Council Agenda 3rd 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

k.    First readings of Motions to Amend the Constitution or
Standing Orders

1.    Abolishing Council Delegates

Council notes
1.    OUSU used to be centrally affiliated to NUS, and during this time, NUS Delegates were entitled to a vote in OUSU Council.
2.    OUSU subsequently decided not to centrally affiliate, and thus lost its NUS Delegates.
3.    The positions of NUS Delegate were transferred into Council Delegates who retained the vote in OUSU council.
4.    OUSU has recently decide to re-affiliate centrally to NUS again, and the positions of NUS delegates have been reformed without abolishing council delegates.
5.    There are 6 equal opportunities campaign positions who have the right to vote in OUSU council
6.    There can be up to 14 council delegates voting in OUSU council at any one time.
7.    These 14 positions have rarely if ever all been filled, and those who stand almost always do so unopposed.
8.    That any member of OUSU is entitled to speak on a motion.

Council believes
1.    There is a need to represent the minority as well as the majority at OUSU council.
2.    This can be done effectively through the 6 campaign votes and the third vote of JCRs which can be used to represent the minority.
3.    That Common Rooms represent the majority stakeholder in OUSU council.
4.    That Common Room representatives are directly accountable to their common rooms and are mandated to represent the views of their Common Room.
5.    That OUSU’s purpose is to represent the views and best interests of the majority of Oxford Students.
6.    That Council Delegates leave OUSU open to too much influence from minority special interest groups to the extent that OUSU can be forced not to represent the views of the majority of students.
7.    That Council Delegates are an unnecessary anachronism, and should be abolished.

Council resolves
1.    To strike Article B 2.1 (v) from the constitution, thus abolishing Council Delegates as members of OUSU Council
2.    To strike any mention of the term ‘council delegate’ from the constitution and standing orders

Proposed: Garth Smith (Christ Church)  Seconded: Pete Surr (Univ)

 
2.    Council Delegate Reform

Council notes
1.    The position of Council Delegates.
2.    That there has been no contested election for these positions for at least two years.
3.    That Council Delegates comprise 12 votes in Council out of more than 150 votes in total.
4.    That OUSU is comprised of both the generality of students and a confederation of Common Rooms.
5.    That Council voted in the last academic year to retain the position of Council Delegates.

Council believes
1.    That the position of Council Delegates should remain.
2.    That Council Delegates provide a means of representation for minority interests and the opportunity for political plurality.
3.    That to have legitimacy in this role they must be elected in a cross-campus ballot.
4.    That in their current form the position of Council Delegates does no not fulfill their purpose.
5.    That reform to the position of Council Delegate is needed.
6.    That the number of Council Delegates should be reduced from 12 to 8.
7.    That Council Delegates should only be elected through a cross-campus ballot and not by election-in-council.

Council resolves
1. To amend the OUSU Constitution as follows:
D 1.1 to replace “twelve” with “eight”.
D 14.1 to replace “by an election in council” with “when a cross-campus ballot is next held”.

Proposed: Kieran Hutchinson Dean (Wadham)   Seconded: Joseph Ammoun (SEH)

 

n.    Other Motions

1.    OUSU Accounts 2005 – 2006    Proposed:  Ed Mayne (Mansfield)
2.    Vice-President (Finance) Reform    Proposed:  Alan Strickland (Merton)
3.    NUS Funding    Proposed:  Ed Mayne (Mansfield)
4.    Repeal of No Platform Policy    Proposed:  Jonny Medland (Queen's)
5.    Said Business School    Proposed:  Ed Mayne (Mansfield)
6.    Sudan Divestment    Proposed:  Lara Nelson (Greyfriars)

 
1.    OUSU Accounts 2005 – 2006

Motion withdrawn




2.    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 approve this proposal as a sensible way forward in bringing stability and professionalism to OUSU’s finances.
2.    That Council is content to put this proposal to referendum this term, as instructed by Council in Hilary.

