28.02.2012 Agenda by Queen Mary Students' Union

Student Council Tuesday 28 February 2012 at 6.30pm in the Milton Lecture Theatre, Garrod Building. Agenda

1.0

Apologies If you are unable to attend the meeting please send your apologies to tom.sutton@qmsu.org

2.0

Chair’s Welcome and Announcements

3.0

Minutes from the meeting of Student Council held on 31 January 2012 (pages 5-20) Student Council is asked to note the record of the last meeting.

4.0

Officer Reports (page 21) Student Council is asked to note the activities of the Union’s Student Representatives and Part-time Officers since the last meeting.

5.0

Executive Action Plan (pages 22-30) Student Council is asked to note the activities of the Union’s Executive Officers since the last meeting.

6.0

5.1

President Action Plan (pages 31-34) Student Council is asked to note the activities of the President.

5.2

Vice President Communications Action Plan (pages 35-37) Student Council is asked to note the activities of the Vice President Communications.

5.3

Vice President Student Activities Action Plan (pages 38-42) Student Council is asked to note the activities of the Vice President Student Activities.

5.4

Vice President Education and Welfare Action Plan (pages 43-45) Student Council is asked to note the activities of the Vice President Education and Welfare.

5.5

Vice President association/BLSA President Action Plan (pages 46-49) Student Council is asked to note the activities of the Vice President Association/BLSA President.

Amendment to the Articles of Association (pages 50-51) A motion to amend of the Articles of Association on the recommendation of College Council.

7.0

Club Sport Bye Law and Societies Bye Law (page 52) A motion to create a separate ‘Societies’ and ‘Club Sport’ Bye-Law outlining the rules for the governance, support development and regulation of Union societies and sports clubs. 7.1

Club Sport Bye-Law (pages 53-67) Proposed Club Sport Bye-Law

7.2

Societies Bye-Law (pages 68-80) Proposed Societies Bye-Law

8.0

Support for the Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) Campaign (page 81) A motion seeking union support for Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) campaign, a campaign aimed a widening international access to medicines and health technologies.

9.0

433,000 Students (page 82) A motion that resolves to propose a NUS National Conference motion to increase NUS support for London unions. 9.1

10.0

433,000 Students (page 83) Proposed NUS National Conference motion to increase NUS support for London unions.

Motion for the Proposal of a Budget reserved for Unfunded Societies and Clubs (pages 84-85) A motion proposing measures to boost the numbers of students involved in Union sports clubs and societies. 10.1

Model Funding Application (page 86) The proposed model application for acquiring additional funding.

11.0

A Motion for the introduction of an All Access Membership (page 87) A motion to create an 'All Access Academia' pass to increase partipation in academic-related societies.

12.0

Protecting the teaching of students in SBCS (page 88) A motion to oppose and take action against the proposed staffing re-structure in the School of Chemical and Biological Sciences.

13.0

Amendment to NUS National Conference Motion 301 'Postgraduate Funding and Support' (page 89) A motion that resolves to propose an amendment to a NUS National Conference motion on postgraduate funding. 13.1

14.0

NUS National Conference Motion 301 'Postgraduate Funding and Support' (page 90) NUS National Conference motion on postgraduate funding.

Amendment to NUS National Conference Motion 302 'The Public Role of Higher Education' (page 91) A motion that resolves to propose an amendment to a NUS National Conference motion on protecting and promoting the social and economic impact of higher education. 14.1

NUS National Conference Motion 302 'The Public Role of Higher Education' (page 92) NUS National Conference motion on protecting and promoting the social and economic impact of higher education.

15.0

Amendment to NUS National Conference Motion 305 'Higher Education Bill' (page 93) A motion that resolves to propose an amendment to a NUS National Conference motion on opposing the privatisation of higher education. 15.1

16.0

Amendment to NUS National Conference Motion 402 'Defending the Right to Protest' (page 95) A motion that resolves to propose an amendment to a NUS National Conference motion on defending the right to protest. 16.1

17.0

Boycott NSS (page 106) Proposed NUS National Conference motion to increase NUS support to boycott the National Student Survey (NSS).

Bring Back EMA (page 107) A motion that resolves to propose a NUS National Conference motion to call for the reinstatement of the Educaton Maintenance Allowance (EMA). 21.1

22.0

NUS National Conference Motion 604 'Prevent’ (page 103-104) NUS National Conference motion on opposing the government's strategy to tackle extremism.

Boycott NSS (page 105) A motion that resolves to propose a NUS National Conference motion to boycott the National Student Survey (NSS). 20.1

21.0

NUS National Conference Motion 504 'Building a Generation Ready To Shout ‘I AM THE CHANGE!’ (pages 100-101) NUS National Conference motion on developing student campaigning and activism.

Amendment to NUS National Conference Motion 604 'Prevent’ (page 102) A motion that resolves to propose an amendment to a NUS National Conference motion on opposing the government's strategy to tackle extremism. 19.1

20.0

NUS National Conference Motion 404 'Eden Springs' (page 98) NUS National Conference motion to lobby against the activities of Eden Springs, an Israeli company that has bottling plants in illegally occupied territory.

Amendment to NUS National Conference Motion 504 'Building a Generation Ready To Shout ‘I AM THE CHANGE!’ (page 99) A motion that resolves to propose an amendment to a NUS National Conference motion on developing student campaigning and activism. 18.1

19.0

NUS National Conference Motion 402 'Defending the Right to Protest' (page 96) NUS National Conference motion on defending the right to protest.

Amendment to NUS National Conference Motion 404 'Eden Springs' (page 97) A motion that resolves to propose an amendment to a NUS National Conference motion to lobby against the activities of Eden Springs, an Israeli company that has bottling plants in illegally occupied territory. 17.1

18.0

NUS National Conference Motion 305 'Higher Education Bill' (page 94) NUS National Conference motion on opposing the privatisation of higher education.

Bring Back EMA (page 108) Proposed NUS National Conference motion to call for the re-instatement of the Educaton Maintenance Allowance (EMA).

Twin with Egyptian Universities (page 109) A motion that resolves to propose a NUS National Conference motion to stand in solidarity with Egytian students.

22.1

Twin with Egyptian Universities (page 110) Proposed NUS National Conference motion to stand in solidarity with Egytian students.

23.0

Re-instate Vik Chechi (page 111) A motion to issue support for Vik Chechi, the suspended Queen Mary branch secretary of the Trade Union Unison.

24.0

Come Clean - National Week of Action (page 112) A motion to take part in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;NUS Come Clean Weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, a week of events including a student walkout on 14 March.

25.0

Time, date and place of next meeting Tuesday 20 March at 6.30pm in Francis Bancroft Room 1.02.6.

Student Council Minutes Tuesday 31 January 2012 at 6.30pm in Francis Bancroft Room 1.02.6, Mile End Chair: Eleanor Hallam Mile End Officers present (14): Ben Richardson (Student Representative) Caz Parra (Secretary) Chris Smith (Student Representative) Ciara Squires (Student Representative) Darcie Tyler-Henley (Volunteering Officer) Donald MacKinnon (LGBT Officer) Edoardo Palombo (Welfare Officer) Ellen Kiely (RAG Officer)

Michael Gilbert (Postgraduate Officer) Ozzy Amir (Campaigns Officer) Shaun Ramanah (Students with Disabilities Officer) Tom Voice (Ethical and Environmental Officer Wanda Canton (Women’s Officer) Wilson Wong (Societies’ Officer)

Barts and The London Officers present (9): Amy Coulden (Entertainments Officer) - part Andrew Smith (Student Representative) Jeeves Wijesuriya (Vice-President London) Jon Cramphorn (Vice-President Barts) Mandi Pal (Secretary) – part

Richard Donovan (SSLC Rep) Salem Al-Sawaf (Entertainments Officer) Sam Chequer (Welfare Officer) Tim Foster (Clubs and Societies’ Officer)

Barts and the London Officer apologies (1): Adnan Aslam (Dental Representative) Faculty and Year Representatives present (3): Alex Schpektor (Humanties and Social Sciences Faculty Representative) Karishma Chouglay (Science and Engineering Faculty Representative)

Nicolas Meier (Year One and Foundation Representative)

Faculty and Year Representatives apologies (1): Andrew Williams (Medicine and Dentistry Faculty Representative) - proxy Executive Officers in attendance: Sophie Richardson (President) Dominic Bell (Vice President Activities) George Ryan (Vice President Association)

Oscar Williamson (Vice President Education and Welfare) Sam Creighton (Vice President Communications)

Union Staff in attendance: Melissa Snyder (Communications and Marketing Manager) Philip Gilks (Student Voice and Development Manager) Tom Sutton (Representation and Democracy Co-ordinator)

1.0

Apologies Apologies were noted and accepted.

2.0

Chair’s Welcome Announcements Chair welcomed members to the first meeting of the semester. 2.0.1

Resignations Noted the resignations of Nabil Najjar (Student Representative) and Andy Kanyemba (Black Students Officer)

2.0.2

System for administering Candidate Budget for the Students’ Union Elections 2012 Noted the system for administering the Candidate Budget for the upcoming Students’ Union elections. The budget will be administered with an expenditure form provided to all candidates at the candidate meeting. This will be required to be returned one hour before the close of voting.

2.1

Student Representative and Part-time Officer Attendance Noted Bye-Law 9.17.2 and received the record of Student Representative and Parttime Officer attendance at Student Council meetings. 2.1.1

Student Council voted against Velyana Borisova (International Officer) retaining office. - 0 members voted for - 17 members voted against - 8 members abstained

2.1.2

Student Council voted against Ben Hughes (Technical Officer) retaining office. - 9 members voted for - 10 members voted against - 6 members abstained

3.0

Minutes from the meeting of Student Council held on 13 December 2011 Noted and approved as an accurate record.

4.0

Officer Reports Noted.

5.0

Executive Action Plan Student Council received the January update of the Executive Officer Action Plan. 5.0.1

Question Ozzy Amir asked for an update from Theme 1 D2 Branding Redevelopment. - Oscar Williamson replied that re-branding may take place in Summer 2012.

5.0.2

Question Ozzy Amir asked a question on Theme 2 F You Talk. We Listen. - what was the outcome of You Talk. We Listen? - Oscar Williamson replied that the purpose of the exercise was to increase the visibility of Executive Officers and to inform their work and decisions.

5.1

President Action Plan Student Council received the January update of the President Action Plan.

5.2

Vice President Communications Action Plan Student Council received the January update of the Vice President Communications Action Plan.

5.2.1

Question Ozzy Amir asked a question on B1 Sabbatical Question Time - why did only twenty-one students attended the Executive Officer Question Time event? - Sam Creighton conceded that promotion for the event was poor and started late. Planning for next event will start earlier.

5.2.2

Question Ozzy Amir asked a question on B3 Fees and Cuts – why did only two students attended the Fees and Cuts Meeting? - Sam Creighton replied because the main interested party QMUL Stop the Cuts sent a delegate opposed to attending themselves.

5.2.3

Question Ozzy Amir asked for an update on D Community Radio. - Sam Creighton replied that the process for applying to be a community radio station was lengthy and would take time.

5.3

Vice President Student Activities Action Plan Student Council received the January update of the Vice-President Student Activities Action Plan.

5.4

Vice President Education and Welfare Action Plan Student Council received the January update of the Vice-President Student Education and Welfare Action Plan. 5.4.1

Question Jeeves Wijesuriya asked a question on D Research Led Decisions - what was an evidence base? - Oscar Williamson replied that is was a term used for making decisions on evidence.

5.4.2

Question Darcie Tyler-Henley reported that students in the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences (SBCS) claimed they had received no correspondence from the Union regarding the proposed staffing restructure. - Oscar Williamson replied that he was doing all he could to make contact with SBCS students.

5.4.3

Question Chris Smith asked a question on C1 Pre-Printed Reading Packs – what are you doing for students that don’t have reading packs? - Oscar Williamson replied that for he was arguing for subsidised textbooks for those courses that had a single core textbook.

5.7

Questions for the Vice President Association Student Council received a verbal report from the Vice President Association.

5.6

Researching the need for a Students with Disabilities Representative for Barts and The London Student Council received a draft of the student survey requested by ‘Researching the need for a Students with Disabilities Representative for Barts and The London’ policy passed at the Student Council meeting held on 13 December 2011.The draft was approved with the following amendments: - The ‘Do you consider yourself to have a disability’ question is moved to be the first question. - A definition of disability is added to the ‘Do you consider yourself to have disability’ question.

5.5

ATMs on Campus Report Noted.

6.0

Formalising the Executive Committee Sophie Richardson spoke for a motion to create an ‘Executive Committee’ Bye-Law outlining the role and remit of the Sabbatical Trustee committee. She argued that the Bye-Law formalised the role of the Executive Committee. Sophie Richardson waved the summation. Student Council voted for the motion. - 25 members voted for - 0 members voted against - 1 member abstained

7.0

Opening up workspace for students during the Examination Period. Chris Smith spoke for a motion proposing that the Executive Officers lobby for the opening class rooms and other spaces for student s during the exam period. He argued the motion gave support to the Vice President Education and Welfare who was already working on the matter. Chris Smith waved the summation. Student Council voted for the motion. - 26 members voted for - 0 members voted against - 0 members abstained

8.0

Staffing at the Griffinn Post-Refurbishment Jeeves Wijesuriya spoke for a motion proposing additional terms for employment of staff for the Griffinn. He argued medical and dental students should be given preference for staff posts in the re-opened Griffinn because their teaching patterns mean they have difficulty obtaining other part-time work. Sophie Richardson spoke against the motion. She argued to ‘positively discriminate’ on these grounds was potentially unlawful. To do so would lead to a larger staffing pool which would produce unnecessary costs. Jeeves Wijesuriya spoke for the motion. He argued a similar policy was in place at other students’ union bars. Sam Creighton spoke against the motion. He argued the extension of the believes outlined in this motion would mean Mile End students should be given staff posts in Drapers which he was against. Jeeves Wijesuriya spoke for the motion. He argued Mile End students were already given preference for staff posts in Drapers. Dominic Bell spoke against the motion. He argued that the Union should employ the best students to carry out the jobs. Jeeves Wijesuriya spoke for the motion. He argued if the motion would lead to increased costs, the Union should review the cost-effectiveness of training. Dominic Bell spoke against the motion. He argued that many students faced difficulty obtaining part-time work not just medical and dental students. Jeeves Wijesuriya gave the summation for the motion. He argued that the Union should do what it could to give medical and dental students that have difficulty obtaining part-time work a job.

Student Council voted for the motion. - 22 members voted for - 2 members voted against - 3 members abstained 9.0

Sports Representation at Barts and The London The motion was withdrawn.

10.0

Student Area in the Shield Jeeves Wijesuriya for a motion proposing to give students the space to eat packed lunches in The Shield. He argued students required a space to eat packed lunches. 10.1

Clarification Sophie Richardson clarified that the Union’s Venue Manager supported the proposal as long as students ate packed lunches and not pre-packaged food purchased from other non-union outlets. - Jeeves Wijesuriya claimed that that some pre-packaged items still constituted a packed lunch.

Darcie Tyler-Henley spoke against the motion. She argued that students should support students’ union business and should not be permitted to eat pre-packaged items from any other outlet in students’ union venues. Chair moved to a vote. Student Council voted for the motion. - 24 members voted for - 0 members voted against - 2 members abstained 11.0

Hot Desking of Student Councillors in the Student Union Office Wilson Wong spoke for a motion proposing that the desk available in the Blomeley Centre be made available to Student Representatives and Part-time Officers. He argued student representatives and part-time officers could make effective use of the desk left vacant. 11.1

Clarification Sam Creighton clarified that the desk may not be available once a number of staff appointments have been made. The desk would also be unavailable for the duration of the elections.

Wilson Wong waved the summation. Student Council voted for the motion. - 18 members voted for - 4 members voted against - 4 members abstained 12.0

Representation at upcoming SBCS meeting Ozzy Amir spoke for a motion proposing to mandate the President and Vice President Education and Welfare to attend a meeting with students in the School Biological and Chemical Sciences (SBCS) regarding a proposed staffing restructure. He argued it was important that the Union’s leaders attend. Oscar Williamson argued against the motion. He argued the meeting was for SBCS students to meet with department managers not Executive Officers. He was already planning to attend, the President had booked annual leave on the day of meeting. Ozzy Amir spoke for the motion. He argued it was important for both Executive Officers to attend and show their support against the staff restructure proposals.

Sam Creighton spoke against the motion. He argued it was unnecessary to have both the President and Vice President Education and Welfare in attendance, that was part of the reason having Vice Presidents. Ozzy Amir made the summation for the motion. He argued the President’s presence at meeting would contribute to showing stronger Union support. Student Council voted against the motion. - 6 members voted for - 10 members voted against - 10 members abstained 13.0

Striving for a bolder future for QMSU online Ozzy Amir spoke for a motion proposing a review of the Union’s website. He argued the motion was to formalise the work that had been started working with relevant members of Union staff. Wanda Canton spoke against the motion. She argued a motion was unnecessary if work had already been started. Too many motions had been submitted to Student Council that could have been undertaken immediately without policy. Chair moved to a vote. Student Council voted for the motion. - 22 members voted for - 1 member voted against - 3 members abstained

14.0

The Publication of Executive Officer Calendars retitled Mahoosive Union Calendar Oscar Williamson spoke for a motion to create a large calendar of Union events and activities. He argued it was a fun visual tool to promote the Union. 14.1

Amendment Noted Ozzy Amir’s amendment to delete all and insert a re-worded motion.

Sam Creighton spoke against the motion. He argued the measure could have been undertaken immediately without policy. Chair moved to a vote. Student Council voted for the motion. - 18 members voted for - 5 members voted against - 3 members abstained 15.0

The Union Budget made simple Ozzy Amir spoke for a motion proposing the publication of the Union’s Budget and details of expenditure. He argued it was important these details were made accessible and easy to interpret for students. 15.1

Amendment Noted Ozzy Amir’s amendment to delete all and insert a re-worded motion.

Chair moved to a vote. Student Council voted for the motion. - 25 members voted for - 0 members voted against - 1 member abstained

16.0

Respecting Democracy Ozzy Amir spoke for a motion proposing an amendment to the Elections Bye-Law that prevents Executive Officers playing an active role in the campaigns of election candidates. He argued Executive Officers had high levels of influence through holding office and should not be used to influence the outcome of the election. 16.1

Amendment Noted Ozzy Amir’s amendment to delete all and insert a re-worded motion.

Alex Schpektor spoke against the motion. He argued that Executive Officers should be be entitled to express their views and opinions on the subject. Jeeves Wijesuriya spoke for the motion. He argued Executive Officers became more distanced from students during their time in office and should not express a view or opinion. Alex Schpektor spoke against the motion. He argued that the motion would be hard to enforce as policy as the Union or students can’t monitor Executive Officers all the time. Their experience in the role could give useful insights to help students make their decision. Ozzy Amir made the summation for the motion. He argued Executive Officers had excessive influence and should not be permitted to influence elections. Student Council voted for the motion. - 22 members voted for - 1 member voted against - 3 members abstained 17.0

Ensuring the Election of Students to the Barts and The London Board is fair George Ryan spoke for a motion proposing that the election of five Barts and The London Board positions are subject to the Elections Bye-Law. He argued that this was to ensure the elections for these positions were subject to the same regulations as the main elections. George Ryan waved the summation. Student Council voted for the motion. - 24 members voted for - 0 members voted against - 1 member abstained

18.0

External Speaker Interim Policy The motion was withdrawn.

19.0

QMSU support for a London wide student manifesto and campaign on the the London Mayoral and GLA Elections. Ozzy Amir spoke for a motion proposing Union support for the London Student Manifesto. He argued the Manifesto drawn up with other London Unions would help get students out to vote and focus GLA and Mayoral candidates on students’ issues. 19.1

Amendment Noted Ozzy Amir’s amendment to delete all and insert a re-worded motion.

