The University of Stirling Students Union
Executive Council Meeting
Minutes of Meeting held on 2nd April 2015
Present:
Amy McDermott (Chair), Lauren McKay, Alasdair Ibbotson, Jenny
Lester, Andrew Kinnell, Hollie Cameron, Paddy Wilson and Chris
Priddle.
Observers:
Stef Black (Policy & Research Coordinator)
Apologies:
Lauren Marriott
Absent:
Rebecca O’Neill, Chrissy MacDonald, Barry Febers and Paige Turner
1. MINUTES AND MATTERS ARISING
The minutes of the previous meeting were adopted without any amendments.
2. CHALLENGES TO ORDER OF PAPER
3. DATES TO NOTE
4.1 School Officer Recruitment Closes – 3rd April
4.2 Clubs Ball- 9th April
4.3 Sports Ball- 18th April
4.4 STIRQT- 16th April
4.5 Union closed (Easter) - 3rd and 6th April
4.6 NUS Liberation Conference dates
4.7 Union AGM- 9th April
4.8 Accessing Higher Education Conference- 15th April
4.9 RATE Awards Ceremony- 22nd April
4.10 Voter Registration Atrium Days- 15th & 20th April
4. ELECTIONS AND RESIGNATIONS
5. REPORTS
L. McK: I have a new job; my last day will be Friday, 1st May.
L. M and C.P: Continuing to put together the final touches for the Clubs and Sports
Balls respectively.
A. McD: I am working on General Election strategy and voter registration day
activities. StirQT will take place with all Stirling MPs on 16th April in Logie LT at 7pm.
L. McK: De-Stress Week is next week (7th-10th April); bubble wrap ‘Pop Your Stress
Away’ is on Tuesday, 7th and ‘Paws Against Stress’ is on Friday, 10th April.
We have also had 12 applications for school officers and we will be interviewing all
next week.
A. McD: We held the elections for Liberation Conferences and those elected have
been booked onto the conferences.
A.I: Can I just remind people we have the ‘Bairns Not Bombs’ March in Glasgow on
Saturday, 4th April and the Non-direct violent training on Wednesday, 8th April.
6. UPDATES, DISCUSSION AND DECISION TOPICS
.
6.1 Equal Opportunities Policy Update
A.I: I have some issues with some of the text, particularly ‘ideology’; by being
‘inclusive and supporting’ of all ideologies we are including fascists and other
extreme ideology groups.
Also the word ‘culture’; lad culture is a culture, are we know inclusive and supportive
of that?
Discussion followed around removal of ‘culture’ and ‘ideology’. Everyone agreed that
the inclusion of ‘in person or online’ and ‘in or out with the Union’ were positive
changes.
A. McD: Let’s all go away and have a look at other Unions policies, think about
issues and solutions and discuss at our next executive meeting.
6.2 Volunteer Policy
Everyone agreed it was a very good policy, helping to protect volunteers and the
Union.
A.I: Possible reworking of ‘respect confidentiality’/ ‘respect information given in
confidence’- S.B to look at.
Vote taken to pass the policy:
In Favour: 8
Against: 0
Abstain: 0
Policy Passed
7. AOB
A.I has drafted a press release regarding the Faslane Demonstration (Appendix 4)
H.C: Is it maybe too long?
Suggestion: Maybe have a press release and a shorter quotable statement within
that?
A.I to discuss with A. McD
In Favour: 8
Against: 0
Abstain: 0
Motion Passed
8. Date of Next Meeting
Monday, 13th April, Room 2B80
9. RESERVE BUSINESS
There was no reserve business.