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

 
3.    NUS Funding

Council notes
1.    In Trinity Term 2005 Oxford students voted to affiliate to the National Union of Students (NUS) centrally through OUSU. This replaced the previous system whereby colleges affiliated individually.
2.    The cost of affiliating to NUS was £11,135,38.
3.    No provision for NUS affiliation was included in the 2006/07 budget.
4.    As a result of the lack of provision in the budget, OUSU decided to distribute the cost of NUS affiliation to Common Rooms that chose to buy into the scheme. This was done using the following formula: cost of affiliation ÷ total number of affiliate students = cost per student. Charge for each affiliated CR = cost per student x number of students in each affiliated CR.
5.    29 Common Rooms voted to buy into the system.
6.    In Michaelmas Term 2006 OUSU voted to overturn its policy not to promote the NUS Extra Card, sold to students for £10, out of which the Student Union keeps £4 – this £4 was split between the Common Room of the student buyer and OUSU for each card sold.
7.    Some Common Rooms chose to forfeit this £2 and not profit from the NUS Extra Card scheme.
8.    The cost of affiliating to NUS for the 2007/08 academic year will be less than 2006/07 in light of the fact that NUS have announced a 10% cut in the affiliation fee. It is also worth noting that Student Unions receive a 3% discount for paying the fee early, which OUSU qualified for this year.
9.    The NUS Conference voted to continue with the NUS Extra Card scheme which means it is here to stay for the time being.

Council believes
1.    In light of the fact that OUSU is centrally affiliated to NUS because of the result of a referendum (the outcome of which can only be overturned by another referendum) OUSU Council should debate how it should fund NUS affiliation in the future.
2.    The best way to do this is to outline the 2 options available for doing this and vote upon the one most preferred by Council.

Council resolves
1.    To adopt one of the following methods of paying for NUS affiliation for inclusion in the forthcoming budget for the 2007/08 financial year:
a.    The current system whereby Common Rooms chose whether to buy into the central affiliation or not, using the following formula for fee calculation: cost of affiliation ÷ total number of affiliated students = cost per student. Charge for each affiliated CR = cost per student x number of students in each affiliated CR). OUSU will continue to split the £4 NUS Extra profit with affiliated Common Rooms.
b.    To allow all affiliated OUSU members to become members of NUS whereby OUSU would subsidise the NUS affiliation fee from the profits from its commercial activities, whereby OUSU would keep all profits from the NUS Extra Card scheme.

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

 

4.    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)

 
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.    Sudan Divestment

Council Notes
1.    The committee Sudan Divestment Oxford is currently running a campaign in Oxford to raise awareness, support and induce action for targeted divestment from Sudan.
2.    Targeted divestment in Sudan works on the following assumptions:
•    That there is a humanitarian crisis occurring in the Darfur region in the Sudan, a humanitarian crisis that has killed over 400,000 civilians, and displaced over  2.5 million people since February 2003.
•    That unlike any other humanitarian crisis in history, the situation in the Darfur region of Sudan has been described as genocide or tantamount to genocide by the US government while atrocities are still ongoing.
•    That foreign investment has been of great importance in enabling the heavily indebted Sudanese government to finance its military policy of genocide.
•    That Oxford’s colleges and other of Oxford’s institutions may hold investments in companies which financially support the Sudanese government which meet the guidelines for targeted divestment as set out by Sudan Divestment UK.
•    By withdrawing such investments, Oxford will be supporting the movement towards Sudan Divestment and the belief that such financial pressure can induce the Sudanese government to change its actions in Darfur.

Council further notes
1.    That the guidelines for divestment have been implemented by a large number of universities across Britain and North America, all adopting restrictions on their investments, to build an international student movement for change. 
2.    Frontbenchers from both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have backed calls for British companies to pull out of Sudan in an increasing tide of unrest over the genocide in Darfur.

Council believes
1.    That Oxford’s colleges and other of Oxford’s institutions may hold investments in companies which financially support the Sudanese government which meet the guidelines for targeted divestment as set out by Sudan Divestment UK.
2.    It is necessary to promote and support targeted divestment from Sudan because it is a powerful financial tool to induce the Sudanese government into changing its actions in Darfur.
3.    That it is important that we embark on such a path to facilitate the end of the genocidal killing of civilians and the restoration of security to the Darfur region.   

