Present: SM (Communications Officer), EM (vice president), CG (JSU rep), MW (JSU rep), EuM (SWD rep), JF (JSU rep)
Apologies: KW (LGBT rep)
Agenda:
Value for Money
Course rep reform proposals
SU election rules
Access to Durham Education
Student Workers in Teaching and Assessment
Support access to free, safe and legal abortions
Academic Student representation
Good Quality student housing
Durham Green New deal
Meeting:
Value for Money
SM: this is very dense. They are just trying to change policy to make it better. They need transparency on what money is spent on. Uni needs to see us as partners in development. Make sure it’s value for money.
JF: don’t they already do all that?
SM: I think this might just be making this constitutional
EuM: is this about how the SU spends money, or the Uni spending?
SM: It’s the SU lobbying the University. But also both
CG: aren’t the uni meant to do that already because they aren’t a business, but rather a organisation?
SM: it is possible to find out what the SU spend their money on.
All agreed to support this motion
Course rep reform proposals
SM: they’ve done some review of the system and they are going to change it because people don’t run or vote. They are going to change time of elections so first years can get involved. They want to allow reps to stay in their position if no one else runs. There were problems with PGs. If they are unopposed they are allowed to keep their positions. This just really little changes to be honest.
EuM: this just seems like common sense
All agreed to support
SU election rules
SM: They are changing the election rules because officers and trustees could be on campaign teams. And it just doesn’t seem right. They are essentially making it like what we have in the JCR.
All agree to support this
Access to Durham Education
SM: this says that Durham don’t have many minorities, or NE students and what are the barriers. The SU need to research why this is and we need to work towards making it better. I feel like that is straight forward.
CG: I don’t oppose this, I just think it’s stupid. Shouldn’t they do this already? they are a Student’s Union, this should already be a thing.
SM: I agree with this.
All agree to support
Student Workers in Teaching and Assessment
SM: this is just saying we need to support students who work. I think this is mostly about postgraduates.
All agreed to support
Support access to free, safe and legal abortions
SM: this didn’t get passed last time around so it’s back again. A few of them were uncomfortable with the language in it and how it was politicised.
CG: last time there was just faff about whether voting should be done in secret rather than discussing the actual motion and it’s shocking that they’ve only given it 10 mins
SM: this time they aren’t mandating the opportunities officer to do anything which was one of the main issues
All agreed to support
Academic Student representation
SM: students have a right to be involved in decisions about their education. It’s pretty common sense.
All agreed that this just seems like the SU officers writing things for the sake of it
All agreed to support
Good Quality student housing
SM: SU will still provide support, support with issues with landlords, opposing rising fees in universities.
EM: I would like to know if what EB (librarian) was true that a landlord has been blacklisted for being too cheap (and therefore untrustworthy?)
SM: okay. Are we all in favour of decent student housing?
Shocker; yes.
All agreed to support
Durham Green New deal
SM: they are mandating a lot and I’m not sure how realistic they are. [SM reads out the motion in fun].
CG: is it basically just saying it’s a climate emergency?
SM: I have questions about this motion because most of the things in this motion are directed towards the university rather than the SU
CG: they will never do it
SM: it might be expensive. Plus I don’t like the idea of mandating JCR environment reps to do things. Is that within their power?
CG: it would be good if the SU put pressure on the uni to do this, however I don’t think they will. I think they will just “yeet it out the room”.
SM: I’m inclined to support, but if the SU reps are against it then change our minds as it’s a bit much for one motion
Agreed to abstain because we think it’s a bit silly unless we get convinced
Naming the 17th college the Mo Mowlam college
SM: she was Durham alumni, pretty great woman to be fair. There is a lack of diversity in other college names. It’s a little random to be honest. I think the issue people will bring up is that she is a Labour MP. I can see there being issues with that.
[tangent where everyone talks about how we don’t like the university because they want people to pay for this. And then the long list of other reasons we don’t like them]
Agreed to support because we don’t like the university.