Ozzy Amir waved the summation. Student Council voted for the motion. - 25 members voted for - 0 members voted against - 1 member abstained 20.0

Time, date and place of next meeting 6.30pm on Tuesday 28 February in the Milton Lecture Theatre, Garrod Building.

2.1.1

2.1.2

6.0

7.0

8.0

officer:

position:

Ben Richardson

Student Representative

Caz Parra

Secretary

Chris Smith

Student Representative

Ciara Squires

Student Representative

Darcie Tyler-Henley

Volunteering Officer

Donald Mackinnon

LGBT Officer

Edoardo Palombo

Welfare Officer

Ellen Kiely

RAG Officer

Michael Gilbert

Postgraduate Officer

Ozzy Amir

Campaigns Officer

Shaun Ramanah

Students with Disabilities Officer

Tom Voice

Ethical and Environmental Officer

Wanda Canton

Womens Officer

Wilson Wong

Societies Officer

for

against abstain

for

against abstain

for

against abstain

for

X X

for

No record

against abstain

X X

10.0

11.0

12.0

13.0

14.0

officer:

position:

Ben Richardson

Student Representative

Caz Parra

Secretary

Chris Smith

Student Representative

Ciara Squires

Student Representative

Darcie Tyler-Henley

Volunteering Officer

Donald Mackinnon

LGBT Officer

Edoardo Palombo

Welfare Officer

Ellen Kiely

RAG Officer

Michael Gilbert

Postgraduate Officer

Ozzy Amir

Campaigns Officer

Shaun Ramanah

Students with Disabilities Officer

Tom Voice

Ethical and Environmental Officer

Wanda Canton

Womens Officer

Wilson Wong

Societies Officer

for

against abstain

for

against abstain

for

X X

against abstain

for

against abstain

X X

X X X

against abstain

X X

for

15.0

officer:

position:

Ben Richardson

Student Representative

Caz Parra

Secretary

Chris Smith

Student Representative

Ciara Squires

Student Representative

Darcie Tyler-Henley

for

16.0 against abstain

for

17.0 against abstain

for

19.0 against abstain

for

Volunteering Officer

Donald Mackinnon

LGBT Officer

Edoardo Palombo

Welfare Officer

Ellen Kiely

RAG Officer

Michael Gilbert

Postgraduate Officer

Ozzy Amir

Campaigns Officer

Shaun Ramanah

Students with Disabilities Officer

Tom Voice

Ethical and Environmental Officer

Wanda Canton

Womens Officer

Wilson Wong

Societies Officer

X X

19.0 against abstain

for

against abstain

X X

2.1.1

2.1.2

6.0

7.0

8.0

officer:

position:

Amy Coulden

Entertainments Officer

Andrew Smith

Student Representative

Jeeves Wijesuriya

Vice-President London

Jon Cramphorn

Vice-President Barts

Mandi Pal

Secretary

Richard Donovan

SSLC Representative

Salem Al-Sawaf

Entertainments Officer

Sam Chequer

Welfare Officer

Tim Foster

Clubs and Societies Officer

for

against abstain

for

against abstain

for

No record

against abstain

X X X

against abstain

for

X X

for

X X

against abstain

10.0

11.0

officer:

position:

Amy Coulden

Entertainments Officer

Andrew Smith

Student Representative

Jeeves Wijesuriya

Vice-President London

Jon Cramphorn

Vice-President Barts

Mandi Pal

Secretary

Richard Donovan

SSLC Representative

Salem Al-Sawaf

Entertainments Officer

Sam Chequer

Welfare Officer

Tim Foster

Clubs and Societies Officer

for

against abstain

for

12.0 against abstain

for

13.0 against abstain

for

14.0 against abstain

for

against abstain

No record X

X X

15.0

16.0

17.0

19.0

officer:

position:

Amy Coulden

Entertainments Officer

Andrew Smith

Student Representative

Jeeves Wijesuriya

Vice-President London

Jon Cramphorn

Vice-President Barts

Mandi Pal

Secretary

Richard Donovan

SSLC Representative

Salem Al-Sawaf

Entertainments Officer

Sam Chequer

Welfare Officer

Tim Foster

Clubs and Societies Officer

for

against abstain

for

against abstain

for

against abstain

for

19.0 against abstain

for

against abstain

No record

officer:

position:

Alex Schpektor

Humanities and Social Sciences Representative

Andrew Williams

Medicine and Dental Representative

Karishma Chouglay

Science and Engineering Representative

Nick Meier

Year One and Foundation Representative

2.1.1 for

2.1.2 against abstain

for

6.0 against abstain

No record X X

X X

for

7.0 against abstain

for

8.0 against abstain

for

against abstain

10.0

11.0

officer:

position:

Alex Schpektor

Humanities and Social Sciences Representative

Andrew Williams

Medicine and Dental Representative

Karishma Chouglay

Science and Engineering Representative

Nick Meier

Year One and Foundation Representative

for

against abstain

for

12.0 against abstain

for

13.0 against abstain

for

14.0 against abstain

for

against abstain

X X X

15.0

16.0

17.0

19.0

officer:

position:

Alex Schpektor

Humanities and Social Sciences Representative

Andrew McWilliams

Medicine and Dental Representative

Karishma Chouglay

Science and Engineering Representative

Nick Meier

Year One and Foundation Representative

for

against abstain

for

against abstain

for

against abstain

No record

for

against abstain

Chris Smith (Student Representative) -

Ran a very popular election blog providing alternative coverage of QMSU elections for students Met with SU Staff in regards to developing a survey for the website Met with Sam, VP Comms, to discuss developing social media side of QMSU Attended SBCS restructuring meetings and canvassed signatures of students to oppose current restructuring plans

Edoardo Palombo (Welfare Officer) - Met with representative of Economics Society and worked on a scheme to allow for the spare capacity of the academic society to be filled by the introduction of an all access pass which allows academic events to be available to more than just members. - Talked to Cultural Society representatives to improve previous motion in regard to society funding. - As always, I have been involved with the Anti-Cuts Campaign throughout the start of the Term.

Michael Gilbert (Postgraduate Officer) - Attended and spoke at the February Vice-Principal's RAG meeting. - Discussed plans to organise an additional PG student event. - Ongoing discussions with PG student debaters.

Andy Smith (Student Representative) -

Administered some flu jabs to the local community to indirectly minimise the risk of a pandemic amongst students Continuing to promoting the BL Students with Disabilities Survey amongst students. Attended a couple of SPC meetings to act as a general buffer of ideas and opinion. Gave an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Introduction to Hiccupsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lecture at Mile End. For further information and other causes, I am bookable (at a reasonable price) for further lectures. Successfully convinced over 200 people to vote RON in the recent elections of the new BLSA President. Have already got the 2012-13 SPC in order with our first social planned (priorities).

Jeeves Wijesuriya and Jon Cramphorn (Vice Presidents Barts and London) -

Raised the profile of the recent elections through engaging with students Administered the "Students with Disabilities" survey Met with the Graduation Committee to agree the final dates for the Graduation Events Met with Joey Addai to agree pricing and organisation of the Graduation Events Met with London-wide working group to discuss ongoing BUCs issue

A. election turnout we will increase votes cast in the union elections by 20% actions: A1

You Talk. We Listen. (P) Use questions in You Talk. We Listen. to encourage students to think about why they should vote. Facebook (VPC) Use our personal Facebook profiles to publicise the election including changing our profile pictures and making status updates. We will create a schedule co-ordinate our status updates. Twitter (VPC) Use our Officer Twitter accounts to publicise the election. We will create a schedule co-ordinate our tweets. Targeted Emails (All) Use our mailing lists to send out targeted emails to publicise the election.

Club-night Shout-outs (VPSA) Make shout-outs at every club-night during the voting period.

outcome:

progress:

- Students we talk to are encouraged to think about the election and why they should vote.

- Spoke to 525 students - George had Whitechapel Board speak to 70 students in January

- Our Queen Mary Facebook friends will be made aware of the elections and how and why to vote.

- Exec have all changed Facebook profile pictures - An event has been set up on Facebook to promote nominations - Exec posted on Student Group facebook pages

- Our Twitter followers will be made aware of the elections and how and why to vote.

- 42 tweets during elections

- Students on our mailing lists will be made aware of the elections and how and why to vote.

- Targeted emails were sent to BLSA, Volunteers, Course Reps, Postgraduates, International Students, Societies, Sports Clubs and Student Media.

- Students attending club nights will be made aware of the elections and how and why to vote.

- RAG night

achievement level:

0 25 50 75

100

A. election turnout (continued) we will increase votes cast in the union elections by 20% actions: A6

outcome:

progress:

Election Days (P) Be as available as possible on election days to flyer students and talk to them about the elections.

- Students attending campus during voting days will be made aware of the elections and how and why to vote.

- All exec on polling stations and Ipads

Election Updates (VPC) Daily update students with how many students from their halls of residence or school of study have voted so far on election days. We will also update students with the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;swingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; between candidates.

- Students may be encouraged to vote to improve the standing of their halls of residence or their school of study. - The swing may encourage candidates to work harder.

- Percentages of votes cast per department released on facebook daily - No of votes cast released daily

B. election candidates we will increase numbers and improve diversity of election candidates -

We will have at least five candidates standing for cross-campus Executive Officer positions. We will have at least three candidates standing for Vice President Barts and The London. We will have at least five candidates from the Faculty of Science and Engineering standing for cross-campus Executive Officer positions. We will have at least one candidate for each Student Representative and Part-time Officer positions and 75% are contested.

actions: B1

You Talk. We Listen. (P) Use questions in You Talk. We Listen. to encourage students to think about why they should stand. Facebook (VPC) Use our personal Facebook profiles to publicise nominations including changing our profile pictures and making status updates. We will create a schedule co-ordinate our status updates.

outcome:

progress:

- Students we talk to are encouraged to think about the election and why they should stand.

- Spoke to 525 students

- Our Queen Mary Facebook friends will be made aware of the nominations and why they should stand.

- Exec have all changed Facebook profile pictures - An event has been set up on Facebook to promote nominations

achievement level:

0 25 50 75

100

B. election candidates (continued) we will increase numbers and improve diversity of election candidates actions: B3

Twitter (VPC) Use our Officer Twitter accounts to publicise nominations. We will create a schedule coordinate our tweets. Targeted Emails (All) Use our mailing lists to send out targeted emails to publicise nominations.

Hail Mary Shout-out (VPSA) Make a shout-out at the Hail Mary held during nominations. Lecture Shout-outs (VPEW) Create a schedule and deliver lecture shout-outs at major lectures during nominations. Surgeries (VPSA) Hold surgeries for potential election candidates to approach us about the positions.

outcome:

progress:

- Our Twitter followers will be made aware of nominations and why they should stand.

- 13 tweets

- Students on our mailing lists will be made aware of nominations and why they should stand.

- Targeted emails were sent to BLSA, Volunteers, Course Reps, Postgraduates, International Students, Societies, Sports Clubs and Student Media.

- Students attending club nights will be made aware of nominations and why they should stand.

- Dom did a shout-out at Hail Mary on 25 January

- Students attending major lectures will be made aware of nominations and why they should stand.

- Oscar developed timetable - Decision taken to leave lecture shout outs to candidates

- Students can meet with us to develop a better understanding of the positions.

- All exec held surgeries with a number of students

C. postgraduate events we will hold at least two postgraduate events before may 2012 actions:

outcome:

progress:

- Postgraduate students are involved in the Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities. - The Union develops an increased awareness of postgraduate student issues.

- Quiz successfully held in January with 55 attendees who were also updated on the work of the Union to better their experience as Postgraduate students

23 January (P) Attend and host a Quiz for Postgraduate students.

achievement level:

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100

C. postgraduate events (continued) we will hold at least two postgraduate events before may 2012 actions: C2

3 April (P) Attend and host an outing/trip for Postgraduate students.

You Talk. We Listen. (P) Use questions in You Talk. We Listen. to encourage postgraduate students to attend. Facebook (VPC) Use our personal Facebook profiles to publicise the event including changing our profile pictures and making status updates. We will create a schedule co-ordinate our status updates. Twitter (VPC) Use our Officer Twitter accounts to publicise the event. We will create a schedule co-ordinate our tweets.

outcome:

progress:

- Postgraduate students are involved in the Union’s activities. - The Union develops an increased awareness of postgraduate student issues.

- No update

- Postgraduate students we talk to are encouraged to attend. - Our Queen Mary Facebook friends will be made aware of the event.

- Our Twitter followers will be made aware of the event.

- 3 April event promoted at January Quiz - To be included in You Talk. We Listen. in March - To be done for 3 April event

- Sophie tweeted January event - To be done for 3 April event

D. question twenty-three we will score within the top 25% of students’ unions in question twenty-three of the national student survey actions: D1

Union Focus (P) Make improving the Union’s Question 23 score a Union priority.

outcome:

progress:

- The Union is focused on the consequences of Question 23. - The Union undertakes activities to improve the Union’s Question 23 score.

- Sophie reminded the Trustee Board of the importance of the question and the consequences of a poor performance - Another meeting with departmental managers has been arranged for March

achievement level:

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100

D. question twenty-three (continued) we will score within the top 25% of students’ unions in question twenty-three of the national student survey actions: D2

Branding Redevelopment (VPC) Ensure any Union re-branding will focus on improving the Union’s Question 23 score.

outcome:

progress:

- Any Union re-branding will attempt to improve the Union’s Question 23 score.

- No update

achievement level:

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100

E. union reform we will review the governance and structure of the union actions: E1

Articles of Association (P) Propose and pass new governing documents (Articles of Association) to allow the Union to register as an incorporated charity. Officer Structure Review (P) Reform Executive Officer, Student Representative and Part-time Officer positions to focus on representation. Bye-Law Review (All) Review the Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing bye-laws and rewrite or write any new bye-laws considered as required. - Media (VPC) - Sports Clubs (VPSA and VPBL) - Societies (VPSA and VPBL) - RAG (VPSA) - Volunteering (VPSA) - BLSA (VPBL) - Course Reps (VPEW) - Referendum (P) - General Meetings (P) - Board of Trustees (P) - Student Council (P) - Executive Committee (P)

outcome:

progress:

- The Union is able to register successfully as incorporated charity.

- No update

- Executive Officer, Student Representative and Part-time Officer positions focus on representation. - The Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s governance is improved and made accessible and easy to interpret.

- 3 April event promoted at January Quiz - To be included in You Talk. We Listen. in March

- To be done for 3 April event

achievement level:

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100

F. you talk. we listen. we will speak to engage with over 2,500 students before may 2012 actions: F1

Question Setting (P) Set You Talk. We Listen. questions in Executive Committee meetings. Asking Question (All) Ask forty students each per week for You Talk. We Listen. questions.

Debrief (All) Discuss You talk. We Listen results in Executive Meetings with relevant members of staff.

outcome:

progress:

- You Talk. We Listen. questions are set.

- Questions are being set bi-weekly in Exec Committee meetings

- We consult with Queen Mary students on key questions and use their responses to inform our decisions. - Officers make contact with students are students become increasingly aware of the positions and who we are.

- 754 students talked to so far

- Make decisions using You Talk. We Listen. results.

- No update

G. new media we will use new media like facebook, twitter and blogs to engage with students actions: G1

Promoting Twitter (All) Promote our Twitter accounts to students - Change email signatures (All) - Add Twitter accounts to QMessenger Columns - E-Bulletin and BL Messages Website Blogs (All) Upload our QMessenger columns to a blog on the Union website.

outcome:

progress:

- Students with Twitter accounts can follow us to develop a better understanding of our day-today role and awareness of Union activities.

- Sophie has retweeted other Officers - Twitter accounts to be added to the end of columns in QMessenger

- Students will be able to access our columns on the website and throughout the year.

- Started

achievement level:

0 25 50 75

100

G. new media (continued) we will use new media like facebook, twitter and blogs to engage with students actions: G3

Q-Review Student Council (VPEW) Investigate the potential to record Student council meetings and upload them to the Union website.

outcome:

progress:

- Students with be able to watch recordings of Student Council meetings.

- Oscar has investigated and is liaising with the Q-Review staff member

H. question time we will hold two events for students to question executive officers before march 2012 actions: H1

outcome:

progress:

- Students have the opportunity to question us on our work.

- New date confirmed March 21 - Promotion ready to go next week - YTWL questions set to build interest in QT

You Talk. We Listen. (P) Use questions in You Talk. We Listen. to encourage students to attend.

- Students we talk to are encouraged to attend.

- YTWL questions starting

Facebook (VPC) Use our personal Facebook profiles to publicise the event including changing our profile pictures and making status updates. We will create a schedule co-ordinate our status updates.

- Our Queen Mary Facebook friends will be made aware of the event and why they should attend.

- No update

Twitter (VPC) Use our Officer Twitter accounts to publicise the event. We will create a schedule co-ordinate our tweets.

- Our Twitter followers will be made aware of the event and why they should attend.

- No update

- Students on our mailing lists will be made aware of the event and why they should attend.

- No update

March 6 Hold a Question Time event in Ground at 6pm on 6 March.

Targeted Emails (All) Use our mailing lists to send out targeted emails to publicise the event.

achievement level:

0 25 50 75

100

I. student representatives and part-time officers we will support our student representatives and part-time officers actions: I1

outcome:

progress:

Blomeley Centre Workspace Offer a workspace/desk to Student Representatives and Part-time Officers in the Blomeley Centre.

- Student Representatives and Part-time Officers can work alongside Executive Officers.

- New date confirmed March 21 - Promotion ready to go next week - YTWL questions set to build interest in QT

Contact Regularly contact Student Representatives and Part-time Officers to offer support.

- Student Representatives and Part-time Officers are offered support.

- YTWL questions starting

achievement level:

0 25 50 75

100

A. widening participation (wp) we will: A1

we will have achieved this when:

what we have done so far:

- A project plan in place by the end of January 2011. - NUS have received the project plan. - Final plan in place for March 2012.

- An overview has been submitted to NUS. - Meetings have taken place with Volunteering and appropriate other stakeholders.

Identify and trained volunteers To have identified a specified amount of volunteers who can run the project in 2012/13.

- Volunteers identified by April 2012. - Volunteers briefed and trained by May 2012.

- A recruitment drive has been planned. - 2 to 3 volunteers need to be identified as project leaders.

Developed a relationship with a school To have identified appropriate schools and developed at least one relationship for the project to be run.

- At least one school identified. - Relationship developed with at least one school by June 2012.

- After a meeting between the Union and St. Pauls appears to be a more appropriate school. We are going to wait for the volunteers to be recruited before the school is decided.

we will have achieved this when:

what we have done so far:

- An event is run each semester. - At least one report goes to the Vice Principal Advisory group for Research. - At least 40 students attend each event.

- Ran three events in total with the most recent having over 55 in attendance. - Fourth event being planned for 2 Febnruary. - Postgraduate students contacted to find out what type of event they want.

Plan an NUS WP Champions project To have planned a project to carry out for the NUS WP Champions Project.

B. postgraduate students we will: B1

Postgraduate Events Hold at least one event every semester for Postgraduate Students to gather their views and opinions on education and welfare matters by May 2012.

achievement level:

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100

B. postgraduate students (continued) we will: B2

Postgraduate policy To develop policy thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s purpose is to directly benefit postgraduate students.

Postgraduate section on the website To Union needs to ensure that information specific to students is available in accessible format online.

we will have achieved this when:

what we have done so far:

- At least two policies have been written and passed by student council. - A mechanism has been put in place to measure the impact of the policy over the coming months and years.

- Will be running focus groups for international PGR students to discover more about their experience.

- A plan for the development of the postgraduate section of the website is placed. - The postgraduate section is revamped and regularly updated.

- The postgraduate section is regularly updated with upcoming activities.

we will have achieved this when:

what we have done so far:

- The meetings take place once a month. - We are in the upper quartile of levels of satisfaction in comparison to Unions around the country.

- The next meeting is on Friday 10 February. - Need to produce a plan to ensure student input into areas affected by the removal of the Vice President Student Activities.