Council resolves
1.    To support the work of Sudan Divestment Oxford
2.    To call for the University and all its affiliates (including colleges if relevant) to divest from those companies identified as meeting the ‘Sudan Divestment UK’ guidelines on Sudanese Divestment following a review of the holdings of the University and its affiliates.
3.    To mandate the President of OUSU to write to the UK government urging that they should seriously consider targeted divestment as a method of preventing further genocide in Sudan.

Proposed:  Lara Nelson (Greyfriars)   Seconded: Daniel Weeks (University)

AMENDMENTS

3rd  week Trinity Term 2007
c.    Ratifications in Council

Freshers Fair Manager    Sam McGeever (Hertford)
Deputy Freshers' Fair Manager    Justine Ramsden (Worcester)

 

Motion passed by Postgraduate Assembly Tuesday 8th May 2007 (3rd week Trinity)
1.    Non-Fee-Paying Graduates and OUSU Affiliation Fees

Council Notes
1.    Non-fee-paying graduates comprise 23% of the Oxford graduate student population (they total 1836 in absolute numbers). The majority of these are 4th year DPhil students (who are automatically no longer liable for university fees). [see graph at Appendix 1]
2.    MCRs, as a rule, do not receive any money from the college to pay for the membership of non-fee-paying graduate students. [MCRs generally receive money from the college for their use on a per capita basis (for example: £43 a head), and non-fee-paying graduates are not accounted for in those numbers.]
3.    OUSU calculates affiliation fees for common rooms by taking into account the amount of money they receive from their college and the number of students in the common room. There is no consistent policy regarding the counting of non-fee-paying graduates.
4.    Some colleges currently do not declare their non-fee-paying graduates, when asked for the number of members in the MCR for purposes of calculating affiliation fees.
5.    Many non-fee-paying students are not actually in Oxford and do not take advantage of OUSU’s services (though they are, of course, fully entitled to them).

Council Believes
1.    As the Central Students’ Union, OUSU represents all students, whether they are members of common rooms or not.  Once Students have reached the non-fee-paying status, the OUSU affiliation fee is one more fee that they should have to be counted for.
2.    Since the MCRs do not receive money to fund membership of non-fee-paying graduates, OUSU should not expect them to pay for OUSU membership for these same students.
3.    The overall revenue loss for OUSU will be relatively small.

Council Resolves
1.    To ask OUSU Council to make policy never to charge MCRs for non-fee-paying graduate members in the calculation of affiliation fees.
2.    To note that this will likely mean some kind of revenue loss for OUSU, and to mandate the OUSU executive to request that the university make up the difference as part of a block grant to OUSU.

Proposed: Andrea Miller (Linacre)  Seconded: Edward Mayne (Mansfield)
 
Motion passed by Postgraduate Assembly Tuesday 8th May 2007 (3rd week Trinity)
2.    Motion to Revise the Job Description of Vice President Graduates

Council Notes
1.    The current Job Description of the position of Vice President (Graduates) [found in Schedule 5, A. 1.e. of the OUSU Standing Orders):
1e) OUSU Vice-President (Graduates)
The responsibilities of the OUSU Vice-President (Graduates) shall be
1.    To campaign on issues of particular relevance to postgraduates, in conjunction with relevant OUSU and University committees. These committees include, but are not restricted to, the OUSU Postgraduate Assembly of College Presidents, OUSU Finance and Funding Committee, OUSU Academic Affairs Committee, University Tutors for Graduates Committee, and University Graduate Studies Committee. Campaign topics will be determined at the discretion of the incumbent or the committee(s) involved.
2.    To liaise with and represent OUSU and its postgraduate members to committees of the University and external groups, including those relevant groups working at a Local Authority level. In addition to representing graduate issues internally as a representative to the University's governing body, Tutors for Graduates Committee, and Graduate Studies Committee, the Vice-President (Graduate) will sit as a ex-officio Councillor on five of the seven Main Committees of the Oxford City Council, or designate a substitute to do so. The Vice-President (Graduate) will also consult and advise on graduate-specific concerns as a representative to the Oxford Sports Federation and Performance Council, and represent the interests of Oxford graduates to the National Postgraduate Committee and Association of College Unions-International.
3.    To oversee the activities of the Postgraduate Assembly of College Presidents (PACP) and its Councils. This oversight includes maintenance of related electronic mail lists and web-accessible databases; co-ordination of termly Assembly and Council meetings; and general oversight of projects undertaken by these bodies. The Vice-President (Graduate) will also submit termly reports of the PACP to OUSU Council.
4.    To oversee and/or edit OUSU publications that focus upon gradate concerns, including The Graduate Guide, The Graduate Alternative Prospectus, and The Graduate News.
5.    To provide support, information, and training for graduate post-holders, including but not limited to, MCR officers, Junior Deans, postgraduate faculty representatives, and post-graduates who teach. This will include:
i.    a minimum of one annual training session, to be co-ordinated in co-operation with the Staff Development Office, for Junior Deans and for postgraduates who teach; and
ii.     maintaining updated web-based manuals and information databases for each of these groups.
6.    To serve as a University Harassment Adviser, and complete the University training session provided for those who perform this role.
7.    To serve as the Facilities Manager for the University Club. This role involves participation as an ex-officio representative to the Clubs Governing Committee and the renewal of one corporate sponsorship for the facility per academic year.
8.    To be the sabbatical officer nominally responsible for international students and mature students, to lease with the co-chairs of OUSU's International Students Committee and Mature Students Committee and to oversee their work'.

