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Student Council Motion Breakdown

Wednesday 03-05-2023 - 15:55

Student Council – the main representative forum of the SU – is returning this Thursday, 4 May. Come down to The Anson Rooms in the Richmond Building from 16:00 until 19:00 to get involved in student democracy and debate! Make sure to check out our Student Council Guide, which is full of information about the meeting and how it works.

It’s an extremely important event, not only will there be free pizza, but the policy that directs the focus for our team of seven SU Officers will be created within the meeting. Members will be coming together to discuss and vote on motions, which have been submitted by you – the students!

You may be wondering which motions are to be debated, so we’re here to give you a run-down of the seven motions for May’s Student Council. This is just a brief explanation of each of the motions, so to see all of the details for them, make sure to check out motions for Student Council May 2023.

Any motions that pass during Student Council will become active SU policy for three years. If you feel passionate about any of the following motions make sure your course rep, network chair society president, or club captain is present to have their say! 

A Plant-Based Students’ Union

Is plant-based catering the next necessary step in the development of a more sustainable food system? This motion will be calling for Bristol to adopt a similar catering switch as the University of Sterling which has recently passed an SU motion to go 100% plant-based by 2025, in response to the climate crisis. In 2019, The University of Bristol was the first in the UK to declare a climate emergency. In 2020, the University cut all investments in fossil fuels. Divesting from animal agriculture, the motion says, is the next logical step.

An Update to SU Byelaws to Align with Current Practice

This motion calls for any inconsistencies that are in Bristol SU’s Byelaws, which may have arisen as a result of updates, to be corrected. Confusion could arise when the SU needs to make decisions on clauses, because they are currently too open-ended or aren’t coherent, the motion highlights. It seeks to clarify any work that has made the practice of the Union’s governance unclear at any stage.

Clarifying the Role of Democratic Standards Committee During Elections

Current election byelaws refer to requiring nominees to have nomination support from their peers. Is this an outdated and unnecessary barrier to students hoping to stand in our elections? This motion questions this, highlighting that Bristol SU allows self-nomination in our elections. It calls to clarify the role of the Democratic Standards Committee on how they set and approve election rules, as well as the role of the Returning Officer and Deputy Returning Officer to align with current practices.

Ensure academic support is in place for all Full-Time Officer Candidates

Sometimes, various circumstances could limit a student’s commitment to running in the elections. For instance, assignments, lectures, or meeting scholarship requirements. With Industrial Action affecting the student academic experience, students may be less inclined to miss teaching over elections week. This motion is calling for better support for the personal development of Bristol Students by minimising barriers to running in elections, and advancing the education of Bristol Students by ensuring educational opportunities are not tainted because of elections.

PGR as Staff, not just students

This motion highlights the ‘precarious hourly paid teaching’ currently experienced by postgraduate researchers (PGR) – which impacts equity, reproducing inequalities in relation to race, gender, and disability, as well as impacting stress and well-being. It therefore seeks to improve the way PGRs are treated in relation to their research work, and any teaching or research assistant work they undertake, in reflection of their value to the university.

Stopping Mandatory Sub-Group Subsidisation in Student Groups

Currently, many Student Groups subsidise some of their Sub-Groups using other Sub-Groups. The motion states that this is especially seen with subsidising upper Sub-Groups using lower Sub-Groups, often without telling the lower Sub-Groups and without their permission. This is against the equality, diversity, and inclusion principles of the Bristol SU, the motion states. For this reason, it is calling for an amendment to Bylaw 9, to prevent this from happening and to prevent people in lower Sub-Groups from having to pay more than they have to in order to join a club, simply because they are joining a lower Sub-Group.

Supporting Trans and Non-Binary Students Campaigning for Gender Justice

This motion is calling to promote the welfare of students who identify as transgender, or outside of the gender binary. As well as this, it seeks to ensure that the SU is clear in its stance on gender justice and works as an active ally to the transgender community. The motion cites Stonewall’s LGBT in Britain Report, which found 36% of trans students at university have faced discrimination from university staff due to their identity. It aims to support the national fight for transgender rights and oppose the marginalisation of a minority group.

 

To find out more about Student Council, feel free to take a look at our Democratic Events webpage – which may answer some of your questions!

If you have any other questions, please do get in touch with: email bristolsu-council@bristol.ac.uk.

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