1.0
2.0
3.0
Student Council
Wednesday 23 November 2011 at 6.30pm in the Milton Lecture Theatre, Garrod Building
Agenda
Apologies
If you are unable to attend the meeting please send your apologies to tom.sutton@qmsu.org
Chair’s Welcome and Announcements
Minutes from the meeting of Student Council held on 1 November 2011
Union Council is asked to note the record of the last meeting.
(pages 3-23)
4.0 Officer Reports (pages 24-25)
Union Council is asked to note the activities of the Union’s Part-time Officers since the last meeting.
5.0 Executive Action Plan (pages 26-31)
Union Council is asked to note the activities of the Union’s Full-time Officers since the last meeting.
6.0 Election to Consultation Working Group
To elect to the Consultation Working Group:
6.1 At least four Barts and the London Part-time Officers
6.2 At least four Mile End Part-time Officers
6.3 At least two Full-time Officers
7.0
If you are unable to attend the meeting but would like to stand for a position on the
Consultation Working Group email 100 words to tom.sutton@qmsu.org before 6.30pm on
Tuesday 22 November that will be read out at the meeting on your behalf.
The first meeting will take place on Monday 28 November at 6.30pm in the Blomeley Centre.
Representative and Democratic Decision Making (page 32)
A motion to create deadlines for agenda items, motions and supplementary agenda items for
Student Council.
8.0
9.0
Bring a Guest (page 33)
A motion to require Officers to bring a guest to future Student Council meetings.
No Confidence in the Minister for Universities and Science (page 34)
A motion to outlining a position of no-confidence in David Willets, the Government Minister for
Universities and Science.
1

10.0 NUS National Demonstration (page 35)
A motion calling for an NUS National Demonstration.
11.0 UAF Affiliation (page 36)
A motion seeking affiliation to the pressure group Unite Against Fascism.
12.0 Reinstate Vik Chechi (page 37)
A motion to issue support for Vik Chechi, the suspended Queen Mary branch secretary of the
Trade Union Unison.
13.0 Motion for the Proposal of a Budget Reserved for New Societies and Clubs (pages 38-
39)
A motion proposing measures to boost the numbers of students involved in Union sports clubs and societies
14.0 Condemnation of Library Staff Redundancies (page 40)
A motion seeking Union condemnation of College staff redundancies.
15.0 Affiliation to Education Activist Network (page 41)
A motion seeking affiliation to the campaign group Education Activist Network.
16.0 Time, date and place of next meeting
Tuesday 13 December at 6.30pm in the David Sizer Lecture Theatre, Mile End
2

Student Council Minutes
Tuesday 1 November 2011 at 18.30 in the David Sizer Lecture Theatre
Chair:
Eleanor Hallam
Mile End Officers present (14):
Andrew Kanyemba (Black Students Officer) - no voting record
Caz Parra (Secretary)
Chris Smith (Student Representative)
Ciara Squires (Student Representative) - part
Darcie Tyler-Henley (Volunteering Officer)
Dominic Todd (Sports Officer)
Donald MacKinnon (LGBT Officer)
Mile End Officer apologies (3)
Ben Richardson (Student Representative)
Ellen Kiely (RAG Officer)
Nabil Najjar (Student Representative)
Ozzy Amir (Campaigns Officer)
Shaun Ramanah (Students with Disabilities
Officer)
Tom Voice (Ethical and Environmental Officer)
Wanda Canton (Women’s Officer) - part
Wilson Wong (Societies’ Officer)
Michael Gilbert (Postgraduate Officer)
Edoardo Palmombo (Welfare Officer)
Barts and The London Officers present (18):
Adnan Aslam (Dental Representative)
Amy Coulden (Entertainments Officer)
Andrew Smith (Student Representative)
Aran Ali (RAG Captain)
Mandi Pal (Secretary)
Michael Samy (Communications Officer) - part
Nicolas Blondel (Campaigns Officer)
Ramey Assaf (External Affairs Officer)
Ben Hughes (Technical Officer) - part
Eva Pathmananthan (Dental President)
Hannah Downer (Treasurer)
Jeeves Wijesuriya (Vice-President London)
Jon Cramphorn (Vice-President Barts)
Sabbatical Officers in attendance:
Sophie Richardson (President)
George Ryan (Vice-President Association)
Richard Donovan (SSLC Rep)
Rob Zabihi (Dental Representative) - part
Salem Al-Sawaf (Entertainments Officer)
Sam Chequer (Welfare Officer) - part
Tim Foster (Clubs and Societies’ Officer)
Dominic Bell (Vice-President Activities)
Oscar Williamson (Vice-President Education and
Welfare) Sam Creighton (Vice-President Communications)
Union Staff in attendance:
Shelley Donaghy (Membership Services Manager) - part
Philip Gilks (Student Voice and Development Manager)
Tom Sutton (Representation and Democracy Co-ordinator)
3

1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
Apologies
Apologies were noted and accepted.
Chair’s Welcome Announcements
Chair welcomed members to the second meeting of the new academic year.
Chair clarified the reasons to abstain. Student Council members should only abstain if they are genuinely on the fence whether to vote for or against on an issue not because they are unclear of the arguments. Student Council members should seek clarification or the continuation of debate to avoid abstentions.
2.1 Procedural Motion
Ozzy Amir spoke for a procedural motion to discuss agenda items 14.0 and 15.0 after item 11.0 in the agenda because the items required decision in the meeting.
Student Council voted for the procedural motion.
Minutes from the meeting of Student Council held on 19 September 2011
Noted and approved as an accurate record.
Minutes from the meeting of the Board of Trustees held on 3 October 2011
Noted.
Minutes from the General Meeting held on 10 October 2011
Noted with a change to 5.1 to:
“Andy Smith spoke for the amendment. He argued that because the electorate was made up more Mile End students than Barts and The London students, Mile End Students were more likely to be elected to cross-campus positions and lead to more Mile End Students having positions on Student Council.”
Officer Reports
Noted.
Dominic Bell voiced disappointment that only fourteen out of thirty-six Part-time Officers sent in Officer reports before the close of the agenda.
6.1 Action
Part-time Officers are to email tom.sutton@qmsu.org
with a list three to five actions or activities (no more than 50 words per point) they have undertaken since the last meeting of Student Counc il to impact on students’ lives before the agenda item deadline for all future meetings.
Executive Action Plan
Noted.
London Student Manifesto
Dominic Bell gave a report on the development of a London-wide Student Manifesto.
The Manifesto had been drafted with other Students’ Union officers in preparation for 2012
London Mayoral Election. He summarised the key manifesto points (Appendix 1) which he hoped would encourage Mayoral Candidates to focus on students’ issues and help Students’
Unions increase student voter turnout.
He then summarised a draftplan for the Union’s Mayoral Election Campaign to increase
Queen Mary Student voter turnout (Appendix 2).
Part-time Officers asked if there was an opportunity to add points to the manifesto.
Donald MacKinnon asked to add a point related to Hate Crime and Aran Ali asked to add
4

