Council Agenda 1st Week Trinity 2007

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

n.    Other Motions

1.    Charitable  Status

Council notes
1.    The successful passage of the Charities Act 2006, a reform of British law.
2.    That there are three main categories of charity – ‘registered,’ ‘exempt’ and ‘excepted’; the Act scraps the category of ‘exempt charity.’
3.    That Oxford University Student Union is an exempt charity and must therefore find a new legal status.

Council further notes
1.    The release of ‘Charities Act 2006 – Options for the Student Union,’ discussion in Council, and subsequent consultation meeting.
2.    The four options available to the Student Union
a.    Unincorporated charity with subsidiary
b.    Incorporated charity with subsidiary
c.    Incorporated charity with no subsidiary
d.    Part of University’s legal status
3.    That Bill Rammell MP, the Minister for Higher Education, has stated that the Department for Education and Skills assumes that Student Unions will respond to the Charities Act by registering as a charity.
4.    That legal advice provided to NUS by Richard McManus QC raises doubts over whether it could be lawful to integrate a student union into its university.
5.    That the OUSU Charities Act Working Party were asked to investigate potential financial implications of registering as a charity.
6.    That the OUSU Accountant and the Head of the University’s Subsidiary Companies Unit have advised that there should be no detrimental financial implications of registration.

Council believes
1.    That the first option ‘unincorporated charity with subsidiary’ should be discounted as the lack of limited liability protection associated with being unincorporated is undesirable.
2.    That the third option ‘incorporated charity with no subsidiary’ should be discounted as running commercial operations through the charity would make profits liable to corporation tax, at 30%.

Council further believes
1.    That there are considerable benefits associated with registration, namely:
1.    A greater perception of political independence from the University among the Student Union’s members.
2.    Sabbaticals and permanent staff are employed by the Student Union, not the University. This means only the Student Union can amend staff pay, roles and working conditions.
3.    The Student Union is legally self-directing, with responsibility for the management of the student union vested in the student trustees.
4.    Being incorporated further into the University would blur accountability, make the Student Union’s critical role more difficult and create problems for both the Student Union and the University.
2.    That there are considerable advantages associated with running commercial operations through a subsidiary company:
1.    Having two distinct organisations allows for personnel to be split between the two.
2.    The subsidiary can donate its profits to the Student Union by Gift Aid, without these profits being tax liable.

Council resolves
1.    That Oxford University Student Union should register as a charity with the Charity Commission.
2.    To mandate the Working Party to add a paper to the agenda of the next Council outlining the options for potential governance structures open to the Student Union as a registered charity.

Proposed: Alan Strickland (Merton)  Seconded: Alistair Wrench (St Hugh’s)

 
2.    Welfare Sabbatical Positions

Council notes
1.    The positions of V-P Welfare and Equal Opportunities and V-P Women.
2.    That these two positions between them have responsibility for the bulk of non-academic welfare issues within OUSU's Student Advice Service.
3.    That the V-P Welfare and Equal Opportunities is head of the Student Advice Service.
4.    That the V-P Weflare and Equal Opportunities believes that the Student Advice Service in its current form places an unsustainable burden of casework on the Vice-President Welfare and Equal Opportunities.
5.    That the positions of V-P Women and V-P Welfare and Equal Opportunities are both positions primarily concerned with issues of welfare and discrimination.
6.    That OUSU's sabbatical officers have been created piecemeal over many years.
7.    That there has been no process in which the nature of one position has been significantly altered as another position has been created.

Council believes
1.    That it is possible to replace the positions of V-P Women and V-P Welfare with two new sabbatical positions which between them fulfil roughly the same responsibilities.
2.    That such a new arrangement may be more desirable.
3.    That it is not certain whether such a new arrangement would be more desirable.
4.    That it would be a good idea for there to be some form of enquiry and consultation into this issue, so that Council's decision can be better informed.

Council resolves
1.    To establish a committee of five full members of OUSU to consider possible alternatives to the positions of V-P Women and V-P Welfare and Equal Opportunities.
2.    That the V-P Women and V-P Welfare Equal Opportunities shall sit on the committee.
3.    That the other three members of the committee shall be elected in 3rd week Council, Trinity 2007.
4.    That the committee shall be mandated to submit a report to Council no later than 7th week Trinity 2007.
5.    That the report shall describe a range of fully costed alternatives, listing the component parts of the jobs of V-P Women and V-P Welfare and Equal Opportunities, how many hours a week each component part takes and who in each alternative model would have responsibility for each component part of the two existing sabbatical jobs.
6.    That, if the committee believe at least one alternative to be significantly superior to the current arrangement, they shall indicate so in their report.