- It has been created before end of July 2012. - It has been distributed to all departments in the college.

- The list is to be continued in April.

C. raising awareness we will: C1

NSS Question 23 To chair a group in the SU to look at how we can maximise our result to NSS question 23.

Create a guide about the Union To improve the awareness of the role of the Union to academics, students and other bodies by creating a guide.

achievement level:

0 25 50 75

100

C. raising awareness we will: C3

Improving the awareness of the Sabbatical Trustee roles To actively publicise the role of the sabbatical trustees in the run up to the election and provide opportunity for all potential sabbatical candidates to meet with me to find out what the role is like.

Reports to Student Council It was identified through my PDR 360 (appraisal) that I need to make people more aware of what I am doing in my role as President

we will have achieved this when:

what we have done so far:

- Five candidates stand for the position of President. - I have had a one to one about my role with all President Candidates.

- I have spoken to five students considering running for the position of President and numerous for other positions. - I made myself available to all students wanting to stand in the election. - Three candidates stood for the position of President.

- To have submitted a report to every Student Council from February 2012 on the work I have done since the last Council.

- The second report can be found below.

we will have achieved this when:

what we have done so far:

- My contribution has been deemed to be integral to the success to Unions 94. - Unions 94 meet at least once a semester. - QMSU receives regular update on appropriate topics for the benefit of our members.

- Elected as Chair of Unions94. - Attended the second meeting and will be doing a presentation to QMSU on WP as a result. - Third meeting planned for end of March in Leicester.

- I have consulted Queen Mary students about relevant topics. - The research is taken to the Quality Assurance Agency Sounding Board.

- I have attended and engaged with both Student Sounding Board meetings this semester, next meeting 2 March. - Once the agenda is released I will theme a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;GOATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; topic around it to ensure QMSU studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s views are represented.

D. in the higher education sector we will: D1

Unions 94 To take an active role in developing Unions 94 as a network so that QMSU can benefit from the work taking place in our mission group.

Improving Quality Assurance in HE To take an active role in the QUALITY ASSURANCE AGENCY review that is taking place and ensure that it is working in the interest of QM students.

achievement level:

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100

E. student charters we will: E1

To write a Student Charter To work with a team to develop the student charter.

Consult students on the Charter To have appropriately consulted students and have the charter passed by Student Council.

Implement the Charter To have a campaign planned for the implementation of the charter with an accompanying website.

we will have achieved this when:

what we have done so far:

- The first draft is completed by the end of Jan 2012. - Final Draft by April 2012.

- A first draft has been completed, and a format has been agreed. - This was discussed at Vice Principal for Teaching and Learning meeting.

- Consultation to take place by March 2012. - Passed by April 2012.

- A consultation process is being planned including focus groups as a survey will not provide the information we are looking for. - To be bought to the March Student Council.

- Plan by July 2012. - Website by July 2012.

- No progress

additional information The following is additional information regarding the work I have been doing in my role: -

I attended a meeting with our solicitors in order to discuss the proposed changes from College Council regarding the Articles of Association. I have also met with our Chief Executive and Student Voice and Development Manager to further discuss implementing changes. I have sat on one Assessment Offences panel since the last Student Council meeting. I attended a Student Voice meeting at Reading Students' Union to talk about our Library refurbishment and the various different effects it has had on the student experience at Queen Mary as they are currently lobbying for changes to be made to their own library on campus. I have written and submitted my President report to College Council. I presented our NUS Widening Participation Champions Project at the Access with Impact event last week which featured a number of Unions showcasing their plans for student-led Widening Participation projects. I had to witness the College seal being used twice. I presented to parents at the SLLF Open Day explaining the role of Students' Unions, the work we do and the opportunities we offer. I presented the Union's finances to College's Finance and Investment Committee which were well received. I attended the emergency ULU Senate called regarding their elections and QMSU Exec Committee have since submitted a complaint regarding the running of the ULU elections. I have continued to meet with students regarding the SBCS restructure and will be able to further update Student Council on this at the meeting.

achievement level:

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100

A. creating sustainable media I will: A1

Staff support Ensure that there is staff support in place for media for the 2012/13 academic year onwards and a handover has taken place. Regulations To have created regulations that provide clear direction for media, both where it is going and also about how it is run. The relationship between the Union and media will be clearly defined. Running successful elections To ensure the success of media successful elections need to be run finding the editors for next year. The elected then need productive handovers. Funding Funding is achieved for the next year through the Union and additional sources.

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

- A staff job description is written including support for media by January 2011. - The staff member has been appointed before the beginning of July 2012.

- Job purpose has been identified for a position titled ‘Student Media and Design Co-ordinator’.

- The aims and purpose has been clearly defined by end of November 2011. - The terms of reference and a Service Level Agreement has been written by January 2011. - All documents passed through Council and the Board of Trustees.

- A draft interim agreement has been passed by the Board of Trustees. - A draft has been created for the Media ByeLaw; this is still on-going.

- All positions are contested. - Handovers are planned and delivered.

- The Executive Editor has been elected and a handover has begun. - Advertising has started for the managing editor positions - to be elected end of Semester 2.

- Three funding bids have been submitted and two are successful. - £5,000 additional funding secured. - The Union budget is submitted and approved.

- This has proven not possible due to a lack of available sources of money this year

achievement level:

0 25 50 75

100

B. making an accountable executive officer team I will: B1

Sabbatical Question Time To provide an opportunity for students to come and hear what the Executive Officer team have been working on and ask questions. Sabbatical drop ins To ensure that sabbatical officers are in a location on campus every two weeks providing a drop in opportunity for students to talk direct to the sabbaticals. Fees and cuts The sabbatical trustees are mandated to work on the fees and cuts campaign through policy set at Union Council, so we therefor need to be accountable for our work on the Unions major campaign.

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

- At least one Sabbatical Question Time has been run a semester. - At least 50 students turn up to each event.

- One in Semester A with 21 students attending. - Semester 2 event will take place in Ground on the 21 March. Advertising has begun.

- They take place every fortnight - Appropriate places for the drop ins to take place are located on both campuses. - At least three sabbatical officers attend each drop in.

- This has been replaced with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;You Talk, We Listenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, and covered in the Executive Action Plan.

- At least three sabbatical officers attend all the fees and cuts meetings. - A sabbatical officer speaks/presents at every meeting - A briefing updating students on the progress on fees and cuts it produces once a semester.

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

- All students have been identified by the end of November 2011. - All students have been trained by the end of December 2011.

- This has been postponed due to a lack of volunteers. - Plan to work with the new Executive Editor to see if this is something to pursue next year.

Only two attended first meeting. I spoke on behalf of the Executive Officers. Only two attended first meeting. I spoke on behalf of the Executive Officers. Held a Union meeting but only one student turned up. - Going to be working on a briefing to go out on the 2 March.

C. social outreach I will: C1

Volunteers Identify and train at least five Queen Mary students to go into schools and help set up a newspaper. Location for the project Identify a school to run the project in and set up an agreement between the Union and the School.

- A school has been identified by end of November 2011. - An agreement has been put in place by end of December 11.

achievement level:

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100

C. social outreach (continued) I will: C3

I will have achieved this when: Running the project To run a successful project in a school between Jan and March that supports pupils in setting up their own newspaper.

what I have done so far:

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

- When enough evidence has been collected to fill in the application form. - A minimum of five organisations have been contacted.

- No progress as this project takes up to five years and students involved in Quest have different priorities.

- Queen Mary students go into the school for a 10 week project. - The school has a newspaper up and running.

D. community radio I will: D1

Identifying the need Meet with local organisations to identify if there is a demand for local radio and what they would want from it. Completing the process To complete the application process to apply for a community radio station.

- To have completed the application and sent it before the end of my term of office.

achievement level:

0 25 50 75

100

A. societies I will: A1

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

- A strategy has been passed by May 2012.

- Identified the three key themes. - The draft is on-going.

Regulations To have reviewed the societies regulations and split them from sport taking into account areas needed for development.

- New regulations are passed at the March 2012 Board of Trustees.

- The first draft is going to Student Council.

Representation A clearly defined representation structure is in place for societies and meetings take place.

- Meetings take place at least twice a term.

- Three meetings have now taken place with a

Societies Strategy To create a societies strategy that identifies a clear route for development over the next three years.

Supporting societies To work towards creating supported well developed societies through training, resources and development plans.

great attendance and valuable contributions from the representatives. - At least 4 different training sessions have been planned and run throughout the year. - At least 6 new â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;How Toâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; documents have been created and made available online. - 20 societies have development plans.

- Training already delivered; Induction, Finance & Events, Web. - The Handbook is complete, subsection need to be done for hoe to guides. - At least 20 societies have draft development plans. - How to guide on event management and external speakers.

achievement level:

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100

B. mayoral elections I will: B1

Student Manifesto To take an active role in the development of a London wide student manifesto and lead on creating a QMSU specific manifesto through consulting the student body for the Mayoral Elections. Lobbying the candidates To lobby the candidates and ask for them to pledge there support to the London wide and the QMSU manifesto. Also to invite local candidates to campus for an event and encourage students to attend the ULU Question Time.

Getting students to vote To work with the local council to get a polling station on campus and maximise the student involvement rate in the election.

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

- I attend the London meeting and a London Wide manifesto is completed by the end of November 2011. - A launch activity is planned and takes place to launch the Queen Mary Student Manifesto.

- Attended meetings and manifesto has been written. - Question Time event planned for 15 March. - Launched on the 20 February. - Commitment gained from 10 London Unions.

- All candidates have been contacted by the end of February 2012. - A response is received from at least half of all the candidates and at least one candidate pledges to support either/both of the manifestos. - Meetings are held with at least three local candidates. - 25 Queen Mary students attend the London Student Question Time.

- Chaired a Q&A session with Ken Livingstone. - Liberal Democrat and Conservative candidate

- The local council has been contacted before the end of November 2011 about getting a polling station on campus. - A campaign is plan and carried out promoting the election to students.

- A website is being created to promote the

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

- New regulations are passed at the March 12 Board of Trustees.

- The first draft is going to Student Council.

have been contacted about options of running similar events on campus. - More work to take place after the launch.

manifesto and encourage students to vote.

- Tower Hamlets electoral commission have agreed to have a day of voting on campus and three days of getting students to register to vote. - A meeting has taken place to plan more local activity.

C. sport I will: C1

Regulations To have reviewed the sports regulations and split them from societies taking into account areas needed for development.

achievement level:

0 25 50 75

100

C. sport I will: C2

Representation A clearly defined representation structure is in place for sport and meetings take place. Focus sport A tiered structure for sport is developed with opportunities for widening participation.

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

- Meetings take place at least twice a semester.

- 3 meetings have taken place.

- A tiered structure of sport is developed - A policy is developed for a scholarship programme to widening participation in sport at elite levels.

- No progress on Widening Participation. - Tiered structure in the Bye-Law.

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

- A process is developed. - A pilot project is delivered in semester two.

- A process was developed and students could

D. flagship events I will: D1

Partner led events To develop a pilot project for students running events with the Union Events Manager.

apply.

- First event was a success. - This now needs to be rolled out. D2

Colours and Honours To develop a process for deciding the awards and an event(s) to award students involved in sports, societies and volunteering.

- An award structure has been identified by January 2012. - Event are planned and take place.

- The event is being split. - Award progress identified for Awards and Honours and nominations now open.

- Events have been publicised and tickets are on sale. D3

Societies flagship event To work with societies to develop an event that showcases what they do.

- A business case is developed and a collaboration project is planned.

- International event has 13 societies signed up to take part.

- Go Global publicity is being circulated.

achievement level:

0 25 50 75

100

E. improving finance processes I will: E1

Going online To move to a system where forms including expenses, claims etc. can be submitted online.

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

- It is made available online to submit at least two finance forms.

- The plan has been written. - A budget bid has been put in for £7,500 for

improving finances at QMSU. E2

Immediate access to their funds To work towards identifying a process where students can have immediate access to the funds in there account preventing them from having to use their own money.

- A meeting takes place with the finance department and the option is explored and outcomes followed up.

- Meeting has taken place and waiting for

Risk To reduce the risk involved in finance a risk register needs be created and a system which prompts staff and students when actions need to take place is introduced.

- A risk registered is created by July 12. - A prompt system is explored and actions take place by July 12.

- Ongoing

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

Create a plan To develop a plan for implementing a halls rep system at Queen Mary.

- Plan to be produced by Jan ‘12.

- A plan has been written - Resources identified

Get agreement To work with the College to get agreement to the plan and make appropriate amendments.

- To be agreed by Jan ‘12.

- Provisional commitment gained.

Identify resources Identify staff and officer support for the process and its development for 2012/13.

- Staff and Officer support identified by July 12’.

- Ongoing.

response on budgeting bid before progress can be made.

F. halls reps I will: F1

achievement level:

0 25 50 75

100

additional information The following is additional information regarding the work I have been doing in my role: -

I am now sitting on one of the forty or so QM IT development project boards called Space Management and Room Timetabling (SMART). The project board will develop a centralized data system and more efficient teaching booking timetabling. I am having recurrent meetings with the Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Teaching Bookings department to revise their room booking process. The Teaching Bookings department have accepted change requests to occur after bookings have been submitted allowing students more flexibility than the current 20 day rule. The Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s risk management in relation to studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; controversial events has been revised and is ongoing: - Societies have been given advice in managing events - Student bookings are being more thoroughly risk assessed. The Union is communicating with the College its health, safety, and security concerns.

achievement level:

0 25 50 75

100

A. mums and dads mentoring scheme I will: A1

Recruit parents Recruit parents in Science and Engineering to provide mentoring and gain funding. Recruit kids To promote the scheme and recruit an appropriate number of kids for the parents who have been trained. Project takes place The project starts to take place and there is a benefit felt by both the kids and parents that demonstrates a demand for future years.

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

- 50 parents have been recruited and trained. - Funding has been gained.

- Project being carried out in SBCS and SEMS. - Recruited 16 parents in SEMS. - Funding not needed, only incentives.

- Four kids have been recruited for every parent that has been trained.

- 72 kids in SBCS and 27 in SEMS.

- Meetings are taking place at least once a month between the parents and kids. - Qualitative feedback gathered from those involved demonstrates the project has been valuable to them.

- Planned events for participants. - Meetings taking place between the Parents and Kids.

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

- The plan is in place by mid December 2011. - Resources and support has been identified for future years by April 2012.

- ÂŁ1500 gained for new turn - ÂŁ1000 gained for entrepreneurs - ÂŁ2500 gained for volunteering

- Commitment is gained from four societies and departments. - Individual timelines have been put in place and progress is taking place.

- No progress

B. academic societies I will: B1

Project plan To create a sustainable plan that allows for the development of academic societies that provides opportunities for student development, representation and improving retention. Gaining commitment To gain commitment from four societies and departments to be involved in a pilot project over the coming year and for their individual needs to be identified.

achievement level:

0 25 50 75

100

B. academic societies (continued) I will: B3

Provide support To have identified the main areas of support needed by academic societies to fulfil the project aims and training opportunities begin to be provided.

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

- At least one training session is developed and run on gaining sponsorship.

- No progress

C. improving the learning/welfare experience I will: C1

Pre-Printed Reading Packs Reading packs are provided in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences for modules that do not have a single core text book.

Vocational skills After reports of a lack of dedicated skills training in some departments I will identify the needs and ensure training is made available.

International students Run at least one event a semester that gathers information about the international student experience.

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

- All the modules not providing reading packs in History and Politics have been identified by end November 2011 and all other departments by January 2012. - The Vice Principal for HSS has committed to a faculty wide policy on reading packs. - 75% of all relevant modules in History and Politics have reading packs available to them by semester 2. - 50% of all relevant modules in HSS have reading packs available to them by 2012/13 academic year.

- This is a feature of the Student Experience Seminar. - The College are considering making these free for students starting in the next academic year - Commitment gained from HSS.

- Identified essential skills currently not being offered in departments. - At least two additional training sessions have been provided.

- Going to develop a project that will allow PGR students to conduct research for the Union and build skills whilst earning money. - Working with IT to get licenses for specialist software that students need to gain skills in.

- An event takes place at least once a semester. - A report is created from each event

- Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe in international specific events but will look at doing research.

achievement level:

0 25 50 75

100

D. research led decisions I will: D1

Creating an evidence base for claims To ensure that the Union is representing the true student experience the opinions should be evidence based.

NSS Respondents The NSS is the primary student satisfaction survey that influences the development of the University and the Union needs to be more active in promoting and using it.

Student Experience Seminar The SE Seminar is a great opportunity to communicate with all academic departments on a topic at once, so its findings must be explicitly evidence based

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

- A searchable evidence base has begun to be created. - At least three identified issues have either been supported or not with a minimum of two pieces of evidence.

- I am planning to create an evidence base on qmsu.org which will store the research from all Union and College surveys. - Will design a calendar of when surveys are taking place to prevent overlapping and survey fatigue.

- The number of respondents has increased by 5%. - At least one department in each faculty has had a report written by a student using the quantitative data and open text comments which has then been presented to the SSLC.

- Response rate is up 2% on this time last year.

- The topic has been decided by the Course Representatives. - There is a 24.5% increase in the number of respondents in the survey for the SE Seminar. - At least 10 course reps take an active role in the SE seminar. - A minimum of one staff member per a dept. attends the seminar.

- The topic has been chosen as learning resources. - 5 course reps currently actively involved.

additional information The following is additional information regarding the work I have been doing in my role: -

I have met with students and staff a number of times about the SBCS restructuring. I have made sabb calendars for February and March (for your viewing pleasure). Elections took up a lot of time: I produced voter breakdowns throughout and shared these online. I staffed stationary and roaming polling booths. I generally banged the drum to get people voting. I have met with the incoming sabbs about next year, and will continue to do so.

achievement level:

0 25 50 75

100

A. student presidents committee I will: A1

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

Student President Committee Reform Review the membership of the Student President Committee, in light of reforms to the membership of Student Council by January 2012.

- A new structure is in developed before January 2012.

- This review has taken place and includes all 18 representatives that sit on Student Council, plus an additional five officers.

Part-time Officers Meet with Barts and The London Part-time Officers at least twice a semester.

- Meetings take place.

- The meetings have been taking place.

Dental Society Attend Dental Society meetings and attempt to improve communication and the relationship between the Union and dental students.

- I have attended at least two Dental Society meetings in each semester.

- I have attended one meeting and no Dental SSLC meetings. After constant attempts of gaining access the response has been less than positive.

- I have created a handover pack for every officer including the role purpose, key contacts and dates throughout the year. - A meeting has taken place with all new officers.

- The packs have started to be created.

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

- Survey is written.

- The survey was written.

Officer Handover It is important for the new Officers to be informed and prepared for their roles so I am developing a handover for them.

B. big bl survey I will: B1

Development Write a survey along the lines to National Student Survey to gather students views about the student experience for October 2011.

achievement level:

0 25 50 75

100

B. big bl survey (continued) I will: B3

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

- A report and action points are written.

- The report and action points written. - Report discussed at MEC meetings and is going in the taught programme action plans. - Some recommendations have been taken on board like as improve OSCE feedback for year 3 and 4.

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

Union Days Organise Union Days in the BLSA building to promote Union sports clubs and societies.

- Union days are organised and take place before and after the BLSA refurbishment.

- Two Unions have taken place before the close of the BLSA building run by BLAS.

BLSA Refurbishment Ensure activities and representation are not adversely affected by the closure of the BLSA building.

- Society Activity continues. - A contact point for the BLSA President is established and promoted to students.

- Emails have gone out to students informing them of my location and I have tried working in public spaces. This has not been very effective.

GriffInn Relaunch Work with the Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Entertainments to successfully relaunch the GriffInn.

- A relaunch event takes place - The services provided are student-led..

- Market plan has been created with Union staff. - A meeting is taking place next week to go into more detail.

Report Use the survey to write a report summarising the student experience and develop action points for the medical school.