a point about reduced student rates for cycle hire and allowing RAG groups to fundraise on the Underground.
- Dominic Bell replied the London-wide Student Manifesto was near completed, but there would be an opportunity for students and Officers to add to a Queen Mary version of the manifesto.
9.0
Students and Officers were invited to sit on a working group to organise and deliver the
Union’s Mayoral Election Campaign:
- Ciara Squires, Wanda Canton, Wilson Wong, Eleanor Hallam, Caz Parra, Ozzy
Amir, Donald MacKinnon, Aran Ali, Tom Foster, Nick Blondel and Sophie
Richardson signed up to the working group.
Student Council and Part-time Officer Role Consultation
Dominic Bell gave a report on a consultation conducted on Student Council membership and
Part-time Officer roles.
The aim of consultation was to provide additional student views on a proposal to reform the membership of Student Council and Part-time Officer roles considered and passed at the
General Meeting held on 10 October 2011.
He summarised the questions and headline results from the consultation (Appendix 3).
Jon Cramphorn and Jeeves Wijesuriya questioned the validity of the survey. They argued the results could be skewed as a result of ‘response bias’ which can affect the results of a survey if respondents answer questions in the way they think the questioner wants them to answer rather than according to their true beliefs.
- Dominic Bell responded stating he had attempted to minimise response bias by introducing himself to respondents as “working for the Union” and using cards with nonbiased questions informing respondents of arguments ‘for’ and ‘against’.
Aran Ali informed Student Council he had asked the questions at a meeting of the Neuro-
Science Society. They had expressed concern at the scientific validity of the survey.
Wanda Canton expressed her disappointment that the Full-time Officers had not consulted Student Liberation groups on the changes to the Part-time Officer structure.
- George Ryan insisted he had attempted to meet with Wanda Canton individually before a meeting with QMEquality.
On the points to improve scientific validity and to consult with Student Liberation groups,
Dominic Bell referred Student Council to Agenda Item 20.0: a motion to develop guidelines for conducting consultation with students.
10.0 Articles of Association
Sophie Richardson spoke for a motion, as approved by the General Meeting, to replace the
Union’s Constitution with an Articles of Association to allow the Union to register as an incorporated charity.
10.1 Amendment
Noted Ozzy Amir’s amendment to insert (into the Articles):
35.1 “a motion of no confidence in the Trustee is passed by a simple majority of the Members voting in a Referendum, provided that at least 5% of Members cast a vote in the Referendum. Such a motion shall only be triggered by a
Secure Petition of no confidence signed by at least 120 Members; or ”
10.2 Amendment
Sophie Richardson spoke for an amendment to change the Articles of Association on advice from the Union’s Solicitor to ensure they complied with Company Law.
Ozzy Amir accepted the Amendment.
5

10.3 Clarification
Andy Smith sought clarification on the quorum of the Company Law General Meeting expressed in 20.2 of the Articles.
- The Membership Services Manager replied that the number of members required to attend at Company Law General Meeting for a meeting to take place was either 120 or 1% of the Union’s total membership (approximately
150-170 in 2011/12) depending on which was greater.
10.4 Clarification
Andy Smith sought clarification on how a decision would be reached if a vote at a
Company Law General Meeting was tied as 26.2 of the Articles expressed that the
Chair was not entitled to a casting vote.
- The Membership Services Manager replied that the Union would seek Legal
Advice in such an instance, the likely outcome of which would be a recalled
Company Law General Meeting and a re-vote.
10.4 Clarification
Aran Ali sought clarification on 12.vi. of the motion in relation to RAG.
- The Membership Services Manager replied that RAG wasn’t specifically mentioned in the Union’s current governing document but is in the Articles of
Association.
Ozzy Amir waved the summation.
Student Council voted for the motion and adoption of the Articles of Association.
- 31 members voted for
- 0 members voted against
- 0 members abstained
14.0 Support November 9 th
Demonstration
Ozzy Amir spoke for a motion seeking Union support for the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) Demonstration to be held on 9 November. He argued the motion was in the spirit of current Union policy against fees and cuts in Higher Education. The demonstration was set to build on previous acts of direct action taken by students.
14.1 Clarification
Sophie Richardson drew Student Council’s attention to NUS advice on the demonstration issued in the Amendments and Supplementary Item agenda.
Tim Foster asked if the Union would be publicly liable if Queen Mary Students attended the demonstration.
- Oscar Williamson replied that the Union will not be liable if a risk assessment is conducted ahead of the event.
Nabil Najjar spoke against the motion. He argued that officers should not be mandated to support the demonstration because they may not be able to commit the time and effort required.
14.2 Clarification
The Representation and Democracy Co-ordinator clarified Officers will not be mandated to commit to any action they are incapable of conducting in relation to the motion.
Ozzy Amir waved the summation.
Student Council voted for the motion.
- 24 members voted for
- 4 members voted against
- 3 members abstained
6

15.0 Support 30 th
November
Ozzy Amir spoke for a motion seeking Union support for Trades Union strike action against public sector cuts to be held on 30 November. He argued it was important the Union took a stance in solidarity with public sector workers that were facing unacceptable attacks to their work and conditions.
Ozzy Amir waved the summation.
Student Council voted for the motion.
- 19 members voted for
- 6 members voted against
- 6 members abstained
11.0 Creating a Full-time Officer Team that drives the Student Experience
Dominic Bell spoke for a motion, as approved by the General Meeting, to reform the Union’s
Full-time (or Sabbatical) Officer positions. He summarised the proposed changes and argued they focused all Full-time Officers on representation.
Dominic Bell waved the summation.
Student Council voted for the motion.
- 21 members voted for
- 1 members voted against
- 8 members abstained
12.0 Student-Focused Student Council
George Ryan spoke for a motion, as approved by the General Meeting, to reform the membership of Student Council and Part-time Officer positions. He argued Student Council would become more representative as a consequence of these changes and created a stronger structure for the Union.
12.1 Amendment
Noted George Ryan’s amendment to delete all and insert a re-worded motion.
Shaun Ramanah spoke against the motion. He argued that at a meeting held with students with Disabilities, no students present supported the proposal for Women Students and
Students with Disabilities to be represented by the same representative.
12.2 Procedural Motion
Donald MacKinnon spoke for a procedural motion to allow amendments to be proposed during the meeting. He argued the rule that amendments should be submitted three working days before the meeting was not passed into policy or the
Union’s governing documents.
Chris Smith argued against the procedural motion. He argued that amendments should not be allowed to ensure the rules of the meeting were consistent throughout.
Student Council voted against the procedural motion
- 5 members voted for*
- 24 members voted against
- 2 members abstained
*Including Donald MacKinnon, Shaun Ramanah and Wanda Canton.
Jeeves Wijesuriya spoke for the motion. He argued that students overwhelmingly supported the proposed changes at the General Meeting. He argued if Officers did not support elements of the proposals but agreed with the overall direction they should support the motion and submit amendments at a later date.
7

