Council Agenda 7th 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

OUSU International Committee (elected tt08)
Co-chair: Angel Sarmiento, Merton
Treasurer: Sinni Lim, University
Membership Secretary: Sanam Khanchandani, Balliol
 Social Secretary: Xander Tze Siang Chong, Brasenose
Welfare Secretary: Charlotte Yan, St Hilda's
Campaigns Officers: Heather Kincaide, St. Antony's; Nikita Malik, St. Hugh's Publicity Officer: Emmanuel Forlemu, Magdalen

The following motions were passed by Womens Campaign 12th May (4th week trinity 2008)

1.    Accommodation

Womcam notes:
1.    That some women, for various reasons including their own or their parents’ religion or culture, or previous experience of sexual violence, may wish to stay in female-only accommodation on coming up to university.
2.    That in some cases, a lack of access to such accommodation could prevent a student from taking up their place, because they (or their parents) feel they cannot accept being housed in mixed accommodation.
3.    That St Hilda’s college, previously women-only, will admit men as of Michaelmas 2008.

Womcam believes:
1.    That women in this situation have just as much right to take up their place as anyone else.

Womcam resolves:
1.    To have policy in favour of colleges and the university providing female-only accommodation at the request of students who are coming up and current students who live in, for example by organising a women-only staircase.
2.    To make JCR/MCR/SU Presidents and Women’s/Women’s Welfare Officers aware of this policy, and ask them to consider implementing it in their own colleges.

 

2.    Womens pay

Womcam notes:
1.    That the pay gap between men and women who work full-time currently stands at 17%. (http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=347)
2.    That this is equivalent, if they were given the same wage, to men who work full-time being paid all year round and women who work full time working for free from October 30th each year. (http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=515)
3.    That the gap between the average hourly wage of a man employed full-time and that of a woman employed part-time is 43.2%. (http://www.equalities.gov.uk/women_work_commission/fairdealforwomen_interim_statement.pdf)
4.    That the pay gap between male and female graduates opens up to 15% with three years of graduation. (http://www.equalities.gov.uk/women_work_commission/fairdealforwomen_interim_statement.pdf)
5.    That traditionally female types of employment, such as cleaning, are worse-paid than traditionally male types of employment of comparable skill-levels such as refuse collection. (http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/documents/final%208page%20booklet.pdf)
6.    That women who choose to have children are discriminated against in terms of pay, both by overt discrimination and by the lack of flexibility in higher paid posts. (http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/documents/final%208page%20booklet.pdf)
7.    That the Fawcett Society organise Women’s No Pay Day on October the 30th to raise awareness of these issues.

Womcam believes:
1.    That men and women should be treated equally in terms of pay.
2.    That the current gap is unjustifiable.
3.    That more should be done to provide equal pay for comparable work, and to make higher-paying jobs accessible to women.

Womcam resolves:
1.    To organise an awareness raising event and a petition, letter writing campaign or similar campaigning event to mark Women’s No Pay Day on October 30th.
2.    To ask Zoo to consider a 17% reduction in women’s admission at any Zoo event organised on the day concerned to raise awareness of this problem.
 

3.    Bops

Womcam notes
1.    Corpus Christi’s “Pimps and Hos” Bop (TT08)
2.    Pembroke’s “Bad Taste” Bop (HT08)
3.    Queen’s College’s planned “This Saturday is Illegal” Bop (TT08)
4.    Various other bops with themes such as “Santas and Ho Ho Hos”, “GI Joes and Army Hos” and so forth.
Womcam believes
1.    That Welfare concerns should influence the choice of Entz.
2.    That the role of a bop is to bring a college together and for its members to enjoy themselves.
3.    That Bops with themes that have large scope for offence, such as a Bad Taste Bops, are a welfare issue because:
a.    When people are asked in an Entz email to come to a bop dressed as paedophiles and rapists (see Notes 3), both the email and the bop is offensive and potentially triggering to survivors of these types of abuse (with parallel issues arising concerning perpetrators of violence and discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, sexual orientation etc, and their victims).
4.    That Bops with themes that designate one role for women and another role for men are a welfare issue because:
a.    Even when it is not made explicit which role is for which gender (e.g. Doctors and Nurses), there is still an implied gender divide, and for anyone who does not identify with traditional gender roles this may be problematic.
b.    Often such themes give a role usually seen as superior or more powerful to men, and a submissive, inferior role is given to women.
c.    Often the theme will tie into a stereotype of a highly objectified and/or sexualised role for women (e.g. Vicars and Tarts).
5.    That the above problems might cause many people to be uncomfortable attending bops, which should be as inclusive as possible.
6.    That many bop themes are possible and do exist that do not run into these problems.
Womcam resolves
1.    To contact JCR/MCR/SU Welfare Officers and Entz Officers raising the above concerns.
 

