City, University of London Students’ Union (the Union) hosts an annual Student Members’ Meeting (also known as AGM) every year. This year the meeting was held on Tuesday 24^th November and was attended by over 160 Students.

This year at the 2-hour meeting we heard a speech from Deputy President, David Bolton, an update on the Students’ Union finances and a number of key issues were submitted, debated and voted on by students.

All of the passed motions will become student policy and we will be working to achieve the resolutions over the coming months and years.

You can see the papers and motions for the meeting by clicking here, but here are the short highlights.

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City University, Deputy President – David Bolton.

We were joined at the Student Members’ Meeting by David Bolton, who talked about the plans for term 2 and key priorities. Students were then given the opportunity to ask questions directly to David.

Minutes

The Minutes from our last meeting were voted for approval by those in attendance, you can see these in the papers for the meeting.

City Students’ Union Preliminary Financial results 2019-20

The Students’ Union President, Saqlain Riaz presented the preliminary financial results for the Students’ Union, including changes in income and expenditure across different areas of the Union between 2019-20 and 2020-21.

List of Affiliations

The meeting supported and approved all of the affiliations and the Union at the meeting and this will mean the Students’ Union and student groups can access and receive support from the listed organisations.

Motions:

Culturally Competent Mental Health Services

Students presented this motion on the need for a “Culturally Competent Mental Health Services” and the motion would resolve for the Union to lobby to improve the mental health service to become more culturally competent. Students then had the opportunity to ask questions about the motion and then voted to approve the motion.

Tackling Climate Change Framework

The Climate Change Framework includes to Declare a Climate Emergency, publish an action plan and work towards a “Climate Proof Curriculum”. Students at the meeting agreed and approved the motion.

‘Rejecting the IHRA definition of anti-semitism’

Students presented the motion to ‘reject the IHRA definition of anti-semitism’ explaining the notes, beliefs and resolutions in the motion.

Other students in attendance presented the case against the motion. A number of questions and views were taken from those in attendance before the meeting moved to a vote.

The meeting then voted on the motion with the majority of students voting against the motion and it was not passed.

The need for more Students’ Union Spaces on campus

Students presented the case and need for more Students’ Union spaces, by repurposing existing spaces to be more inclusive and accessible.

Students voted to approve the motion for the Union to lobby the University for more Students’ Union spaces.

No Detriment Policy

This motion was to lobby the University to reinstate the No-Detriment policy or “Safety net Policy” from March 2020, which meant “results from assessments taken would not negatively affect students’ degree classifications”.

The meeting moved to a vote and passed the policy.

Students Deserve Better For Their Money

Students presented the motion arguing that students deserve better for their money including resolutions calling for the Union to lobby the University to refund all tuition fees for years affected by Covid and to collaborate with NUS and other Students’ Unions.

This was passed by those at the meeting.

Condemning the Islamophobic cartoons made of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

This policy is to recognise and highlight the emergent themes of Islamophobia around the world and asked the Union to release a statement outlining its commitment to Muslim Students and to work with the Muslim community and student societies.

Students at the meeting agreed and passed the motion.

What’s next?

The minutes to the meeting will be uploaded shortly.

If you have any questions about the motions passed, you can email our team at studentrep@city.ac.uk.