Wanda Canton spoke against the motion. She argued that although she agreed the Part-time
Officer structure should be reformed the changes the motion proposed was the result of only minimal consultation with students. She had collected a petition signed by 232 members in support of a Barts and The London Black Students Representative, LGBT Representative,
Disabled Students Representative and Womens Representative , against the same
Representative for Women Students and Students with Disabilities.
Chair moved to a vote.
Student Council voted for the motion.
- 18 members voted for
- 9 members voted against*
- 4 members abstained
*Including Donald MacKinnon and Wanda Canton.
13.0 Approval of Media Regulations
Sam Creighton spoke for a motion, as approved by the General Meeting, proposing a new set of rules for student media. He argued the Union should have a set of rules outlining the aims, purpose, definitions and structure of student media.
Sam Creighton waved the summation.
Members voted for the motion and adoption of the documents.
- 30 members voted for
- 0 members voted against
- 0 members abstained
16.0 Justice for Palestine
Sam Playle (Physics) spoke for a motion seeking Union opposition to the Israeli occupation of
Palestine mark the “International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People”. He argued it was important the Union took a stance in solidarity with the Palestinian people and did its part to attempt to resolve their condition.
Alex Schpecktor (Business Management) spoke against the motion. He argued that
Universities and Students’ Unions were environments where all views and opinions should be tolerated and respected. This motion could intimidate and disrespect the views of sections of the University community. He argued that the motion provided a skewed account of the conflict.
Wanda Canton spoke for the motion. She argued the motion could have a big impact through pressuring the NUS National Executive Council to take action.
Alex Schpecktor (Business Management) spoke against the motion. He argued the motion was not going to help the cause and only serve to alienate sections of the University community.
Chair moved to a vote.
Student Council voted against the motion.
- 4 members voted for
- 10 members voted against
- 16 members abstained
17.0 Boycott Israeli Goods
Sam Playle (Physics) spoke for a motion to adopt a boycott of Israeli products. He argued the motion was in line with other policies such as the boycott of Nestle for unethical business practices. A boycott would highlight the Union’s commitment to a belief in universal human rights.
8

17.1 Clarification
Dominic Todd asked which products the boycott would apply to.
- Sophie Richardson replied that the Union’s Executive would be responsible for enacting the motion if it passed into policy. The Executive would use the policy to create a clear definition of which products were to be boycotted.
Gabriel Doctor (Medicine) spoke against the motion. He argued Universities and Students’
Unions should not boycott goods and allow students to make their own decisions. The motion was vague and did not specifically refer to any goods or services.
Wanda Canton spoke for the motion. She argued that Students’ Unions boycott of South
African goods contri buted to the fall of Apartheid. Students’ Unions should engage in politics and fight against injustices taking place around the world.
Kacper Pancewicz (Mathematics) spoke against the motion. He argued the Palestine-Israeli conflict was so complicated the Union should avoid taking a stance. Boycotting Israeli goods could be considered racist, and the Union should avoid taking any such stance.
Chair moved to a vote.
Student Council voted against the motion.
- 4 members voted for
- 13 members voted against
- 13 members abstained
18.0 Condemnation of Library Staff Redundancies
Wanda Canton spoke for a motion seeking Union condemnation of College staff redundancies. She argued the Union should support library staff facing redundancies. Most affected by the staffing changes were part-time staff, positions more likely to be held by women.
17.1 Clarification
Officers asked for further details on the staffing changes including how many members of staff would lose their jobs and what impact it would have on library provision.
- Sophie Richardson and others replied with differing interpretations of the consequences of the staffing changes. More staff hours had been committed by the College, however, there was also an intention to move to having less staff (more full-time and less part-time staff).
Chris Smith spoke against the motion. He argued the Union needed a wider policy that took into account the impact of the cuts across the College, not one that specifically referred to the
Library.
Ozzy Amir spoke for the motion. He argued that the Union should take a stance against all cuts, but that did not mean the Union should not take a stance against cuts to a specific service.
Wilson Wong argued against the motion. He argued Student Council did not have information on whether this would negatively impact upon Library provision.
Chair moved to a vote.
Student Council voted against the motion.
- 7 members voted for
- 9 members voted against
- 14 members abstained
9

19.0 Amendments to Election Regulations
Dominic Bell spoke for a motion to amend the Union’s Election Regulations on the recommendation of the Board of Trustees. He argued that the meaning of definitions and processes had been made clearer to ensure they are approved by College Council.
Chair moved to a vote.
Student Council voted for the motion.
- 27 members voted for
- 0 members voted against
- 1 members abstained
20.0 Improving Decision-making through Consultation.
Dominic Bell spoke for a motion to create a Consultation Working Group to develop guidelines for conducting consultation with students. He argued the Union should become more evidence-led and undertake more consultation to increase the representativeness of its decision making processes.
Chair moved to a vote.
Student Council voted for the motion.
- 22 members voted for
- 0 members voted against
- 5 members abstained
Action
To hold an online election of four Part-time Officers from Mile End and for from Barts and The
London to sit on the Working Group.
21.0
A motion for QMSU to defend the separate identities of QM and BL sports teams in the BUCS leagues
Andrew Smith withdrew the motion.
22.0 Time, date and place of next meeting
Wednesday 23 November at 18.30, Venue TBC
10

Andrew Kanyemba
10.0 for
Black Students Officer ?
Caz Parra
Christopher Smith
Secretary
Student Representative
Ciara Squires Student Representative
Darcie Tyler-Henley Volunteering Officer
Dominic Todd
Donald Mackinnon
Ellen Kiely
Sports Officer
LGBT Officer
Nabil Najjar
Ozzy Amir
Shaun Ramanah
Thomas Voice
Wanda Canton
X
X
X
X
X
X
RAG Officer
Student Representative
X
X
Campaigns Officer
Students with Disabilities
Officer
Ethical and Environmental
Officer
Womens Officer
X
X
X
X
Wilson Wong Societies Officer X against abstain
14.0 for
?
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X X
X
X
?
X
X
X
X against abstain
12.2 for
?
X
X
X
X
X X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
11

Andrew Kanyemba
Caz Parra
Christopher Smith
Ciara Squires
Darcie Tyler-Henley
Dominic Todd
Donald Mackinnon
Ellen Kiely
Nabil Najjar
Ozzy Amir
Shaun Ramanah
Thomas Voice
Wanda Canton
Wilson Wong
12.0 for
Black Students Officer ?
Secretary
Student Representative
Student Representative
Volunteering Officer
Sports Officer
LGBT Officer
RAG Officer
Student Representative
Campaigns Officer
Students with Disabilities
Officer
Ethical and Environmental
Officer
Womens Officer
X
Societies Officer
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X against abstain
13.0 for
?
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X against abstain
16.0 for
?
X
X
X
X
X against abstain
17.0 for
?
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X against abstain
18.0 for
?
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
12

Andrew Kanyemba
Caz Parra
Christopher Smith
Ciara Squires
Darcie Tyler-Henley
Dominic Todd
Donald Mackinnon
Ellen Kiely
Nabil Najjar
Ozzy Amir
Shaun Ramanah
Thomas Voice
Wanda Canton
Wilson Wong
19.0 for
Black Students Officer ?
Secretary
Student Representative
Student Representative
X
X
LGBT Officer X
X RAG Officer
Student Representative X
Campaigns Officer
Students with Disabilities
Officer
Ethical and Environmental
Officer
Womens Officer
X
X
X
Societies Officer X against abstain
20.0 for
?
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X against abstain
13

