A Quick Guide to Council

A Quick Guide to OUSU Council

Confused by OUSU Council? This short guide should help you get to grips with the Student Union's governing body. If you have any questions, you are most welcome to contact the Chair of Council; Jack Matthews chair@ousu.org

What is OUSU Council?

OUSU Council is the forum in which students across the University of Oxford come together to discuss important current affairs and concerns of the student body, to set the direction of the Student Union and to hold to account the elected Officers of OUSU.

Can I go and what can I do at OUSU Council?

Any student has the right to attend OUSU Council, to submit and second motions for discussion, stand for certain positions elected in Council and to speak and debate matters put before Council. Voting members comprise the representatives from the Common Rooms, the OUSU Executive Officers, representatives of the OUSU Campaigns and the Chair of Council. Remember, you don’t have to have a vote to take part – ANY student can attend, speak and propose motions.

What does OUSU Council have the power to do?

The power that OUSU Council has is enormous. It can give the backing of Oxford students to any cause it chooses, it can discipline the elected Officers and even remove them from their positions. Council can also set the policy of the Student Union. This is a set of beliefs and values that guide the work of the Union and it Officers. OUSU Officers are bound to follow policy when representing students in University committees and elsewhere. OUSU Council can also set the spending priorities for OUSU, deciding how much campaigns or individual projects should get. The examples above are by no means exhaustive.

Ive got a problem and I want something doing about it. What can I do?

Firstly, it’s a good idea to speak to the relevant member of the OUSU Executive to raise your issue. They may be able to solve it quickly and simply. If you think your issue should be more widely known and discussed, and you would like OUSU Officers to have a mandate on it, then you should bring a motion to OUSU Council. For information and how to write a motion, email chair@ousu.org.

I have strong opinions on the work of a member of the OUSU Executive, how do I express these?

Council is the place where you can hold your representatives to account. Officers will submit reports on their work to Council, and may also give short verbal reports. After this there is an opportunity for anyone to question Officers on their work or anything related to their job area. If you have specific comments, positive or negative, you should make them known to Scrutiny Committee (scrutiny@ousu.org) who review the work of the OUSU Executive every term.

The Procedures of OUSU Council 

The order of business for an ordinary meeting of council is:-

1. minutes of the previous meeting
2. matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting
3. ratifications in council
4. elections in council
5. reports from the sabbaticals
6. reports from exec
7. emergency motions
8. passage of motions nem con
9. motions of no confidence or censure
10. first readings of motions to amend the constitution or standing orders
11. passing the budget or the amended budget
12. motions authorising capital expenditure
13. other motions
14. any other business
15. election of bar (after Council many people go for a drink together. We often try to talk about things not related to OUSU, with varying levels of success)

Ratifications in council

Positions such as co-chairs, editors, and some other positions are appointed by the OUSU Executive and OUSU publications board. These need to be ratified in council. If there is opposition to an appointment there is a speech in favour of the candidate and one against, and then a vote is taken.

Elections in council

Each candidate standing makes a speech, and then questions directed at all of the candidates are asked. Voting takes place by secret ballot.

Reports

Sabbaticals and other Executive members basically detail the work they've been doing in the past couple of weeks, and anything they are currently working on, and then take questions about their work or areas of responsibility.

Emergency motions

Discussion of motions concerning matters that arose after the deadline for normal motions had passed.

Passage of motions nem con

The title of each motion on the agenda is read out & the chair asks if there is any opposition to, or questions concerning the motion. To register opposition, raise your hand (or call out to the chair if they haven’t noticed you). If there is no opposition the motions passes without discussion & will be skipped over on the agenda. If you would like to ask short factual questions (SFQs) about a motion, regardless of whether you support or oppose it, you have to oppose it at this stage

Discussion of motions

Motions are discussed in order of the type of motion, and then in the order in which they were submitted for the agenda. The procedure for discussing motions is detailed below - all motions are discussed in basically the same way

Debate in Council

Discussions follow a set order:-

Proposition

The proposer of the motion or amendment gives a speech introducing it

Short Factual Questions

Anyone can ask questions of the proposer which aim to 'elicit a short factual response'. SFQs cannot relate to the proposer's opinions, i.e., not “Are you aware that…” or “Do you agree that…” There are no SFQs in the discussion of an amendment to a motion.

Debate

After SFQs, the chair will call for a speech in Opposition - if there is no such speech then the motion is deemed to have passed. After the speech in opposition, anyone can make points in the debate. The chair will try to ensure that everyone can make their point.