C. activities I will: C1

D. improving the medical student experience I will: D1

Mentoring Scheme Work with the Medical School to re-focus the academic mentoring scheme to focus on academic advice.

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

- The scheme is reviewed and takes an academic focus.

- This was a big part of the Survey as a result mentoring is becoming more academic.

achievement level:

0 25 50 75

100

D. improving the medical student experience I will: D2

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

- A survey is written and promoted. - Over 500 students have completed the survey. - Analysis is conducted and action points for the Medical School is written.

- Survey written. - To be circulated week before easter.

- To create publicity. - Elect an Alumni Officer. - Get 200 final year students signed up to contribute money the Alumni.

- Leaflet produced. - Officer elected.

I will have achieved this when:

what I have done so far:

Choose a committee To create a committee suitable for putting on the Med Soc Conference.

- To interview students and form a committee.

- The committee has been formed.

Gain funding To gain sponsorship and funding from different sources to pay for the conference.

- To gain £12k of funding.

- To be done.

- Location confirmed. - Date confirmed. - All other logistics confirmed.

- To be done.

Placement Feedback Survey students on their placement experiences and feedback to the Medical School.

Junior Alumni Association Project To start a fundraising project that will encourage final year students to sign up to donate £20-£50 a year. This will provide a pot of money for student groups to bid for.

E. med soc conference I will: D1

Plan the event To plan all the logistics for the event.

additional information The following is additional information regarding the work I have been doing in my role:

- Frantically chasing people up to encourage them to run for positions on The SPC. - Helping Jon and Jeeves organise graduate events. - Advise on the development of the Sports Strategy Advisory Group.

achievement level:

0 25 50 75

100

additional information (continued) The following is additional information regarding the work I have been doing in my role: -

Frantically chasing people up to encourage them to run for positions on The SPC. Helping Jon and Jeeves organise graduate events. Advise on the development of the Sports Strategy Advisory Group. Hosted a Clubs GCM-most significant result of this was a unanimous vote against BUCs merger proposals. Working with UH to developing a negotiation strategy with BUCs. Organise plaques to be sponsored by graduates to be put onto chairs in Lecture theatres. Working with a member of staff to get ‘Being a Mentor’ written into doctors contracts with the trust. Assisted with Dental Beer Race Organisation. Met with Chair of UCL Partners to discuss impacts of the project on medical education. Successfully lobbied college to put information screen in the Garrod foyer (coming soon). At students request lobbied for a microwave to be put in the common room and piano to be tuned!? Negotiated Quality Assurance of MESS for school in exchange for them paying for use of the lecture theatre. Met with QM equality which was surprisingly productive (I think Wanda likes me ;)) Discussed how the school can bridge the gap between education and research with the Warden, Susan Dilly and Proff Warrens. Tried (still trying) to remove BL from the dark ages and get rid of the a-religious clause in our constitution. Develop disciplinary procedure for sports clubs (not popular!) Getting the rugby club out of trouble!! Been a judge for Barts has got Talent-I can confirm it doesn’t.

achievement level:

0 25 50 75

100

6.0

Amendment to the Articles of Association

Proposer: Seconder:

Sophie Richardson (President) Dominic Bell (Vice President Student Activities)

QMSU notes: 1. That under the 1994 Education Act Queen Mary, University of London, has a responsibility for ensuring the Union is meeting certain requirements, such as running fair elections. 2. That College Council did not pass our proposed Articles of Association at their January meeting. 3. That it is essential for the Union to have its Articles of Association passed at the meeting of College Council on the 20th March 2012 for the Union to incorporate at the end of the financial year. QMSU believes: 1. That College Council need to be confident they have the opportunity to carry out their obligations under the 1994 Education Act. QMSU resolves: 1. To adopt the following into the Articles of Association and renumber as appropriate: 60.2

The following requirements, which are statutory responsibilities of Queen Mary, University of London under the Education Act shall be included in the Bye-Laws, regulations or other applicable internal guidance documents of the Union and may not be removed from such documents or amended without the consent of Queen Mary, University of London: 60.2.1 The Appointments Committee of the Union (if any) shall comprise at least one representative of Queen Mary, University of London; 60.2.2 An independent person appointed by Queen Mary, University of London shall investigate and report on complaints by Students who, in accordance with the Education Act: (i)

are dissatisfied with their dealings with the Union; or

(ii) claim to be unfairly disadvantaged by reason of their having exercised their rights not to be a Member. 60.2.3 The procedure for allocating resources to groups or clubs shall be fair, set down in writing and freely accessible to all Students. 60.2.4 If the Union decides to affiliate to any external organisation, it shall publish notice of the decision which shall include the information required under the Education Act and such notice shall be made available to the University and to Students. 60.2.5 Where the Union is affiliated to any external organisations, it shall review and publish in its annual report a list of external organisations to which an affiliation fee has been paid, or donation given, and these shall be made available to the University and to Students. 60.2.6 Members shall be given an opportunity to review affiliations to external organisations in accordance with the requirements of the Education Act.

60.2.7 Elections shall be conducted fairly and properly no amendments shall be made to the Bye-Laws which would contravene the Education Act.

7.0

Club Sport Bye Law and Societies Bye Law

Proposer: Seconder:

Dominic Bell Sam Creighton (Vice President Communications) Dominic Todd (Mile End Sports Officer)

QMSU notes: 1. That previously Clubs and Societies were run by one department, however they are now in separate departments. 2. The current regulations are not suitable to meet the needs of both Clubs and Societies. 3. Ongoing work with an external sports consultant has recommended several changes to our governance of sports clubs to promote development in sport performance and participation. 4. Members of Student Council and Societies have also recommended a different procedure to that which is necessary for Societies and Sports Clubs in regards to grant allocations and finances. 5. There is currently a set of regulations and a Bye-Law that covers Clubs and Societies. QMSU believes: 1. There should be a separate Bye-Law for Club Sport and a separate Bye Law for Societies to allow for the development and progression of each. QMSU resolves: 1. To recommend to the Board of Trustees to delete the ‘Clubs, Societies, and Student Groups Regulations’ and to recommend to the Board of Trustees and College Council to delete existing ‘Bye-Law 6: Granting of Recognition and Allocation of Resources to Clubs and Societies’. 2. To recommend the Board of Trustees and the College Council to adopt the proposed ‘ByeLaw 14: Club Sport’ and ‘Bye-Law 15: Societies’.

Bye-Law Club Sport 1.

Introduction and Definitions

1.1

There shall be two sets of Clubs; Queen Mary Clubs and Barts & The London (BL) Clubs.

1.2

There are two types of Clubs. ‘Core’ Clubs which receive development funding from the Union and ‘Foundation’ Clubs, which do not.

1.3

Clubs of the Union are bound by its Articles of Association, bye-laws, and policies.

1.4

Definitions

1.4.1

Club

An individual sports club of the Union.

1.4.2

Club Sport

Collective name for all the sports clubs of the Union.

1.4.3

Sports Development Manager

The Sports Development Manager is a full time staff member of the Union employed to lead on sports development.

1.4.4

Sports Clubs Co-ordinator

The Sports Clubs Co-ordinator is a full time staff member of the Union employed to support the administration and development of sports clubs.

1.4.5

Sports Officer (Mile End)

A member of the Student Council representing sports clubs based at Mile End.

1.4.6

Sports Officer (BL)

A member of the Student Council representing sports based at Barts and The London Student Association.

1.4.7

Club Sport Committee

Subsidiary to Student Council with the responsibility of representing and developing sports clubs.

1.4.8

Principle Officer s

The Club President and Treasurer and any other position defined in the Club Constitution.

1.4.9

Constitution

This refers to a document each Club must have outlining what the Club is, its aims and objective and other appropriate information as defined in this byelaw.

Affiliation and Membership Students may apply to affiliate a new Club by submitting an application form to the Sports Development Manager. Applications will be reviewed by the Club Sport Committee, the Sports Development Manager and the Sports Clubs Co-ordinator.

2.0.1

Clubs can be granted temporary affiliation by the Club Sport Staff and relevant Sports Officer outside of term time. This requires ratification at the next meeting of the Club Sport Committee.

2.1

Gaining Affiliation Any Club will be affiliated if it fulfils the following criteria:

(i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) 2.2

It has clearly defined aims and objectives to which the Union approves that do not duplicate with those of another affiliated Club or Society. It has at least two founders who can perform the duties of the Principal Officers until such time as the Principal Officers are elected. Founders undergo an induction session given by the Union. It meets all necessary health and safety requirements. It has identified training and, where necessary, match facilities

Maintaining Affiliation Once affiliated it is the responsibility of the Club to remain active. To be considered active they are required to do the following: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii)

Be able to demonstrate the work has been done towards its core aims and objectives at the end of every semester. Maintain a minimum membership target agreed with the Union. Provide up to date information to the Union upon request. Appropriate principal officers of the Club attend the induction session and follow up training. Meet all necessary health and safety requirements. Elect the Principal Officers at the first Annual General Meeting Adopt and maintain a Club Constitution from its first Annual General Meeting.

2.3

Membership

2.3.1

Queen Mary or Barts and The London Club memberships is exclusive to: (i) (ii)

A full or associate member of the Union A member of QMUL staff. QMUL staff are not permitted to hold a Club Sport Committee position.

2.3.2

Full Membership of Barts and The London Clubs is limited to students of the Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD) and Executive Officers. Full Membership of Queen Mary Clubs is available to each and every full member of the Union.

2.3.3

The Union will provide an accessible method for students to join all Clubs

2.3.4

The Union will maintain up to date records of the membership numbers and monies deposited. The Union shall make this information available to Clubs on demand.

2.3.5

The membership held by the Union is definitive. Any reference made to membership numbers within these regulations refers to the list held by the Union.

2.3.6

To participate in a Club activity, the participant must be a member of that Club. “Taster sessions” are permitted, but these must be defined in the Club’s Constitution.

2.3.8

No participant may represent a Club in competition without being a member of the requisite Club and whilst also fulfilling the eligibility requirements of the specific competition.

2.3.9

Where a Club has a reciprocal membership agreement with a National Governing Body, this should be explicitly communicated to the Union.

2.4

Disaffiliation

2.4.1

The Sports Officer (Mile End), Sports Officer (BL) or the VP Barts and The London, with advice from the Club Sport Committee or Club Sport staff, may disaffiliate a Club or suspend any support given by the Union to a Club upon evidence of one or more of the following: (i) (ii)

It being inactive for a period of two semesters or longer. There being financial mismanagement.

(iii) (iv) (v) 2.4.2

Upon Disaffiliation, or suspension of any support, the Club has ten working days within which to appeal to the President of the Union. The President or nominee will then have the responsibility for conducting an investigation into the appeal. This evidence will then go to the next meeting of the Club Sport Committee, to which the Club concerned will be allowed to also present their case. The Club Sport Committee will then decide one of three options: (i) (ii) (iii)

2.4.3

There being a violation of the Union’s Articles of Association, bye-laws or policies. A contravention of their own Constitution. Any of the criteria outlined in 2.2 is not sufficiently met.

To lift the suspension. Continue the suspension. Disaffiliate the Club.

If the Club Sport Committee decides to lift the suspension, then the Club must enter a trial period to demonstrate they are active in accordance with this bye-law. This trial period shall last either 6 weeks or until the next meeting of the Club Sport Committee, whichever is shorter.

2.4.3.1 At the end of the trial period if the Club is considered active there suspension will remain lifted, if the Club has not proven to be active they will automatically be disaffiliated from the Union. 3.

Election and Duties of Principal Officers All Officers have to be full members of the Union and the relevant club.

3.0.1

Principle Officers will be elected before the end of semester C at the Club’s Annual General st st Meeting (AGM) to take office from the 1 August of the year of election to the 31 July the following year.

3.0.2

The Principle Officers will include the President and Treasurer, and any other Officer stipulated in the Club’s constitution.

3.0.3

For competitive sports teams, a Captain for each team should be elected at the Annual General Meeting and communicated to the Sports Clubs Co-ordinator.

3.0.4

The committee of each Club will include the Principal Officers and other positions as defined in the Clubs constitution.

3.1

President The President can sometimes be referred to as Club Captain.

3.1.1

The responsibilities of the President include: (i) Being the figurehead of the Club. (ii) Ensuring that the Club operates in accordance with its Club Constitution and the Articles of Association, bye-laws and policies of the Union. (iii) Attending the Union training sessions as appropriate. (iv) Calling General Meetings of the Club. (v) Organising fair and transparent elections for the following year’s committee. (vi) Being the point of contact between the Union and the Club members. The President is mandated to keep in regular contact with the relevant Sports Officer and Club Sport staff. (vii) Authorising the withdrawal of expenditure from the Club account.

3.2

Treasurer

3.2.1

The responsibilities of the Treasurer include: (i)

Keeping current accurate financial information of the Club. 55

(ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii)

Ensuring financial transactions made through the Union are conducted in accordance with guidance provided. Authorising the withdrawal of expenditure from the Club’s account. Attending the Union training sessions as appropriate. Ensuring that all relevant financial documents are retrieved from the previous year and passed on to the next. Ensuring that Budget Application forms for the following year are returned by the due date in accordance with all guidance provided. Having a meeting with Club Sport staff and the incoming treasurer before the end of semester C to go through the budget application.

3.3

The Club Committee may co-opt members of its Club onto its Committee in the form of a new position or role. These must be communicated to Club Sport staff and the relevant Sports Officer.

3.4

Disqualification, Resignation, and Removal of Officers The position of a Principle Officer of a Club shall be vacated if: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi)

He or she is no longer a member of the Union. He or she resigns. He or she does not perform the responsibilities detailed in this bye-law or the Clubs Constitution. He or she violates the Union's Articles of Association, bye-laws, or policies. A motion of no confidence is passed by a two thirds majority of the Clubs members at a General Meeting. He or she violates Club Sport’s Players’ Code of Conduct. See Appendix III.

3.4.1

If a General Meeting wants to hold a vote of no confidence in the President, it is the responsibility of the Treasurer to call the General Meeting.

3.4.2

If a Principal Officer position is vacated a General Meeting shall be called to hold an election.

Development support for Clubs

4.1

Regular committee training sessions will be provided for Principal Officers and Founders who are mandated to attend training.

4.2

A section of the Union's website will be available for each Club. Clubs will be able to manage their section of the website once they have attended the relevant training.

4.3

A section of the Union website will contain up to date resources specific for Clubs to help with administration and management.

4.4

External websites are permitted. However, due to the provision already available, no funding will be made available for this.

4.4.1

The content of external websites will be periodically monitored and any website that is linked to a Club should be in line with the Union’s Articles of Association, bye-laws and the policies.

4.5

Each Club will require a basic information profile. Each ‘Core’ Club will require a development plan to be updated at the beginning of each financial year.

4.5.1

Each ‘Core’ Club will be categorised as Bronze, Silver or Gold with relation to their Development plan, according to clearly laid down criteria from the Club Sport Committee.

4.6

A new club in its first year shall always be classed as a ‘Foundation’ Club. Direct funding for the Club is not guaranteed, though the support of the Sports Development department will be available.

Annual General Meeting All Clubs are required to have at least one General Meeting a year, to be known as their Annual General Meeting (AGM). The AGM will normally take place by the end of semester C.

5.0.1

The meeting should be chaired by the President or their nominee in the case that the President is running for re-election.

5.0.2

The meeting will have a quorum defined in its individual constitution or 50% of all members. The Club may act on the basis of a decision made at an in-quorate meeting subject to ratification by the relevant Sports Officer or Sports Clubs Co-ordinator, until such time as a quorate meeting rules to the contrary.

5.0.3

Clubs will use the Clubs AGM Terms of Reference as seen in Appendix I.

5.1

Calling an Annual General Meeting

5.1.1

Notice of an Annual General Meeting must be given at least five working days in advance of the meeting to all members.

5.1.2

Any agenda items must be submitted to the President of the Club at least two working days prior to the meeting taking place.

5.1.3

The agenda must be publicised for at least one working day prior to the start of the meeting.

5.2

Extraordinary General Meetings

5.2.1

An Extraordinary meeting may be called by a Principle Officer or by its members, provided that they present the President of the Club a petition of names amounting to 1/3 of the Club membership and that the rules of the timing of the meeting, as above, are observed.

Promotion of Clubs

6.1

Postering and Flyering Policy

6.1.1

Only designated notice boards are to be used for postering and permission must be sought from the relevant College / Union / Association department. Exterior walls or pillars, windows or doors are not to be used.

6.1.2

The following must be adhered to: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v)

All posters and flyers must clearly carry the name of the relevant Club and carry the Union logo. This logo must not be distorted or abridged in anyway. All posters must be stamped and flyers approved by the Sports Clubs Co-ordinator or the Vice President Barts and The London or the Union Reception Staff before they are displayed. All posters must be removed following an event that they are advertising. Members must clearly display student ID when giving out flyers. All posters in a foreign language must be accompanied by an English translation.

Finances

7.1

Subscriptions, Sponsorship, and Other Income

7.1.1

When members join a Club their purchase for subscription will be credited to the Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Subs Account.

7.1.2

The minimum subscription fee a Club can set is ÂŁ5.

7.1.3

A Club’s standard subscription fee shall be set before the beginning of the financial year (1 August) and should not change midway through the financial year. However, Clubs may create multiple types of subscription at different points throughout the year.

7.1.4

The Union will not accept payments for Club subscriptions made on behalf of other members.

7.1.5

All sponsorship obtained by Clubs must be ratified by the Union and must not conflict with any of the Union’s policies.

7.1.6

All income for a Club, must be paid into the Union as soon after receipt as possible where it will be credited to the Club’s Subs Account. Income deposited by cash or cheque will be receipted at the time of transaction and the receipt must be retained in the Club’s records.

7.1.7

Clubs are not permitted to operate an external bank account.

7.2

Grants

7.2.1

The Union will make a general allocation for Clubs in the context of the overall budget and finances. Grant allocations can only be spent on that which benefits members.

7.2.2

Out of the general allocations individual Grants will also be allocated to specific Clubs in addition to their Subs Account, as long as the Club has submitted a completed Budget Pack by the deadline set by the Union.

7.2.3

Clubs will receive a Budget Pack in semester B in order to apply for a Grant for the following financial year.

7.2.4

Late applications may be accepted at the discretion of the relevant Sports Officers with advice from Club Sport staff and/or the Club Sport Committee.

7.2.5

The calculation for the allocation of individual Grants to ‘Foundation’ clubs is based on the judgment as to what is a ‘reasonable level of activity’. The following criteria have been produced to determine a reasonable level of activity: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi)

7.2.5

Level of proposed activity. Recent previous activity. Recent membership numbers and expected membership numbers. Level of proposed individual member contribution and recent member contributions. Relationship between the Club’s Constitution, core aims and objectives, and application for funds. Level of demonstration of work towards the Club’s core aims and objectives.

In addition to the funding available to ‘Foundation’ Clubs the ‘Core’ clubs will receive funding/services which will help them achieve the outcomes from their Development Plans.

7.2.5.1 Core Clubs will be categorized as Bronze, Silver and Gold and will receive differing levels of funding/services dependent on criteria decided annually by the Sports officers and the Sports Development Manager with advice from the Club Sport Committee. 7.2.6

Where the individual grant allocation does not meet the entire cost of a Club’s activity the balance must be paid from their Subs Account.

7.2.7

Clubs aggrieved by their grant allocation may appeal in the first case to the Executive Committee. Should the conclusions of the Executive Committee remain unacceptable, the grievance will be taken to Student Council. The decision of the Student Council will be final.

7.2.8

Contingencies are reserved from the overall Clubs budget.

7.2.9

No allocations will be made for Ultra Vires spending.

7.3

Expenditure

7.3.1

Clubs may request that the Union makes payments for them from their Grant or Subs Account either by Purchase Order or Credit Card. The Union has the right to refuse payments for clubs if they have not consulted with the Union before placing an order.

