Student Council Minutes: Monday 6th October 2014
Student Council opened at 6.05
Attendees/Apologies:
38 voting reps in attendance and 28 required for quoracy and therefore we are quorate.
Minutes of the previous meeting:
Student Council agreed that the minutes were an accurate record of the previous meeting.
Introduction to Student Council:
Jamie describes the rules of Student Council as follows:
• We aim to ensure that Student Council is accessible and inclusive to all therefore:
• Respect others points of view even if you don’t agree with it.
• Don’t talk over others.
• We have zero tolerance towards abusive or personal comments towards others.
• Please do not swear.
• Please turn your mobiles onto silent and take any phone calls outside.
• If you need to leave early or if you arrive late please come in quietly so you don’t disturb proceedings.
• Please don’t mention individual staff members by name in a negative way, any complaints about a staff member dealt with under the University’s complaints procedure.
• Staff Protocol is in place and all criticisms of the union and its work should be directed to the elected officers to hold them to account.
• Any criticisms of a Union Staff member should be submitted using the Unions Complaints Form and handed in to the sabbatical officers of the union.
• Any criticisms related to the conduct of a sabbatical officer should be submitted using the Unions Complaints Form and handed in to the SU Manager.
• Any criticisms related to the conduct of a Union part time exec member should be submitted using the Unions Complaints Form and handed in to the Sabbatical Officers of the union.
• Please not that a separate procedure is in place for removing elected officers from post and that you will be required to submit a resolution of no confidence for Student Council to consider.
Responses to the matters arising:
Placement on Wednesdays
Graham’s response:
Barbara Murphy (Academic Coordinator) and I (as Head of Dept) have discussed the issue of scheduling L4 placements at some length and will continue to seek a solution.
There are many complexities when arranging placements for such a significant number of Education Studies students and this, coupled with the unavoidable constraints of the fixed timetable required to deliver a complex combined degree framework, has resulted in the need to schedule placements on some Wednesday afternoons: six days in Semester 1 and six days in Semester 2; the placement days are tied in to the assessment of each of the modules.
Barbara has:
· made it clear that the students are free to organise their own placement if they feel this would create a better balance in their week
· if they can’t do this, then the team will arrange one on a different day
· if this isn’t possible students can agree with their placement to either miss the afternoon session or find another day
This message will be reiterated to all L4 students on Monday 6th Oct during the next taught session.
As always both Barbara and I are happy to speak to individual students or to representatives from the SU if that would be helpful.
I will be reporting on this at the Dept Committee next week and am happy for this to be a response to the SU.
Closing of Programmes
Music and Visual Arts – the university is committed to ensuring that those already on these pathways still receive the quality of experience that all other courses do. Andrew Jackson (Head of the department for culture and creative arts) and Jayne Mitchell (DVC Academic) are overseeing the situation closely. Committed to staffing both courses appropriately throughout the next three years.
Procedural Motion:
We want to put in place a guillotine on council and proposing a guillotine of 90 minutes
34 votes cast for the motion, motion passed.
Formal Business:
Liberations officer Motion Proposal:
Name of Proposer: Chris Robertson (SU President)The Union Notes:
· ‘Liberation’ refers to groups in society who face discrimination because of the way they look or think. These groups, according the National Union of Students, are; Women, Disabled students, students of an ethnic minority or those who self-associate with being lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or transgender.
· Minority groups have no specific welfare or academic support at BGU
· Groups including, women, LGBT, ethnic minorities and disabled students statistically don’t do as well in their academic studies, than other students from ‘traditional’ backgrounds.
· These groups of students face problems and struggles, completely different to those of other students, and can have adverse effects on their wellbeing.
· These students suffer discrimination and abuse, which is significantly worse than those from other backgrounds.
The Union Believes:
· Not enough is being done to combat the issues faced by these students.
· If we ignore these issues, we could be seriously under representing those who need it most, in terms of welfare and academic services.
· The remit of other union officers has no specific focus on liberation groups, meaning we could be under representing them.
The Union Resolves:
· To create a new role on the BGSU Executive team, known as Liberations Officer. This role will oversee minority groups, to empower and support them, during their time at BGU.
· The role will be filled by one person from any background, but should sympathise with these groups, in order to deliver outstanding support and empowerment.
No one opposed the motion.
Question: what is the difference between this and the women's officer post?
Question: can anyone run for the role.
Answers: anyone can apply as long as they have an understanding of the people the role will represent.
Clear voting majority.
Motion passed.
Job description:
Liberations Officer Job Description
1. To represent those students who are traditionally underrepresented by society.
2. To fight discrimination against liberation groups and ensure the BGU community is fair and inclusive.
3. To ensure underrepresented groups receive the same support and help from the institution as anyone else.
4. To create a support network for liberation students, to share experiences and campaign where necessary.
5. Work with NUS and BGU to deliver outstanding representation.
6. Work with the Welfare and Community Hub to develop the equal opportunities policy and ensure it is fair and relevant.
Any opposers: no.
Clear majority motion passed.
Student Voice Committee Motion Proposal:
Name of Proposer: Jamie Caress (SU Vice President Voice)The Union Notes:
1. That the number of motions submitted to Student Council has been unsatisfactory.
2. That academic issues have previously been side-lined by the union in favour of activities and events.
3. That many academic issues have not been subject to the level of in-depth discussion that is required to pass academic motions through council.