l.    The Budget or Amended Budget

1.    OUSU Budget 2008 - 2009

Council Notes and Accepts
1.    The attached OUSU Budget 2008 - 2009

Proposed: Rich Hardiman (OUSU VP Finance)
Seconded: Martin McCluskey (OUSU President)

Click here to download a copy of the Budget 2008 - 2009

Click here to download a copy of the Budget Notes, Introduction and Apendix.

n.    Other Motions

1.    Timing of OUSU Council

Council notes
1.    OUSU Council is currently held on Friday afternoons.
2.    There are a very large number of science undergraduates that have practicals on Friday afternoon.
3.    Many other students also have academic commitments on Friday afternoons.

Council believes
1.    OUSU Council should be representative of the student population.
2.    OUSU Council should be equally accessible to all OUSU members.
3.    The current timing of OUSU council disadvantages a large and significant group of students as they are unable to attend due to academic commitments.
4.    That OUSU Council should be held in the evening to make it accessible to all those who wish to attend.

Council resolves
1.    To hold OUSU council in the evening, the day of which will be chosen by the OUSU Executive.

Proposed: Jack Matthews (St Peter’s)  Seconded: Joel Mullan (St Peter’s)

 

2.    OUSU Business Manager

Council notes:
1.    that we currently do not have a Business Manager
2.    that we have not yet appointed a Business Manager for 2008-9
3.    that for several years there has only been one applicant per vacancy
4.    that for vacancies for permanent positions such as that of SAFAM and Student Advisor there has been a sizeable number of well-qualified candidates.
5.    that OUSU relies heavily on OSSL income to fund its activities

Council believes:
1.    that a permanent business manager post would attract a far greater number of suitably qualified candidates than the current sabbatical post does
2.    that appointing a permanent business manager would increase the professionalism with which OUSU conducts its commercial operations, improve continuity within OSSL, and in the long term would increase OSSL turnover.
3.    that it would be desirable, in principle, for OUSU to have a permanent Business Manager
4.    that the salary of a permanent Business Manager would be higher than that of a sabbatical Business Manager
5.    that deciding to seek a permanent Business Manager should be contingent on having sufficient funds to do so.

Council resolves:
1.    to mandate the Executive to investigate the financial feasibility of appointing a Permanent Business Manager, and to report back at the first Council of Michaelmas term.

Proposed: Joel Mullan (St Peter’s)  Seconded: Jack Matthews (St Peter’s)

 

3.    Cross Department courses

Council Notes:
1.    That the number of students doing joint courses, or courses that cut across university departments has increased in recent years.
2.    That inter-departmental support and co-operation in these cases is often lacking.

Council resolves:
1.    To mandate the OUSU Executive (primarily the OUSU VP Access and Academic Affairs) to lobby the university to provide better support for students doing joint honours courses, and to look upon every degree as a unitary academic endeavour.
2.    To ensure that the university is aware of the negative effect lecture clashes may have upon student education and morale, and to strive to eliminate these whenever possible by better communication between departments.
3.    To lobby the university to ensure all students have easy access to all libraries which may be necessary for their course, with a long term view to allowing every student access to all of Oxford's academic resources.
4.    To ensure that students applying to Oxford for joint honours courses are made explicitly aware of the added complications of joint honours degrees.

