Council Agenda 7th 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.    Charities Act Reform

Council notes
1.    The consultation paper 'Implications of the Charities Act for the Student Union' released in Hilary
2.    OUSU Council's vote this term to change the Student Union's legal status from an 'exempt charity' to a 'registered charity."
3.    That before it can register, OUSU must decide on a suitable governance structure.
4.    That a paper has been prepared by the Charities Act Working Party outlining broad options

Council resolves
1.    To discuss the options and mandate the President to bring the matter back to Council in Michaelmas for a full debate and decision.

Proposed: Alan Strickland (Merton)  Seconded: Andrea Miller (Lincare)


 

2.    JRAM

Council notes
1.    The proposed Joint Resource Allocation Method (JRAM) has been created by a University working party
2.    The JRAM2 model builds upon the original JRAM by expanding the implementation period to ten years, and introducing some subsidies from ‘gaining’ colleges to ‘losing’ colleges


Council further notes
1.    Suggested strategies for losing colleges to prevent deficits include appointing College-only research active staff, additional post-graduates, additional overseas students, extra visiting students and substituting home/EU undergraduates with overseas
2.    That sixteen mixed Colleges voted against the JRAM proposal in Conference of College in Hilary Term
3.    That serious concerns have been raised by OUSU and common room representatives in response to the JRAM
4.    That Council passed a motion mandating OUSU’s representatives to University Council to raise concerns with the JRAM

Council believes
1.    That the JRAM would create financial incentives for Colleges to increase the numbers of post-graduates, overseas undergraduates, and visiting students
2.    That the JRAM would create financial incentives for Colleges to substitute home/EU undergraduate students with overseas undergraduate students
3.    That while an increase in high-quality overseas students is to be welcome, such an increase should not be driven by financial incentives alone
4.    That due to the JRAM and the resulting short-fall in academic accounts, certain colleges will have to respond to make up the deficit
5.    That such responses may include a reduction in teaching time, e.g. reducing tutorials length and/or frequency, or a reduction in undergraduate numbers
6.    That the JRAM will increase the gap between the rich and the poor colleges, leading to the introduction of two-tier university

Council further believes
1.    That reform is needed and welcomed, but many colleges and students have reservations about the current proposals

Council resolves
1.    To mandate the OUSU President to arrange a meeting of interested JCR Presidents with the Chair of Conference of Colleges
2.    To adopt a policy of opposition to the JRAM in its current form due to its long-term detrimental consequences

Proposed: Thomas Lowe (Hertford)  Seconded: Paul Dwyer (Keble)

 
3.    Permanent Business Manager

Council notes
1.    The OUSU Business Manager is currently in charge of OUSU’s commercial operations and services, with the Vice-President (Finance).
2.    The Business Manager is the Managing Director of Oxford Student Services Limited (OSSL), commercial subsidiary of OUSU.
3.    The Business Manager is currently employed on an annual basis and is effectively the eighth sabbatical officer in each sabbatical team.
4.    The fact that the Business Manager changes every year hampers continuity, relationships with commercial clients and long term planning.
5.    Practically every other Student Union in the country, except CUSU, has at least one Business Manager as part of the permanent staff team.

Council believes
1.    Having a Business Manager form part of the permanent staff team, thus serving in the position for more than one year, would improve OUSU’s service provision via improving relationships with commercial clients and allowing for more long term planning and continuity in OUSU and OSSL.
2.    Having a Business Manager being employed for more than one year would be positive for students.
3.    Having a Business Manager being employed for more than one year would increase OUSU’s potential turnover.
4.    Having a Business Manager being employed for more than one year would increase OUSU’s chances of moving to a better Central Student Venue.

Council resolves
1.    To mandate the sabbatical team and the OUSU Executive for the 2007/08 academic year to appoint and budget for a Business Manager who will serve in the job for more than one year, to start employment June 2008.
2.    To advertise for this job vacancy externally as well as internally.
3.    To offer sufficient incentives for the successful applicant to stay in the job for more than one academic year, including a salary of no more than £30k gross.

Proposed: Ed Mayne(Mansfield)   Seconded: Lewis Iwu (New)

 
4.    Stop the War

Council notes
1.    OUSU council passed a motion in Michaelmas 2002 against the invasion of Iraq and resolving to support any students involved in peaceful protest against the war.
2.    That following Tony Blair‚s resignation, the transfer of power to Gordon Brown will formally take place at a special Labour Party conference in Manchester on Sunday 24 June.
3.    That the current transitional period is one in which it is extremely important to apply pressure on the government over key demands.
4.    That Oxford Student Stop the War group has called a demonstration outside the Labour Party leadership hustings which Gordon Brown will be attending in Oxford on 10th June, demanding a withdrawal of British troops from Iraq.
5.    That the Stop the War Coalition has also called a national demonstration outside the Labour Party conference in Manchester on 24th June.