7.4

Claims for reimbursements

7.4.1

The Union can also reimburse members by online bank transfer when they submit a claim which has been authorised by the Club’s President or Treasurer and has attached proof of payment, for instance, a receipt or bank statement.

7.4.2

A reimbursement claim must also be authorised by the Union.

7.4.3

A member cannot authorise their own reimbursement claims.

7.4.4

Reimbursements will only be made where the value of expenditure can be met by the appropriate Clubs Grant or Subs Account.

7.4.5

No Club will be able to have any expenditure until all of the following conditions are met: (i) (ii)

The Club is identified as ‘active’. If the Club has a deficit, a new budget application has been submitted to and accepted by the Union detailing how the Club will repay the deficit.

Training and Match Facilities

8.1

Clubs whose core function demand it, will receive block bookings in the Sports hall or QMotion Studios. These will be determined by the Sports Development Manager with advice from the Club Sport Committee.

8.2

Where Clubs require a one off booking in the Sports Hall or Qmotion Studios for a core activity, they should request this from the Sports Clubs Co-ordinator, at least two weeks before the booking.

8.3

Where Clubs require bookings in the Sports Hall or Qmotion Studios for activities outside their core activities they should request these from the Sports Clubs Co-ordinator. This may incur a charge at the rate of the booking.

Events

9.1.

Events will be classified either high or low risk. A high risk event would include some or all of the following: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi)

High costs. Large audience / participation. A contractual agreement (venues, insurance, licenses). Taking place in an external venue. Speculative income. Members of the public in attendance.

9.1.2

Principle Officers must present a completed Event Budget and Risk Assessment to the Sports Club Co-ordinator at least six weeks in advance for a high risk event with a contract and/or an Event Budget containing speculative income.

9.1.3

Events without a contract or speculative income require an Event Budget and Risk Assessment to be presented to the Union at least two weeks in advance of the event.

9.1.4

Event budgets and risk assessments must be approved and signed off before a Club can start implementing their plans. Clubs must liaise with the Union in regards to public liability insurance and licenses for events.

9.1.5

Tickets for any Club event must be sold through the Union’s website and/or tills.

9.1.6

The Principle Officer must keep records for any other items the Club decides not to sell through the Union's website or tills to present to the Union.

9.2

Room Bookings and External Speakers

9.2.1

For events in the Union facilities, Clubs may be charged a minimal rate for hire of equipment, security, or staff from their Grant or Subs Account.

9.2.2

Clubs wishing to book College rooms must follow the procedure set out by the College’s Teaching Bookings Department.

9.2.4

An external speaker refers to a person or organisation that is not part of the Union or the College who is invited to speak at any Club event on or off campus.

9.2.5

Clubs must notify the Union of any events on or off campus that involve external speakers.

9.2.6

No event will be publicised by the Union until it has been cleared by the Union.

9.2.7

The Union reserves the right to cancel or prohibit any event if the procedures provided herein are not followed or if relevant health, safety, and security measures cannot be met.

9.2.8

When making a booking on campus the Union requires Clubs to provide the following: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii) (viii)

9.2.9

Organiser’s name and contact details. The name of the Club the booking is for. The expected number of attendees. Whether the event is open to members only, invitation only, all students of the College, all students of University of London, or the general public. External speaker’s affiliations (specifically where they are political or religious). Any knowledge of controversy attracted by the speaker or the topic in the past. If the event is expected to attract media interest, and if so why. Website details providing further information of the external speaker.

On receipt of the information in 9.2.8 the Union will perform a risk assessment and will make a recommendation to the College.

9.2.10 The Club organising the event has a duty to inform the Union of any new undisclosed risk that has come to attention in the lead up to the event after a risk assessment has been completed. 9.2.11 The Union will monitor closely approved events in their lead up. 9.

Charity Fundraising An Ultra Vires act is one that is outside the specified and /or implied constitutions objects and powers of the body in question. It is 'beyond the powers' and is therefore illegal.

9.1

By law, affiliated Clubs cannot fundraise for anyone other than themselves or the Union. A Club cannot fundraise or aim to fundraise for charity. Clubs wishing to fundraise for charity should contact the relevant Union RAG Officer. RAG stands for ‘Raise and Give’, and is the designated charity fundraising wing of the Union. It is the exception to the rule, as it is part of the Union’s aims to promote student development, and fundraising is a key form of student development.

9.2

Money fundraised by Clubs will be paid into the RAG account and then donated to the selected charity.

Health & Safety and Duty of Care

10.1

Insurance and Licenses

10.1.1 All full members of affiliated Clubs are covered for public liability insurance under the Union's insurance policy. 10.1.2 Fundraising activities taking place off-campus require a risk assessment to ensure members are covered by the Union's Public Liability Insurance. 10.1.3 Hired costumes and equipment are not covered by the Union's Insurance policy. Clubs wishing to hire such items will consult the Sports Clubs Co-ordinator to ensure the relevant Insurance policy is taken out. 10.1.4 Clubs will work with the Union to purchase the relevant licences from Tower Hamlets County Council or Metropolitan Police in order to run legal and safe events. 10.1.5 All Clubs are required to observe the individual Clubs Code of Practice on Health and Safety. The President and Treasurer of each Club are designated Safety Officers with specific responsibility for ensuring that the requirements of the code are observed. 10.1.6 Clubs are required to complete satisfactory risk assessments for their activities for each facility or type of activity, which will be submitted to Club Sport staff before the activity takes place. 10.2

Food Safety

10.2.1 Clubs wishing to prepare food for events must follow the Union's Food Hygiene guidelines. Club members should consider the preparation of food, storage and specific dietary requirements of guests. 10.2.2 Clubs wishing to invite external catering companies will need to request copies of the following: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv)

Food Registration certificate. Staff Food Hygiene certificates. Public Liability Insurance. Risk Assessment for the event.

10.2.3 The Union's Communication and Marketing Team and College will need to agree for the company to be on campus. 10.3

Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults

10.3.1 Clubs working unsupervised with children or vulnerable adults will complete a Criminal Record Bureau Check. Members with an existing CRB Check will show this to the Sports Clubs Coordinator for review. Disclosure numbers will be recorded. 10.3.2 CRB checks revealing convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. 11.

Complaints and Disciplinary To make a complaint, please see the Union Complaints Procedure.

11.1

Members of a Club are expected to adhere to Club Sport’s Players’ Code of Conduct in Appendix III of this bye-law. An individual who contravenes the Players’ Code of Conduct may be subject to either a: 61

(i) (ii) (iii) 12.

Warning. Two week ban from the Club Sport and its activities. A complete ban from the Club Sport and its activities.

Recognition of Clubs The Union will award clubs and individuals annually for their achievements and commitment to clubs. Awards will be decided through a fair and transparent system as decided by the Club Sport Committee.

13.

Club Sport Committee The Club Sport Committee will serve to develop Club Sport’s wide variety of sports across all campuses for its members and will feed in to the Unions governance processes as a subcommittee of Student Council.

13.1

The Club Sport Committee will meet in accordance with the Terms of Reference as seen in Appendix II.

13.2

The Club Sport Committee will have both Sports Officers and one position for each of the following: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii) (viii)

13.3

Women’s Sport Men’s Sport Indoor Sport Outdoor Sport Dance Martial Arts Aquatic Sports Racket Sports

Members of the Club Sport Committee will be elected in a fair and transparent way by students involved in clubs. Each Club can only hold one of the positions on the Societies Committee.

APPENDIX I

Club Annual General Meeting Terms of Reference 1.

Constitution The Club Annual General Meeting is the main members meeting of each Club.

Membership The Chair of Meeting shall be the Club President or nominee if they are standing for reelection. The members of the Annual General Meeting shall include all members of the Club. A quorum shall be stipulated in the Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s constitution, or 50% of all members.

Attendance at Meetings In normal circumstances only the Clubs members shall attend the meeting. Other students or Union staff or officers may be invited by the Chair to attend for part or all of the meeting, but have no vote.

Frequency of Meetings Meetings shall normally be held in semester B or C of the academic year. The Annual General Meeting must take place before the end of the semester C.

Authority The Annual General Meeting is authorised by the Union to take decisions on issues in line with its own constitution. It is not authorised to make decisions on those issues, which are properly the responsibility of the Union. The Annual General Meeting shall conduct its business in accordance with the Union's Articles of Association, bye-laws and policies.

Duties The duties of the meeting shall be:

(i)

To elect the Principal Officers for the next academic year.

(ii)

To pass any amendments to the Club Constitution for ratification by the Union.

(iii)

To receive feedback from the work carried out by the Club during the year to date and plans for the coming academic year.

Reporting Procedures Minutes should be made recording the meeting and the outcome of the election.

Clerking Arrangements The Clerk to the meeting shall be a member of the Club.

APPENDIX II

Club Sport Committee Terms of Reference 1.

Constitution The Club Sport Committee is a sub-committee of the Student Council.

Membership The Chair of Committee shall be a Sports Officer, alternating between the Sports Officer (Mile End) and the Sports Officer (BL). The members of the committee shall include the: (i)

Sports Officer (Mile End)

(ii)

Sports Officer (BL)

And an elected representative from: (iii)

Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sport;

(iv)

Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sport;

(v)

Indoor Sport;

(vi)

Outdoor Sport;

(vii)

Dance;

(viii)

Martial Art;

(ix)

Aquatic Sport; and

(x)

Racket Sport.

A quorum shall be 50% of all members. 3.

Attendance at Meetings In normal circumstances only the elected Committee members and the Clerk shall attend the meeting. Additional Union or College Staff, Union Officers, or Club members may be invited by the Chair to attend for those items where business is relevant to their responsibilities to be discussed.

Frequency of Meetings Meetings will normally be held a minimum of five times throughout the academic year, with at least two meetings in semester A and two meetings in semester B.

Authority The Committee is authorised by the Student Council to take decisions on issues in line with its terms of reference. It is not authorised to make decisions on those issues, which are properly the responsibility of the full Student Council or other Committees of the Student Council as set out in their respective terms of reference. 64

The Committee shall conduct its business in accordance with the Articles of Association, the bye-laws and policies of the Union. 6.

Duties The duties of the meeting shall be:

(i)

To review and affiliate new clubs.

(ii)

To review grant applications and development plans.

(iii)

To ensure appropriate methods are in place to provide award and recognition to students involved in clubs.

(iv)

To review clubs that have been disaffiliated or had their support suspended in accordance with the Club Sport bye-law.

(v)

To develop the strategy of the Union for Club Sport.

(vi)

All other responsibilities defined in the Club Sport bye-law.

Reporting Procedures Minutes should be made recording the meeting and the outcome of the election. These will be circulated to all members and submitted to the next Student Council.

Clerking Arrangements The Clerk to the meeting shall be the of the club sport staff, or in their absence an appropriate Union staff member.

APPENDIX III

Code of Conduct for QMSU Players 1.

Respect for Oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Self A Queen Mary/BL player should: (i) (ii)

(iii) (iv)

(v) (vi) (vii)

Make every effort to develop their own sporting abilities, in terms of skill, technique, tactics and stamina. Give maximum effort and strive for the best possible performance during a game, even if his/her team is in a position where the desired result has already been achieved. Set a positive example for others, particularly young players and supporters. Always have regard to the best interests of the game, including where publicly expressing an opinion on the game and any particular aspect of it, including others involved in the game. Not use inappropriate language. Know and abide by the Laws, rules and spirit of the game/Sport, and the competition rules. Promptly notify the coach /lead on any existing condition, illness or injury which may hinder the players participation.

Respect for oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own team/club A Queen Mary/BL player should: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv)

Make every effort consistent with Fair Play and the Laws of the Game/Sport to help his/her own team win. Resist any influence which might, or might be seen to, bring into question his/her commitment to the team/sport winning. Never put the safety and wellbeing of any teammate at risk. Arrive promptly for all training sessions and matches.

Respect for the Laws of the Game/sport and competition rules A Queen Mary/BL player should: (i) (ii) (iii)

Accept success and failure, victory and defeat, equally. Resist any temptation to take banned substances or use banned techniques. Avoid all forms of gamesmanship, and time-wasting.

Respect for QMSU / QMUL / BLSA A Queen Mary/BL player should: (i)

Uphold the name of Club Sport to a high standard and promote them with good conduct.

Respect for Opponents A Queen Mary/BL player should: (i) (ii)

Treat opponents with due respect at all times, irrespective of the result of the game/sport. Safeguard the physical fitness of opponents, avoid violence and rough play, and help injured opponents.

Respect for the Match Officials A Queen Mary/BL player should: (i) (ii) (iii)

Accept the decision of the Match Official without protest. Avoid words or actions which may mislead a Match Official. Show due respect towards Match Officials.

Respect for the Team Officials A Queen Mary/BL player should: (i) (ii)

Abide by the instructions of their Coach and Team Officials provided they do not contradict the spirit of this Code. Show due respect towards the Team Officials of the opposition.

Respect for the Supporters A Queen Mary/BL player should: (i)

Show due respect to the interests of supporters

Facilities and Staff (i) (ii)

Show due respect for facilities, fixtures, fittings and equipment whether owned by Qmotion/BLSA, the coach or club members, hired or at away venues. Show due respect to staff, students and members of the public at venues, whether there are Union staff, college staff, external facilities or away venues.

Bye-Law Societies 1.

Introduction and Definitions

1.1

There shall be two sets of societies; Queen Mary Societies and Barts and The London (BL) Societies.

1.2

Societies of the Union are bound by its Articles of Association, bye-laws and policies.

1.3

Barts and The London Societies shall be apolitical and non-religious.

1.4

Definitions

1.4.1

Society

An affiliated cultural, political, religious, academic, performing or special interest group of students.

1.4.2

Principle Officers

The Society President and Treasurer and any other position defined in the Society Constitution.

1.4.3

Societies Co-ordinator

The Societies Co-ordinator is a full-time staff member of the Union employed to support the work of Societies and Raise and Give (RAG).

1.4.4

Societies Officer (Mile End)

A member of Student Council representing societies based at Mile End.

1.4.5

Societies Officer (BL)

A member of Student Council representing societies based at Barts and The London Student Association.

1.4.6

Societies Committee

A sub-committee of Student Council with the responsibility of representing and developing Societies.

1.4.7

Constitution

This refers to a document each Society must have outlining what the Society is, its aims and objective and other appropriate information as defined in this bye-law.

Affiliation and Membership Students may apply to affiliate a new society by submitting an application form to the Societies Co-ordinator. Applications will be reviewed by the Societies Committee and Societies Coordinator.

2.0.1

Societies can be granted temporary affiliation by the Societies Co-ordinator and relevant Societies Officer outside of term time. This requires ratification at the next meeting of the Societies Committee.

2.0.2

Benefits of Society membership will be defined by the Society at the point of affiliation and must be ratified by the Union.

2.1

Gaining Affiliation Any Society will be affiliated if it fulfils the following criteria:

(i) (ii) (iii) (iv) 2.2

It has a set of core aims and objectives that do not duplicate with another activity or service already provided by the Union or any of its affiliate Clubs and Societies. It has at least two founders who can perform the duties of the Principal Officers until such time as the Principal Officers and other officers can be elected. Founders of new societies and Principle Officers attend mandatory Society training. It agrees with the Union a minimum membership target and meets that target each financial year.

Maintaining Affiliation Once affiliated it is the responsibility of the society to remain active. To be considered active they are required to do the following: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi)

Elect the Principal Officers. Adopt a constitution from the Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first AGM. Be able to demonstrate the society is working towards its core aims and objectives. Providing up to date information to the Union upon request. Meets all the necessary health and safety requirements in regards to purchasing insurance, licences for events and completing risk assessments. Maintains a credited Subs and Grant account.

2.3

Membership

2.3.1

Queen Mary or Barts and The London Society membership is exclusive to: (i) (ii)

A full or associate member of the Union. A member of QMUL staff. QMUL staff are not permitted to hold a Society Committee position.

2.3.2

Full membership of Barts and The London Societies is limited to students of the Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD) and Executive Officers. Full membership of Queen Mary Societies is available to each and every full member of the Union.

2.3.3

The Union will maintain up to date records of the membership numbers and monies deposited. The Union shall make this information available to societies on demand.

2.3.4

The membership held by the Union is definitive. Any reference made to numbers within these bye-laws refers to the list held by the Union.

2.3.5

Where a Society has a reciprocal membership agreement with a National Governing Body, this should be explicitly communicated to the Union.

2.4

Disaffiliation

2.4.1

The Societies Officer (Mile End), Societies Officer (BL) or Vice President Welfare, with advice from the Societies Committee and/or the Societies Coordinator, may suspend some or all support given by the Union to a Society upon evidence of one or more of the following: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v)

2.4.2

membership

It being inactive for a period of two semesters or longer. There being financial mismanagement. There being a violation of the Union's Articles of Association, bye-laws or policies. A contravention of their own Constitution. Any of the criteria outlined in 2.2 is not being met.

Upon Disaffiliation, or suspension of support, the society has ten working days within which to appeal to the President of the Union. The Union President or nominee will then have the responsibility for conducting an investigation into the appeal. This evidence will then go to the next meeting of the Societies Committee, to which the Society concerned will be allowed to also present their case. The Societies Committee will then decide one of three options:

(i) (ii) (iii) 2.4.3

To lift the suspension Continue the suspension Disaffiliate the society

If the Societies Committee decides to lift the suspension, then the society must enter a trial period to demonstrate they are active in accordance with this bye-law. This trial period shall last either 6 weeks or until the next meeting of the Societies Committee, whichever is shorter.

2.4.3.1 At the end of the trial period if the Society is considered active there suspension will remain lifted, if the Society has not proven to be active they will automatically be disaffiliated from the Union. Societies can be re-affiliated with or without financial support. 3.

Election and Duties of Principle Officers All Officers have to be full members of the Union and the relevant society.

3.0.1

Principle Officers will be elected before the end of semester C at the Society’s Annual General st st Meeting (AGM) to take office from the 1 August of the year of election to the 31 July the following year.

3.0.2

The Principle Officers will include the President and Treasurer, and any other Officer stipulated in the Society’s constitution.

3.0.3

The committee of each Society will include the Principal Officers and other positions as defined in the Society constitution.

3.1

President

3.1.1

The responsibilities of the President include: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii)

Being the figurehead of the Society. Ensuring that the Society operates in accordance with its Constitution and the Articles of Association, bye-laws and policies of the Union. Attending Union training sessions as appropriate. Calling General Meetings of the Society. Organising fair and transparent elections for the following year’s committee in accordance with section 5 of this bye-law. For being the point of contact between The Union and the Society members. The President is mandated to keep in regular contact with the relevant Society Officer and the Societies Co-ordinator. Authorising the withdrawal of expenditure from the Society’s account.

3.2

Treasurer

3.2.1

The responsibilities of the Treasurer include: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v)

Keeping current accurate financial information of the Society’s activities. Ensuring financial transactions made through the Union are conducted in accordance with guidance provided. Authorising the withdrawal of expenditure from the Society’s account. Attending Union training sessions as appropriate. Ensuring that all relevant financial documents are retrieved from the previous Treasurer and passed on to the next Treasurer.

3.2.2

Principle Officers may co-op members into additional roles. These positions must be communicated to the Societies Co-ordinator.

3.4

Disqualification, Resignation, and Removal of Officers The position of a Principle Officer of a Society shall be vacated if: 70

(i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v)

He or she is no longer a member of The Union. He or she resigns. He or she does not perform the responsibilities detailed in this bye-law or the Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Constitution. He or she violates The Union's Articles of Association, bye-laws, or policies. A motion of no confidence is passed by a two thirds majority of the Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s members at a General Meeting.

3.4.1

If a General Meeting wants to hold a vote of no confidence in the President, it is the responsibility of the Treasurer to call the General Meeting.

3.4.2

If a Principal Officer position is vacated a General Meeting shall be called to hold an election.

Development and support for Societies

4.1

The Union will offer a comprehensive training programme throughout the entire academic year specifically including: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v)

Induction training; Finance training Events training; Election and Annual General Meeting training; and Website training.