Council Believes
1.    That the current Job Description of the position of Vice President (Graduates) [found in Schedule 5, A. 1.e. of the OUSU Standing Orders) is inaccurate and has not been updated for many years
2.    That since Job Descriptions in the OUSU Standing Orders are binding, they ought to be up to date and accurate, reflecting what OUSU actually expects from the holder of that post

Council Resolves
1.    To change the Job Description of the Vice President (Graduates) to reflect what the job actually requires, as stated below:

1e) OUSU Vice-President (Graduates)
The responsibilities of the OUSU Vice-President (Graduates) shall be
1.    To campaign on issues of particular relevance to postgraduates, in conjunction with relevant OUSU and University committees.
2.    To liaise with and represent OUSU and its postgraduate members to committees of the University and to external groups.i)    The Vice President (Graduates) will be a de facto member of the following University Committees: University Council, Educational Policy and Standards Committee (including the EPSC Graduate Panel and the EPSC Graduate Skills Group), The Curators of the University Libraries, The Graduate Committee of the Conference of Colleges, and the Joint Consultative Committee with Student Members.
3.    To arrange, publicise, oversee, and chair meetings of the Postgraduate Assembly, at least once termly, as indicated in the OUSU Constitution and Standing Orders.
4.    To organise and provide support for the Middle Common Room Presidents’ Committee, and arrange for meetings at least twice termly (in 3rd and 6th weeks). This includes maintenance of related electronic mail lists and web-accessible databases; co-ordination of meetings at least twice termly; and general oversight of projects undertaken by this body.
5.    To ensure that all divisional/departmental/program-specific Joint Consultative Committees (or the equivalent) have adequate graduate student representation, and to help arrange elections where necessary. Good communication should be maintained with these representatives so as to keep a finger on the pulse of graduate issues in the divisions and departments.
6.    To oversee and/or edit OUSU publications that focus upon gradate concerns. In some years these have included The Graduate Guide, The Graduate Alternative Prospectus, and The Graduate News.
7.    To provide support and information, including information about training, for graduate post-holders, including but not limited to, MCR officers, postgraduate faculty representatives, and post-graduates who teach. This will include maintaining updated web-based manuals and information databases for each of these groups.
8.    To act as a member of OUSU’s Student Advice Service to help inform individual students facing welfare and/or academic difficulties of the various options available within the University to help resolve their problems, and represent them and/or advocate for them if necessary.
9.    In accordance with (8.) above, to undergo the proper (formal) training required for those who perform this role.
10.    To maintain involvement with the University Club and aid it in its mission to serve as a centre for Graduate Students.
11.    To be the sabbatical officer nominally responsible for international students and mature students, to maintain communication with the co-chairs of OUSU's International Students Committee and Mature Students Committee and to oversee their work.

Proposed: Andrea Miller (Linacre)  Seconded: James Frew (Keble)


 
d.    Elections in Council

VP Women and Welfare Working Party    Alanna Barber (St Hilda's)
                            Caroline Leonard (Wadham)