The Union Believes:
1. That without intervention academic issues will still not be debated to the level required.
2. That many academic problems may not be identified and therefore positive changes to teaching and learning practices may not happen.
The Union Resolves:
1. That a new sub-committee off Student Council should be established called the Student Voice Committee to discuss debate and write motions concerning academic issues for Council to consider.
2. The membership of the committee will include reps from all undergraduate levels, postgraduate and foundation degree students.
3. The sub-committee will meet monthly to discuss issues across cohorts and will report all business to Student Council.
Question: are there no motions being passed as we are doing our job properly.
Answer: No but because people don’t know how to.
Question, will course reps attend.
Answer: Yes and service reps and Jamie and the chair of Student Council.
Question: is the committee for just academic issues.
Answer: It’s for anything related to academic provision.
Question: why is it limited to course reps and service reps?
Tash: If anyone could go it would defeat the point of the subcommittee.
Question: would a random selection be better.
Answer: Established committees are trained and will have consistency.
Question: What about people that want to write a motion but not part of the committee?
Answer: support still be there to help those not in the committee
Any oppositions to the motion: no
Votes:
24 in favour
10 against
2 abstentions
Motion passed
Service rep:
Need approval as 2 people want to split the role of library service reps.
Hayley Prinn and Stephen Dawson.
Vote. Majority in favour motion passed.
Anyone wanting to be a service rep for learning development, BG futures, BG retail or IT services should contact the union.
Drama society Associate Membership:
2 alumni want to join the drama society, vote to delegate this decision to the drama society, as council don't really understand the concept of this decision, it's really only relevant to the drama society.
Motion passed.
Discussion of article 4:
Article 4d – Housing of multiple occupancy restrictions in Lincoln.
Council,
Lincoln City Council are currently in the process of trying to implement what is being known as Article 4. This article, which will become policy if it is passed, will limit the amount of houses which have multiple occupancy. Particularly amongst Carholme area and Castle Ward (where BGU is situated) residents complain about litter, noise and messy gardens and have appealed to the council to help this stop.
Council, limiting student housing is not the answer to this. We do accept that students by their nature are noisy however; trying to limit the amount of housing in Lincoln that students and young professionals can live in is not the way forward. If implemented, it will have serious effects on students, young skilled workers, those who cannot afford to buy housing and those on social housing waiting lists.
We are seeking to fight the implementation with input from students of both BGU and Lincoln University by way of petition. This will show the council that we believe the article will have detrimental effects on the city, students and the universities. We welcome a discussion on the motion and ways in which you think we can help.
· Student: we should definitely support it; but we need to offer a solution to the problem as well.
· Currently we need to fight the implementation and work towards a solution
· Student: anyway SU's could teach students how to be good neighbours and tell the council they are making an effort to help the problem.
· We are actively involved in the SHUSH campaign it is a bit slow but we are promoting it.
· Student: I lived in west end, made friends with neighbours and most of the problems were from people that don't live there, such as burglaries, it's not a safe area, can we work with the police to make it safer for everyone.
· Student: is there any evidence that students are the problem.
· A large petition presented and done through the summer when students are not there.
· Train students how to complain about residents as students don't know who to complain to about issues with local residents.
· Any mileage in a poster campaign in pubs students go to respect neighbours when they leave the premises.
· There are some there need to be more though and increased visibility.
· Can we communicate with students and come up with some common guidelines and further action can be taken by the council if not adhered to.
· If you don't like where you live why don't these people move.
· Students bring a lot of money into the economy.
· Can't the council have a designated student area just for students, rather than us being distributed?
· Unfortunately Carholme and Castle are the student’s areas. Lincoln uni are putting more into extending their accommodation we need to find out if we are doing the same.
· Can we talk to landlords and make sure the landlords make the neighbours aware the house is for students, so they may need advice I when to put bins out etc.
· In our housing contact if we get 3 noise complaints we get thrown out. Can't this be ironed out, it worked for us.
· Is there not a police unit specifically for student noise complaints? This could work really well If police are on board.
· Can't students and locals meet up and discuss the problems.
· What are the university doing about this as they want to double the number of students in 5 years?
· We will consult the university stance, the uni of Lincoln didn't like it.
· Surely counterproductive to segregate students, or tell people to move out and we need to be able to live together in harmony.
· SHUSH campaign gave statistics that the noise complaints in August was higher, And students are not in the city then. Its proof we are not the problem.
· Students are such a big part of the population and surely they are stabbing themselves in the foot by doing this.
· Both local Tory and Labour candidates are in favour of this motion.
· Some people will look for noise problems just to get students out so the 3 warming system may not work.
· Can we not just communicate with each other, forming different groups don't work, can we just sit down and commune pacts we need the housing, the economy needs us. Just talk to your neighbours. Say we are students; let us know if we are too noisy.
· When and how are they going to implement it?
· Landlords are in the loop and the vote is on 15th December.
· Need to come up with a plan for next year’s housing if passed.
· It's the city council that votes on this.
BGSUs response to the (National Student Survey) and BGSSS (Bishop Grosseteste Student Satisfaction Survey).
BGSSS and NSS Results for Bishop Grosseteste Students’ Union
The BGSSS (Bishop Grosseteste Student Satisfaction Survey) was run between April and May 2014 with all students being eligible to complete the survey. This year there were 226 respondents which is significantly less than in previous years and therefore may make comparisons difficult. The results were as follows: