Change, Policy and Research

GUILD COUNCIL

Democracy and Governance Committee

26/11/14

Chair: Maria Finnerty

Change, Policy and Research

Apologies

Harry White – Proxy to Carlus Hudson

Oscar Maddox – Proxy to Nat Anderson

Alexandra Beeler – Proxy to Natasa Christofidou

Kane Davis – Proxy to Maria Finnerty

Fong Khei Mah

Naomi Armstrong

In Attendance

Julia Bush

Gary McLachlan

Charlie Evans

Ruth Pearson

Present

Rachael Gillies

Matt Bate

Kate Hawkins

Ben Street

Maria Finnerty

Marcel Golten

Carlus Hudson

Emily Bevan

Natalie Anderson

Milly Hindle

Lucy Whitaker

Bess Tuo

Chris Ngyuen

Natasa Christofidou

Change, Policy and Research

AGENDA

1. Student Idea: To Have a Fair Vote on the NUS Referendum

2. Student Votes: Decide wording for NUS Vote

3. Student Idea: Lobby the University for Lower Prices in the

Forum Marketplace

4. Student Idea: The Students' Guild Should Vote to Condemn

ISIS

Change, Policy and Research

5. Proposal – Sabbatical Actions

6. Student Idea: Go Plastic Bag Free by Shifting Towards

Recyclable and Sustainable Paper Bags

7. Student Idea: Introduce a Points System to Reward Student

Participation

8. Student Idea: Introduce a Loyalty Card Scheme to

Pieminister Customers

9. Student Idea: Lobby for Bike Storage at Cook and Llewelyn

Mews

Change, Policy and Research

1 . Student Idea: To Have a Fair Vote on the NUS

Referendum

103 votes, neutral but over 78% positive approval

Please read discussion in report

Results:

http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea86-majority/

Report:

http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea86-

majority/Student-Idea-Report-86-Majority.pdf

Change, Policy and Research

1 . Student Idea: To Have a Fair Vote on the NUS Referendum

Charlie Evans spoke in favour of the motion, claiming that campaigners from both sides of the

NUS vote support it and it is the clearest way to decide the vote. Marcel Golten spoke in favour

of approving the idea at Council.

Matt Bate said that an NUS disaffiliation with just over 50% support would be a much weaker

message than a 66% majority and could mean that Trustee Board could be more likely to

overturn the decision. He added that he would never want Trustee Board to overturn a student

decision and thus would want to keep the 66% majority to prevent this from happening. Carlus

Hudson said that for Trustee Board to overturn even a 51% decision would be ridiculous, as

leaving the NUS is not the same as bankrupting the Guild.

Rachael Gillies told Council that as this is a proposed change to the constitution of the Guild,

regardless of the existing voting numbers on this, the wider student body have the right to vote

on this decision. She told Council that Exeter students aren’t stupid and won’t be confused by

having two votes.

Change, Policy and Research

1 . Student Idea: To Have a Fair Vote on the NUS Referendum

There was a discussion about the timing of the two votes and if they should be in the

same week.

Various points were made about the fairness of the respective majorities and the

right of the student body to decide this issue. Eventually the discussion was put to a

vote.

Council voted to take this issue to an all-student vote.

Pass the idea at Council - 5

Take the idea to an all-student vote - 13

Abstain - 2

Change, Policy and Research

2 . Student Votes: Decide Wording for NUS Vote

Position of keeping “Yes Exeter” as the YES team...

• The Guild rules should be changed, to allow simple majorities on votes for

joining or leaving external groups

• The Guild should leave the National Union of Students (NUS)

Position of keeping ‘positive’ on Yes to NUS basis

– i.e. “Yes Exeter” would have to change to No.

• The Guild rules should keep a qualified majority be for joining or leaving

external groups

• The Guild should remain a member of the National Union of Students

(NUS)

Change, Policy and Research

2 . Student Votes: Decide Wording for NUS Vote

The lead campaigners for either side of the vote

announced that they had come to a mutual agreement

on the choices being STAY or LEAVE. Council ratified

this.

FOR - 18 AGAINST - 0 ABSTAIN - 2

Change, Policy and Research

3. Student Idea: Lobby the University for Lower

Prices in the Forum Marketplace

130 votes

95.4% positive approval

Results:

http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea84-marketplace/

Report:

http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea84-

marketplace/Student-Idea-Report-84-ForumMarketplace.pdf

Change, Policy and Research

3. Student Idea: Lobby the University for Lower Prices

in the Forum Marketplace

Council noted that there may be good reasons for why prices

are the way they are – for example, because a living wage is paid

to staff.

Council voted to pass this idea and instruct Rachael

Gillies to lobby the University.

FOR - 18 AGAINST - 0 ABSTAIN - 2

Change, Policy and Research

4 . Student Idea: The Students' Guild Should Vote to

Condemn ISIS

76 votes

Neutral but with 73% positive approval

Result:

http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea89-condemnis/

Report:

http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea89-

condemnis/Student-Idea-Report-89-CondemnIS.pdf

Change, Policy and Research

4 . Student Idea: The Students' Guild Should Vote to Condemn ISIS

Marcel Golten suggested also condemning Britain for its part in helping bring about ISIS.