Proposed: Samuel Wheeler (OUSU Officer, LMH)
Seconded: Martin Nelson (Access and Academic Affairs, LMH)

AMENDMENTS

TERMLY COUNCIL

ii    Election of Returning Officer

Nominations received:    Madeline Stanley (LMH)

 

ORDINARY COUNCIL

h.    Emergency Motions

1.    First Report of the Policy Process Working Group

Council Notes:
1.    The establishment of the Policy Process Working Group in 1st Week Hilary Term 2008.
2.    That the Group had a remit to review and propose measures to reform OUSU's Policy Making process.

Council Further Notes:
1.    The work undertaken has gone a significant way to developing a new structure for OUSU's governance.
2.    There is still significant work to be done prior to a vote on a new constitution and the implementation of a new structure.
3.    That work will have to continue on OUSU's future governance over the Long Vacation.

Council Believes:
1.    The committee structure contained in the report should be taken forward as a model for OUSU's governance.
2.    OUSU must develop a structure that increases expertise in policy making.
3.    Any new structure must place consultation with Common Rooms and other key interest groups at its heart.
4.    That for effective policy to be constructed, Council should play a reduced role in active policy development and an increased role in scrutinising policy and the work of the Student Union.
5.    That policy development should be more transparent than at present.

Council Resolves:
1.    To accept the First Report of the Policy Making Review Group.
2.    To mandate the Policy Making Review Group to bring a report to 1st Week Council in Michaelmas 2008 detailing progress made over the Long Vacation and outlining any necessary changes that to these proposals that need to be made.

Proposed: Martin McCluskey (OUSU President)
Seconded: Kat Wall (LMH, OUSU Women's Campaign Officer)

Click here to down load a copy of the First Report of the Policy Making Review Group
 

2,    Student Written Submission Preliminary Draft Consultation

This Council notes:
1. That the Quality Assurance Agency is conducting an institutional audit of Oxford University in February 2009.
2. That the student union has been invited to produce a Student Written Submission on the student educational experience as part of the audit process.

This Council further notes:
3. The preliminary draft of the student written submission (attached in PDF form).

This Council believes (based on the list of recommendations in the submission):

Undergraduate Education
1. All tutorial staff should be required to undergo teacher training before taking up any teaching post.
2. The university’s professional development programme should be enhanced to encourage more regular attendance by all tutors.
3. Ideally anonymous tutorial feedback forms should be collected each term with the Senior Tutors empowered to alter teaching arrangements when tutors are found to be below required standards.
4. The academic status of an individual student’s tutor is monitored to ensure that the majority of their tutorials are provided by senior academics, in line with university policy.
5. Students should be entitled to request a change from graduate tutor to senior academic when the majority of their tutorials have been delivered by graduate students.
6. College funding should ensure that whatever the size of a college’s endowment, this does not lead to colleges failing to meet university policy that a majority of tutorials should be provided by a senior academic.
7. Following collections, a tutorial or class with the tutor and students sitting the collection is held within four weeks to discuss the collection results and provide feedback to help future improvements.
8. Students be given entitlement to access their university examination scripts.
9. Course Joint Consultative Committees all review lecture timetables to ensure that core lectures do not clash and provide an effective complement to tutorial teaching in a subject.
10. The university review personal development opportunities within its undergraduate courses and considers offering optional personal development courses as part of the Learning Institute.
11. Colleges and departments continue to cooperate to improve the induction support for new students and development of continuing students in subject specific study skills, including consideration of study skill classes.
12. Colleges review their academic discipline procedures in light of the Senior Tutors Committee Working Group recommendations, and work towards a single model so all students receive similar treatment.
13. No student who is performing at an ability that will achieve an honours mark were they to be given the opportunity to take a university examination should be permanently excluded from the university for academic reasons.

