from the demonstration. The President of the SU took this information to the trustee board to seek advice- the board voted that the SU should not be supporting this, there were too many possible risks associated with it.

·  It was felt that the president should never have taken this to the Trustees as she had opposed the original motion and that the Trustees should not have overturned a democratic decision made by the students.

·  Vote : 65 for 119 against 4 abstain and 3 spoilt papers so the motion fell.

Censures from previous meeting

Chair decided no censures should be given as reports were submitted, they were just not written reports so it was just a misunderstanding and no case to answer.

Ruth Raymer resigned as Mature and Part – Time officer – a vote of thanks was asked for to recognise her work over the last few years in setting up MAPSA.

Attendance Monitoring and Transparency motions were withdrawn by the proposer

George Johnson withdraw his membership from the Honorary Life Committee as he didn’t feel that the SRF was meeting its remit to provide free and open debate that is accessible for all.

Executive Officer Reports – written & video

Written reports were available and videos were played

Questions were directed to the Officers :

-  Asked why liberation issues were being done by non liberation officers or not working together on issues – response was that they were working together , just different leads

-  Mentor Scheme –seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding in terms of what the scheme can help with - MS & CLC to take to the university group that runs the scheme – who funds this scheme – University bid for funds from the Higher Education Funding Council

-  Is the Peer Mentor scheme still running – yes VP welfare can provide contacts

-  Can forums be better advertised – VP Services agreed to look into this

-  Big Food Survey was biased and only specified three diets – VP Services responded that there was a comments box to add alternatives

-  Rag Week – food bank , could this be a regular weekly thing , VP Services will look into the possibility, the Catholic society currently rum the ad hoc one and have said the logistics of doing it regularly are difficult

-  ISA asked for more support from the SABBS and to promote the society more

-  Concerns raised regarding Red Radio - VP Services will look into this

-  National day of student action – are we doing anything? – campaigns officer is planning to do so and will be focusing on it over the next few weeks

Lapsed Union Policies :

This will be a standing agenda item going forward as there are many policies lapsing this year.

1.  Think Before You speak expires 29th Nov – this will be taken to the Disabled Forum to discuss and decided on ( next forum is 12th Jan 13.00)

2.  Two minutes Silence upon 11th Nov and Annual Poppy Appeal – Expires 8th Nov voted to keep this policy ( For 41, 5 abstained and 0 against)

3.  That’s So Gay – Think before you speak - Expires 8th Nov - taken to the LGBT Forum to discuss ( next forum 9th Dec)

4.  Accommodation Campaign – Expires 3rd Nov – Agreed that this would be brought back to SRF to discuss in full

5.  N30 Education Shutdown – Expires 3rd Nov – remove policy ( 41 for , 0 against and 0 abstain)

Student’s Union Affiliations

Seem to be a number of affiliations missing from the list provided such as

-  Defend the right to protest and confusion over some of the political party affiliations – Liberal Democrats are only ones listed currently. Request to go out to societies to find out if there are affiliations we are not aware of.

Post Graduate Election Dates

Elections are being re- run as they were deemed to have not been free and fair.

These dates were accepted 42 for 0 against 2 abstained

These will now also include the MAPSA elections

Free time

Much discussion about the fact that the room was not big enough to hold all the students that wanted to attend the debate- Chair made it clear that alternative venues had been requested and there was nothing available.

Also comments made that free discussion was not had as people were talking and mocking others during speeches.

It was suggested that controversial issues should be kept on the agenda till last to encourage people to stay in the room.

Number of students express concern that this was the first time they had heard of SRF and more needed to be done to spread the word.

SRF does not work and is not interesting, too many references to by laws and procedural motions – suggested an easy guide to SRF be provided

Safety Bus - question asked about lack of information on how to get from Colchester to University – VP Welfare explained that this is already a project and the SU is looking at the service as a whole. Are restrictions on what we can advertise due to the license the SU has. Also mentioned that as more students are living further away, depositing students by Waitrose is not safe – VP Welfare to look into this. To note the safety bus is not making a profit.

