Guild Council agenda for 25 November

1. Guild Council
Agenda: 25 November 15
Building One: Bateman
2:30pm to 3:30pm

2. Agenda
• Governance (15 minutes)
– Introductions / Apologies
– Standing Orders
– Being kind to one another
– Discipline / Student Ideas
• Student Ideas (40 minutes)
– 18 Ideas
• Other Business (1 mins)
– Automatic Passes
– Automatic Fails
• 60 Seconds (4 minutes)
– Sabbatical Officer Reports

3. Standing Orders
1. This Council instructs the Sabbatical Officers to not
campaign for either side of any EU Referendum
campaign run by the Guild or the students of Exeter.

4. STOP, THINK and LISTEN
• When someone tells you you're wrong: stop, think and
listen.
• We’re not telling you how to think or what to think.
• We’re just asking that you do think.
• Council has frequently been a toxic environment this
year.
• Treat other Councillors as you yourself would want to be
treated.
• Be kind to one another.

5. Student Ideas and discipline
• Being focussed on inclusion and participation, the Ideas
system when designed:
– Did not account for Trolling
– Did not account for deliberate malice
• The models used to create Ideas also failed to engage any
disciplinary mode
– They were public systems, designed for mass participation
• Implicitly, the Code of Conduct applied
– This has now been made explicit on the Help page
• Student Ideas is a Guild Council system
– Any discipline that is required during the operation of Student Ideas
is derived from Council’s policy-making power, the Code of Conduct
and the membership of the Sabbatical Officers

6. Ongoing Situation
• The Guild (as a body) is required by law to act when we receive a
complaint from any student, and there have been several about
contentious Student Ideas – the ones still live are those identified as
“trolling” in the Council Agenda for today.
• We have also received a letter of complaint from a parent of one of the
students involved in the submission of those Ideas – threatening legal
action if one of the case scenarios came to pass through Council voting
to apply that disciplinary method.
• Please note that at no stage have staff named the individuals involved –
nor do we intend to, and have resisted calls from Councillors or Officers
to release names, since it is this kind of legal threat that was being risk
managed through anonymity.
• It is clear that emotions and conflict are running very high – and that the
attempt to diffuse the situation by getting Council to act was in fact a
trigger for escalation rather than a cooling-off moment.

7. Reminders to Council
• Council is not a court of law.
• Council is an Open Meeting, and there is no option to close it to
members on any basis.
• Council and Councillors do not have qualified privilege when dealing
with complaints, since there is no basis in law for this to happen,
therefore anything said falls under the ordinary rules for defamation.
• On that basis – none of the students who submitted Ideas are to be
named by anyone present for any reason.
• Also on that basis – the material supplied for the Agenda was
specifically aimed at looking at the Ideas themselves, not the
submitters; but have clearly been read as inferring personal
discipline rather than process or procedure – Council is reminded
that its powers lie in process or procedure (Governance) and not
disciplinary in the personal sense.

8. Reminders to Council
• We do not regard the identity of the proposers as being apposite to
the votes in any way, shape or form – focus on the Ideas as a part of
the system, not on the proposers.
• Complaints and complainants are also anonymous as a matter of
procedure, until any direct oral hearing can be heard – this is why
the focus here is procedural and not personal.
• Even if you do know the identities of the students involved please do
not focus on them as individuals, but instead on the system
remembering that any decision has to be applied universally to all
Ideas and that individuals cases make for very bad rules.

9. Issue One
• Whilst the Ideas identified at the discretion of the Student Ideas and
Votes Officer are still ‘live’ they were accepted and published under
the conditions that:
– The Code of Conduct application to IDEAS was implicit, not
explicit.
– The Code of Conduct application to COMMENTS was explicit in
the Rules.
• As such, even where an Idea has been identified as problematic the
proposer cannot be punished for it.
– This would be a retroactive application of a punishment which
could not have been in the mind of an ordinary student at the
time the idea was submitted.
– It would therefore be unlawful to apply a punishment other than
the failing of the Idea itself on an automatic basis.