4.2

Regular Society Officer training sessions will be provided for Principle Officers or Founders who are mandated to attend induction training.

4.3

A section of the Union's website will be available for each Society. Societies will be able to manage their section of the website once they have attended the relevant training.

4.4

External websites are permitted, including pages on social networking sites. However, due to the provision already available, normally no funding will be made available for this.

4.5

The content of external websites will be periodically monitored and any website that is linked to a Society should be in line with The Union's Articles of Association, bye-laws and policies.

Annual General Meeting All Societies are required to have at least one General Meeting a year, to be known as their Annual General Meeting. The AGM will normally take place by the end of semester C.

5.0.1

The meeting should be chaired by the President or their nominee in the case that the President is running for re-election.

5.0.2

The meeting will have a quorum defined in its individual constitution or 50% of all members. The Society may act on the basis of a decision made at an in-quorate meeting subject to ratification by the relevant Societies Officer or Societies Co-ordinator, until such time as a quorate meeting rules to the contrary.

5.0.4

Societies will use the Society AGM Terms of Reference as seen in Appendix I.

5.1

Calling an Annual General Meeting

5.1.1

Notice of an Annual General Meeting must be given at least five working days in advance of the meeting to all members.

5.1.2

Any agenda items must be submitted to the President of the Society at least two working days prior to the meeting taking place.

5.1.3

The agenda must be publicised for at least one working day prior to the start of the meeting.

5.2

Extraordinary General Meetings

5.2.1

An Extraordinary meeting may be called by a Principle Officer or by its members, provided that they present the President of the Society a petition of names amounting to 1/3 of the Society membership and that the rules of the timing of the meeting, as above, are observed.

Promotion of Societies

6.1

Postering and Flyering Policy

6.1.1

6.1.3

The following must be adhered to: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v)

All posters and flyers must clearly carry the name of the relevant Society and carry the Union logo. This logo must not be distorted or abridged in anyway. All posters must be stamped and flyers approved by the Societies Co-ordinator or the Vice President Barts and The London or the Union Reception Staff before they are displayed. All posters must be removed following an event that they are advertising. Members must clearly display student ID when giving out flyers. All posters in a foreign language must be accompanied by an English translation.

Finance

7.1

Subscriptions and Other Income

7.1.1

When members join a Society their purchase for subscription will be credited to the Society's Subs Account.

7.1.2

The Union recommends Queen Mary and Barts and The London Societies charge £5 for subscription fees (minimum £1 fee). Society subscription fees are subject to VAT.

7.1.3

A Society's standard subscription fee shall be set before the beginning of the financial year (1 August) and should not change midway through the financial year. However, Societies can create as many different types of additional memberships as they wish throughout the year.

7.1.4

The Union will not accept payments for Society subscriptions made on behalf of other members.

7.1.5

Sponsorship contracts should not conflict with The Union's Articles of Association, bye-laws or policies. All sponsorship contracts need to be authorised by the Union.

7.1.6

All other income for a Society, from whatever source, must be paid into the Union as soon after receipt as possible where it will be credited to the Society's Subs Account. Income deposited by cash or cheque will be receipted at the time of transaction and the receipt must be retained in the Treasurer’s records.

7.1.7

Societies are not permitted to operate an external Society bank account.

7.2

Grants

7.2.1

The Union will make a general allocation for Societies in the context of the Union's overall budget and finances. Grant allocations can only be spent on that which benefits members.

7.2.2

Out of the general allocation individual Grants will be allocated to specific Societies by the Societies Committee subject to a bidding process.

7.2.3

Bids can be placed by Societies for money in the form of a grant to fund associated expenses. Societies must complete the Grant application form to clearly explain the purpose the money is needed for and the amount.

7.2.4

There will be at least 5 rounds for the Grant Scheme throughout the academic year. Societies need to submit applications with the guidance provided by the Union.

7.2.5

Applications for individual grants will be reviewed and decided by the Societies Committee with support from the Societies Co-ordinator.

7.2.6

Society Committee members must express any conflicts of interest when assessing grant application forms.

7.2.7

The Union will provide guidance on matters taken into consideration on the allocation of Grants.

7.2.8

No Grant allocations will be made for: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v)

7.2.9

Bids for alcoholic drinks. Bids for food and soft drinks, except for certain circumstances where they may be considered for small scale self-organised events. Retrospective bids. Donations or affiliations to either a charity or a political body. Ultra Vires spending.

Monies granted are only to be used for the purpose for which they were requested. Societies that receive a grant will make their orders through the Union or be asked to evidence how they spent the money through receipts and an evaluation form.

7.2.10 All unspent grant monies shall be returned to the Union at the end of each financial year (31st July), unless otherwise agreed. 7.2.11 If a Society is left dormant for two years, any balance will be transferred to the general Society funds to be awarded by Societies Committee. 7.2.12 Contingencies are reserved from the overall Societies budgets. 7.2.13 Societies aggrieved by their Grant allocation may appeal in the first case to the Executive Committee. Should the conclusions of the Executive Committee remain unacceptable, the grievance will be taken to the Student Council. The decision of the Student Council will be final. 7.3

Equipment

7.3.1

The Society is responsible for maintaining a list of equipment owned by Society. A copy of this list must be given to the Societies Co-ordinator along with any other information asked for.

7.4

Expenditure

7.4.1

Societies may request that the Union makes payments for them from their Grant or Subs Account either by Purchase Order or Credit Card. The Union has the right to refuse payments for Societies if they have not consulted with the Union before placing an order.

7.5

Claims for reimbursements

7.5.1

The Union can also reimburse members by online bank transfer when they submit a claim which has been authorised by the Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s President or Treasurer and has attached proof of payment, for instance, a receipt or bank statement.

7.5.2

A reimbursement claim must also be authorised by the Union.

7.5.3

A member cannot authorise their own reimbursement claims.

7.5.4

Reimbursements will only be made where the value of expenditure can be met by the appropriate Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Grant or Subs Account.

7.6

Deficits and Repayment Plans

7.6.1

If a Society's Subs or Grant account goes into deficit, they must attend a meeting with the Societies Co-ordinator and relevant Society Officer to discuss a repayment plan.

7.6.2

Society Principle Officers will need to sign a repayment plan and attend regular meetings to review their debt repayment progress.

7.6.3

Societies in debt will not be able to make any payments or claim any expense reimbursements until they are back in credit without permission from the Societies Co-ordinator.

Events Societies are encouraged to organise events to further their aims and engage their members.

8.1.

Events will be classified either high or low risk. A high risk event would include some or all of the following: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi)

High costs. Large audience / participation. A contractual agreement (venues, insurance, licenses). Taking place in an external venue. Speculative income. Members of the public in attendance.

8.1.2

Principle Officers must present a completed Event Budget and Risk Assessment to the Societies Co-ordinator at least six weeks in advance for a high risk event with a contract and/or an Event Budget containing speculative income.

8.1.3

Events without a contract or speculative income require an Event Budget and Risk Assessment to be presented to the Union at least two weeks in advance of the event.

8.1.4

Event budgets and risk assessments must be approved and signed off before a Society can start implementing their plans. Societies must liaise with the Union in regards to public liability insurance and licenses for events.

8.1.5

Tickets for any Society event must be sold through the Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website and/or tills.

8.1.6

The Principle Officer must keep records for any other items the Society decides not to sell through the Union's website or tills to present to the Union.

8.2

Room Bookings and External Speakers

8.2.1

For events in the Union facilities, Societies may be charged a minimal rate for hire of equipment, security, or staff from their Grant or Subs Account.

8.2.2

Societies will not be charged for the hire of Union facilities where activities meet their aims and objectives.

8.2.3

Societies wishing to book College rooms must follow the procedure set out by the College’s Teaching Bookings Department.

8.2.4

An external speaker refers to a person or organisation that is not part of the Union or the College who is invited to speak at any Society event on or off campus.

8.2.5

Societies must notify the Union of any events on or off campus that involve external speakers.

8.2.6

No event will be publicised by the Union until it has been cleared by the Union.

8.2.7

The Union reserves the right to cancel or prohibit any event if the procedures provided herein are not followed or if relevant health, safety, and security measures cannot be met.

8.2.8

When making a booking on campus the Union requires Societies to provide the following: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) all (v) (vi) (vii) (viii)

8.2.9

Organiser’s name and contact details. The name of the Society the booking is for. The expected number of attendees. Whether the event is open to members only, invitation only, all students of the College, students of University of London, or the general public. External speaker’s affiliations (specifically where they are political or religious). Any knowledge of controversy attracted by the speaker or the topic in the past. If the event is expected to attract media interest, and if so why. Website details providing further information of the external speaker.

On receipt of the information in 8.2.8 the Union will perform a risk assessment and will make a recommendation to the College..

8.2.10 The Society organising the event has a duty to inform the Union of any new undisclosed risk that has come to attention in the lead up to the event after a risk assessment has been completed. 8.2.11 The Union will monitor closely approved events in their lead up. 9.

9.1

By law, affiliated Societies cannot fundraise for anyone other than themselves or the Union. A Society cannot fundraise or aim to fundraise for charity. Societies wishing to fundraise for charity should contact the relevant Union RAG Officer. RAG stands for ‘Raise and Give’, and is the designated charity fundraising wing of the Union. It is the exception to the rule, as it is part of the Union’s aims to promote student development, and fundraising is a key form of student development.

9.2

Money fundraised by Societies will be paid into the RAG account and then donated to the selected charity.

Health & Safety and Duty of Care

10.1

Insurance and Licenses

10.1.1 All full members of affiliated Societies are covered for public liability insurance under the Union's insurance policy. 10.1.2 Fundraising activities taking place off-campus require a risk assessment to ensure members are covered by the Union's Public Liability Insurance.

10.1.3 Hired costumes and equipment are not covered by the Union's Insurance policy. Societies wishing to hire such items will consult the Societies Co-ordinator to ensure the relevant Insurance policy is taken out. 10.1.4 Societies will work with the Union to purchase the relevant licences from Tower Hamlets County Council or Metropolitan Police in order to run legal and safe events. 10.2

Food Safety

10.2.1 Societies wishing to prepare food for events must follow the Union's Food Hygiene guidelines. Society members should consider the preparation of food, storage and specific dietary requirements of guests. 10.2.2 Societies wishing to invite external catering companies will need to request copies of the following: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv)

Food Registration certificate. Staff Food Hygiene certificates. Public Liability Insurance. Risk Assessment for the event.

10.2.3 The Union's Communication and Marketing Team and College will need to agree for the company to be on campus. 10.3

Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults

10.3.1 Societies working unsupervised with children or vulnerable adults will complete a Criminal Record Bureau Check. Members with an existing CRB Check will show this to the Societies Co-ordinator for review. Disclosure numbers will be recorded. 10.3.2 CRB checks revealing convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. 11.

Complaints and Disciplinary

11.1

To make a complaint, please see the Union Complaints Procedure.

12.

Recognition of Societies The Union will award Societies and individuals annually for their achievements and commitment to societies. Awards will be decided through a fair and transparent system as decided by the Societies Committee.

13.

Societies Committee The Societies Committee will serve to develop the wide variety of Societies across campuses. The Societies Committee will feed in to the Union's governance processes as a committee of the Student Council.

13.1

The Societies Committee will meet in accordance with the Terms of Reference as seen in Appendix II.

13.2

The Societies Committee will have one position for each of the following: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v)

Cultural Societies Political Societies Faith Societies Academic Societies Performing Societies

(vi) (vii) (viii) 13.3

Special Interest Societies Campaigning Societies Support Societies

Members of the Societies Committee will be elected in a fair and transparent way by students involved in societies. Each Society can only hold one of the positions on the Societies Committee.

APPENDIX I

Society Annual General Meeting Terms of Reference 1.

Constitution The Society Annual General Meeting is the main members meeting of each Society.

Membership The Chair of Meeting shall be the Society President or nominee if they are standing for reelection. The members of the Annual General Meeting shall include all members of the Society. A quorum shall be stipulated in the Society constitution, or 50% of all members.

Attendance at Meetings In normal circumstances only the Society members shall attend the meeting. Other students or Union staff or officers may be invited by the Chair to attend for part or all of the meeting, but have no vote.

Frequency of Meetings Meetings shall normally be held in semester B or C of the academic year. The Annual General Meeting must take place before the end of the semester C.

Duties The duties of the meeting shall be:

(i)

To elect the Principal Officers for the next academic year.

(ii)

To pass any amendments to the Society Constitution for ratification by the Union.

(iii)

To receive feedback from the work carried out by the Society during the year to date and plans for the coming academic year.

Reporting Procedures Minutes should be made recording the meeting and the outcome of the election.

Clerking Arrangements The Clerk to the meeting shall be a member of the Society.

APPENDIX II

Societies Committee Terms of Reference 1.

Constitution The Societies Committee is a sub-committee of the Student Council.

Membership The Chair of Committee shall be a Societies Officer, alternating between the Societies Officer (Mile End) and the Societies Officer (BL). The members of the committee shall include the: (i)

Societies Officer (Mile End)

(ii)

Societies Officer (BL)

And an elected representative from: (iii)

Cultural Societies;

(iv)

Political Societies;

(v)

Faith Societies;

(vi)

Academic Societies;

(vii)

Performing Societies;

(viii)

Special Interest Societies;

(ix)

Campaigning Societies; and

(x)

Support Societies.

A quorum shall be 50% of all members. 3.

Attendance at Meetings In normal circumstances only the elected Committee members and the Clerk shall attend the meeting. Additional Union or College Staff, Union Officers, or Societies members may be invited by the Chair to attend for those items where business is relevant to their responsibilities to be discussed.

Frequency of Meetings Meetings will normally be held a minimum of five times throughout the academic year, with at least two meetings in semester A and two meetings in semester B.

The Committee shall conduct its business in accordance with the Articles of Association, the bye-laws and policies of the Union. 6.

Duties The duties of the meeting shall be:

(i)

To review and affiliate new societies.

(ii)

To review applications for grants and reward money within a defined budget.

(iii)

To ensure appropriate methods are in place to provide award and recognition to students involved in societies.

(iv)

To review societies that have been disaffiliated or had their support suspended in accordance with the Society bye-law.

(v)

To develop the strategy of the Union for societies.

(vi)

All other responsibilities defined in the Society bye-law.

Reporting Procedures Minutes should be made recording the meeting and the outcome of the election. These will be circulated to all members and submitted to the next Student Council.

Clerking Arrangements The Clerk to the meeting shall be the Societies Co-ordinator, or in their absence an appropriate Union staff member.

8.0

Support for the Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) Campaign

Proposer: Seconder:

Samson Williams Kelly Zimbler

QMSU notes: 1. There are massive inequalities in access to vital medications in low and middle income countries. Currently around 1/3 of the world's population does not have access to essential medicines (Ahmad, 2002). 2. 90% of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease burden exists in developing countries, yet only 10% of worldwide research funding is spent on tackling these diseases. (Global Forum for Health Research, 2004) 3. Access to adequate medical care is considered a basic human right (article 25.1 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights) 4. Universities research and develop new ideas and technologies that can lead to development of useful medicines and treatments. Universities often sell on licenses and patents for candidate drugs and technologies to pharmaceutical companies and businesses. 5. The student-lead 'Universities Allied for Essential Medicines' campaign has had significant successes at other institutions in promoting opportunities for medicines and technologies to be made more available in developing countries and for more research to be conducted for the benefit of the world's poorest. QMSU believes: 1. Medication and medical technology should be made available to those that most need it, regardless of where they are in the world. 2. The college should make efforts to ensure that the results of the research it conducts should aim to benefit those who are most in need. It is difficult to predict what research could have benefits for those in developing countries and so any change in policy should cover all research activity. 3. The student body should be involved in pressing the college to achieve a fairer standard of practice in the transfer of technologies, specifically with regard to patenting, in a way that it provides most benefit to those in need. QMSU resolves: 1. To add its voice to the UAEM campaign at BL/QM by releasing a statement of support to the college and the technology transfer office of the college. References: 1. 2.

Ahmad (2002) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12467674 Global Forum for Health Research (2004) http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Digital-Library/Publications/Detail/?ots591=0c54e3b3-1e9c-be1e2c24-a6a8c7060233&lng=en&id=17141

9.0

433,000 Students

Proposer: Seconder:

Sophie Richardson (President) Dominic Bell (Vice President Activities)

QMSU notes: 1. There are approximately 433,000 students studying at further and higher education institutions in London. 2. The Greater London Authority (GLA) has a unique structure and extensive powers when compared to other local government systems in the UK. 3. The GLA has powers over transport, policing, economic development, and emergency services and planning. 4. Further and higher education institutions, and therefore students’ unions, are more geographically concentrated in London than anywhere else in the UK. 5. The current NUS structure reflects the devolution of powers within the UK. 6. Currently NUS has no formal structure for influencing the GLA policy agenda or formal support for students’ unions that seek to pool front-end and backroom services and activities. QMSU believes: 1. Although the GLA does not control education policy, it has powers that can shape the experiences of students in London. 2. A formal structure for influencing the GLA policy agenda should exist within NUS structures. 3. The geographical concentration of students’ unions in London means there are opportunities for students’ unions to pool front-end and backroom services and activities. 4. NUS should offer formal support to students’ unions that seek to pool front-end and backroom services and activities. QMSU resolves: 1. To send the attached motion to NUS National Conference 2012.

9.1

433,000 Students

Conference believes: 1. There are approximately 433,000 students studying at further and higher education institutions in London. 2. The Greater London Authority (GLA) has a unique structure and extensive powers when compared to other local government systems in the UK. 3. The GLA has powers over transport, policing, economic development, and emergency services and planning. 4. Further and higher education institutions, and therefore students’ unions, are more geographically concentrated in London than anywhere else in the UK. 5. The current NUS structure reflects the devolution of powers within the UK. 6. Currently NUS has no formal structure for influencing the GLA policy agenda or formal support for students’ unions that seek to pool front-end and backroom services and activities. Conference further believes: 1. Although the GLA does not control education policy, it has powers that can shape the experiences of students in London. 2. A formal structure for influencing the GLA policy agenda should exist within NUS structures. 3. The geographical concentration of students’ unions in London means there are opportunities for students’ unions to pool front-end and backroom services and activities. 4. NUS should offer formal support to students’ unions that seek to pool front-end and backroom services and activities. Conference resolves: 1. Following consultation with students’ unions in London, NUS should establish: (i) A formal structure for influencing the GLA policy agenda should exist within NUS structures. (ii) Formal support to students’ unions that seek to pool front-end and backroom services and activities.

10.0

Motion for the Proposal of a Budget reserved for Unfunded Societies and Clubs.