Adnam Aslam
Amy Coulden
Andrew Smith
10.0 for
Dental Representative X
Entertainments Officer X
Student Representative X
Aran Ali
Ben Hughes
RAG Captain
Technical Rep
X
X
Eva Pathmananthan
Hannah Downer
Jeeves Wijesuriya
Dental President
Treasurer
X
X
Vice-President London X
Jon Cramphorn
Mandi Pal
Micheal Samy
Nicolas Blondel
Ramey Assaf
Richard Donovan
Robert Zabihi
Salem Al-Sawaf
Sam Chequer
Tim Foster
Communications Officer X
Campaigns Officer X
External Affairs Officer X
SSLC Representative X
Dental Representative X
Clubs and Societies Officer X against abstain
14.0 for
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X against abstain
15.0 for
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X against abstain
12.2 for
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
14
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

Adnan Aslam
Amy Coulden
Andrew Smith
12.0 for
Dental Representative X
Entertainments Officer X
Student Representative X
Aran Ali
Ben Hughes
RAG Captain
Technical Rep
X
X
Eva Pathmananthan
Hannah Downer
Jeeves Wijesuriya
Dental President
Treasurer
X
X
Vice-President London X
Jon Cramphorn
Mandi Pal
Micheal Samy
Nicolas Blondel
Ramey Assaf
Richard Donovan
Robert Zabihi
Salem Al-Sawaf
Sam Chequer
Tim Foster
Communications Officer X
Campaigns Officer
External Affairs Officer X
SSLC Representative X
Dental Representative X
Clubs and Societies Officer X against abstain
13.0 for
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X against abstain
16.0 for
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
15
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

Adnan Aslam
Amy Coulden
Andrew Smith
19.0 for
Dental Representative X
Entertainments Officer X
Student Representative X
Aran Ali
Ben Hughes
RAG Captain
Technical Rep
Eva Pathmananthan
Hannah Downer
Jeeves Wijesuriya
Dental President
Treasurer
X
X
Vice-President London X
Jon Cramphorn
Mandi Pal
Micheal Samy
Nicolas Blondel
Ramey Assaf
Richard Donovan
Robert Zabihi
Salem Al-Sawaf
Sam Chequer
Tim Foster
Communications Officer X
Campaigns Officer X
External Affairs Officer X
SSLC Representative X
Dental Representative X
Clubs and Societies Officer X against abstain
20.0 for
X
X
X X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X against abstain
X
X
X
X
X
16

Appendix 1 London Student Manifesto
Housing
Considered:
- London Assembly investigation into student housing.
- Private rented housing regulation and accreditation across London.
- Provision for international students - the Rent Guarantor scheme.
- Targeting unsuitable landlords
- Highlight good examples.
- London wide registration scheme for landlords.
- Stop Landlords/estate agents ability to discriminate based on occupation.
- Commitment to put empty housing put back into use.
Draft Manifesto Point:
- Demand a London Assembly investigation into student housing
- Mayoral commission creating a charter with students and landlords. And accreditation.
Crime
Considered:
- More funding targeted at students about how to safe in London
- Strategy on violence against women students in London
- Prevent is bad
- Stop & Search more likely amongst some groups of students
- Mayor makes a commitment to a much more progressive approach, including new initiatives
- Risk of heavy policing
- Risk of heavy sentencing
- Disconnect between students & police
- Political commitment to the right of people to demonstrate
- Stop kittling
Draft Manifesto Point:
- Demand more communication and involvement with students. Possibly including a
Metropolitan police rep just focusing on students in order to liaising with groups and SU officers. Involving students and SU’s with decisions about policing student Activites and students as targets of crime.
- Prevent is fundamentally flawed, ineffective and discriminatory. Demand the mayor should call for a change in policy and a reverse in direction.
Transport
Considered:
- Introduce student discount on daily travelcards
- A more progressive pricing model which considers those who are lower paid
- Ability to top up at bus stops and more places in London
- More obvious which taxis are legal, and increase taxi ranks at night
- Programme for students to get more artwork displayed in public spaces and on the transport network
- More cycle lanes that are close to Universities and around halls of residence / areas of high student density
- More racks next to Universities and places where students live
- Boris Bikes (Expanded - Encourage better cycling safety, Why isn’t this connected to the oyster card system?)
- Some Universities have their front doors opening up onto busy roads
- Better access for disabled students around their place of living & study
Draft Manifesto Point:
- 30% Discounts on PAYG and travel cards
17

- Cycling provision for students. Demand more cycle lanes on major cycle routes and racks in student areas.
Employment
Considered:
- Not enough done for WP within London
- Mayor does more to advocate international students
Draft Manifesto Point:
- Demand for a direct commitment to delivery by GLA on apprenticeships and training in order to support WP
- Unpaid internships in London are bad. Mayor to create a list/accreditation on employers who pay their interns a fair wage.
- Mayor does more to advocate international students. Demand the mayor writes to the minister and takes a public stance on the issue.
18

I will:
Gi
Gii
Giii
London Manifesto for Mayoral Election
Attend London meetings to contribute QMSU to the London Manifesto
I will have achieved this when:
- October 2011
Write QMSU Manifesto
In conjunction with the London Manifesto, a
QMSU manifesto would bring the matter closer to home.
Manifesto Launch
Plan and execute a launch on campus in line with beginning of voter Registration
- November 2011
-
-
Details of voter registration not yet available
Launch to be planned for Semester 2 what I have done so far:
- QMSU attended 3 meetings with other
London Unions.
- Manifesto drawn up.
I will:
Gi
Gii
Meet GLA candidates
Consult student body on manifesto topics, research student and constituencies, and ask for candidate pledges and short responses
Question Time
Invite local candidates to QM and take students to ULU Question Time.
I will have achieved this when: what I have done so far:
O N
O N achievement level:
0 25 50 75 100
19

I will:
Gi
Gii
Giii
Automatic registration for students on campus
Work with College to get them to automatically register students in QM accommodation
Polling station on campus
Negotiate with local council to have a polling station on campus
Student voter turnout in line with overall
London turnout
Marketing plan
I will have achieved this when: what I have done so far: O N achievement level:
0 25 50 75 100
20