Council believes
1.    That the invasion of Iraq and its subsequent occupation which British troops participated in have been extremely damaging to the country and its people, with one study published in The Lancet estimating 655, 000 excess deaths from violence and disease in Iraq since the invasion.
2.    That the presence of foreign troops in Iraq is an aggravating force and that the first step towards a peaceful and equitable solution of the conflict would be their imminent removal.
3.    That we should offer our solidarity with the Iraqi people in the spirit of the motion passed by OUSU council in Michaelmas 2002.

Council resolves
1.    To support and publicise the Oxford Student Stop the War demonstration outside the Labour Party leadership hustings on 10th June.
2.    To support the national Stop the War Coalition demonstration in Manchester on 24th June.
3.    To mandate an OUSU Executive Officer (using their own stationery) to write to Andrew Smith MP, Dr Evan Harris MP, and Gordon Brown, setting out OUSU's stance on the occupation and making it clear that they write with the full authority of OUSU Council.

Proposed: Dominic Williams (St Catherines)  Seconded: Amy Gilligan  (Exeter)

AMENDMENTS

7th week trinity 2007
Termly Council

i.    Election of Chair of Council

Nominations received    Paul Dwyer (Keble)
    Paul Fleming (Mansfield)
    Laith Dilaimi (Magdalen)

 
ii.    Election of Returning Officer

Nominations Received    James Dray (Mansfield)

 
Ordinary Council

c.    Ratifications in Council

The following were passed at Postgraduate Assembly

1.    Graduate Womens Officer

Assembly Notes
1.    That there are many graduate women in the university
2.    That they form a community with specific needs that require specific representation

Assembly Believes
1.    That increased representation for graduates on the OUSU Executive Committee would be beneficial to graduates
2.    That creating a Graduate Women’s Officer position would mean that the very active Women’s Campaign would be guaranteed some element of graduate representation

Assembly Resolves
1.    To introduce a motion to OUSU Council to Amend Article C of the OUSU Standing Orders to create the Position of Executive Graduate Women’s Officer, with the following responsibilities:
A.    Provide administrative, campaigning and other support to the OUSU Women's Campaign, Promoting Choice campaign, Student Parents Committee, and other committees, such as the International Students’ Committee as appropriate.
B.    Represent graduate students on the following University committees: Advisory Panel on Childcare.
C.    Work with the Vice-President (Graduates) and the Vice-President (Women) to further the interests of female graduates in OUSU, the Colleges and the University in accordance with OUSU policy and Council mandates.
D.    Attend meetings of Post-Graduate Assembly and keep the Assembly informed of their work.
E.    Further the involvement of graduate students in OUSU through common room outreach and other activities.
 
2.    Job Description of Vice-President (Graduates)

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.

 

h.    Emergency Motions

1.    Policy Lapse

Council notes
1.    That policy passed by OUSU Council lapses after three years if passed after Hilary 2003, or five years if passed before.
2.    That at the last Council of Trinity 2006, the discussion on Policy Lapse was not held, as the meeting over-ran and therefore policy that would have lapsed in 2006 was extended by one year.

Council resolves
1.    To read the attached policies which are suggested for renewal and amend the motion to remove any that Council feels should not continue to be OUSU policy.

Proposed: Alan Strickland (Merton)  Seconded: Helen Bagshaw (Balliol)

 
2.    Returning Officers Report

Council Notes and Accepts
1.    The Returning Officers Report for Trinty 2007

Proposed: Pete Wright (Wadham)  Seconded: Alan Strickland (Merton)

 

3.    Ousy
       
Council notes
1.    That during the 5th Week meeting of OUSU Council, a motion was passed to create an OUSU mascot called Ousy. The motion resolved to ‘fund an OUSU mascot as per the specifications in the recently published Ousy manifesto’.
2.    The Ousy manifesto contains comments of a derogatory and offensive nature

Council believes
1.    That OUSU should not publish derogatory or offensive comments in official publications and that the Ousy manifesto is one such publication
2.    That in 5th Week OUSU Council voted in favour of the idea of a mascot, rather than the offensive material to be found in the Ousy manifesto
3.    That mascots do not need manifestos

Council resolves
1.    To create a mascot called Ousy as agreed at 5th Week Council
2.    To abolish the Ousy manifesto, thereby removing all offensive comments from the manifesto

Proposed: Tom Lowe (Hertford)  Seconded: Tom Zawisza (Hertford)

 
n.    Other Motions

1.    Amendment to Motion 2. JRAM

Delete Council resolves 2 and replace with:
1.    To adopt a policy of scepticism towards the JRAM in its current form due to its possible long-term detrimental consequences

Add Council resolves 3
2.    To encourage colleges to reduce the allocation problems associated with the JRAM by updating the College Contributions Scheme to take into account the changes induced by the JRAM

Proposed: Tom Lowe (Hertford)  Seconded: Paul Dwyer (Keble)