Council Agenda 3rd Week Trinity 2008

Sign in from 2.15pm

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.    Ethics & Environment Committee Executive

Chair: Ian Bhullar (Keble)                 elected 6th week Trinity 07
Secretary: Marica Haig (Worcester)            elected 4th week Michaelmas 07
Press and Publications: Daniel Lowe (SEH)    elected 4th week Hilary 08
Biodiversity: Marica Haig                    elected 4th week Hilary 08
Energy: Catherine Garsed (St Hildas)            elected 4th week Michaelmas
Ethics: Sarah Lawrence (Corpus Christi)            elected 4th week Michaelmas
Recycling: Julia Koskella (Somerville)            elected 4th week Hilary 08


 

2.    Ethics & Environment Committee Constitution

To replace the role of biodiversity officer to that of conservation officer. The role and responsibilities of the conservation officer is to be the same as biodiversity officer.

 

3.    Thirst Lodge

OUSU Women's Campaign notes:
1.    That in Thirst Lodge there is a two-way mirror between the men's and women's toilets which allows people in the men's toilets to see into the women's toilets.
2.    That, by getting very close to the mirror, it is just possible to see from the female toilets into the male toilets, and hence the set-up is not illegal, but that it would be easy to be in the women's toilets and not notice that the mirror was in fact two-way.
3.    That there is no sign or other attempt to communicate to anyone using either set of toilets that this is the case.

OUSU Women's Campaign believes:
1.    That such a mirror is a gross invasion of privacy, particularly for users of the women's toilets but also potentially for those using the men's toilets.

OUSU Women's Campaign resolves:
1.    To ask the organisers of Zoo events to factor in the presence of this mirror when deciding whether or not to hold events at Thirst Lodge.
2.    To mandate the President, the VP Women and the VP Welfare and Equal Opportunities to write joint letters to the manager of Thirst Lodge and Evan Harris MP, making clear OUSU's objections to the mirror. The letter to the manager of Thirst Lodge should also ask for it to be removed and replaced by normal mirrors, and state that decisions about whether or not to hold ZOO events there or advertise events held there may be affected by the presence of this mirror.
3.    To ask OSSL to make whoever reviews Thirst Lodge for the Oxford Handbook aware of the mirror and ask them to include this information.
4.    To mandate the VP Women to raise the mirror as an issue at the University Student Health and Welfare Committee.

Passed by OUSU Womens Campaign Monday 21st April (1st week Trinity) 2008

 

n.    Other Motions

1.    Improving OUSU representation on harassment issues to the University

Council Notes
1.    That the University previously had a Harassment Advisory Panel, which met twice termly,  where the VP(Women) represented OUSU, as per her job description which includes working on issues surrounding harassment.
2.    The Harassment Advisory Panel was disbanded in 2004.
3.    That OUSU records say that Harassment Advisory Panel was a relevant and effective forum in which OUSU represented its concerns and suggestions regarding the University provision for dealing with matters of harassment. The Panel increased enabled OUSU to work constructively with the University on matters relating to harassment, for example, providing funding for training of CR Officers and the Anti-Racism Handbook.
4.    That the Objectives of the Diversity and Equal Opportunities Unit include ' to ensure that staff, students and the community are consulted on policy development in respect of diversity matters' and 'to enhance the existing constructive partnership with OUSU in all matters relating to equality and diversity'.

Council Believes
1.    That the current lack of the Harassment Advisory Panel has damaged the previously constructive partnership between OUSU and the University in dealing with matters relating to harassment.
2.    That harassment is an important welfare issue which OUSU must work constructively with the University on.

Council Resolves
1.    To mandate the OUSU Executive, and in particular the VP(Women), to request that the Harassment     Advisory Panel be re-instated, with the VP(Women) as a member. The OUSU Executive must also     request that, should this not be possible, an equally formal and relevant structure must be put in place in     order to allow the VP(Women) to represent OUSU's concerns to the University.

Proposed: Hannah Roe (OUSU VP Women)
Seconded: Martin McCluskey (OUSU President)

2.    NSS Survey

This Council notes
1.    Previous policy passed in Michaelmas 2006, ending the boycott of the National Student Survey.
2.    The Oxford Student Course Experience Questionnaire, sent to all finalists.
3.    The use of the National Student Survey in University committee discussions that highlighted concerns amongst students about feedback methods and the surveys use in OUSU’s Student Written Submission for the Institutional Audit.
4.    Continuing concerns about the applicability of some questions in the National Student Survey to the collegiate nature of our University.

Council believes
1.    The National Student Survey is useful for highlighting broad issues of potential concern in the University.  It complements the Oxford Course Experience Questionnaire, which is able to focus its questions on more detailed aspects of a students experience within Oxford University.
2.    Using the results from the National Student Survey mean that we should encourage as many responses as possible, to ensure that results are representative of the student body as possible.
3.    As the Oxford Student Course Experience Questionnaire is managed by Oxford, there is no reason why it cannot be sent to every undergraduate, not just finalists.  This is desirable because issues surrounding particular aspects of a course do not have to be discovered only at the end of a students University career, and means students can reflect on each year discretely, rather than summarising their different experiences over three or four year into one response.

Council resolve
1.    To work with the University in encouraging final year students to complete the National Student Survey.
2.    To mandate that VP (Access and Academic Affairs) to lobby the University to survey all undergraduate students through the Oxford Student Course Experience Questionnaire annually.

Proposed: James Lamming (OUSU VP Access & Academic Affairs)
Seconded: Martin McCluskey (OUSU President)

 

3.    Revival of OUSU E&E Committee's Business Award Scheme

Council notes
1.    In 2004 OUSU Environment Committee (Now part of the environment and ethics committee) launched its business award scheme (BAS)
2.    The BAS aimed to 'encourage businesses to improve their environmental performance' and 'indicate to consumers the businesses that make an effort to reduce their environmental impact.
3.    Such shops included Oxfam, Uhuru Wholefoods, Neil's Yard and Harvey's
4.    The BAS has since faded from notice

Council believes
1.    The BAS is a useful aid to students who wish to shop more responsibly.
2.    The BAS should be revived.
3.    The revived BAS should include awards for those businesses that strive to offer a more ethical choice.

Council resolves
1.    To reintroduce the BAS in the following framework
a.    Submissions for candidacy in the BAS are made to the Environment and Ethics committee through the OUSU E&E part time executive officer.
b.    Submissions can be made by any student.
c.    The award is given to shops or businesses that have made a particular effort to reduce its environmental impact or strives to provide a more ethical service.
d.    A simple majority vote in the E&E committee is required to make the award.
e.    The award can be overruled by a motion in council.
f.    Recipients of the award will be given a certificate to display in their window and will be listed in the OUSU E&E handbook.

Proposed: Daniel Lowe (St Edmund Hall)
Seconded: Claire Addison  (OUSU VP Charities &Community)

AMENDMENTS

there are no amendments to the agenda