Hilary 2008

Social Events - Alcohol

This Assembly notes that:

1. Many graduate students do not drink and so do not enjoy a lot of college and university functions which include alcohol, making some graduate students feel excluded.

This assembly resolves to:

1. Encourage Common Room Presidents and Entz Reps to organise more social events which do not include drinking alcohol.
2. Mandate OUSU to survey graduate students at Oxford to get an idea on the non-drinking population and what types of events they might like to have.


Proposed: Alexandria Williams (St. Edmund Hall)
Seconded: Sarah Hutchinson (St Cross, OUSU Graduate Welfare Officer)


Motion in support of Baha'i students in Iran

Assembly Notes:

1. That according according to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, higher education shall be made equally accessible to all, on the basis of capacity and regardless of religious affiliation.
2. That the Islamic Republic of Iran is a signatory to this and other human rights instruments.
3. That the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to systematically deny access to higher education to members of the Baha'i Faith in Iran on account of their religion.
4. That the St Antony's College JCR and the Wolfson College Governing Body have passed resolutions expressing their concern about this matter

Assembly Believes:

1. That as an international student body we have a responsibility to speak out against the denial of access to higher education to fellow students in Iran.

Assembly Resolves:

1. That we express our deep concern and voice our opposition to this discrimination.
2. That we extend our hopes that attention be focused on urging the Islamic Republic of Iran to comply with the obligations of international human rights instruments to which it is a party.
3. That a letter to this effect be sent to Evan Harris, MP, and to Gemma Tumelty, National President of the National Union of Students.

Proposed: Geoffrey Cameron (St Antony’s)
Seconded: Clare O’Brien (Wolfson)

Graduate Admissions

Assembly notes:

1. That the University is currently undergoing a widescale review of graduate admissions.

Assembly resolves:

1. To mandate the OUSU Graduate Executive members to work with this review and to lobby to ensure that the graduate admissions can be as straightforward and coordinated as possible.

Proposed: Ingrid Frater (VP Graduates)
Seconded: Herman Tam (Green, OUSU Graduate Academic Affairs Officer)


College Fees

Assembly notes:

1. That college fees vary across the University, by up to about £300.
2. That college fees are set quite late in the year, and so it is impossible for students to budget accurately well in advance.

Assembly resolves:

1. To mandate the VP Graduates to lobby for more consistent college fees and an earlier setting of fees – both with domestic bursars and as part of the review of graduate admissions.

Proposed: Ingrid Frater
Seconded: Martin McCluskey

Graduate Student Academic Representation

Assembly notes:

1. That currently one undergraduate and one graduate student sit on each of the four divisional boards.
2. That the one graduate student is expected to represent both PGT and PGR students.
3. That PGT and PGR students often have very different experiences and that their needs would be better represented by having one PGT and ine PGR student representative on each Divisional Board.

Assembly resolves:

1. To mandate the VP Graduates and the VP Access and Academic Affairs to lobby for PGT and PGR representation on Divisional Boards, through Divisions and EPSC (Education Policy and Standards Committee).



The future of PGA

Assembly notes:

1. That PGA is not usually a well-attended forum.
2. That OUSU Council is a forum where undergraduates and graduates are able to bring motions.
3. That the VP Graduates is currently working to organise and speaker and discussion evening for all graduate students, looking at the University’s and OUSU’s work for graduate students.

Assembly resolves:

1. To mandate the OUSU Executive to continue to encourage graduate attendance at OUSU Council.
2. To pursue possible alternatives to PGA, in consultation with graduate students, and to reassess this situation in Trinity term.

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

MINUTES

 
The meeting was held at the University Club and chaired by the VP Graduates (Ingrid Frater).

Welcome

Ingrid welcomed everyone and thanked them for coming. 

5.    Motions

Motion 1 – Social Events (Alcohol) 

Alexandria was absent, so Sarah Hutchinson (St Cross, OUSU Graduate Welfare Officer) proposed the motion. Aware that many social events focus on alcohol and clearly this does not suit all students. Keen to find out from students what other activities would suit and to encourage CRs to hold non-alcohol events. 

The motion passed with a request that any information gathered be shared with CRs to help them be as inclusive as possible to all students. 

Motion 2 – in support of Baha'i students in Iran

Geoffrey Cameron (St Antony’s) proposed the motion. He spoke about the discrimination occurring in Iran and explained that St Antony’s and Wolfson have passed resolutions expressing their concern about this matter. 

The motion passed. 

Motion 3 - Graduate Admissions

Ingrid Frater explained the current work going on across the University in terms of graduate admissions and said she hoped the situation will be improving and becoming clearer. 

There was some brief discussion about some of the main problems in the system.

The motion passed. 

Motion 4 – College Fees

Ingrid Frater explained that as part of the admissions procedure, fees were being looked at. She wants the fees to be set early and to be more consistent across colleges. 

The motion passed.

Motion 5 – Graduate Student Academic Representation

Ingrid Frater said that currently she and James Lamming (VP Access & Academic Affairs) are looking at student academic representation and are keen to ensure that both postgraduate taught and postgraduate research students are adequately represented on Academic Committees at Departmental and Divisional level. 

The motion passed.


Motion 6 – The future of PGA

Ingrid Frater explained the current policy-making processes of OUSU and some of the improvements OUSU hopes to make to improve graduate involvement. She also explained about the event planned in sixth week to look at the graduate educational experience – with students and staff. 

There was approval for such an event but a hope that graduates still had a true voice in OUSU and knew how to take policies forward to OUSU and within OUSU. 

The motion passed.