This Union belongs to its students. What it believes - and what it does - comes down to you.
If you want to shape the Union's views on any issue, the best way is to submit a motion. Your proposal will be debated at a democratic meeting, like Union Council, or decided by a referendum.
What is a motion?
A campaign might involve pushing to influence senior university management, or force a wider change nationally or internationally. A motion - on the other hand - is a move to set the Union's position on a certain issue.
By accepting a motion, the Union might be stating where it stands on an issue, or committing itself to campaigning for change. This might result in officers or representatives being assigned to a particular task.
These policies last for two years, and are reviewed by Union Council during this period.
How do I submit a motion?
The policies of Students' Union UCL can be set by the Union Council, General Assembly and Referenda. If you want to change policy, contact [email protected] to get started.
We recommend that you discuss with the Leadership, Development and Change team as we can help ensure your motions are well evidenced and help you plan how they might be implemented. It is especially important to discuss your motion if it involves a controversial issue, requires finances to be committed, or involves a Union-wide boycott. Contact us reached on [email protected] and are based on the Floor 4 of the Union Building at 25 Gordon Street.
You should submit motions online by 5pm on deadline day. The deadlines are below:
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Motions for Union Council and General Assemblies |
4 working days in advance of the meeting* |
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Amendments to Governing Documents |
10 working day in advance of the meeting |
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Amendments to Motions |
1 working day in advance of the meeting |
* for a Union Council meeting taking place on a Tuesday, the deadline would usually be 5pm on the preceding Wednesday.
The deadline dates for specific meetings can be found on each meeting page for Union Council and General Assembly
Motions will be published on the Union website:
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Motions
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3 working days in advance of the meeting
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Amendments to Governing Documents
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9 working days in advance of the meeting
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Amendments to Motions
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On the day of the meeting
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If an emergency issue occurs after the deadline, contact the Union Chair ([email protected]) at least three hours before the meeting is due to start.
How do I write a motion?
There is no compulsory style for motions. However, we recommend the format below to make motions clearer, reduce confusion and increase their effectiveness.
Each motion should have a title and needs a short summary. You should break down what you want to say into clear paragraphs, and outline what you want the Union to do.
Please use the webform to submit your motion.
What next?
As the proposer of the motion, you will be expected to give a speech at the meeting when it is discussed. Your motion will pass if it has a simple majority of over 50%. However, amendments to governing documents and no confidence motions require 75%.
Passed motions will become policy, as long as it is lawful to do so under Charity Law, the Equality Act and other legal obligations. These policies are displayed on the Union website, and will influence union policy.