Proposer: Seconder:

Edoardo Palombo (Mile End Welfare Officer) TBC

QMSU notes: 1. The following research shows that Queen Mary in comparison to other top Universities of London has, 40% less clubs and societies on Students per Club & Society Ratio. 2. Also, LSE alone with much lower student population has circa one and half times the clubs and societies of Queen Mary, and Imperial with about the same population has double the clubs and societies. University

LSE

UCL

KCL

Imperial

Average

Queen Mary

Clubs and Societies

215

181

238

328

241

146

Student Population

9560

21600

24495

14840

17624

16665

Students per Club/Society

44.47

119.34

102.92

45.24

77.99

114.14

QMSU believes: 1. QMSU should strive not only to create more Clubs and Societies in order to achieve its goal of maximising student experience and of increasing student engagement; but should also aim to increase the quality of these Clubs and Societies. 2. Surviving without funding for a Club and Society is extremely hard and the Union should help these Clubs and Societies in order that they can attract students to engage in extra curriculum activities and to provide better quality Clubs and Societies. 3. As it stands now, many clubs and societies have no budget from the Union, making it almost impossible to compete with the existing clubs and societies, thus not stimulating the growth of student engagement. 4. By having a wider range of Clubs and Societies QMUL can attract more prospective students as their choice is not only determined by academia but also by the opportunity to live a fuller student experience. 5. Students find it hard to set up new societies and clubs and many give up. 6. Student unions should provide wide range of activities as University is a place of culture, entailing the broadening and development of new skills and knowledge. 7. Clubs and Societies help student unity and engagement, which help towards more students wanting to have a voice. 8. The reduction of the Sabbatical officers will free up revenue to use for the promotion of more clubs and societies. 9. The revenue that is devoted to existing society almost every year is not used up by the existing societies; this can help the funding of new societies and clubs. 10. The new proposal should be more flexible, as it needs to recognise the different needs and wants of different societies. QMSU resolves: 1. The Terms of this motion will come into effect in the scholastic year 2012/2013 and will be effective for both QMSU and BLSA. 2. The Union will set aside a yearly budget of ÂŁ3,000 for the funding of currently not funded society and clubs, and this will be equally split into three terms. 3. The budget will be ÂŁ1,0000 per term, and will be reset at the start of every term. 4. The budget will be distributed to the clubs and societies for: (i) Events (ii) Advertisement (excluding posters and leaflets)

5. The clubs and societies will be able to apply for the funding every term, with an application clearly specifying what they wish to do with the money and an estimation of the funding they require. (See 10.1). 6. The SU will to process the requests for funding from the date submitted, and will provide a response to the applicant within 5 working days. 7. The requests will be assessed by the SU, who will be in charge of allocating the budget adequately to fund as many societies as possible and liaise with societies in regards to their requests. 8. The SU can refuse the application for funding if the requests may go against SU policy, or if the requests seem exorbitant. However, in doing so they must explain the reasons for such decision directly to the Club/Society and must help them modify their application so they can receive the funding. 9. In order to render the clubs and societies accountable, if they have received funding at the end of the term in which funding was given they must show proof of the amount spent in form of bank statements or receipts. Failure to do so will hinder future application for funding and will be at the SU discretion. 10. The SU will provide the clubs and societies with leaflets and posters, at the SU discretion, for any events they wish to promote. 11. The SU will make the application for funding available online so clubs and societies can have easy access. 12. The SU will commence a review of the funding of existing societies, reporting on the uses of the funding given, any excesses and the amount unspent by each club/society.

10.1

Model Funding Application

Name:

Mr. Blah

Student ID:

100042800

Name of Club/Society:

Awesomeness Society

Total Amount Requested:

£100

Reason for the Application:

Hosting an inaugural event Promotion of such event

Estimation of the Allocation of the Budget:

Gazebo (£50) Food (£20) Drinks (£20) Deposit for Location (£10)

Signature:

Date:

For Office use only: Processed By:

E.Palombo

Contact Details:

Welfare@qmul.ac.uk

Request Accepted?

Yes

If not, reasons for declining the request:

N/A

Conditions for the acceptance of the requests:

N/A

If you wish to dispute the decision, please contact the person who has processed your application and arrange a meeting to allow for negotiation. Signature:

Date:

11.0

A Motion for the introduction of an All Access Membership

Proposer: Seconder:

Tom Ireland Edoardo Palombo (Mile End Welfare Officer) Kishan Halai

QMSU notes: 1. Many departmental societies provide great events for their members. 2. These events are rarely full and only few attend. QMSU believes: 1. Students wish to join more societies but their lack of finances means that they are restricted only to one academic society. 2. Students only register for one academic society, but there is a lot of spare capacity to fill. 3. The spare capacity in events of societies provides an opportunity to extend event to member of other academic societies at no cost for the event holders. 4. Inter-departmental relation will most definitely improve if events can be attended also by students from other departments. 5. However, members should keep their priority of their societiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; events. QMSU resolves: 1. The SU will create and activate the All Access Academia pass from the scholastic year 2012/2013. 2. The pass will be given at no extra cost by all academic societies, and this will take the form of an e-mail and should be shown at the entrance of the available events. 3. The AAA pass will provide access to all academic events provided by an academic society at the same cost as the members of the society which holds the event. 4. If the event is at full capacity, then members of the society which holds the event will have priority. 5. The remaining capacity, after it has been allocated to members, will be distribute to those holding an AAA pass on a first come first served basis. 6. A calendar which will include all academic events provided by academic societies will be constructed and will be available online and at the SU. 7. The calendar will be updated every start of every term and on week 7 of the term. 8. The SU will need to contact all academic societies 2 weeks prior to the publication of the calendar that they need to render available the dates of any academic event for the next calendar issue. 9. Academic societies will need to provide all of the information to the SU no less than a week before the publication of the calendar.

12.0

Protecting the teaching of students in SBCS

Proposer: Seconder:

Oscar Williamson (Vice President Education and Welfare) Ozzy Amir (Mile End Campaigns Officer)

QMSU notes: 1. The proposed restructuring of the school of biological and chemical sciences (SBCS) circulated to members of staff in September 2011, was passed by College Council last semester. 2. Around a third of staff will be affected by these proposals, and will either be made redundant, removed from research positions or requested to take a severance package. 3. Over 350 students have signed a letter outlining their concerns over these proposals, which has been delivered to QMSE and the Head of the School, Matthew Evans. 4. 1645 students and academics have signed an online petition outlining opposition to the proposals from Queen Mary and internationally. 5. The head of school has stated that new staff will be ‘eased in’ to teaching, with a teaching load that increases from a starting point of zero hours over an unspecified period. QMSU believes: 13. That University management have failed to consider the long-term impacts of these proposals and that the time scale under which these proposals will be implemented is damaging to the school. 14. The reductions in staff numbers will create a shortfall in teaching provision, which will adversely affect the education of current and future students. 15. The current student/staff ratio of 23:1 is not comparable to institutions like Oxbridge, Imperial and UCL who have research outputs of the calibre the university aspires to. 16. The new performance management system is only recognising research output and so disincentivises high quality teaching, leading to the students’ education being adversely affected. 17. The employment of teaching fellows is counter to the college’s own strategic aims of being a research led institution. This means that non-research active staff will deliver student education. The whole point of attending a research-led institution is to receive the benefit of knowledge from those currently involved in their field. 18. It would be prudent for the college to halt their plans and reconsider these proposals in light of current student opinion and the concerns raised by staff and UCU. QMSU resolves: 1. Mandate the President of QMSU to take this issue to College Council as soon as possible. 2. To call for the immediate halt of these proposals pending a full reassessment of its impacts in light of current opposition by both QMSU and UCU. 3. To co-ordinate a joint open meeting with QMSU and UCU in order to provide students with information about the current proposals and its predicted impact. 4. Formulate and execute a plan of action in order to effectively resist these proposals to ensure that the teaching of students is protected. 5. Remain open to further active forms of resistance.

13.0

Amendment to NUS National Conference Motion 301 'Postgraduate Funding and Support'

Proposer: Seconder:

Ross Speer Ciara Squires (Mile End Student Representative) Ellen Tansey Amberine Khan Chris Green Sam Playle Yannick Harrison Donald McKinnon (Mile End LGBT Officer)

QMSU resolves: 1. To send the following amendment to NUS National Conference motion 301 'Postgraduate Funding and Support': (i) (ii)

Delete Conference resolves 1 and 3 Add to Conference resolves: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;To call for fully-funded postgraduate degrees and living grants open to graduatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

13.1

NUS National Conference Motion 301 'Postgraduate Funding and Support'

The lack of focus on postgraduate study in the recent Higher Education White paper is extremely concerning for all students. Issues of access, funding and support are at risk of being neglected by the Government and the sector. In addition, we are seeing policies that promote the concentration of research funding to traditional research-intensive institutions, rather than funding research wherever excellence is found. Conference believes: 1. That the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s promise to monitor access to postgraduate courses is too little too late when the repercussions of the undergraduate fee hike and cuts to the teaching grant are clear. 2. That upfront fees for postgraduate taught courses are a contradiction of the principles of equality of opportunity in access to education. 3. That financial support and information for postgraduate taught courses is insufficient and inaccessible and that there is not enough information on how this affects access for underrepresented groups and those groups with more complex financial support needs. 4. That funding councils should fund research wherever excellence is found, whether it is large, research intensive institutions, an early stage researcher or a small and specialist institution with a small research portfolio. Conference resolves: 1. To develop an alternative funding model for postgraduate taught courses. 2. To lobby for better information, advice and guidance about the costs and financial support available for all types of postgraduate course. 3. To campaign for more Career Development Loans with lower interest rates and longer initial repayment start times. 4. To provide support and advice to studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; unions who wish to campaign for increased institutional financial support for postgraduates and against further rises in tuition fees. 5. To work with relevant sector bodies to build a strong argument against the concentration of research funding and principles for funding research excellence wherever it is found. 6. To ensure that NUS participates in future consultations on research funding, arguing against its concentration and to provide guidance to studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; unions about these arguments. 7. To campaign for increased opportunities for early stage researchers in funding allocation. 8. To develop principles around what good research-led teaching looks like and support unions to engage with this topic.

14.0

Amendment to NUS National Conference Motion 302 'The Public Role of Higher Education'

Proposer: Seconder:

Ross Speer Ciara Squires (Mile End Student Representative) Ellen Tansey Amberine Khan Chris Green Sam Playle Yannick Harrison Donald McKinnon (Mile End LGBT Officer)

QMSU believes: 1. The Campaign for the Public University, Education Activist Network, No Confidence Campaign and NCAFC have contributed to raising public awareness around private providers in HE. 2. That to defend public higher education NUS should stand with the campus trade unions, academics, administration staff and university sector QMSU resolves: 1. To send the following amendment to NUS National Conference motion 302 'The Public Role of Higher Education': (i)

Add to Conference believes: -

(ii)

The Campaign for the Public University, Education Activist Network, No Confidence Campaign and NCAFC have contributed to raising public awareness around private providers in HE. That to defend public higher education NUS should stand with the campus trade unions, academics, administration staff and university sector.

Add to Conference resolves: -

To actively campaign against all cuts and for free education for all. To support a wide range of actions to defend public education including occupations and walkouts To reaffirm our support for industrial action taken by education workers. To organise a national demonstration in the first term of 2012-13

14.1

NUS National Conference Motion 302 'The Public Role of Higher Education'

Over the past 10 years successive governments have focussed on highlighting the individual benefit that graduates gain from a higher education and the economic value to UK Plc. There can be no doubt that the individual benefits are significant. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 2010 a graduate could expect to earn, on average 45% more than those who are not graduates. However, this political discourse, used to justify continued increases to tuition fees has sidelined discussions about the value of higher education as a public good. Indeed, the government, whilst making statements about the value of higher education has completely removed public funding for many courses â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially the arts and humanities. Rather than seeing the breadth of higher education and research being of crucial value to society beyond financial gain, the government has made clear statements that the only type of higher education that is of value to the public is those disciplines that can make a financial return on their investment and will boost the economy in the long run. Conference believes: 1. That the social return on investment is just as important to society as the financial one. 2. That the removal of public funding to arts and humanities courses is wrong and ignores the contribution that these disciplines make to the betterment of our communities- both locally and globally. 3. That whilst there are a variety of organisations and groups that are working to bring these issues to the public attention, there should be a national co-ordination of the campaign. 4. That the removal of the teaching grant for arts and humanities subjects could have a detrimental impact upon specialist institutions or those institutions with a substantial recruitment population within those subject areas. Conference resolves: 1. To bring together a national coalition of relevant organisations, such as Arts Emergency, to campaign to reassert the public role of all higher education and ensure that adequate funding for HEFCE is reinstated and protected from future cuts. 2. To undertake research into the social and economic impact higher education, particularly arts and humanities, have on local communities and wider society. 3. To provide training and support for unions and institutions to run their own campaigns, working with local community projects to promote the value of higher education in their local areas.

15.0

Amendment to NUS National Conference Motion 305 'Higher Education Bill'

Proposer: Seconder:

Ross Speer Ciara Squires (Mile End Student Representative) Ellen Tansey Amberine Khan Chris Green Sam Playle Yannick Harrison Donald McKinnon (Mile End LGBT Officer)

QMSU believes: 1. The White Paper is about making the fees regime work. 2. The focus on lobbying for amendments – without providing any vision of how even these limited goals might be achieved is inadequate. 3. Student collaboration with the private sector is damaging to our movement. 4. We have an opportunity for a mass campaign against the government which can defeat the HE Bill. 5. It should be the role of the elected leadership to find creative ways to unite and encourage broad opposition, not to demobilise it. QMSU resolves: 1. To send the following amendment to NUS National Conference motion 305 'Higher Education Bill': (i)

Add to Conference believes: -

(ii)

The White Paper is about making the fees regime work. The focus on lobbying for amendments – without providing any vision of how even these limited goals might be achieved is inadequate. Student collaboration with the private sector is damaging to our movement We have an opportunity for a mass campaign against the government which can defeat the HE Bill. It should be the role of the elected leadership to find creative ways to unite and encourage broad opposition, not to demobilise it.

Add to Conference resolves: -

To fully support UCU’s initiatives against the White Paper. To organise, as a matter of urgency, a publicity campaign on the implications of the White Paper. To call for Willetts’ resignation. To call a day of blockades around the Department of Business, Skills and Innovation. To call an indefinite national student strike if the HE Bill is passed.

15.1

NUS National Conference Motion 305 'Higher Education Bill'

The recent White Paper highlighted a range of areas that Government are seeking to legislate on in the forthcoming Bill on Higher Education. NUS has already made clear that it believes that the Bill should be delayed to allow time for the sector to have a full debate about the proposed changes, however it is likely that a Bill will be tabled in the Spring of 2012. Information about what might be contained in the Bill changes regularly, but there are some key areas that NUS needs to ensure it clearly campaigns on before the Bill is presented and during the passage of the Bill through parliament. These include the role of private providers in the system; enhanced information, advice and guidance; access to higher education and subsequent retention, and the true nature of students as both partners to, beneficiaries of and empowered actors within higher education. The increase of private providers into our education system is a potential threat to the quality of provision that students will receive as well as equality of opportunity to participate. We also challenge the idea that public subsidy will be used to enable private enterprise to generate and develop profit. We believe that many issues around access to education are because of poor information, advice and guidance and will be using the HE Bill as an opportunity to demand increased quality provision in this area. In this new environment, we support the more powerful role of the Office for Fair Access, but demand that students have a formalised role in the development and approval of access agreements. To truly put students at the heart of the system, we believe that students should be in positions of authority within the system, with increased representation in institutional governing bodies and sector bodies. Conference believes: 1. The Government are legislating to open up the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;HE Marketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to private providers. Experience from other countries suggests for profit education providers can have a negative effect on the quality of provision and the student experience. 2. A part of the forthcoming HE Bill the Government will seek to make changes to the way in which Information, Advice and Guidance is delivered to students. It is essential that IAG is both useful and meaningful for the user. Advice and guidance is an essential way of contextualising the complex information about higher education. 3. Terms and conditions of student loans are currently so loosely defined that the current package is to easily open to unilateral change. 4. Students are currently not at the heart of the HE System. Conference resolves: 1. To oppose to an increase in for-profit provision 2. To campaign for legislation to secure strong restrictions on the sales of assets purchased with public funding. 3. To defend the criteria for taught degree awarding powers based on the strength of academic community and pedagogical effectiveness. 4. To oppose any increases in the outsourcing of teaching activities to third parties. 5. To campaign to secure terms and conditions of student loans in statute. 6. To campaign for comprehensive provision of quality-assured advice and guidance for prospective students to support existing public information. 7. To lobby for the HE Bill to cement the role of studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; unions in HE institutions and to campaign for fundamental reform of institutional governance reflecting the students' role not only as powerful partners but ultimately as funders of the system. 8. NUS will support students' unions to campaign for redistribution of power to ensure that they are partners with authority over key strategic decisions and documents. 9. NUS will campaign to ensure that bodies within new regulatory framework put student interests and matters at the forefront of everything that they do. 10. We will make sure that entrance and exit of private providers and others protects students both academically and financially. 94

16.0

Amendment to NUS National Conference Motion 402 'Defending the Right to Protest'

Proposer: Seconder:

Ross Speer Ciara Squires (Mile End Student Representative) Ellen Tansey Amberine Khan Chris Green Sam Playle Yannick Harrison Donald McKinnon (Mile End LGBT Officer)

QMSU believes: 1. Civil disobedience is not a crime. 2. The attempt to demonise protesters in the media has created a false dichotomy between good and bad protesters. 3. That excessive punishing of protesters and "exemplary" sentencing are devastating to those individualsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; family and friends and are designed to intimidate others from protesting in the future. 4. That the best way to defend the right to protest is by protesting. QMSU resolves: 1. To send the following amendment to NUS National Conference motion 402 'Defending the Right to Protest': (i) Delete Conference believes 3. (ii) Delete Conference resolves 1 (iii) Add to Conference believes: -

Civil disobedience is not a crime. The attempt to demonise protesters in the media has created a false dichotomy between good and bad protesters. That excessive punishing of protesters and "exemplary" sentencing are devastating to those individualsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; family and friends and are designed to intimidate others from protesting in the future. That the best way to defend the right to protest is by protesting.

(iv) Add to Conference resolves: -

That NUS should campaign against any attempts to curb the rights to protest in the UK. To join the UCU in calling for a public inquiry into the arrests and violence used against demonstrators and to include in this an inquiry into the overcharging of protesters. To launch a campaign highlighting the human stories behind police brutality and the importance of protest rights. To fully support imprisoned students including by supporting the DTRTP "twin with a prisoner" scheme and work with Student Unions, UCU and Universities to ensure those students are facilitated and supported to continue their studies during their sentence and following their release. To work with Student Unions to make sure students know their rights in advance of protests including aiding the distribution of DTRTP/NUS bust cards. To call for universities to be places of political asylum.

16.1

NUS National Conference Motion 402 'Defending the Right to Protest'

Peaceful protest has a long and noble tradition in the UK. It has played a major part in bringing about social and political changes; including the extension of voting rights, the establishment of the welfare state, and the development of union rights. However, the last year has seen a sustained attack on our right to protest: Canterbury has banned th protest in the city, the student demonstration on 9 November 2011 saw police announce the sanctioning of rubber bullets before the event, and there was a heavy police presence on the march; with officers employing the intimidating ‘total policing’ approach. In previous demonstrations, police have used kettling and horse-charging tactics against students. On our own campuses, the right to protest is being threatened. Local action, occupations and marches have consistently been threatened with police intervention. On certain campuses, basic human rights such as access to water have been denied to protesters. These tactics point to a worrying trend which has seen a crackdown on protest. We must campaign to defend the right to protest, which is a universal right and the cornerstone of a democratic society. Conference believes: 1. That the right to protest is a universal right and should be defended and that any attack on the right to protest is an attack on democratic values. 2. That peaceful protest has played a major part in bringing about many important social and political changes in the UK. 3. That there is a difference between civil disobedience and criminality. 4. That student protest and action in November 2010 and November 2011 has exemplified a passionate engagement with political life in the UK. 5. That the police presence on 9 November 2011 was disproportionate. 6. That the decision by Scotland Yard to announce before the student march on 9 November that rubber bullets had been sanctioned to use on students was intimidating and ill-advised. 7. That before 9 November march, police showed a clear political agenda to stop attendance by confirming use of rubber bullets, and highlighting the cost of policing. 8. That ‘total policing’ tactics do not sit well with notions of freedom to protest and can be intimidating and unnecessary. 9. That the use of kettling, horse charging and rubber bullets on protestors is fundamentally wrong. 10. That students on their own campuses should be able to protest peacefully without fear of inappropriate interventions. 11. That strengthening links and building solidarity between students and lecturers and with the UCU and other trade unions is essential to defending our right to protest. Conference resolves: 1. To increase the effectiveness of high profile demonstrations be winning the case for less, but appropriate, police interventions. 2. To increase safety of protesters by banning inappropriate police tactics such as kettling, horse charging and the use of rubber bullets. 3. To openly condemn and campaign against ‘total policing’ including kettling, horse charging and batoning of protesters and actively oppose the threat or use of new tactics including rubber bullets and water cannon. 4. To continue to work with Liberty, Defend the Right to Protest and other relevant campaigning organisations and student groups to defend the right to protest.