Council discussed whether, despite ‘obviously’ condemning ISIS and their actions, it was

appropriate for the Guild to declare an official position on this matter. Various Councillors

expressed that they didn’t think that declaring positions on international issues was necessarily

what the Guild was for. Kate Hawkins said that she felt the NUS was more involved in

international politics, which is why the issue was raised there. Carlus Hudson recommended

lobbying the NUS to condemn ISIS and offering solidarity to Kurdish students at Exeter.

Council voted to condemn ISIS and specified that the actions for Sabbatical

Officers on this would be lobbying the NUS to condemn ISIS at the next NEC

meeting and work with the Kurdish Society on any solidarity actions they may be

running.

Condemn ISIS and appoint Sabbs to complete these actions - 10

Put the idea to an all-student vote - 4

Reject idea and take no further action - 1

Abstain - 5

Change, Policy and Research

5. Proposal – Sabbatical Actions

Following discussions from the previous Democracy and

Governance Committee, the proposal is to:

1. Have Sabbatical Officers look at the agenda beforehand and

identify student ideas they are already working on or would

like to incorporate into their work; start each Democracy

and Governance Committee with a list of these ideas to be

discussed and approved by Council

2. Include an agenda point on Scrutiny Panels following up the

student ideas appointed to Sabbatical Officers

Change, Policy and Research

5. Proposal – Sabbatical Actions

Kate Hawkins said how useful she found it to discuss ideas she is working on

with Council, and so was in favour as long as this discussion could still take

place.

Council voted to change the agenda of meetings to allow

Sabbatical Officers to highlight actions they are working on already

or are going to pick up, to be discussed and ratified by Council, and

to include follow-up questions on Student Ideas in Scrutiny Panels.

FOR - 18 AGAINST - 0 ABSTAIN - 2

Change, Policy and Research

6 . Student Idea: Go Plastic Bag Free by Shifting

Towards Recyclable and Sustainable Paper Bags

62 votes

90% positive approval

Result:

http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea85-plasticbags/

Report:

http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea85-

plasticbags/Student-Idea-Report-85-PlasticBags.pdf

Change, Policy and Research

6 . Student Idea: Go Plastic Bag Free by Shifting Towards

Recyclable and Sustainable Paper Bags

Kate Hawkins suggested that this would be an appropriate issue for the

Students’ Green Unit; Carlus Hudson recommended instructing Molly Aldam,

the Environment and Ethics Officer to work on this.

Council voted to pass the idea that the Guild should not use plastic

bags in its retail outlets, and for the Sabbatical Officers to work with

the Environment and Ethics Officer on lobbying the University to do

the same. This refers only to bags given out or sold to customers and

does not include external companies (for example, fairs and stalls).

FOR - 18 AGAINST - 0 ABSTAIN - 2

Change, Policy and Research

7 . Student Idea: Introduce a Points System to

Reward Student Participation

45 votes

Neutral

Results:

http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea87-points/

Report:

http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea87-

points/Student-Idea-Report-87-Points.pdf

Change, Policy and Research

7 . Student Idea: Introduce a Points System to Reward

Student Participation

Kate Hawkins told Council that this idea is already being worked on, and

there are plans for a Guild loyalty scheme in the future.

Council noted that Rachael Gillies and Matt Bate are already

working on this (in the form of a Guild loyalty card) and that

therefore the idea is being worked on already and no further action

is required. Council noted that the Sabbatical Officers should invite

the proposer to give their input on this work.

FOR - 18 AGAINST - 0 ABSTAIN - 2

Change, Policy and Research

8. Student Idea: Introduce a Loyalty Card

Scheme to Pieminister Customers

37 votes

Neutral, but with 75.7% positive approval rating

Result: http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea83-

pieminister/

Report:

http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea83-

pieminister/Student-Idea-Report-83-Pieminister.pdf

Change, Policy and Research

8. Student Idea: Introduce a Loyalty Card Scheme to

Pieminister Customers

A question was raised about whether Pieminister profits benefit

the Guild; as a Guild franchise, they do.

Council voted to incorporate this idea into the existing

work being done on a Guild loyalty card.

FOR - 18 AGAINST - 0 ABSTAIN - 2

Change, Policy and Research

9. Student Idea: Lobby for Bike Storage at Cook

and Llewelyn Mews

Open until 21 November

http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea90-

cookllewelynbikes/

Change, Policy and Research

9. Student Idea: Lobby for Bike Storage at Cook and Llewelyn Mews

Ruth Pearson, the proposer of the idea, told Council that residents have been chaining

their bikes to railings because there are no bike racks, but have been told by the

University that bikes left there will be removed. Various councillors agreed that it was

unfair to encourage students to travel sustainably and then not give them space to

secure their bikes safely and appropriately.

Matt Bate told Council that he sits on Transport Management Group and would take

this issue there – Council suggested that Ruth Pearson and other residents affected by

this issue should join him at the meeting.

Council voted to instruct Matt Bate to work with the proposer on taking

this toTransport Management Group and the Residence LifeTeam.

FOR - 18 AGAINST - 0 ABSTAIN - 2