10. Issue Two
• Ideas were submitted on the basis of being anonymous
– the purpose to the ‘case statement’ using existing
examples was NOT to focus on the submitters of those
Ideas
– The cloak of anonymity cannot be retrospectively removed.
– Staff did not disclose exact details of who had submitted any
given Idea.
– The cloak of anonymity cannot and will not be removed from the
current Ideas which are live on the system BEFORE any vote is
decided today.
– We used examples because we’re always asked for examples –
they were not intended to be used as a definitive statement of
purpose.

11. Issue Three
• Most Unions ‘censor’ their voting systems because of
situations like this one
– We do not, and resist attempts for this to happen
– We trust you – and will explain the law to you in full when
required to do so on the basis of any ongoing situation
– Like today
• In the following votes, please remember:
– NO NAMES
– No retrospective action can be taken

12. Decisions
• Vote One:
– To agree that the Student ideas Officer has the authority to make
decisions about IDEAS which have already been submitted and
published on the grounds that any pre-moderation could be
taken as active censorship and would also place an unbearable
workload on an unpaid elected Officer.
• GREEN: The Student Ideas and Votes Officer has this
authority.
• AMBER: Abstain.
• RED: The Student Ideas and Votes Officer does not
have this authority.

13. Decisions
• Vote Two:
– To agree that the requirement of law that student members have
the right to complain about systems including Student Ideas
must take effect using the Officer’s Code of Conduct as a guide
to behaviour for all use of the system, including the submission
of Ideas
• GREEN: Agree
• AMBER: Abstain
• RED: Disagree
• The right to complain cannot be removed – if the consequences are
that an effective remedy could not be achieved on any complaint
then the system will have to close permanently.
• We cannot by law avoid s.22 Education Act 1994, and
are legally bound to the consequences of it.

14. Decisions
• Vote Three:
– In the case that Student Ideas has not been closed by a refusal
to act on complaints,
– Who specifically should act on complaints from this point
forwards:
• GREEN: Student Ideas and Votes Officer
• AMBER: SIVO, VP Activities and CPR Manager
• RED: Guild Council only
• In most internal processes, members of staff deal with first-instance
complaints, and appeals are escalated to Sabbatical Officers or
other elected Officers.
• In the case of democratic systems, this must be much more
transparent, and take account of elected Officers opinions
at all times

15. Decisions
• Vote Four:
– How will complaints be handled from this point forwards,
– Remembering that Council is not a court of law.
• GREEN: In private, with a redacted report to Council
• AMBER: In Council, with a new mechanism to close
Council to all non-elected members
• RED: In Open Session of Council
• The ‘Open Session’ model is the most transparent, but carries heavy
risks in the procedural safeguards to prevent libel taking place.
• In an open session all comment would have to go through the Chair
only and be checked for legal compliance at the time.
• Other alternatives can be discussed – but a decision
must be made. This cannot be postponed.

16. Decisions
• Vote Five:
– These are the previously given examples already determined
independently by the Student Ideas and Votes Officer as coming
under his interpretation of what constitutes ‘trolling’
– This is not an accusation that anyone is a troll.
– This does not apply to the proposers of the Ideas inasmuch as
no action can be taken against them as individuals
• GREEN: The Ideas should auto-fail
• AMBER: Abstain
• RED: The Ideas should pass through as usual

17. Decisions
• Vote Six:
– The options for this vote originally were written to look as though
a changed model of discipline would apply – that is not the case.
– Any decision about the proposers of the Ideas identified would
be private, and relate only to their use of Student Ideas – not to
other democratic purposes.
– We apologise for conflating two concepts into one vote, it was a
tricky combination of circumstances which should not have been
created in this fashion.
• GREEN: Temporary ban from Idea submission
• AMBER: Abstain
• RED: No action