Appendix 3 Student Council and Part-time Officer Consultation
21

22

23

(Student Representative)
- Met with a group of students to find out what issues affected students on a day-to-day basis.
- Collected names and email addresses of students interested in establishing an ‘entertainments focus group’.
- Met with the events team and Dom Bell to discuss the possibility of such a focus group, how it could work, and what it could hope to achieve.
(RAG Oficer)
- I have continued to have weekly meetings to plan and organise fundraising events.
- I have invited and met with committee members from different clubs and societies to look into how they can get involved in RAG.
- I have worked with the SU to make RAG into an umbrella organization for fundraising at Queen
Mary and worked with individual students who want to fundraise through Queen Mary RAG.
(Postgraduate Officer)
- I have contacted students in postgraduate departments with a view to organising a postgraduate debate at the end of the semester.
- I have spoken with library staff to gauge the impact that forthcoming redundancies will have upon students.
- I have been in contact with Virginia Davis with a view to gauging postgraduate satisfaction with the new Arts 2 study facilities.
- I have conducted a survey across postgraduate departments to find out what provisions are made for teaching assistant printing.
(Student Representative)
- Completed and collated the BL Student Survey. With 500 responses, a number of interesting graphs and valid conclusions were drawn. Some have already been implemented into planning meetings of medical school staff.
-
-
-
Have scheduled a meeting with VP Dom Bell to discuss QM/BL sporting matters.
Booked to attend the International Medical [Student] Societies’ Conference (in Birmingham...).
Booked to attend one of BL’s most popular events, the Ski Trip. This will allow me to mingle with different students and gauge opinion so as to best inform me in my position as student rep. (This is obviously the reason. Any chance of union funding?).
- Administered some flu jabs to the local community to indirectly minimise the risk of a pandemic amongst students.
(SSLC Representative)
- Elections:
- All elections have now taken place.
- Meetings:
- Attended the second Senior SSLC meeting recently to represent views of 3 rd
year, 4 th
year,
5 th
year and intercalating students.
- Junior SSLC meetings still haven’t begun.
24

- Dissemination of information to students:
- Preparing the SSLC noticeboard.
- Preparing a double-page spread in The Vulture to improve dissemination.
- Student-Staff Conference:
- Attended the above Conference on Wed 2 nd
Nov to discuss educational issues in depth with staff, as well as seeing in which direction the SMD will be heading in the near future.
- Improving education standards:
- Soon to be putting together proposals to present to the SMD to improve our education.
- Particular aspects include the student office, ass essments and intercalated BSc’s.
(Welfare Officer)
- Created a guide to the first exam of Medical school and circulated it to all the freshers. It involves format of the exam, information on study skills, a freshers FAQ section and guide to extenuating circumstances: what to do if you think you might have dyslexia etc. It was all welfare orientated.
- Organised and got the SHAG calendar printing (its the sexual health awareness and guidence
- campaign's annual naked BL calendar). Should be delivered early december.
Held more meetings with anyone who has contacted me (since last meeting 3) who needed to be signposted on issues such as fincnace and budgeting and study skills.
25

we will:
A1
A2
A3 we will have achieved this when: what we have done so far:
Turnout
Increase votes cast in the main Union elections by 20% from 2,800 to 3,500.
Candidates
Increase the numbers of candidates standing for each position and improve the course diversity of election candidates.
Elections Strategy
Develop a union-wide strategy for the promotion of elections and nominations by December 2011.
- Eventual votes cast in the main Union elections exceed 3,500.
- At least five candidates stand for each crosscampus Full-time Officer position.
- At least three students from Barts and The
London stand for Vice-President Barts and the
London.
- At least five students from the Faculty of
Science and Engineering stand for crosscampus Full-time Officer positions.
- At least one candidate stands for each Parttime Officer position, and 75% are contested.
- A strategy exists by December 2011 and majority of actions are undertaken.
- A meeting with key staff has been called to start planning the elections.
- All Full-time Officers have set up Twitter
Accounts to promote their roles.
- A new section has been developed for
QMessenger that will profile each Full-time
Officer position.
- See A1 above.
we will: we will have achieved this when: what we have done so far:
B1 Postgraduate Events
Hold at least two events for Postgraduate
Students to gather their views and opinions on education and welfare matters by May 2012.
- Two events for Postgraduate Students are held with over 20 attendees.
- Second postgraduate event moved to
December.
- A meeting with key staff has been called to start planning the event’s promotion.
O N
O N
26

we will: we will have achieved this when: what we have done so far:
B2
B3
International Events
Hold at least two events for International
Students to gather their views and opinions on education and welfare matters by May 2012.
Liberation Campaigns
Support each liberation group to organise at least one campaign action or activity before May 2012.
- Two events for International Students are held with over 20 attendees.
- Two events for International Students are held with over 20 attendees.
- A meeting to discuss the format of the event has taken place between officers and staff.
- The event is planned for December.
- Project Groups for Liberation Campaigns will be set up at the next meeting of Student
Council.
O N
we will:
C1
C2
C3
Question 23
We will be in the upper quartile of participating
Students’ Unions in the new National Student
Survey question on Students’ Union impact.
Mock Question 23
We will ask at least 500 students Question 23 in
November 2011 and create a list of actions reacting to student feedback.
Increasing Participation Rate
Working with the College increase the participation rate in the National Student Survey by 5%. we will have achieved this when: what we have done so far:
- We appear it the upper quartile of participating
Students Unions when the National Student
Survey results are published in August 2012.
- We ask at least 500 students and complete a majority of actions reacting to student feedback.
- We appear to have increased the participation rate by 5% when the last National Student
Survey update is received in May 2012.
- A meeting with key staff has been called to react to the student consultation.
- Full-time Officers are using go-out-and-talk to consult on Question 23.
- No progress.
O N achievement level:
0 25 50 75 100
27

we will:
D1
D2
D3 we will have achieved this when: what we have done so far:
Articles of Association
Propose and pass new governing documents
(Articles of Association) to allow the Union to register as an incorporated charity.
Officer Structure Review
Reform Full-time Officer and Part-time Officer roles and titles to focus all positions on a representative role before October 2011.
Bye-Law Review
Review the Union’s existing bye-laws and rewrite or write any new bye-laws considered as a required.
- A General Meeting, Student Council and the
Board of Trustees pass the new governing documents.
- A General Meeting and Student Council pass proposals to reform Full-time Officer and Parttime Officer roles and titles.
- Awaiting final approval from College Council.
- Passed at Student Council.
- Full job descriptions are being written and will be proposed at the December Student Council
Meeting.
- A review of existing Bye-Laws is conducted any rewritten or new Bye-Laws are approved by student Council and the Board of Trustees.
- No progress.
O N
we will: we will have achieved this when:
E1
E2
Go-out-and-talk
Speak to over 2,500 students through go-outand-talk in 2011-12.
New Media
Increase communication through new media such as Twitter, Facebook and blogging.
- 2,500 students are recorded as spoken to before May 2012.
- Full-time Officers set up their own Twitter accounts and tweet at least once a day.
- Full-time Officers set up and make use of a
QMSU Exec Facebook profile.
- Full-time Officers will blog weekly and write a weekly column in QMessenger. what we have done so far:
- 192 students have taken part in Go-out-andtalk so far this year.
- All Full-time Officers have set up Twitter
Accounts to promote their roles.
O N
28

we will:
E3 Full-time Officer Question Time
Organise one question time event in each semester to allow to students to question Fulltime Officers on their work. we will have achieved this when:
- Question time events take place and have more than 75 student attending. what we have done so far:
- A meeting with key staff has been called to start plan the promotion of Question Time.
- The event is planned for Monday 12
December.
O N
we will: we will have achieved this when:
F1
F2
F3
Communications Strategy
Develop a communications strategy for Student
Council including dates and time of meetings and how to submit motions by November 2011.
Officer Action Plans
Support Part-time Officers to create an action plan for their full term of office before November
2011.
Mentoring
Meet with our Part-time Officer mentees a least once a month and identify how we can support them in their role.
- A Communications Strategy exists and more student members attend and submit motions than 2010-11.
- All officers have created an action plan before
November 2011.
- Meetings with Part-time Officers take place each month. what we have done so far:
- Branding for Student Council has been created and the Student Council website developed.
- A majority of the Part-time Officer Action plans have been written and need to be signed off by Officers.
- Full-time Officers have attempted to contact their mentees but received no reply.
O N achievement level:
0 25 50 75 100
29