Graduate education
14. All parts of the collegiate university support/continue to support the Embedding Graduate Studies agenda and implement the policies and suggestions passed in committees as quickly and effectively as possible.
15. All departments, faculties and colleges strive to ensure that an academic community is created for graduate students; be that with communal common room and eating facilities, invitations to high table, open seminar series, or formal social gatherings for students and staff.
16. All departments and faculties ensure that:
a. their students receive a copy of the Codes for Supervision;
b. their students are given the opportunity to complete an anonymous questionnaire about the quality of their supervision;
c. their students are made precisely aware of how these codes are being monitored and what to do if they would like to make any complaint about their supervision.
17. The online supervision report system be rolled out to all departments as quickly as possible, and supervisors be encouraged to engage with their students individually at the start of the course about what suits them both (supervisor and student), to ensure that appropriate, regular and effective feedback is given.
18. All course or departmental handbooks outline precisely the criteria used to measure students’ performance, and that all students receive guidance from their supervisor(s) at the beginning of their course about these criteria, to ensure that the student understands and has an opportunity to check any uncertainties.
19. Education Policy and Standards Committee should review and update transfer and confirmation procedures to ensure that they are as consistent as possible across departments and that students know exactly what is required and when.
20. Graduate research students be offered more and effective training for teaching across the collegiate university including being encouraged to sit in on tutorials.
21. A more coherent and standard way of advertising teaching opportunities across the collegiate university be implemented.

Welfare
22. Every student should be allocated a Personal Tutor, separate from their academic tutor.
23. The head of welfare in a college should not be the Senior Tutor.
24. There should be a separation of decanal responsibilities into independent welfare and disciplinary positions.20. Greater efforts should be made to promote awareness of the university services currently provided. A simple poster campaign in each college and department could be very effective.
25. Particular efforts should be made to improve awareness of and engagement with the Harassment line, which is a greatly unknown and underused service.
26. The Proctors and Assessors Memorandum should be more accessible, user friendly and more should be done to promote understanding about the role of the Proctors and particularly the Assessor.
27. Provision of legal advice for students should be considered a priority.
28. Colleges and university services should look into how their welfare service provision can reformed to better provide for the needs of the growing graduate population.
29. A working group should be established to look into the need for accessible dental and GUM facilities for students.

Equal Opportunities
30. The university childcare committee is reconvened and that its remit is reviewed to ensure that it can act as a discussion forum for all issues relating to childcare provision.
31. The university compile and maintain a centralised list of all student parents.
32. The university review its maternity and paternity policies for student parents with the aim of establishing a single framework.
33. The university reviews the quantity and conditions attached to financial support for student parents.
34. We therefore suggest a Working Group is established to review the current situation for students with Specific Learning Difficulties, with special attention to:
Support provided at University, divisional, departmental and collegiate level.
Process of accessing support.
Process of providing support.
Examination arrangements.
Quality assurance in provision of support.
35. Greater training for tutors in recognising and helping students with specific learning difficulties.
36. A greater focus on the role of tutors in promoting a positive attitude to students with disabilities, particularly those with invisible disabilities.
37. A whole scale review of the Proctor’s office, and its dealings with exam accommodations for students with disabilities. The student union recommends that the Proctor’s office should be bound to provide students with the recommendations of the educational psychologist.
38. Greater centralisation of disability support through the expansion of the Disability Office, reducing the role of colleges and increasing the efficiency of the system for individual students.

Facilities
39. The university looks into ways to reduce the disparities in the accessibility of resources for students depending on their college and course.
40. The university strives to ensure that, within the constraints that might exist, libraries are open as much as possible, since students do not just work from 9-5 during undergraduate term times.
41. Communication between those who set reading lists and libraries is improved.
42. The possibility of improving the provision of informal study areas is considered.
43. The findings of the TLSR Group are acted upon, and those departments which are belowadequate teaching and learning space provision are improved as a matter of priority.
44. The university encourages colleges not conduct building work during term time if at all possible.
45. Colleges should also be ensuring that all accommodation they offer is conducive to a good working environment.
46. The university strongly encourages colleges to assess their rent levels, particularly if these are high relative to other colleges, and colleges should be more open about the accommodation they offer.
47. All colleges have strong, well-advertised, easy-to-obtain funds for those who might suffer hardship.
48. The university strongly encourages colleges to assess their self-catering provision.