18. Decisions
• Vote Seven:
– Effectively, the other ‘half’ of the same question – what action
would be taken IN FUTURE for Ideas which have been similarly
judged or complained about…
• GREEN: Temporary ban from Idea submission
• AMBER: Temporary ban from student democracy
including elections
• RED: No action

19. Anonymity
• The Student Ideas system was anonymous this year
because:
– Marginalised students require anonymity to protect their
identities when dealing with sensitive issues of discrimination or
other matters that might come to Student Ideas
– It did no harm, directly, in the first place
– It encouraged greater use of the system this year than last year
– It fits in the concept of “secret ballot” in the use of a discretionary
power
• GREEN: Keep anonymity
• AMBER: Abstain
• RED: Scrap anonymity

20. Social Justice
• Where the Student Ideas system is used for social
justice there is an incredibly simple method to prevent
‘trolling’ or any other activity like it…
– Only persons who identify as marginalised within the scope of
the concept they are proposing may submit Ideas on that theme:
– i.e. Only trans students may propose trans-specific ideas, only
LGB persons may propose LGB-specific ideas, only students of
colour may propose issues relating to their experience of racism,
etc. It would only stop a tiny proportion of Ideas.
– This would have eliminated 8 Ideas, and cut out all of the
complaints and issues so far this year.
• GREEN: Change to this approach of acceptance
• AMBER: Abstain
• RED: Stay with “anyone, about anything”

21. Remaining Decisions
• Any other vote required in case a clear case-study has
not emerged from the previous votes to determine…
– If there should be a disciplinary model on Student Ideas
– Who has authority to decide discipline
– Who has authority to remove Ideas which do not breach the laws
of England and Wales
– How complaints are answered – i.e. what is the effective remedy
which answers a complaint about an Idea which is live on the
system

22. Neutral Ideas
Ideas which do not fail or pass on
all criteria, or which have direct
spending implications

23. Student Ideas
48
15
30 3 0
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Confused
Votes:
RED: Fail Idea – Neutral or Cost Implications
AMBER: Pass to Guild President to consult/act
GREEN: Council-decided action or Change Agent present
Information:Cafes to stay open until 6.30
Notes:
Business School café in
particular mentioned twice (La
Touche.)
Needs a co-ordinated response
and marketing campaign to
encourage use without causing
losses to be made campus-
wide.
83
RATING
MEAN
4.52
MAJORITY
87%
VOTERS
69

24. Student Ideas
6011
6
6
10
4
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Confused
Votes:
RED: Fail Idea – Neutral or Cost Implications
AMBER: Pass to VP Education to consult/act
GREEN: Council-decided action or Change Agent present
Information:Push January exams forward one week (instead of
starting on the 04/01/16, start on the 11/01/16)
Notes:
No comment in context.
Likely to meet resistance, but
has a qualified majority in
favour and the mean is over 4
(agree)
83
RATING
MEAN
4.13
MAJORITY
56.7%
VOTERS
97

25. Student Ideas
6113
5
7
12 0
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Confused
Votes:
RED: Fail Idea – Neutral or Cost Implications
AMBER: Pass to Guild President to consult/act
GREEN: Council-decided action or Change Agent present
Information:Graduation ceremony to take place in Exeter Cathedral
Notes:
Falmouth used as a good
example of off-campus
ceremonies.
All positive comment.
82
RATING
MEAN
4.10
MAJORITY
56.7%
VOTERS
97

26. Student Ideas
41
17
3
1
4 2
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Confused
Votes:
RED: Fail Idea – Neutral or Cost Implications
AMBER: Pass to Guild President to consult/act
GREEN: Council-decided action or Change Agent present
Information:Better cutlery at Pieminister
Notes:
Sustainability mentioned –
although most wooden cutlery
is (by sourcing and design)
more sustainable than plastics.
Metal cutlery couldn’t be used
for take-away, and could slow
service to provide eat-in/take-
out alternatives.
79
RATING
MEAN
4.36
MAJORITY
77.9%
VOTERS
68