we will: we will have achieved this when:
G1
G2
G3
Voter-registration and Postal Votes
Develop a strategy for student voter registration and registering for a postal vote by November
2011.
London Students’ Manifesto
Work with other London Unions to produce, launch and publicise a London Students’
Manifesto and the key demands of London
Students by January 2012.
Local Activity
Work with the College to establish a Polling station on the Mile End Campus and organise a
Question Time Event for our local Greater
London Authority candidates by January 2012.
- A polling station is agreed by the local authority and is established for the Mayoral
Election.
- A London Students’ Manifesto is developed, launched and publicised with Queen Mary
Students’ involvement.
- A polling station is agreed by the local authority and a Question Time Event takes place. what we have done so far:
- All students in Queen Mary accommodation are automatically registered to vote.
- The manifesto is set to be finalised at a meeting of London Unions on 18 November.
- The Vice-President Student Activities has contacted Tower Hamlets Council about a campus polling station.
O N
we will: we will have achieved this when: what we have done so far:
H1 Student-Staff Liaison Committees
Utilise the Course Rep network to ensure assessment and feedback is discussed at every student-staff liaison committee meeting.
- Discussions on assessment and feedback takes place in 75% of student-Staff Liaison
Committee meetings.
- Medicine and Dentistry have mapped onto specific learning objectives/ outcomes, so students can see where they fell short.
- Course Reps have been asked to take forward recommendations from last year’s assessment and feedback forum.
O N
30

we will: we will have achieved this when: what we have done so far:
H2
H3
Joint Strategy
With the College develop a joint strategy for addressing identified issues with assessment and feedback for implementation in September
2012.
Engaging Campaign Activity
Organise a campaign activity that engages at least 1,000 students in campaigning for improved assessment and feedback.
- A joint strategy is drawn up with the College and implemented in September 2012.
- A campaign activity is organised and at least
1,000 students are engaged.
- No Progress
- No Progress
we will: we will have achieved this when:
I1 National Demonstration
Rally at least 200 students to attend the National
Student Demonstration against fees and cuts on
9 November.
- At least 200 students attend the National
Demonstration.
I2
- A campaign activity is organised and at least
1,000 students are engaged. what we have done so far:
- Vice-President Communications met with students and Officers and drawn up a list of actions.
- Promotional materials for the Demonstration were created, and November 30 being created.
- No progress.
I2
Value for Money
Organise a campaign activity that engages at least 1,000 students in determining which
College services are value for money.
Postgraduate and International Fees
Ensure the College engages the Union when it sets International and Postgraduate fees for
2012-13 and students are guaranteed value for money.
- The College engages the Union when it sets
International and Postgraduate fees for 2012-
13.
- Officers are engaging with the College over fees.
O N
O N achievement level:
0 50 75 100

7.0 Representative and Democratic Decision-Making
Proposer:
Seconder:
Dominic Bell (Vice-President Student Activities)
Sophie Richardson (President)
QMSU notes:
1. Student Council is the lead representative body of the Union that sets the Union’s policy, determines the strategy and direction of the Union, and promotes and co-ordinates the
Union’s activities.
2. 18% of students voted in the Union Elections 2011.
3. An average of 4.5% of students voted for a Part-time Officer or a Student Representative.
4. From the 2011/12 academic year, agenda items have been requested five working days in advance of Student Council meetings. Amendments and supplementary items have been requested three working days in advance.
QMSU believes:
1. Decisions made by Student Council should be representative and democratic.
2. Electing members to Student Council is not sufficiently representative or democratic given low turnout in elections.
3. By consulting with students before Student Council meetings Part-time Officers and Student
Representatives can make decisions made by Student Council more representative and democratic.
4. Part-time Officers and Student Representatives should know all the votes likely to place to allow time for them to consult with students.
5. Part-time Officers and Student Representatives should not be permitted to write amendments during meetings without consultation with students, that then prevent other Part-time Officers and Student Representatives consulting with students before making a decision.
QMSU resolves:
1. From the 2011/12 academic year, agenda items are submitted five working days in advance of Student Council meetings. Amendments and supplementary items are submitted three working days in advance.
32

8.0
Bring a Guest
Proposer:
Seconder:
Ben Richardson (Mile End Student Representative)
Dominic Todd (Mile End Sports Officer)
QMSU notes:
1. Student council meetings are poorly attended by students who aren’t part-time officers.
QMSU believes:
1. There is much to be gained from other students’ input.
QMSU resolves:
1. Each part-time officer should be required to bring a guest to the council meetings.
2. Anyone who fails to do so should offer an apology or explanation to their fellow officers.
33

9.0
No Confidence in the Minister for Universities and Science
Proposer:
Seconder:
Sophie Richardson (President)
Ciara Squires (Mile End Student Representative)
Ross Speer (History and Politics Year 3)
Sam Creighton (Vice-President Communications)
QMSU notes:
1. The publication of the Higher Education: Students at the Heart of the System paper by BIS in
June 2011 (Appendix 1).
2. The publication of the HE White Paper Summary by NUS in July 2011 (Appendix 2).
3. The publication of the Response to the Higher Education White Paper: Students at the Heart of the System by NUS in September 2011 (Appendix 3).
QMSU believes:
1. That the Government’s policy is financially chaotic and unsustainable. The Treasury budgeted for an average fee of £7500, but now more than two-thirds of Universities want to charge
£9000 for some or all courses.
2. That the 80% cut to the HEFCE Teaching grant will leave Universities systematically underfunded even with higher fees.
3. That the consumer-producer relationship which the Government policies are designed to set up will undermine the spirit of academic community which is at the heart of the ethos of
Higher Education ( http://www.noconfidence.org.uk/why-no-confidence )
4. That credible alternatives for funding Higher Education do exist.
5. That responsibility for the policy lies with the Minister for Universities and Science.
QMSU resolves:
1. That QMSU has no confidence in the higher education policies of the Minister for Universities and Science.
2. That QMSU has no confidence in the Minister for Universities and Science.
3. To work closely with QMUL UCU on maximising support for the No Confidence campaign, circulating the petition http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/qmnoconfidence/ and encouraging students to sign it.
4. To directly lobby QMUL Senate to vote for the motion of No Confidence in the Minister for
Universities and Science up to and beyond (in the case of a no confidence motion not passing at the next meeting) the next Senate meeting on the 8 th
December 2011.
5. To issue the following statement:
“ Queen Mary Students ’ Union wishes to express its lack of confidence in David Willetts as the
Government Minister responsible for Universities and Science. Furthermore, we wish to express our lack of confidence in the higher education policies of the Minister for Universities and Science. We urge Queen Mary Senate members to reflect this strength of feeling in our
College, and vote for this motion of no confidence when it is tabled at the Senate meeting on
8 December 2011.
”
6. To adequately publicise and explain the campaign to students using such resources as
QMSU deems necessary.
34