Whilst a speaker is making a speech in debate, someone else at Council may attempt to interrupt them to make a short point relevant to what the speaker has just said. This is done by looking to the speaker and calling ‘Point of Information’. Points of Information can be useful to supply more information about a topic, or to correct a factual inaccuracy in a speech. It is for the initial speaker alone to decide whether to give way and allow the Point of Information, or whether to decline and continue with their speech.

During the debate anyone can propose an amendment to the motion as long as they write it down, get someone to second it and then pass it to the chair. Discussion of an amendment runs mostly like discussion of a main motion.

Points of order can be used to steer the structure of the debate. To make a point of order raise your hand and call “Point of Order”. Points of Orders are listed below.

Debate ends when everyone has had their say or a procedural motion to move to a vote (MTV) is passed. At the end of a debate the chair asks for one speech in favour and one against the motion (summation speeches) - anyone can take these speeches.

Vote

Votes on amendments & main motions are usually taken with a show of hands, but you can move a procedural motion that a vote be by secret ballot, or that everyone's vote is recorded.

Explaining the Terminology

Points of Order / Procedural Motions

Points of Order must relate to the procedure of the meeting. To make a point of order, stand and raise your hand - this should signal to the chair that you want to make a point of order rather than make a speech. Points of Order can be made at any time, except that:

- During a vote they must relate to the conduct of the vote 
- During a speech they must be questioning whether the speech complies with Standing Orders
- Points of order from groups B or C (see below) cannot be made when discussing points of order from group A
- Points of order from group C cannot be made when discussing points of order from groups A or B

Order of precedence for points of order / procedural motions :

Group A:

- to have a Quorum Count (10 votes needed to pass)
- to have no confidence in the Chair / to overturn a ruling of the Chair (two thirds majority required)
- to suspend a certain part of the standing orders for some reason (two thirds majority required)
- to have a secret ballot or a recorded vote (quarter of those voting members present needed to pass)

Group B:

- to move to a vote (two thirds majority required)
- to have a vote recounted (10 votes needed to pass)
- that a motion/amendment not be put (e.g that the issue not be discussed or voted upon) (two thirds majority required)
- to table a motion until later in the meeting (two thirds majority required)
- to table a motion until the next meeting (two thirds majority required)
- to change the order of business / the items on the agenda (two thirds majority required)
- to take a motion in parts (e.g. consider & vote on parts of it separately) (simple majority) 
- to grant speaking / attendance rights to a non-member of OUSU (simple majority)
- to adjourn the meeting for a specified time (two thirds vote)
- to close the meeting (two thirds vote)

Group C:

- to accept, reject or refer back a specified report (simple majority)
- to refer a motion to an OUSU Committee or the Executive (simple majority)
- any other motion that refers to the procedure of the meeting (simple majority)

In debating procedural motions there is one speech in support and one in opposition & there are no summing up speeches. If you don't get what passing the motion would mean, you can address your question to the chair.

Explanations of Some Points of Order

Move to a Vote

In order to finish a debate and move on, you can suggest that we move to a vote (MTV). You can MTV during almost any debate, but not whilst a speech is being made. If ithe MTV passes, a summation speech is taken for, and one against, then the vote is taken.

Secret Ballot / Recorded Vote

A secret ballot is basically a secret ballot, and the RO counts the votes and reports the result later in the meeting. In a recorded vote, someone reads out the names of everyone present, and in turn people call out which way they vote. The record of who voted & how is attached to the council minutes.

Changing the Order of Business

This moves agenda items around. This is often done because people are worried that the meeting will go inquorate (not enough people present) before the end of the agenda, or that something should be discussed whilst there are the greatest number of people in Council. You can theoretically move anything around on the agenda - you could move the reports or elections to the end if you really felt it necessary.

Quorum

The Quorum for Council is 35 voting members. No business can be done without a quorum. In addition to this, no motion can be passed by Council if there are less than 20 votes in favour. The Chair has responsibility for checking that Council is quorate. If council is inquorate, the Chair can adjourn the meeting for 15 minutes so that voting members can arrive / be called back and the meeting continue.

Other Regulations
- Clapping / cheering is not allowed in Council.
- When you speak, first say your name and college - you shouldn't state any position you hold.
- The Chair of Council can decide to remove someone from council if they are disrupting business or behaving inappropriately, with the consent of Council by two-thirds vote.