The Union and You Understanding and working with Durham Students’ Union
description
Transcript of The Union and You Understanding and working with Durham Students’ Union
The Union and You
Understanding and working with Durham Students’ Union
Krystina WarringtonDavid Morris
The beauty of collectivism
Society - A number of people joined by mutual consent to deliberate, determine and act toward a common goal.
Union - That which is united, or made one; something formed by a combination or coalition of parts or members; a confederation; a consolidated body; a league.
Charity and Corporate Governance
Board of Trustees• 5 Student Officers; 4 Elected Students; 4 co-opted (non-student) members.
• Responsible to the Charities Commission and Companies House (i.e. the law).
• Hires and manages the Chief Executive.
• Legal, fiduciary, financial liability for the Union and everything it does.
• Responsible for ensuring general good governance and business practice.
• Sets and approves the Strategic Plan, and monitors progress against it.
The Union is:
• A statuary requirement under Education Act 1994; all students automatically members.
• A registered charity and a company limited by guarantee.
• An independent body with certain responsibilities to University Council.
The Strategy!!!• Based on extensive consultation with over 4000 students and staff.
• Ensures the Union is thinking long-term.
• Bring us in line with how good Unions are run: e.g. Leeds, Sheffield, Northumbria, Teesside,
Brunel, Newcastle.
Mission: We will be an enabling students’ union which develops and supports our students as they strive to create a lasting, positive impact in society and in their own lives through their university experience.
Vision: Students working together to create a lasting, positive impact
• Fun• Student-led• Engaging
• Helpful• Dynamic• Sustainable
Staff
Staff facilitate. Students lead!!!
But fundamentally…The Union is not about doing things for students.
We want to enable students to do things themselves, together, and have a real impact.
We want to focus on student leadership, rather than student management.
Mission: We will be an enabling students’ union which develops and supports our students as they strive to create a lasting, positive impact in society and in their own lives through their university experience.
Vision: Students working together to create a lasting, positive impact
The link – Student Officers• Members of Assembly, and also Trustees. • The student faces of the Union.• Run the committees of the Union. • Sit on major University committees.• Interact with University staff.• Work with the Union chief exec and senior managers.• Lead campaigns and set change-priorities.• Held to account by Assembly
Democratic Governance
ASSEMBLYUnion Zone University Zone Community Zone
• Governance• Media• DUCK• Societies Forum• Societies
Committee• Grant Allocation
• Welfare, Equality and Diversity• Ethics and Environment• Community• JCR Presidents• MCR Presidents
• UG Academic Affairs• PG Academic Affairs• Science Faculty Forum• Social Sciences and Health Faculty
Forum• Arts and Humanities Faculty Forum• Facilities and Services
Subset - Associations• International Students• Disabilities• LGBTa• Mature and Part-Time
Assembly• 5 student officers• 1 from Media Committee• 1 from DUCK Committee• 8 from Societies committee• 9 Faculty Representatives• 16 College Reps• 1 JCR President’s Committee Chair• 1 MCR President’s Committee Chair• 4 Associations’ Presidents
• Elects a Chair at the first meeting• Colleges remain the biggest ‘bloc’, but now more representative of
all Union activity.• Aim to be less sectional, and more of a Union.• Responsibility to decide what’s best for the ‘student body’ in
totality.
Order of precedence1. Referendum – Campus wide-ballot2. General Meeting – All members invited 3. Board of Trustees4. Assembly5. Zones – All members invited6. Committees
Committees and Forums
Forums – Societies Forum
Committees – Media, Societies, DUCK
Forums/Market Research
Trustees (maybe)AssemblyZoneCommittee
The ideal policy process
Issues raised
Policy discussed and formed
All students invited for comment and discussion
Approval as policy
Considered and approved if financial/legal implications
Policy – a statement of resolve, belief or process agreed democratically that the Union will adopt.
Student Group Representatives• Active: Marisa Plater [email protected]• Outdoor: Tom Stevenson [email protected]• Political & Causes: Will Yuill [email protected]• Music: Sophie Kidwell [email protected]• Hobbies & Games: Adam Symonds [email protected]• Academic: To be Elected• Culture & Faith: To be Elected• Arts: To be Elected• LGBTA Katie Reynolds [email protected]• Mature SA. Rachel Kurtz [email protected]• Disabled SA Steven Williams [email protected]• International SA Lei Wang [email protected]• DUCK Naomi Atkinson [email protected] • Media Ben Hamer [email protected]
Your Voice
Where to Go?Societies, DUCK and Student Fundraising Beth Pearson – Activities ManagerHannah Parratt- Activities Development Coordinator
[email protected] Clinch- Music Coordinator:
[email protected] Burnell- Theatre Coordinator:
[email protected] Thompson - Student Fundraising Coordinator
Democracy & ProcedureDaniel Morgan-Thomas – Assembly Chair
[email protected] Slavin – Union PresidentAndy Speed- Academic Representation Coordinator :
Admin or Unsure??? (room bookings etc.)[email protected]
To make a difference and change something…Krystina Warrington – Activities Officer [email protected] Pocock – Development Officer
[email protected] Abel – Community Officer
[email protected] Morris – Academic Officer
[email protected] Slavin – President
A reminder…“Representation must never be seen, except in strategic and practical terms, as an end in itself. Too many union officers see it as a question of communication and merely sitting on the appropriate committee. The purpose of representation is to secure educational and social change.”
-Digby Jacks, NUS President 1971-1973
Apathy Staircase
40%
10%
20%
• We can all be shook out of our apathy at any moment
• Most people learn to love their limitations.
• We don’t like to think that we go through life trying to negotiate a load of problems.
• We aren’t asked to reflect on our experience enough – it’s really powerful.
• You’ve got to dig for experiences.
30%
If you push someone down the steps, you
break their legs!!!