Printed Material
49. The university should work to provide accurate information on the cost of living and funding available to students.
50. Colleges and departments should be encouraged to honour the fees published in the prospectus during the students time here.
51. Departments are encouraged to provide high quality course prospectuses, in paper and online formats, which provide accurate, relevant and up to date information in addition to the basic subject description in the general prospectus.
52. All areas of the university comply with the Admissions Web Project as a matter of urgency to improve the navigability of the website.


This Council resolves to:
1. Mandate the OUSU Executive to consider any points raised in the debate today, continue consulting over the submissions content and bring an updated draft to 1st week OUSU Council in Michaelmas 2008.
2. Mandate the OUSU Executive to present a final version of the Student Written Submission by 5th week OUSU Council in Michaelmas 2008.

Proposed James Lamming (VP Access & Academic Affairs)
Seconded: Ingrid Frater (VP Graduates)

Click here to download a copy of the preliminary draft of the student written submission
 

3.    Graduate Students’ and International Students’ Fees and Funding

Council notes:
1.    That OUSU officers recently won student representation on the University’s new fees policy group, whose terms of reference include to consider and report on such matters as fees policy for graduate students and international students.
2.    That OUSU currently has policy in favour of a review of these fees, but no policy on the fees themselves.
3.    That much of this area of work is also currently being covered by the University’s Graduate Admissions Committee.

Council further notes:
1.    That the policies outlined below have been discussed at length with many MCR Presidents, and went out for consultation on OUSU’s graduate university-wide list and to OUSU’s International Students’ Campaign Committee.  
2.    That the policies outlined below have been drafted according to the feedback received from this consultation.

Council further notes:
1.    That we need policy now as the next meeting of the fees policy group is on Monday 9th June.

Council resolves:
1.    To accept the policies outlined and to mandate the OUSU Executive, most notably the VP Graduates, to express these policies to the University and Colleges.

Proposed: Ingrid Frater (VP Graduates)
Seconded: Martin McCluskey (OUSU President)

Click here to download a copy of the Graduate Students’ and International Students’ Fees and Funding Policy

4.    DARC motion

Council notes:
1) The Donations Acceptance Review Committee (DARC) has no student representation.
2) DARC recently accepted a second multi million pound donation from Wafic Said.
3) A student organised protest was organised against the acceptance of this donation.

Council believes:
1) Students are members of the university, and should have representation on all committees relevant to them.
2) DARC is a committee relevant to students.
3) The university should not accept donations from unethical or suspect donors.

Council Resolves
1) To mandate the president to work for a representative of OUSU to gain a place on DARC.
2) To mandate such a representative to pursue an agenda of rejecting donations from unethical or suspect sources.

Proposed: Daniel Lowe (St. Edmund Hall, OUSU E&E Officer)
Seconded: Claire Addison (OUSU VP Charities and Community

 

5.    Joint Working Group on OUSU Funding

Council Notes:
1. The Joint Working Group on OUSU Funding has been meeting since the beginning of Hilary Term.
2. An interim paper has been written outlining the directon the group will take over the Summer and into Michalemas.

Council Further Notes:
1. The paper envisages a reduced contribution from JCRs and an increased contribution from Colleges and the University.

Council Believes:
1. Many OUSU services are provided to all student, regardless of whether their Common Room is affiliated or disaffiliated, but the cost is currently not being met.
2. Free riding by some Common Rooms leads to less satisfactory services being provided to affiliates.
3. A funding model that takes the burden away from JCRs and MCRs is a positive development.

Council Resolves:
1. To note the contents of the interim paper.

Proposed: Martin McCluskey (OUSU President)
Seconded: Rich Hardiman (OUSU Vice President, Finance)

Click here to download a copy of the Joint Working Group on OUSU Funding Interim Paper