27. Student Ideas
35
15
9
0
12
1
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Confused
Votes:
RED: Fail Idea – Neutral or Cost Implications
AMBER: Pass to Guild President to consult/act
GREEN: Council-decided action or Change Agent present
Information:The Guild Shop should sell Guild branded underwear
Notes:
No Comments74
RATING
MEAN
3.86
MAJORITY
52.8%
VOTERS
72

28. Student Ideas
39
12
2 1 20
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Confused
Votes:
RED: Fail Idea – Neutral or Cost Implications
AMBER: Pass to Guild President to consult/act
GREEN: Council-decided action or Change Agent present
Information:The Guild should respond to all job applications
Notes:
May result in additional
administration work in specific
cases. This is a capacity burden,
not a cost-able expense.
The Guild is happy to meet the
expectations of its’ members
where those can be clearly
stated.
67
RATING
MEAN
4.52
MAJORITY
85.7%
VOTERS
56

29. Student Ideas
31
14
1
2
3 0
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Confused
Votes:
RED: Fail Idea – Neutral or Cost Implications
AMBER: Pass to VP Welfare & Diversity to consult/act
GREEN: Council-decided action or Change Agent present
Information:After school clubs/holiday club/toddler group for
students studying with children
Notes:
No Comments
Any planning should involve
the existing Student-Parent
group and Family Centre where
possible.
59
RATING
MEAN
4.33
MAJORITY
78.4%
VOTERS
51

30. Student Ideas
24
12
5
5
20
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Confused
Votes:
RED: Fail Idea – Neutral or Cost Implications
AMBER: Pass to VP Welfare & Diversity to consult/act
GREEN: Council-decided action or Change Agent present
Information:Baskets in the laundry rooms to put peoples washing in
when they haven't come to collect it
Notes:
No Comments.52
RATING
MEAN
4.06
MAJORITY
60.4%
VOTERS
48

31. Student Ideas
27
14
0000
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Confused
Votes:
RED: Fail Idea – Neutral or Cost Implications
AMBER: Pass to VP Activities to consult/act with Campus Services
GREEN: Council-decided action or Change Agent present
Information:Cup recycling bin in Camper Coffee
Notes:
No Comments51
RATING
MEAN
4.66
MAJORITY
100%
VOTERS
41

32. Student Ideas
278
3
3
2 2
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Confused
Votes:
RED: Fail Idea – Neutral or Cost Implications
AMBER: Pass to VP Education to consult/act
GREEN: Council-decided action or Change Agent present
Information:
Capacity boards for the library showing how many seats
are taken and how many are available
Notes:
Displayed on some screens,
and available through the
iExeter app.
Knowledge of the existing
services is not universal.
51
RATING
MEAN
4.28
MAJORITY
85.7%
VOTERS
45

33. Student Ideas
22
12
5
3
7
1
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Confused
Votes:
RED: Fail Idea – Neutral or Cost Implications
AMBER: Pass to VP Education to consult/act
GREEN: Council-decided action or Change Agent present
Information:Courses with summative work/essay of 50% weighting
should have 'supervision sessions' where students get
advice/proofreading on the progress of their work.
Notes:
Office Hours mentioned.
“Policy” that academics may
only check the introduction.
Obvious concern about
plagiarism/additional help over
‘your own work’ – but wanted
by a qualified majority.
51
RATING
MEAN
3.80
MAJORITY
48%
VOTERS
50

34. Student Ideas
25
9
1
3
15
2
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Confused
Votes:
RED: Fail Idea – Neutral or Cost Implications
AMBER: Pass to Guild President to consult/act
GREEN: Council-decided action or Change Agent present
Information:Release a Guild Statement opposing the Higher
Education Green Paper
Notes:
No Comments50
RATING
MEAN
3.5
MAJORITY
35.6%
VOTERS
54