10.0
NUS National Demonstration
Proposer:
Seconder:
Ross Speer (History and Politics Year 3)
Ciara Squires (Mile End Student Representative)
QMSU notes:
1. That the NUS called, funded and built a national student demonstration on November 10 th
2010 that was attended by around 50,000 students over the fee rises proposed by government
2. This demonstration, and further demonstrations, were supported by QMSU and attended by
QM Students
3. This demonstration was the beginning of the largest student movement seen in a generation
4. These demonstrations culminated in a major backbench revolt over the governments fees policy, seriously undermined the credibility of the Liberal Democrats as a party that had previously promised not to raise fees and a won a partial reinstatement of EMA
5. Liam Burns, NUS President, called for further national demonstrations in his NUS President election manifesto
QMSU believes:
1. The demonstration on the 9 th
November 2011 called by NCAFC and supported by the
Education Activist Network, NUS and QMSU was attended by 10,000 students and shows there is still anger amongst students about the governments reforms
2. A further attack on higher education has been launched in the form of the government White
Paper which attempts to create a rigged market, is likely to bankrupt some universities, and will encourage private providers to enter the system of which the main company is BPP the
British subsidiary of the Apollo Group whose flagship university, the University of Phoenix, has around an 8% graduation rate. We do not want to see this in the British HE sector
3. Protest is a fundamental democratic right and is an effective method of making a grievance heard
4. The legislation to raise fees may have been passed but it can still be overturned
5. That Liam Burns was right to run on a manifesto that called for more national demonstrations
6. That the weight of our national union (NUS) is required if we are to see demonstrations of a similar size to last years demonstration on November 10 th
7. The biggest, broadest demonstrations possible are necessary if the fight against the government HE reforms is to be successful
QMSU resolves:
1. To lobby NUS leadership to hold a national student demonstration at the earliest possible date centred around Fee rises, the loss of EMA and the attack that the education White Paper represents which includes, but is not limited to, the risk of private providers entering the education system
2. To hold Liam Burns to account on his manifesto promise
3. To lobby NUS not just to call the demonstration but to actively build for it and to throw its resources behind creating the biggest possible national student mobilisation
4. To support this demonstration should it go ahead and to actively build for it at Queen Mary to make sure our university is represented on it
5. To reaffirm our position of Free Education in the knowledge it is realistic, achievable, affordable and desirable and to make the call for free education central to our involvement in any future national demonstration
35

11.0
UAF Affiliation
Proposer:
Seconder:
Ross Speer (History and Politics Year 3)
Ciara Squires (Mile End Student Representative)
QMSU notes:
1. The EDL attempted to march in Tower Hamlets on September 3 rd
2011, they were prevented from getting in to the borough by a counter demonstration organised by UAF alongside local community groups, churches, mosques and the Mayor of Tower Hamlets. The EDL have pledged to attempt to march in Tower Hamlets again.
2. There were no arrests on the Tower Hamlets UAF demonstration compared to over 60 on the
EDL demonstration, many on suspicion of Violent Disorder and including their leader Tommy
Robinson for breach of bail conditions
QMSU believes:
1. That the BNP is a fascist organisation whose leaders have a track record of Nazi sympathies and Holocaust denial. The BNP is not legitimate or democratic party and should not be treated as such. Fascist movements pose a direct physical threat to Muslim, Jewish, BME,
LGBT students and many others. Where the BNP and EDL have a presence, racist attacks and other hate crimes increase.
2. That the EDL is a violent racist organisation with organised Nazi sympathisers at its core. The
EDL are lying when they claim to be “peaceful”, to be solely concerned with protesting against
“Islamic extremism” and when it denies having links to racist and fascist groups. Anders
Breivik, whose massacre targeted young people this summer, has hundreds of EDL friends on his Facebook group and has praised the EDL, seeking to set up an equivalent in
Norway. EDL marches are designed to intimidate and harass the Muslim community in particular and ethnic minorities in general.
3. That UAF worked with local communities in Tower Hamlets to call a vibrant, peaceful protest which was central to ensuring that the EDL were successfully kept out of the borough and that their violent hatred was resoundingly rejected by the people of Tower Hamlets. It is vital to build the maximum possible unity against fascists and racists, drawing together trade unions, faith groups, anti-racist activists and campaigners from diverse political backgrounds. It is also important to stand firm against the threats to our multi-racial and multicultural society by organising demonstrations, rallies and vigils against EDL attempts to divide our community.
4. Peaceful mass mobilisations, as supported and organised by UAF, are the most effective tactic in fighting fascism
QMSU resolves:
1. To affiliate to Unite Against Fascism and make a £150 donation
2. To circulate literature and other materials from Unite Against Fascism and work with student societies and local union reps and others in campaigning against fascism
3. To play a role in the organisation of future counter demonstrations supported by UAF in
Tower Hamlets and to ensure the presence of QMSU delegation
4. To adopt a ‘No Platform for Fascists’ policy, as supported by the NUS, towards the BNP and
EDL to prevent hate-speech taking place on our campus and putting our students in danger
36

12.0
Re-instate Vik Chechi
Proposer:
Seconder:
Ross Speer (History and Politics Year 3)
Ciara Squires (Mile End Student Representative)
QMSU notes:
1. That Queen Mary UNISON Branch Secretary Vik Chechi has been suspended from his job at the Centre of the Cell
QMSU believes:
1. That Vik Chechi’s suspension constitutes an attack on active trade unions by management at
Queen Mary
2. That Vik Chechi’s suspension has more to do with being an active campaigner against impending job losses in the library, which UNISON represents, and cuts to education in general than anything else
3. That Vik has received backing from QM UNISON, QM UCU and the campaigning group
Queen Mary Stop the Cuts
4. That QM management has been extrao rdinarily quiet about the reasons for Vik Chechi’s suspension, it has issued insufficient reasoning to warrant a suspension of this kind
5. That Vik Chechi’s suspension appears to be with a view to sack him
6. That before his suspension Vik Chechi filed a collective grievance, representing 11 UNISON members, to a manager who was the same person who then suspended him
7. That Vik Chechi’s suspension appears to be an act of retaliation against a person who was only fulfilling his role as the Branch Secretary of QM UNISON
8. That trade unions are necessary to represent staff
9. That workers organisation is a fundamental right just as it is a right for students to form and be members of a union. As members of QMSU we should stand with our brothers and sisters in the trade union movement and resist attacks on collective organisation
10. That the Centre of the Cell, where Vik Chechi works, is “an education charity dedicated to inspiring curiosity and learning by connecting science to everyday life”. This charity does valuable work within the local community, is a valuable part of Queen Mary and cannot afford to lose hard working staff such as Vik Chechi
11. That Vik Chechi has received support from people who have used services provided by
Centre of the Cell
QMSU resolves:
1. To issue a statement of support for Vik Chechi including a demand for his reinstatement to his original post
2. To co-ordinate a campaign for reinstatement with QM UNISON
3. To request from management more information as the reasons for his suspension and progress in their investigation
4. To make it clear to management that QMSU is behind Vik Chechi in his campaign to be reinstated
5. To raise awareness amongst students as to the suspension of a leading trade unionist and a staff member at Queen Mary
6. To ensure QMSU is in communication with trade unions at Queen Mary (UCU and UNISON) and makes council members, and students in general, aware of future suspensions, sackings or disciplinary action towards trade unionists
37

