Student Councillor Training 20 th April 2008

1. Student Councillor Training20th April 2008

2. Learning Objectives / Agenda • Introduction & Icebreaker • Student Council Charter Revisited • The Purpose of Student Council: What It’s For • Who are the Student Councillors? • The Structure of Student Council: How It Works • Introduction to Writing and Understanding Motions • Effective Representation • Your Duties as a Student Councillor • Summary and Close

3. Student Council Charter • Respect – safe space • Action points • Feedback • Constructive participation • No arguing obstructively • Supportive atmosphere • Vote is final • Stick to point • People not judged • Time Agreed at Student Councillor training, February 2008

4. The Purpose of Student Council: What It’s For [From Bye-Law 2] • Student Council is established by these Bye-laws to fulfil the following purposes. • 1.1. To receive and consider reports from the Trustees, Student Community Forums, Scrutiny Committees and Action Committees/Groups; • 1.2. To make recommendations to the Trustees of NSU; The Trustees may only refuse to adopt Council recommendations on financial grounds, charity and education law or other legal requirement. • 1.3. To make motions of no-confidence in one or a number of Trustees; • 1.4. To review and scrutinise the decisions and actions of the Trustees of NSU; • 1.5. To discuss, debate and decide on issues pertinent to students; • 1.6 To make campaigning, representation and political policy as appropriate; Cont…

5. The Purpose of Student Council: What It’s For Cont… • 1.7. To convene Student Community Forums, consider its reports and agree actions required; • 1.8. To appoint and convene Scrutiny Committees and to determine their remit and membership; • 1.9. To convene other committees, meetings and groups so as to carry forward the mandate of Council and turn this into action to have a positive impact on student lives; • 1.10. To consider and approve the appointment and re-appointment of Non-Student Trustees • 1.11 To consider and approve the appointment and re-appointment of Student Trustees • 1.12. To admit and remove Associate Members, Reciprocal, Life and Honorary Life Members of the Union.

6. Who are the Student Councillors? 35 Student Councillors • 5 Sabbatical Officers (4 until July 2008) President – Martin Farr VP Education and Welfare – Lisa Burton VP Student Activities – Ivan Blackwell VP Finance and Commercial Services – Steve Ross - Elected by cross-campus ballot

7. Who are the Student Councillors? • 9 School Reps Applied Sciences – Carol Hamilton Arts and Social Sciences – Jamie Phillips Built Environment – Paul Hamilton Computing, Engineering and Information Sciences – David Caldwell Design – Tom Gyr Health, Community and Education Studies – Clare Prudham Law – Holly Hughes Newcastle Business School – Simon Sundberg Psychology and Sports Studies – Lynsey Dawson - Elected at School Rep Forum

8. Who are the Student Councillors? • 1 PGR Rep – Libby Orme - Elected at PGR School Rep Forum • 4 Chairs Chair of Societies – VACANT Chair of Coach Lane Forum – VACANT Chair of Student Community Action – Anna Harland Chair of RAG – Hilary Ellis - Elected at the relevant Committee or Forum

9. Who are the Student Councillors? • 5 International Students’ Caucus Group Representatives China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Rep – Allie Chang East Asia Rep – Amunah Venugopal South Asia Rep – Harshad Parashare Europe Rep – Endika Huescar Gutierrez Rest of World Rep – Babasola Bamiro • Elected at a meeting of the relevant Caucus Group • Only students from the appropriate region may vote in each election

10. Who are the Student Councillors? • 6 other Caucus Group Representatives Black and Minority Ethnic Rep – Josephine Mudzingwa Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Rep – Peter Woodward Women’s Rep – Jennifer Empson Mature Students’ Rep – Steven Clarke Disabled Students’ Rep – Dean Stobbart Part-Time Students’ Rep – VACANT • Elected at a meeting of the relevant Caucus Group • Only students from the appropriate section of the student community may vote in each election – principle of “autonomous liberation”

11. Who are the Student Councillors? • 5 Lay Student Councillors Nicola Porter Tom Sanderson Paul Phillips Paul Clifton Roz Khan - Elected by cross-campus ballot

12. The Structure of Student Council:How It Works Submitting Policy Motions • Submit your policy motion to the Advice and Representation Centre 7 working days before the meeting • All policy motions must have a proposer and a seconder • Non-Councillors may submit a policy motion by petition of 50 signatures from Northumbria students • Meeting papers are circulated to all Student Councillors and made available at www.mynsu.co.uk and on the Democracy Board 5 working days before the meeting

13. The Structure of Student Council:How It Works Debating Policy Motions • Speech in favour – property of the proposer • If the policy motion is proposed by petition, the non-Councillor proposing the motion will have full speaking rights • Speech against – open • Further speeches for and against are at the Chair’s discretion • The maximum duration of speeches for and against will be equal, but will be at the Chair’s discretion • Maximum 5 minutes of general discussion for each motion • Summary speech – property of the proposer

14. The Structure of Student Council:How It Works Amending Policy Motions by ‘Taking Parts’ • Following debate and before the summary speech, a Councillor may propose to ‘take parts’ on a policy motion to remove part of the text, but not to add to the motion or to change wording in the text • The process for ‘taking parts’ is a speech in favour, a speech against and a summary speech by the proposer of the parts

15. The Structure of Student Council:How It Works The Voting Process • Non-Councillors may not vote, even if they have proposed the motion by petition • Councillors will have to state in turn out loud their position on the motion • There are three options: in favour, against and abstain • How you vote will be recorded in the minutes and is available to any student to see – so use your vote wisely! • Policy passed at Student Council remains in place for 3 years unless further policy is passed to remove it

16. Writing & Understanding Motions • What is the purpose of your motion? • How should you structure a motion? • Background/evidence – what’s the issue?; • Your input/argument – why does this matter?; • Your proposal – what should Council vote to agree to do? • Example of a good motion

17. Writing & Understanding Motions Note structure of motions - usually: This Union notes… This Union believes… This Union resolves… Some vocabulary for motions: Instruct Commend Mandate Lobby Condemn

18. Effective Representation • What are the issues that most affect Northumbria students today? • What is representation? “representation - the act of representing; standing in for someone or some group and speaking with authority in their behalf” www.thefreedictionary.com • Evidence-based Representation • How will you represent your constituents?

19. Your Duties as a Student Councillor • To attend meetings of Student Council, roughly once a month during term time • To participate in training sessions for Student Councillors • To chair the Meetings or Forums of the group that you represent e.g. School Reps – Course Rep Forums Caucus Group Reps – Caucus Groups From time to time you might also be invited to participate in other events and workshops in your capacity as a Student Councillor – these are optional

20. Summary & Close Thank you – any questions?