35. Student Ideas
29
3
5
4 10
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Confused
Votes:
RED: Fail Idea – Neutral or Cost Implications
AMBER: Pass to VP Activities to consult/act
GREEN: Council-decided action or Change Agent present
Information:
Careers fairs and other events to take place exclusively
in non-study spaces
Notes:
Strong majority in favour of
keeping study spaces for study.
48
RATING
MEAN
4.31
MAJORITY
64.3%
VOTERS
42

36. Student Ideas
27
5
2
3
2 1
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Confused
Votes:
RED: Fail Idea – Neutral or Cost Implications
AMBER: Pass to VP Education to consult/act
GREEN: Council-decided action or Change Agent present
Information:
It would be better if Career Zone events appear on our
timetables and reminders are sent ONE day before the
scheduled date
Notes:
No Comments.
Additional information includes
timetabling of these events –
probable addition to ongoing
time-tabling project (software
sourcing.)
Usually VP Activities remit, but
ongoing project with VP
Education.
46
RATING
MEAN
4.45
MAJORITY
69.2%
VOTERS
39

37. Student Ideas
15
611
8
2
3
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Confused
Votes:
RED: Fail Idea – Neutral or Cost Implications
AMBER: Pass to Guild President to consult/act
GREEN: Council-decided action or Change Agent present
Information:All Students Guild Debates, Elections Hustings, Sabb
Question Time to be hosted in The Forum Street
Notes:
Large neutral segment.
No Comments.
The Forum Street is not always
bookable as events and
displays take place there which
are University-run.
43
RATING
MEAN
3.57
MAJORITY
24.4%
VOTERS
45

38. Student Ideas
2110
2
2 10
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Confused
Votes:
RED: Fail Idea – Neutral or Cost Implications
AMBER: Pass to VP Welfare & Diversity to consult/act
GREEN: Council-decided action or Change Agent present
Information:Hot water dispensers and takeaway cups available in
study areas
Notes:
Bring your own or buy from the
Guild suggested.
A&V Hot Water tap.
42
RATING
MEAN
4.59
MAJORITY
82.4%
VOTERS
34

39. Student Ideas
18
10
3
4
1 2
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Confused
Votes:
RED: Fail Idea – Neutral or Cost Implications
AMBER: Pass to Guild President to consult/act
GREEN: Council-decided action or Change Agent present
Information:More Guild Points for using the Guild Cup
Notes:
No Comments.
Extra information states
concept as a reward for being
environmentally friendly.
42
RATING
MEAN
4.11
MAJORITY
60.5%
VOTERS
38

40. Student Ideas
21
11
1 1 10
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Confused
Votes:
RED: Fail Idea – Neutral or Cost Implications
AMBER: Pass to VP Activities to consult/act with Campus Services
GREEN: Council-decided action or Change Agent present
Information:Better lighting up to Lopes
Notes:
No Comments41
RATING
MEAN
4.43
MAJORITY
85.7%
VOTERS
35

41. Automatic Passes
• Automatic Passes
– 336: Pedestrian Priority
– 347: Anything But Fries

42. Automatic Fails
• Automatic Fails
– 345: Intramural cancellation forfeiture
– 350: ELE course downloads
– 353: Statement on Washington Singer solidarity
– 355: Statement on anti-violent protest solidarity
– 356: Statement on violent protest solidarity
– 357: Statement on Student Ideas solidarity
– 359: Students not Suspects Policy
– 365: Full length mirrors for dance practice

43. Sabb Reports
• 60 second Sabb Reports
– VP Activities
– Guild President
– VP Welfare & Diversity
– VP Education

44. Any Other Business
• Correcting failure
– No current failing Ideas or projects which
require Council votes.
– “No Platform” is withdrawn in the submitted
form.
• Anything else from the floor?