The First Bus Company – could VP services please ask them to lower the cost of a borough card, also 75 and 61 bus route finishes at 7.00, can they be asked to stay open longer

Next meeting is 11th Dec

Attendance List

Jessica Blair Chair

Executive

Chantel le Carpentier President

Michael Spencer VP Education

Luke Bowdery VP Activities

Cherina Darrell-Sutherland VP Welfare & Community

James Rolfe Disabled Students Officer

Ruth Raymer Mature Students officer

Matteo Paba Participation & Involvement Officer

Adam Coll LGBT officer

Adria Porta Caballe Campaigns Officer

Charlie Edge Women’s Officer

Ogechukwu Onyia Charity & Fundraising Officer

Taireen Hussainn's BME Officer

Emily Armstrong Ethics and Environment officer

Student Attendees

Natasha Osei-Aremaeh

R Konagbon

Ezekiel Peeta

Tanyaradzua Kanogoyiwa

Afis Olawrewwasu Gbadamoss

Akan Ekanem

Sei Downes

Oluroun Quadi

Sophia Malin

Joshua Yeboah

Leanna Cofano

John Oduor

Michael Farah

Emily Carter-Richardson

Sage Eriksson

Fiolla Korenica

Emily Townsend

Melissa Sendes

Neekhil Patel

Eric Matthews

Poppy Gerrad

Emma Holland

Antony Taylor

James Wood

M Johnson

Chelsea Jade Thomas

Pamela Njandu

Nerifa lukvamusu

Julianna Doughty

Roslind Redstoke

Tracy Ilunge

B Leung

Mayo Adeosum

Mazino Jarik

Philippa Bjaalend

Ellen Jessup-Dunton

Libby Johston

Sam Crocgh

Caroline Dunmore

Robert Hall

Jack Street

Josh O’Conner

Ewan Daves

Michael Marigan

Alex Dillon-Reams

Fabian

Malene Kabella

Lucinda Andrews

Stephen Dudley

Omar Narik

San Send

Jessica Rich

Scott Osbon

Mitchell Bond

Bonnie Murphy

Charlotte Corgrove

Megan Sharman

Perry James

Paige Blastock

Jorden Cohen

George Johnson

Rowan Daniels

Alex-Claxton-Nager

Christopher Flossman

Jake Parkins

Josh Murray

S Griesnr

Liam Gilbert

Madalina Radu

Paula Huitsu

Amelia Naner

Stefan Bertrum

Andrew Jones

Robert Haughton

Pargines Alexandros

Aikaterini Seraleim Rovanaki

Chad Blackmoor

Lexi Keegan

George Dorela

Zoe Garsh

Connor Moone

Debbie Remi

Rianne Thompe

Richie Jackson

Nuinda Saye

Kenneth Vitofiz

Moradeyo Makinde

Remi Enigbokan

Vivica Gravesande

Joek Fryer

Lewis Brown

Lee Stansfield

Tom Watson

Madalina Leordean

Rob Brown

Lorenza Arnabold

Jordan McCartney

Nikki Grant

Pinar Temiz

Josh Gulratani

Beth Astley

Ryan Lethaby

James Prasser

Shani Cracknell

Jasmin Andrews

Gurvinder Parmar

Kirsty Partner

David Budo

Jack Drewett

Jonny o’Hara

Martin Talbot

Yusra Ali

Lauren Betts

Stefanie Nitsche

William Stacey

Jacob barrett

Rebekah Patrick

Manna Thalikallumkal

Conor O’loan

Tom Phillips

Conor Brady

Anthony Campbell

Matthew Lee

Seun Awonus

Wole lawb

Michael Premeh

Joghis Semis

Despina Malai

Sergiu talaba

Aron Donaldson

Ionut Iliesco

Ekta Bahad

D Fawibe

D Hatalp

Antonia laporta

Alistair Wilson

Theo Chashorton

James Potter

Harry wells

N Welbrock

Joshua james

Jake Stones

Student Union Staff

Craig Stephens - Chief Executive

Marianne Provan – Deputy Chief Executive

Gary Richardson – Representation and Democracy Co-ordinator

Reeves Watson – Director of Student Services

Nick Atling – Digital Marketing Co-ordinator

Freddie Stringer – Market Intelligence Co-ordinator

Michelle Harris – Governance Clerk