Proposed: Iain Simpson (Magdalen)   Seconded: Jamie Frew (Keble)

 
3.    Referendum

Council notes
1.    That the sabbatical position of Vice President (Women) of OUSU has existed since 1990.
2.    That in the past 17 years, the women of Oxford have never been properly consulted as to their opinion on the existence of the post; 25 votes were cast in favour it during OUSU Council in 1989, at which 39 people were present.
3.    That over the years, there have been numerous attempts to encourage a review of the position.
4.    That the four Student Advice Service sabbaticals (Access & Academic Affairs, Graduates, Welfare, Women) have much more casework than is desirable, and that the non-political job of doing casework could be done more effectively by a non-elected and permanent member of staff.

Council believes
1.    That the current and past occupants of the Vice-President (Women) position have worked tirelessly to fight for the rights and welfare of female students in Oxford, with remarkable effect, and that due to their efforts, the academic, personal, and safety climate for those students has improved dramatically.
2.    That while Women’s rights and welfare are both still vital campaign issues for OUSU, it needs more flexibility if it is to campaign to its full potential and as much as it would like on issues as diverse as disability rights, mental health, accommodation rights and race equality.
3.    That students must be consulted as to whether they feel that a full-time sabbatical officer is still the most appropriate and effective way in which to serve Women’s welfare and rights in Oxford, or whether they feel that the female students of Oxford as a whole (and the student body as a whole) could be better served by having an alternative welfare arrangement, while still having a strong autonomous Women’s Campaign and a range of executive officers to support it.
4.    That employing a professional student advisor is a legitimate alternative to the current situation, as it would dramatically reduce the (enormous, and currently unmanageable) caseload of the Student Advice Service, giving them more flexibility to campaign on manifesto promises and fulfil other portfolio requirements.
5.    That it is important for a referendum to take place, as both outcomes would be positive. One would lead to a more rounded and professional Student Advice Service, while the other would show that the women of Oxford believe that the position of VP (Women) is still the most appropriate and effective way to serve women’s welfare and rights in Oxford, and should be safeguarded for years to come.

Council resolves
1.    To hold a referendum to replace the post of Vice President (Women) with a professional Student Advisor and an additional part-time Women’s Executive Officer (to augment the current two), effective from July 2008, in which only female students may vote. The institution of a Student Advisor must be ratified by Council following the referendum.

Proposed: Andrea Miller (Linacre)  Seconded: Imran Khan (Christ Church)

 
4.    Vice-President (Finance) Reform

Council notes
1.    The proposal for a 'Head of General Office' to take on the responsibilities of the Vice-President (Finance) and other core organisational duties
2.    That this has been developed in discussion with the OUSU Accountant and University Personnel Department.

Council resolves
1.    To give feedback on the proposal before its next meeting

Proposed: Alan Strickland (Merton)  Seconded: Ed Mayne (Mansfield)

 

5.    Said Business School

Council notes
1.    In Michaelmas Term 2004 OUSU Council passed a policy boycotting the Said Business School on the grounds that the money used to fund it came from the arms trade.
2.    This boycott prevents OUSU from holding events in the Said Business School and prevents its users from receiving our publications, such as The Oxford Student.

Council believes
1.    Whilst it is wrong for Oxford University to accept funding from unethical sources under all circumstances, the Said Business School is a part of Oxford University and OUSU could greatly benefit from the assistance its members could give to the running of our commercial operations.
2.    The readership of The Oxford Student could be increased, particularly amongst graduates, if we were able to deliver it to the Said Business School.

Council resolves
1.    To repeal the policy passed in Michaelmas Term 2004 whereby OUSU boycotts the Said Business School.
2.    To only refer to the Said Business School as “The Oxford University Business School” or “The Business School” and to maintain our opposition to the funding of education from unethical sources.

Proposed: Ed Mayne (Mansfield)  Seconded: Imran Khan (Christ Church)

 
6.    Repeal of No Platform Policy

Council Notes
1.    That OUSU has a "no platform policy", most recently reaffirmed in 2005, with the goal of preventing far-right groups such as the British National Party and National Front from standing in OUSU Elections and speaking in OUSU Council.

Council Believes
1.    That this no platform policy makes it appear as if far-right political groups could be appealing to reasonable numbers of Oxford students, hence the need to prevent such groups from standing in OUSU elections.
2.    That the risks of such radical groups achieving even a significant minority of support among the student body is minimal.
3.    That if there is a substantial body of support for such groups, then the best way of combating the hateful message of such groups is in open debate.
4.    That OUSU's no platform policy should be repealed.

Council Resolves
1.    To repeal OUSU's no platform policy.

Proposed: Jonny Medland (Queen's)  Seconded: Vishal Mashru (Queen's)

AMENDMENTS

d.    Elections in Council


MPLS Divisional Board (under graduate rep)    Alexander Williamson (Wadham)
    Alexander Priest (St John's)

OUSU Council Delegate    Stuart Tooley (Christ Church)
    Alice Taylor (Jesus)