Your Guide to AMM 2025!
The Annual Members Meeting (AMM) – Bristol SU’s biggest democratic event of the year!
If you have a motion for AMM 2025 please submit it here!
Whether you’re navigating your way through the first year of Uni or find yourself on the final stretch of your Ph.D., this is an opportunity for every student to have a say on SU policy!
Perhaps you have a burning idea for what the SU should be focusing on, maybe you’d love to debate your fellow students on a motion that’s been brought to the meeting. Or, you’re just interested in eating some free dominos and listening to democracy unfold 🍕
Whatever it is, you should come on down to the G42 Powell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, BS8 1TL on Tuesday 4 February 5pm until 8pm.
If you have any questions or accessibility requests before the event, please email us at bristolsu-democracy@bristol.ac.uk
How does AMM actually work?
Democracy, Discussion, and Domino’s – it sounds good right? 🍕
AMM is the perfect opportunity to get your voice heard and help set the agenda of the SU. You have the power to improve your university experience and vote on important SU policy!
But, as well as looking towards the future, this space will also offer you the chance to reflect and hold your current Full-time Officers to account.
AMM is also a chance to renew any policy that is about to expire, also known as Lapsing Policy. There are currently 18 lapsing policies that are about to expire, you can click on this link to view which policies are set to expire: Policy Lapsing 2025.
If you do not want one of these current policies to expire, please contact us at bristolsu-democracy@bristol.ac.uk and set a proposal to renew this policy agreement at AMM 2025. You will need to find a seconder and speak on this motion during AMM. Please include the name of the policy you want to renew in the subject of your email.
Renewal closes on the 14 January, so be quick! 🏃♂️➡️
Any items, or motions, that pass will become active SU policy for 3 years!
What happens in the run up to AMM?
For the past couple of weeks, we have opened a window for idea submissions, or motions, and these will get debated between you and your peers at the meeting once approved and the amendment period has closed.
The amendment period is an opportunity for you to challenge the current motion outside of AMM and change aspects of the proposal before it’s sent to AMM for debate.
If you have an idea for a motion, please contact us bristolsu-democracy@bristol.ac.uk to add it to the agenda. Proposals close on the 14 January.
Wait, what even is a motion?
Sadly, we’re not referring to the nightclub on this occasion... 🪩🕺
For AMM, a motion is the formatted way that a student idea comes to us. It will include a background explaining why they are sending it, a purpose to describe its intent, and any actions that give clear guidance on how we can enact the idea. At the meeting, these actions will be displayed on a PowerPoint for each motion that is discussed.
How do Motions come into existence?
A student will have a new idea on how to better their SU. They then meet with the Liberation and Campaigns Team, to help shape this into a motion. Sometimes students will be ahead of the curb and have a fully-fledged motion ready to submit!
You can contact the Liberations and Campaigns Team here if you have a motion you want to submit: bristolsu-democracy@bristol.ac.uk
What happens once a motion is approved?
The finished motions then get sent to Democratic Standards, to be approved for debate. Democratic Standards will make sure it’s appropriate to go to AMM and approve it if it is. The SU staff team will notify and brief the student that submitted the motion that they will have to propose it at AMM.
How is the meeting structured?
At the meeting, you will get to speak for a motion if you introduced the idea, to propose and convince the student body that it works! Then the Chair will allow someone to speak against the motion if they don’t agree with it.
If you didn’t propose it, you will be able to ask any questions you have about the motion to its proposer, but mainly just to further clarify the idea – not to deliver an opposition speech against it!
This is then rinsed and repeated until we need to hold a vote!
There might be a chance that the Chair thinks there should be another round of arguments. This is because sometimes an idea might be quite complex, so it’s making sure it’s heard fairly.
Key terms and definitions for AMM
- Policy – when a motion is passed by students, it becomes policy. This is in place for 3 years at the Students Union and can be renewed at the Annual Members Meeting.
- Amendment – a suggestion from another student to a student’s motion, which can “amend or change” what exactly the motion may enact.
- Chair – the person at the front leading the meeting.
- Democracy Desk – a group of elected students, Democratic Standards Committee, who you can ask procedural questions to any time.
I am still confused!
Hopefully, this handy guide has answered some of your questions about AMM and what to expect on the night. But it’s a confusing topic!
If you have any further questions or would like to find out some extra info that hasn’t been included, feel free to send an email over to bristolsu-democracy@bristol.ac.uk
Follow the fumes of hundreds of free pizzas and come along to this year’s AMM. We can’t wait to see you and check out the event listing for any final details you may need! ✅