17.0

Amendment to NUS National Conference Motion 404 'Eden Springs'

Proposer: Seconder:

Ross Speer Ciara Squires (Mile End Student Representative) Ellen Tansey Amberine Khan Chris Green Sam Playle Yannick Harrison Donald McKinnon (Mile End LGBT Officer)

QMSU believes: 1. That the NUS has a moral responsibility to heed the call of oppressed peoples like we did in the 1980s when adopting the BDS call by South Africans fighting racism and apartheid 2. That the call for BDS has come from over 170 Palestinian civil society organisations as well as organisations within Israel 3. That the campaign is founded on the basis of anti-racism and human rights for all 4. That the BDS movement has united human rights campaigners from different nationalities, races, religions and creeds across the world QMSU resolves: 1. To send the following amendment to NUS National Conference motion 404 'Eden Springs': (i)

Add to Conference believes: -

(ii)

That the NUS has a moral responsibility to heed the call of oppressed peoples like we did in the 1980s when adopting the BDS call by South Africans fighting racism and apartheid . That the call for BDS has come from over 170 Palestinian civil society organisations as well as organisations within Israel That the campaign is founded on the basis of anti-racism and human rights for all That the BDS movement has united human rights campaigners from different nationalities, races, religions and creeds across the world

Add to Conference resolves: -

Institute thorough research into our union’s own contacts with investments and companies, including subcontractors, that may be implicated in violating Palestinian human rights as stated by the BDS movement Pressure universities and affiliate students’ unions to divest from Israel and from companies directly or indirectly supporting the Israeli occupation and apartheid policies Promote students’ union resolutions condemning Israeli violations of international law and human rights and endorsing BDS in any form. Actively support and work with Palestine solidarity organisations such as the BDS Movement, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Jews for Justice for Palestinians, British Committee for Palestinian Universities, Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions Affiliate NUS to the Palestine BDS National Committee and engage in education campaigns to publicize the injustice of Israel’s discriminatory policies against the Palestinians and its illegal occupation.

17.1

NUS National Conference Motion 404 'Eden Springs'

Eden Springs is an Israeli company that bottles, markets and distributes mineral water. In the UK, the company operates as Eden Springs UK Ltd and provides bottled and plumbed water coolers for universities, colleges and city councils across the UK. Eden Springs has a bottling plant in the Katzrim, in the Golan Heights. Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s settlements are illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention, which forbids population transfer into territory occupied in war. The Israeli Occupation of the Golan Heights is in direct contravention of the United Nations Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 452 (1972), 465 (1972), 465 (1980), 471 (1980) and 497 (1981). Students are uniquely placed to lobby their universities, colleges and councils, who purchase water from Eden Springs to cancel their contract in line with ethical purchasing guidelines. Conference believes: 1. That NUS has a proud history of campaigning on global justice and ethical purchasing issues. 2. That Universities are public institutions with a dedicated commitment to the public good and their purchasing and investments should reflect this. 3. That water is a natural resource which is essential to life and access to water is a basic human right, as recognised by Amnesty International. 4. That the illegal appropriation of water for commercial use is particularly problematic in the Golan Heights, where resources are scarce and distributed unequally. 5. That NUS should campaign on ethical purchasing, in line with previous campaigns on ethical investment. Conference Resolves: 1. To mandate the VP Society and Citizenship to write to the Chief Executive of Eden Springs outlining NUSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; objections to their bottling plant in the Golan Heights and asking them to remove it. 2. For NUS to constructively engage with Eden Springs. 3. To release guidance for students campaigning on ethical purchasing, including information about Eden Springs and how best to engage with their universities, colleges or city councils to lobby them to cancel their contracts. 4. To research which universities and colleges have contracts with Eden Springs and work with local SUs to lobby universities to remove Eden Springs.

18.0

Amendment to NUS National Conference Motion 504 'Building a Generation Ready To Shout ‘I AM THE CHANGE!’

Proposer: Seconder:

Ross Speer Ciara Squires (Mile End Student Representative) Ellen Tansey Amberine Khan Chris Green Sam Playle Yannick Harrison Donald McKinnon (Mile End LGBT Officer)

QMSU believes: 1. The cuts to public services and education are the key issue in British politics. 2. We need to build stronger alliances with the trade union movement in order to implement our strategy around the HE Bill and education cuts. QMSU resolves: 1. To send the following amendment to NUS National Conference motion 504 'Building a Generation Ready To Shout ‘I AM THE CHANGE!’ (i)

Add to Conference believes: -

(ii)

The cuts to public services and education are the key issue in British politics. We need to build stronger alliances with the trade union movement in order to implement our strategy around the HE Bill and education cuts.

Add to Conference resolves: -

To use the campaign to facilitate the activities of the priority campaign. To give student activists training in organising walk-outs, occupations and other tactics of the student's movement. To use the campaign to win students to the work of the trade union movement.

18.1

NUS National Conference Motion 504 'Building a Generation Ready To Shout ‘I AM THE CHANGE!’

Students’ unions should be synonymous with change, identity and action so how ‘activism’ is defined should be determined as locally as possible. Each students’ union is unique and each of their students motivated by different things. When thinking about bringing about change, whether locally, nationally or internally different language, different tactics and different approaches are deployed and a one size fits all approach simply doesn’t work. Students who want to lead change shouldn’t be pigeon-holed, they should decide the what and the why whilst NUS should simply facilitate their development. Whether a student is a course rep, a seasoned campaigner or a student fundraiser – each of these is a different type of activist. The discussion at this conference should be about how we move forward in helping students’ unions adopt the most inclusive definition of activist. Let’s recognise that the term ‘activism’ isn’t appealing to every student and some students find the term exclusive and not relevant to them. NUS should be clear to define the term activist to ensure that it is all-encompassing. Let’s help all students realise that they too are activists in their own individual way. Conference believes: 1. There are broadly three types of student-led change that should be addressed, they are; student-led change, students’ unions enacting change and change at a national level 2. NUS should facilitate student-led change whether by recruiting developing and then networking individual students who want to make a difference. NUS should help student activists communicate with one another from around the UK on similar issues or where they can share valuable lessons. 3. NUS should facilitate students’ union-led change by helping unions identify their activist base, to constructively challenge them to constantly improve and innovate and to support students’ unions to work with existing networks of activists such as anti-cuts groups and political societies 4. NUS should provide student-led leadership by co-ordinating student officers and students’ unions who want to see the same change, by embedding and joining up change work in all that we do and encouraging the decentralisation of power from organisations to student-led groups, NUS should take a lead in decentralising influence 5. It is important that NUS takes a lead in developing a culture of activism across the whole of our movement 6. Were possible NUS should work with other organisations who have expertise in this field 7. It is important to join up all of the work which NUS undertakes in developing activists, across the zones, liberation campaigns, sections and nations so that we are all sharing best practice and maximising the number of people being supported to lead change across the movement. 8. NUS needs to understand the different routes that people take in first getting involved and then making change, for this to happen longitudinal tracking off those who have attended NUS activism events, registered through the ‘I am the change’ website or have received local training needs to occur Conference resolves: 1. Based on the success of student activism 2011, NUS should ensure that in 2012/13 it develops this area to ensure that its delivers a programme of work that involves more people. 2. NUS should fully evaluate the activist partnership funding and roll-out best practice guidance based on the evaluation. It should also fund a similar scheme again in 2012 with more funding being made available directly to student groups. 3. NUS should ensure it maintains the momentum created with the activist training days it has delivered and seek to increase the capacity to be about to deliver more training on a local level. 4. To run a national networking event for people who want to lead the way on activism 5. To run a master-class for student officers aimed at supporting them to develop activism through working with existing activists, such as political societies and anti-cuts groups 6. To provide specific training and support on ‘working with activists’ for staff in FE Unions

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7. For the VP UD to work with officers from across Liberation, Nations and Sections to develop a cross-organisational approach to activist support and development.

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19.0

Amendment to NUS National Conference Motion 604 'Prevent’

Proposer: Seconder:

Ross Speer Ciara Squires (Mile End Student Representative) Ellen Tansey Amberine Khan Chris Green Sam Playle Yannick Harrison Donald McKinnon (Mile End LGBT Officer)

QMSU believes: 1. 2. 3. 4.

The Prevent strategy targets Muslim students in particular. The CSC report is Islamophobic. Students are not criminals and everyone is innocent until proven guilty. The Prevent review reinforces crude stereotypes of young Muslim people that will only feed prejudice and discrimination, and lead to isolation and stigmatisation which will only prevent their continued engagement and contribution.

QMSU resolves: 1. To send the following amendment to NUS National Conference motion 604 'Prevent’ (i)

Add to Conference believes: -

(ii)

Add to Conference resolves: -

To advice local SUs to not pass on information about members’ religious or political opinions or society members lists to the police, university authorities or any other third party. To encourage SUs to work with campus trade unions and their policies around the Prevent strategy To oppose any spying on students

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19.1

NUS National Conference Motion 604 'Prevent’

Prevent is one of the four strands of the Government’s counter terrorism strategy and aims to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. A key delivery area of Prevent has, and will continue to be, further and higher education institutions as the Government considers these environments to be places where “radicalisation” can take place. The Government defines the term “radicalisation” as the “processes by which a person comes to develop or adopt beliefs and views supportive or terrorism and forms of extremism leading to terrorism”. Conference believes: 1. NUS does not believe “radicalisation” to be widespread across universities and colleges in the UK; however, we recognise that it might take place on some occasions, and that universities and colleges have a responsibility in ensuring the safety of all students and staff. 2. Open debate, the exchange of opinions and the development of student ideas and understanding are central to the culture of universities in promoting freedom of speech and ensuring academic freedom. Similarly, freedom of expression and speech are basic human rights to be protected and are protected by law. 3. It is NUS’ belief that although universities provide obvious fora for those who seek to radicalise students, universities are one of the only places where such views and opinions can be challenged effectively in open forums and debates. 4. Students’ unions are at the heart of ensuring our colleges and universities are places in which a diversity of people and opinions are not only heard, but celebrated. The range of activities and events that take place in students’ unions demonstrate this diversity of interests, ideas and opinions and this is to be generally encouraged, not restricted. 5. NUS should continue to work with its member students’ unions to ensure that where there are risks posed by speakers these risks are identified and mitigated. 6. The language, concepts and unspecific terms of definition used in the Prevent strategy are unhelpfully generalist and in some cases problematic, and could well be open to discriminatory interpretations. 7. The Government does not offer sufficient advice and guidance for institutions, Student Unions, or any other student organisation, on how to implement a strategy for dealing with hate speech, non-violent extremism or those with radical views on campuses in a positive way; yet is quick to condemn any institution or organisation that allegedly fails to meet a set of standards – standards that they haven’t even laid out. 8. That the refusal to work with and engage in dialogue with student groups, or the condemnation of these groups on the grounds of so-called non-compliance will only further marginalise and potentially “radicalise” wings of their these groups. 9. There have been a number of instances, although not necessarily widespread, wherein local implementation has been inappropriate and has implicated certain students as being “vulnerable to radicalisation”, such as Muslim students. For example, Student Unions have been approached by local Prevent officers asking for details of student Islamic society members, and institutions and/or community groups have issued information that is by nature prejudice against these groups. This is totally unacceptable. 10. There is a direct link between the Prevent strategy, the concepts and assertions within it and its inability to properly define its terms and objectives, and this poorly conceived implementation. Conference resolves: 1. To stand in solidarity with those negatively affected by Prevent, by broadly opposing the Prevent narrative and condemning any specific local implementation that threatens the rights of our members. 2. For NUS to continue to support students’ unions to implement the guidance, ‘managing the risks associated with external speakers’.

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3. For NUS to continue to facilitate dialogue between different student organisations and to continue to support student unions in doing the same. 4. To ensure student unions are equipped with legal advice so that they understand their rights in relation to requests from police officers and produce guidance on how to engage with them.

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20.0

Boycott NSS

Proposer: Seconder:

Ross Speer Ciara Squires (Mile End Student Representative) Ellen Tansey Amberine Khan Chris Green Sam Playle Yannick Harrison Donald McKinnon (Mile End LGBT Officer)

QMSU believes: 1. That the National Student Survey (NSS) is a key element of neoliberal proposals to transform higher education into a marketable commodity 2. That the NSS naturalises the idea of students as ‘customers’ and staff as ‘service providers’ and further embeds a culture of ‘measuring and ‘ranking’ inside HE 3. That institutions are increasingly using the NSS as a performance management tool with no obvious pedagogic benefits 4. According to the former head of the Higher Education Academy the NSS is a ‘pseudoscientific tool purporting to be reliable on the spurious psychologistic grounds that there is some statistical congruence between the responses on a small group of agree-disagree questions around a common topic’. QMSU resolves: 1. To send the attached motion to NUS National Conference 2012.

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20.1

Boycott NSS

Conference believes: 1. That the National Student Survey (NSS) is a key element of neoliberal proposals to transform higher education into a marketable commodity 2. That the NSS naturalises the idea of students as ‘customers’ and staff as ‘service providers’ and further embeds a culture of ‘measuring and ‘ranking’ inside HE 3. That institutions are increasingly using the NSS as a performance management tool with no obvious pedagogic benefits 4. According to the former head of the Higher Education Academy the NSS is a ‘pseudoscientific tool purporting to be reliable on the spurious psychologistic grounds that there is some statistical congruence between the responses on a small group of agree-disagree questions around a common topic’. Conference resolves: 1. To oppose the NSS and to investigate running a national boycott campaign for the next academic year 2. To work with UCU branches in developing a campaign of opposition to the NSS nationally

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21.0

Bring Back EMA

Proposer: Seconder:

Ross Speer Ciara Squires (Mile End Student Representative) Ellen Tansey Amberine Khan Chris Green Sam Playle Yannick Harrison Donald McKinnon (Mile End LGBT Officer)

QMSU believes: 1. EMA helped working class pupils to continue in education and avoid dropping out 2. Young people who were receiving EMA were more likely than other groups of young people to be making a contribution to housekeeping costs, transport and books and equipment for school 3. Many of those interviewed in the Guardian/LSE study â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Reading the Riotsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; were either in FE or names the scrapping of EMA as one of the reasons for rioting QMSU resolves: 1. To send the attached motion to NUS National Conference 2012.

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21.1

Bring Back EMA

Conference believes: 1. EMA helped working class pupils to continue in education and avoid dropping out. 2. Young people who were receiving EMA were more likely than other groups of young people to be making a contribution to housekeeping costs, transport and books and equipment for school. 3. Many of those interviewed in the Guardian/LSE study â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Reading the Riotsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; were either in FE or names the scrapping of EMA as one of the reasons for rioting. Conference resolves: 1. To call for the immediate re-instatement of EMA. 2. To call a national day of walk-outs over EMA in the first term of 2012-13 and do everything possible to help FE students to mobilise. 3. To publish the stories of those who have lost EMA and produce a popular booklet for FE students.

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22.0

Twin with Egyptian Universities

Proposer: Seconder:

Ross Speer Ciara Squires (Mile End Student Representative) Ellen Tansey Amberine Khan Chris Green Sam Playle Yannick Harrison Donald McKinnon (Mile End LGBT Officer)

QMSU believes: 1. The Egyptian revolution against the Military Council (SCAF) continues. 2. The Military Council is no ally of the Egyptian people. 3. We stand unequivocally on the side of those risking their lives to fight for freedom, justice and dignity and against the regimes that repress them. 4. The students at the American University of Cairo and other institutions have been right to kick out their Principals and Chancellors linked to SCAF and Mubarak regime. QMSU resolves: 1. To send the attached motion to NUS National Conference 2012.

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22.1

Twin with Egyptian Universities

Conference believes: 1. The Egyptian revolution against the Military Council (SCAF) continues. 2. The Military Council is no ally of the Egyptian people. 3. We stand unequivocally on the side of those risking their lives to fight for freedom, justice and dignity and against the regimes that repress them. 4. The students at the American University of Cairo and other institutions have been right to kick out their Principals and Chancellors linked to SCAF and Mubarak regime. Conference resolves: 1. To congratulate the students of the American University of Cairo and other institutions. 2. To organise speaking tours of youth and student activists from Egypt on our campuses. 3. To roll out a twinning programme with Egyptian students across the campuses.

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23.0

Re-instate Vik Chechi

Proposer: Seconder:

Ross Speer Ciara Squires, Student Representative

QMSU notes: 1. That Queen Mary UNISON Branch Secretary Vik Chechi has been suspended from his job at the Centre of the Cell 2. The 4 months anniversary of his suspension has just passed QMSU believes: 1. That Vik Chechi’s suspension constitutes an attack on active trade unions by management at Queen Mary 2. That Vik Chechi’s suspension has more to do with being an active campaigner against impending job losses in the library, of whose staff UNISON represents, and cuts to education in general than anything else 3. That Vik has received backing from QM UNISON, QM UCU and the campaigning group Queen Mary Stop the Cuts 4. That QM management has been extraordinarily quiet about the reasons for Vik Chechi’s suspension, it has issued insufficient reasoning to warrant a suspension of this kind 5. That Vik Chechi’s suspension appears to be with a view to sack him 6. That before his suspension Vik Chechi filed a collective grievance, representing 11 UNISON members, to a manager who was the same person who then suspended him 7. That Vik Chechi’s suspension appears to be an act of retaliation against a person who was only fulfilling his role as the Branch Secretary of QM UNISON 8. That trade unions are necessary to represent staff 9. That the self-organisation of working people is a fundamental right just as it is a right for students to form and be members of a union. As members of our own union (QMSU and the NUS) we should stand with our brothers and sisters in the trade union movement and resist attacks on collective organisation 10. That the Centre of the Cell, where Vik Chechi works, is “an education charity dedicated to inspiring curiosity and learning by connecting science to everyday life”. This charity does valuable work within the local community, is a valuable part of Queen Mary and cannot afford to lose hard working staff such as Vik Chechi 11. That Vik Chechi has received support from people who have used services provided by Centre of the Cell QMSU resolves: 1. To issue a statement of support for Vik Chechi including a demand for his reinstatement to his original post 2. To co-ordinate a campaign for reinstatement with QM UNISON 3. To request from management more information as the reasons for his suspension and progress in their investigation 4. To make it clear to management that QMSU is behind Vik Chechi in his campaign to be reinstated 5. To raise awareness amongst students as to the suspension of a leading trade unionist and a staff member at Queen Mary 6. To ensure QMSU is in communication with trade unions at Queen Mary (UCU and UNISON) and makes council members, and students in general, aware of future suspensions, sackings or disciplinary action towards trade unionists.

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24.0

Come Clean – National Week of Action

Proposer: Seconder:

Sophie Richardson (President) Sam Creighton (Vice President Communications)

QMSU notes: 1. The recent White Paper highlights a range of areas that Government were seeking to legislate on in the HE Bill. 2. NUS and QMSU maintain the opinion that there should be a full debate about the proposed changes within the sector before any legislation is created. 3. In the first semester of 2010 QMSU led 200 QMUL students on a march organised by NUS in opposition to proposed cuts to higher education funding and the trebling of tuition fees. 4. The Government has recently shelved the HE Bill but are still intending to push through some reforms outlined in it without a parliamentary debate/vote. QMSU believes: 1. The Government should ‘come clean’ and allow for open debate on issues raised in the HE Bill rather than making decisions and reforming the sector behind closed doors. 2. Students and students’ opinions should be at the heart of all decision making with regards to the Higher Education sector. 3. Despite the HE Bill being shelved, it is the responsibility of NUS to maintain pressure on the government and to campaign and lobby on behalf of our students on key issues raised in the Bill. QMSU resolves: 1. To take part in NUS’ Come Clean week, including a student walkout on Wednesday 14th March in line with the National Student Walkout and a lobby of parliament on Wednesday 18th April.

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