At our annual Student Members’ Meeting this year we (your Officer team) proposed a motion which was the final piece in changing how democracy works at City, aiming to make it more accessible for all students; the motion proposed the final amendments to the Union’s Articles of Association but unfortunately did not pass, despite gaining a majority vote. The meeting was well attended, and students shared very valuable feedback on our proposal which we have listened to and made changes.

Yesterday, your Student Councillors met to discuss the last meeting and unanimously voted to do two things:

1. to call an additional Student Members’ Meeting in January 2022.
2. to amend the new Bye-Law 6: Assembly to reflect the important feedback from students at the previous Student Members’ Meeting:

To delete: 

• 2.5. The Assembly Speaker, upon a written request from a minimum of 40% of Assembly Members at least one week ahead of the meeting, may dedicate a section of an Assembly as a Student Members’ Meeting. This would be for the purpose to discuss and agree a priority, stance or statement on a matter that requires wider student consultation. In the event a section of an Assembly is known as a Student Members’ Meeting, all Student Members present for that section of the meeting will be able to vote.’

To insert:

• 8. Student Members’ Meeting:
• 8.1. The Assembly may have a section of its meeting known as the Student Members’ Meeting. A Student Members’ Meeting allows all Student Members present to discuss and vote on a priority, stance, or statement that needs wider student consultation.
• 8.2. A section of an Assembly may be turned into a Student Members’ Meeting upon the Speaker receiving a written request from a minimum of 40% of Assembly Members or a Secure Petition signed or agreed to by at least 150 Student Members at least 15 working days’ ahead of the meeting.
• 8.3. At least 10 working days’ notice will be given to all Student Members notifying them that a Student Members’ Meeting is taking place and the business to be conducted.
• 8.4. The Union will produce guidance and make available ahead of the meeting on how a balanced discussion will take place on a proposed priority, stance, or statement and how all Student Members present are able to vote on the proposal.’

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Why is this important to me?

Unlike our normal Student Members’ Meeting this meeting has been called by your Student Council to concentrate on the final approval steps for the Union’s Democracy Review and will discuss and vote on the amended Articles of Association.

Your Student Councilors are in full support of these changes, having listened, discussed, questioned, and voted on the topic on more than one occasion this term.

As your dedicated Officer team, we have been part of the Democracy Review process since September 2020 and whole-heartedly believe that the proposed changes will shape your university experience for good. We are so excited about the possibilities the changes will bring and we want you to feel this was too.

This is why we have listened to your feedback and amended parts of the Democracy Review to make it easier for you, our students to call Student Members’ Meetings to discuss and vote on things that are important to you.

More details about the full review can be found here: /asset/News/6013/Additional_AGM_Slides.pdf