Societies Committee
Agenda
Monday 10 April 2017 Grendon [GLT] 18:00
Attending: Vice President of Union Development
Member Development Manager (Activities)
Societies Committee Representatives
Students’ Union CEO
Apologies:
Purpose: To discuss any society-related issues, increase collaboration, communication and understanding between
societies.
1. Introduction1.1. Apologies
History & Investment 16.17
1.2. Accepting Agenda / declaring conflicts of interest
1.3. Previous minutes/matters arising
84% yes 11% no 5% abstain
2. Nick Hamilton-Brain, Alumni Office
2.1 Working with Societies
Nick is going to start coming to the society committee meetings more regularly.
If people want to do stuff once they have left, then to get in touch with Nick Hamilton so he can sort something out.
3. Voting in Societies Chair, Vice-Chair
Societies Chair;
Psychology President – Tia.
100% yes.
Vice Chair;
John
95% yes, 5% no
Terms of reference to remove the secretary role – have a paid role for minute taking so no one will be elected for the role of secretary.
4. Voting in Student Councillors
Bruna Tomsic – Media & Journalism – 1st place
Rob – Auto-Circle – 4th place
Barun – Investment Society – 3rd place
Jessica – NU Feminism – 5th place
John – Education Society – 2nd place
1st student council meeting: Thursday 27th april – park SU – 6pm
go onto northamptonunion.com for the reports.
5. Voting in the Development Committee (DL)
5.1
Jess – NU Feminism
Tarryn –
Shaun – Media & Journalism
Ling –
95% yes 5% no
6. Meet the new PTO Societies
6.1
7. Officer Reports
- Massive success this year. Society and volunteering awards should be the best that we have had. Thanks to all of the hard work that everyone has done this year.
- Meet over the next few weeks to see how we can develop.
- Jobs available for the SU which is open to all students.
- Student voice on what the money should be spent on.
- Action should be taken on behaviour.
John: as chair, thanks dave for all of his hard work this year.
Voting: 91% yes, 9% no
David: Student Group Spend Policies
- RAG Policy – how to effectively spend their money in their student account abiding by the rules
- Responsibility by all groups to abide by the regulations
- Financial process of the student union
- Appropriate and effective training to be provided to each of the groups
- Authorise payments by the staff
- Ensure health and safety rules are met
- Each society and sports team has their own constitution (aims and objectives).
- Student group spend has to be relevant for their group.
- Society money is given to the societies for them to fund their group for promotion, rooms, events, transport, etc.
- Society funds cant be spent on donations to other charities, alcohol, cigarettes, tickets to the university events such as the summer ball and award events, personalised clothing, prizes for raffles.
Q. What if hoodies don’t have a name on it?
- you can have hoodies for your societies as long as it does not have people’s names on it.
Enterprise student group led by Dave
- Exclusive event access needs to be noted in this group as students get confused by it in the societies. Bruna Tomsic came up with this suggestion.
q. What about advertisement?
- it is all about responsible printing, you do not need to print excessive amounts of flyers. Banners can be used over and over again.
You can raise money for your society and do fundraising for whatever you want, but money for the SU can’t be used for some things which you can use with your fundraising money.
You can do things for a reasonable price to do something, it is not that expensive to do some things. You can do designs from scratch if you want to which costs nothing.
Q. Can buy all this kit, is there any where can we store it? No. working on a solution for storage at waterside as there is no storage at the moment as it is packed.
Photography – slots for societies to come in.
8. Student Council reports
8.1. Society Councillors
Jess: student council has been quite hectic but a lot has been done. Vote In no confidence for Danjie in the last student council as students thought he was not doing everything he said he would do at the start of the year.
Mental health campaign – should be going through to next year. Make it clear on what mental health issues are.
Vote in no confidence to Hannah (Sports officer) which went through. Wasn’t at any of the sports committee meetings or student council meetings.
Very long meeting.
Q. why didn’t Jess vote the way he should of done?
Jess – Was not at the society council meeting when Danjie spoke about the vote in no confidence. There was no way he could have known about the vote in no confidence or to see the minutes from this meeting because there wasn’t any.
John – took information from people who should have been invited along.
9. Ratification of Societies -
9.1Krav Magra
- been taken to development committee.
10. De-ratification of Societies.
10.1 Adventure
10.2 Cake
10.3 Film Appreciation
10. 4 Nigerian Cultural Society
10.5 Surf & Body boarding
10.6 Scouting
76% yes, they are gone!
11. Discussion Points
11.1. Tier Funding Review & Feedback (KW)
Kerri Wheeler – Looking at tier funding. Get feedback from people who have experienced so we can create something that can be more tailored to societies.
- Keep website page up to date
- Volunteering hours
- Attendance
Gain some feedback on these to put into research.
Airsoft society – important to look at some societies such as airsoft which are sat in a weird grade area because they are still a society but sports at the same time. Review the criteria of what makes a sports club. Snow sports are also falling into the sports criteria.
Kerri; some societies have to train off campus such as pole fitness.
If you are in a sports, you do not get free transport but in societies you get free transport.
Look at the feasibility of societies so people can be more realistic in the events that they want to do.
Do a different type of budget training?
Action; Dave to have a meeting with Airsoft & Pole fitness.
A society had an issue with one of their members to do the training as it needed to be done because it is part of a policy.
Development committee;
If someone isn’t doing their training or doing their job in the society no matter how many times they are chased up, should they be removed?
Look at the quality of people attending and being a part of the society and being an active member.
First love; With the development plan, we cannot copy them as you submit them online. Rather have paper copies of the development plans.
Need bronze at minimum to get funding. Can’t do any activities relevant to your aims if you have no money. Then there is no point of being a society.
Advanced applications for funding.
One of the criteria’s should be to have a number of activities per month in order to get funding, if you don’t engage with the society with the people then they should get no funding, this includes meetings, events, and just being an active society in general.
Member should rate you on some kind of star system.
Some societies need funding to actually get going with their society.
Tarryn – a lot of society members may be scared to come forward with ideas, so having feedback anonymously would be a great idea.
General feedback would be a good idea instead of ratings because one person could go to a society and they may put a rating which effects the committee against someone who is an active member.
Law society; only certain months are possible to put on activities or events because of the seasons. It can be impossible to do activities every single month.
Some people complained about some societies but nothing was done about it. They need to have a voice on opinions about some societies.
12. Any Other Business
12.1. Bye Election Dates
12.2. Society committee developments
Meet before to provide food and chat about it beforehand. Just presidents to attend.
12.3. Extension for handover & Claiming points
Deadline has been extended and a handover pack will be sent out to pass onto new committee members.
Q. still do a handover to the same committee members.
- YES!
13. Date of Next Meeting
October 2017 – TBC
- BREAK -