Agenda for 7th week council MT08

7th Week Council to be held directly after Termly Council,
sometime after 2.15pm on Friday 28th November 2008
in Jarvis Doctorate Hall, St Edmund Hall
Sign-in from 2.00pm

a. Minutes of the Previous Meeting
b.    Matters Arising from the Minutes   
c.    Ratifications in Council           
d.    Elections in Council
e.    Reports from the Sabbatical Officers   
f.    Reports from the Executive Officers who wish to make reports
g.    Questions to Members of the Executive   
h.    Emergency Motions           
i.    Passage of Motions Nem Con
j.    Motions of No Confidence or Censure
k.    First readings of Motions to Amend the Constitution or Standing Orders
l.    The Budget or Amended Budget
m.    Motions Authorising Capital Expenditure
n.    Other Motions
i.   motions affecting ousu members as ousu members
ii.  motions affecting ousu members as students at Oxford University
iii. motions affecting ousu members as members of the student movement
iv. motions affecting ousu members as residents of Oxford
v.  motions affecting ousu members as residents of the United Kingdom
vi. motions affecting ousu members as citizens of the world
o.    Any Other Business

 
c. Ratifications In Council

1. Complaints Committee Ruling

h. Emergency Motions

n. Other Motions

i) Motions Affecting OUSU Members as OUSU Members

1. NUS Delegates and Council Policy

Council Notes:

1) The motion of no confidence brought against an NUS delegate in 1st week Trinity '08.
2) This motion failed.

Council Further Notes:

1) The vast majority of the debate of this motion was to ascertain whether the NUS delegate in question had actually done anything wrong.
2) There is no item in the Constitution or Standing Orders binding NUS delegates to council policy.

Council Believes

1) Council should have clear policy on whether or not NUS delegates are bound by council policy.

Council Further Believes

1) NUS delegates should be bound by council policy unless the delegate includes in their manifesto an intention to vote in a certain way at any NUS conference for which they are elected to attend.

2) If an NUS delegate is elected in council, he or she shall be totally bound by council policy.

Council Resolves

1) To bind NUS delegates to vote with council policy, except for motions relating to an intention to vote in a certain way expressly mentioned in their manifesto.

Proposed: Daniel Lowe (St. Edmund Hall)
Seconded: Katherine Wall (LMH)

ii) Motions Affecting OUSU Members as Students at Oxford University

2. Condemning the Printing of the Exam Regulations Book

Council Notes

1) Each student is provided with an exam regulations book on arrival at the University.
2) These books are many pages long and expensive to produce (over £40).
3) All the information contained therein is online.
4) This matter has been raised at University Environment Panel and OUSU Environment and Ethics Committee.

Council Believes

1) Many students never read their book, it is often suggested in freshers' guides to be used as a doorstop.
2) The annual prduction of this book is a gross waste of paper, energy and money.

Council Resolves

1) To condemn the publication of the exam regulations in its current form
2) To mandate the VP (C&C) and E&E officer to work towards the publication of the exam regulations in a form to be purely online.

Proposed: Daniel Lowe (St Edmund Hall)
Seconded: Jack Wellby (Jesus)

vi) Motions Affecting OUSU Members as Citizens of the World

3. Divestment from Sudan



Council notes that:

1.The decision of the European Parliament and the United States government to classify the ongoing carnage in Darfur as genocide represents the first time these bodies have recognised such a crime while it can still be halted. Unlike in Rwanda, the UN Security Council has passed a Resolution (1706) mandating UN peacekeepers to intervene and protect the people of Darfur. The deployment of this force is being undermined by Khartoum, in breach of the Darfur Peace agreement, while the Sudanese government pursues its genocidal agenda in the Darfur region.

2. It is clear that the Sudanese government has been, and continues to be, recalcitrant and disingenuous in its efforts to end the world’s greatest humanitarian crisis. International Aid agencies are continuing to leave Sudan amidst the ongoing obstruction of and attack on their humanitarian efforts. Diplomatic and political efforts have reached their limits and a different kind of pressure must be brought to bear.

3. Many universities in Europe and North America have applied economic pressure by the process of divestment. This entails withdrawing support from companies specifically linked to oil extraction in Sudan, as 80% of funds from this industry are funnelled into the Sudanese military. This specifically targets the Sudanese government, avoiding pressure on the Sudanese people by excluding local industries such as Gum Arabic production. Furthermore, divestment does not cost the institutions financially as the funds are reinvested in companies in the same industry without links to Sudan.

Council believes  

1. OUSU should show solidarity against genocide and apply targeted pressure to the Sudanese government through encouraging divestment from Colleges.
2. The publicity on Sudan divestment  is necessary first step towards applying pressure on the Sudanese government and leading the way for other UK institutions, particularly within Oxford, to follow.

Council resolves  

1. To encourage JCR and MCR committee presidents and other members to engage with their College fund managers, expressing their concern over investments linked to Sudan. It further asks for interested Colleges to publicise these concerns to their trust fund members and managers. Ultimately, the college may ask for these managers to conduct a review of their holdings to ensure that the commingled funds do not contain offending companies in breach of Sudan Divestment UK1 and Sudan Divestment Task Force1 guidelines. 
2. To encourage Colleges to make no new investments in companies linked to the genocide in Darfur by Sudan Divestment UK.
3. To encourage progress on Sudan divestment to be publicised.

Proposed by : Joseph Piper (Worcester)
Seconded by: Paul Savage (Worcester)

o. Any Other Business