Xiaohongshu
On Monday 13 December we had a meeting of Union Executive to consider all of your ideas that had been submitted and debated at our Policy zones and to make them formal Union policy. This week we had policies primarily from the Welfare and Community Zone and Activities Zone, an amendment to governing documents and a call for a referendum on strikes.
Just to explain - if it's been ratified by Union Exec, so given the go ahead, then this will become policy and something the Union will be working on.
Here's what happened…
Policies Proposals
The Union should allow the use of communal spaces 24/7 for all residents (read here)
This policy was introduced by the Welfare and Community Officer. Amendments to this policy had already been made during the Welfare and Community Zone. The policy asks the Union to lobby UCL for communal spaces in halls to be opened 24/7 to allow students to have more opportunities to socialise amongst hall residents and feel more at home within their halls. This policy was ratified at Union Exec.
The Union should increase the number of days that students in UCL Halls of Residence are allowed overnight guests (read here)
This policy was passed from the Welfare and Community Zone. It asks the Union to lobby UCL to increase the allowance for 2 overnight guests for a maximum of 10 nights in any 30-day period instead of 3 nights as currently instated. This policy was ratified at Union Exec.
Roles & Powers of Networks (read here)
This policy was discussed at the Welfare and Community Zone with amendments that had passed after thorough discussion at the Zone. This policy asked the Union to increase the rights and powers of Liberation Networks similar to that of societies by granting Networks additional powers such as the ability to self book rooms and AV equipment and to have a separate section on the Whats’ On calendar. After much discussion this policy was agreed to have too many implications not previously accounted for at Welfare and Community Zone; specifically on Networks having priority on booking and advertising space over societies and what that prioritisation would look like in practice. This policy was agreed by the members to be sent back to Welfare and Community Zone for further discussion, with the Activities Officer in attendance to provide advice and expertise.
Convert Remote Membership into Trial Membership (read here)
This policy was discussed at the Activities Zone and asked the Union to introduce Trial Membership for the 2022/23 Academic Year which would be time-limited to 28 days and only available to ‘buy’ once per academic year. Members of Exec queried on what would happen if a trial membership was bought during a period of inactivity of a club or society and what procedure would be in place in order to refund a trial membership. Due to a lack of clarity on what the policy was outlining for the Union to do, members of Exec voted to defer this policy to the next meeting of Exec and for the Activities Officer and/or Sports Officer to deliver a verbal brief to this policy.
Amendments to Governing Documents
AGD: Equity & Inclusion Officer (read more)
In this AGD submitted by the Equity Officer Arifa Aminy, it asked the Union Executive to consider renaming the Equity Officer to Equity & Inclusion Officer. It also asked to add the Equity & Inclusion Officer to the membership of Activities Zone and Education Zone, alongside Welfare & Community Zone that it currently sits on. Equity and inclusion is a matter that concerns all areas of our work and therefore Union Exec agreed that it should be considered in all of our Policy Zones. The ADG was voted in favour by the members of Exec.
Referendum (read more)
The Union received a petition for a referendum on the following question: “Should the Students' Union support the UCU strikes of 2021?” Having acquired the 0.5% of the membership required, Union Exec voted to call the referendum and approve the referendum schedule. An open meeting will take place on the 20/01/22 for all members of the Union to attend to debate the proposal. Voting will take place between the 21/01/22 and 26/01/22.
As always, you can submit an idea to be discussed and voted on by Union Exec via this page.