13.0 Motion for the Proposal of a Budget Reserved for New Societies and Clubs
Proposer:
Seconder:
QMSU notes:
Edoardo Palombo (Mile End Welfare Officer)
Mattia Rosati (President of the Italian Society)
1. The following research shows that Queen Mary in comparison to other top Universities of
London has, 40% less clubs and societies on Students per Club & Society Ratio.*
2. Also, LSE alone with much lower student population has circa one and half times the clubs and societies of Queen Mary, and Imperial with about the same population has double the clubs and societies.
University
Clubs and Societies
LSE
215
UCL
181
KCL Imperial Average
238 328 241
Queen
Mary
146
Student Population 9560 21600 24495 14840 17624 16665
Students per Club/Society 44.47 119.34 102.92 45.24 77.99 114.14
QMSU believes:
1. QMSU needs more Clubs and Societies in order to achieve its goal of maximising student experience and of increasing student engagement.
2. Surviving the first year for a Club and Society is extremely hard and the Union should help the new Clubs and Societies in order that they can attract students to engage in extra curriculum activities.
3. As it stands now new clubs and societies have no budget from the Union, making it almost impossible to compete with the existing clubs and societies, thus not stimulating the growth of student engagement.
4. By having a wider range of Clubs and Societies QMUL can attract more prospective students as their choice is not only determined by academia but also by the opportunity to live a fuller student experience.
5. Students find it hard to set up new societies and clubs and many give up.
6. Student unions should provide wide range of activities as University is a place of culture, entailing the broadening and development of new skills and knowledge.
7. Clubs and Societies help student unity and engagement, which help towards more students wanting to have a voice.
8. The reduction of the Sabbatical officers will free up revenue to use for the promotion of more clubs and societies.
9. The revenue that is devoted to existing society almost every year is not used up by the existing societies; this can help the funding of new societies and clubs.
QMSU resolves:
1. Clubs and Societies, which do not receive any funding from the SU, will benefit from a budget of 200 pounds per year if the meet the following requirements:
1.1. Th e society or club needs to attend the fresher’s fair
1.2. The society or club needs to gain 120 signatures or students in their mailing list
1.3. The society or society needs to have a minimum of 10 paying members.
2. These requirements need to be met and renewed every year.
38

3. The total expenditure of the Clubs and societies which do not receive funding cannot exceed
£2000 per year. If it does in fact exceeds this limit, regardless the number of societies which match the requirements in point 1, the £2000 will be distributed evenly to the societies and clubs not receiving any other funding from the SU.
4. Moreover, in order to help with advertisement, the new club and society will be given a stationary budget(which will be provided by the SU at no cost) of:
1.1. 500 A5 paper flyers
1.2. 1 banner (8ft x3ft)
1.3. 100 A4 paper posters
*References: www.unistats.co.uk
, www.lsesu.com
, www.uclsu.org
, www.kclsu.org
, www.imperialcollegeunion.org
, www.qmsu.org
39

14.0
Condemnation of Library Staff Redundancies
Proposer:
Seconder:
Michael Gilbert (Mile End Postgraduate Officer)
Ozzy Amir (Campaigns Officer)
QMSU notes:
1. As part of a major reorganisation of the Public Services department of QM library, management are proposing a reduction in staff numbers from 82 to 56. This would result in 26 job losses.
2. On 6 th
July, management opened a 30 day consultation process with staff in accordance with their legal duty. However, as approximately two-thirds of affected staff are on term-time only contracts they were not in work for all or part of the consultation period.
3. On July 7 th
a Unison backed petition was presented to library management, signed by 29 members of staff (virtually every member of staff at work over the summer). Management rejected this petition out of hand.
4. On 22 nd
July the Library Workers Group entered a formal grievance procedure against library management under HR guidelines, this time with 35 staff signatures. Guidelines specify a 20 day time limit between a grievance being filed and an initial consultation with an investigating officer. The Library Workers Group, however, had to push hard for a meeting that eventually transpired on the 12 th
September, 36 days after submission. The grievance procedure is still ongoing.
5. In a recent student survey the library was voted the safest, most secure place on campus.
Proposed redundencies will reduce staffing levels such that if students enter the library in distress staff will be unable to carry out recommended procedures.
QMSU believes:
1. It is outrageous that skilled and valued members of staff are being axed from the library. The library workers in question earn less than £10,000 a year while 95 staff at QMUL are paid over £100,000. It is not right that some of the lowest paid members of staff must face redundancy before those on high wages consider taking a pay cut.
2. The formal grievance has been dealt with negligently by college management.
3. Students should stand alongside staff to fight all redundancies and cuts and Queen Mary.
4. The consultation period with staff was poorly timed and insufficiently democratic.
5. Library staff redundencies will significantly decrease student satisfaction.
QMSU resolves:
1. To campaign actively against redundancies at the library and to oppose all staff cuts at Queen
Mary, working directly with library staff and the Library Workers Group to organise demonstrations and raise awareness about the proposed job losses.
2. To condemn management’s treatment of the Library Workers Group and support a swift a thorough resolu tion of the group’s formal grievance procedure.
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15.0
Affiliation to Education Activist Network
Proposer:
Seconder:
QMSU notes:
Ozzy Amir (Campaigns Officer)
Edoardo Palombo (Welfare Officer)
1. The education sector is under an unprecedented attack from the coalition government. The cap on University tuition fees has been tripled and the Education Maintenance Allowance closed to new applicants, alongside funding cuts of 40% in universities and 25% in colleges
2. The HE White Paper now seeks to fully privatise the Higher Education sector at the cost of educationalists and students.
3. These attacks have been met with mass action to defend education, including almost 50 occupations of universities and colleges, walkouts and demonstrations involving up to
130,000 students and industrial action against managements who have tried to implement cuts.
4. Since February 2010 the Education Activist Network has been centrally involved in building this movement. Its conferences and events have provided links between students and workers, between official trade union structures and grassroots campaigning bodies and across different disputes, sectors and regions. It has created opportunities to debate the crisis facing the education sector, the potential for alternatives and the choices facing the movement and has been one of the main organisations in the ‘Day X’ protests of Autumn
2010.
5. With the Union unable to allocate funds or print publicity, the demonstration on November 9 th was resourced entirely by the Education Activist Network.
QMSU believes:
1. Education is a right, not a privilege.
2. That action is needed to oppose education cuts, fees and marketization. This action should be coordinated between students and educationalists across the sector and at a national level, and linked to a strong defence of the right of education.
QMSU resolves:
1. To affiliate to the Education Activist Network.
2. To issue a statement of opposition to the government’s Higher Education White Paper.
3. To co-ordinate with the Education Activist Network on calls for future demonstrations and campaigns that act towards the fulfilment of policies this union supports.
4. To make a donation of £100 to the Education Activist Network to support its activities.
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