Lobby University for Lower Prices and Bike Storage

Change, Policy and Research
GUILD COUNCIL
Democracy and Governance Committee
26/11/14
Chair: Maria Finnerty

Apologies
Harry White – Proxy to Carlus Hudson
Oscar Maddox – Proxy to Nat Anderson
Alexandra Beeler – Proxy to Natasa Christofidou
Kane Davis – Proxy to Maria Finnerty
Fong Khei Mah
Naomi Armstrong
In Attendance
Julia Bush
Gary McLachlan
Charlie Evans
Ruth Pearson
Present
Rachael Gillies
Matt Bate
Kate Hawkins
Ben Street
Maria Finnerty
Marcel Golten
Carlus Hudson
Emily Bevan
Natalie Anderson
Milly Hindle
LucyWhitaker
BessTuo
Chris Ngyuen
Natasa Christofidou

AGENDA
1. Student Idea: To Have a FairVote on the NUS Referendum
2. StudentVotes: Decide wording for NUSVote
3. Student Idea: Lobby the University for Lower Prices in the
Forum Marketplace
4. Student Idea: The Students' Guild ShouldVote to Condemn
ISIS

5. Proposal – Sabbatical Actions
6. Student Idea: Go Plastic Bag Free by ShiftingTowards
Recyclable and Sustainable Paper Bags
7. Student Idea: Introduce a Points System to Reward Student
Participation
8. Student Idea: Introduce a Loyalty Card Scheme to
Pieminister Customers
9. Student Idea: Lobby for Bike Storage at Cook and Llewelyn
Mews

1 . Student Idea: To Have a FairVote on the NUS
Referendum
103 votes, neutral but over 78% positive approval
Please read discussion in report
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea86-majority/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea86-
majority/Student-Idea-Report-86-Majority.pdf

1 . Student Idea: To Have a FairVote on the NUS Referendum
Charlie Evans spoke in favour of the motion, claiming that campaigners from both sides of the
NUS vote support it and it is the clearest way to decide the vote. Marcel Golten spoke in favour
of approving the idea at Council.
Matt Bate said that an NUS disaffiliation with just over 50% support would be a much weaker
message than a 66% majority and could mean that Trustee Board could be more likely to
overturn the decision. He added that he would never want Trustee Board to overturn a student
decision and thus would want to keep the 66% majority to prevent this from happening. Carlus
Hudson said that for Trustee Board to overturn even a 51% decision would be ridiculous, as
leaving the NUS is not the same as bankrupting the Guild.
Rachael Gillies told Council that as this is a proposed change to the constitution of the Guild,
regardless of the existing voting numbers on this, the wider student body have the right to vote
on this decision. She told Council that Exeter students aren’t stupid and won’t be confused by
having two votes.

1 . Student Idea: To Have a FairVote on the NUS Referendum
There was a discussion about the timing of the two votes and if they should be in the
same week.
Various points were made about the fairness of the respective majorities and the
right of the student body to decide this issue. Eventually the discussion was put to a
vote.
Council voted to take this issue to an all-student vote.
Pass the idea at Council - 5
Take the idea to an all-student vote - 13
Abstain - 2

2 . StudentVotes: DecideWording for NUSVote
Position of keeping “Yes Exeter” as theYES team...
• The Guild rules should be changed, to allow simple majorities on votes for
joining or leaving external groups
• The Guild should leave the National Union of Students (NUS)
Position of keeping ‘positive’ onYes to NUS basis
– i.e. “Yes Exeter” would have to change to No.
• The Guild rules should keep a qualified majority be for joining or leaving
external groups
• The Guild should remain a member of the National Union of Students
(NUS)

2 . StudentVotes: DecideWording for NUSVote
The lead campaigners for either side of the vote
announced that they had come to a mutual agreement
on the choices being STAY or LEAVE. Council ratified
this.
FOR - 18 AGAINST - 0 ABSTAIN - 2

3. Student Idea: Lobby the University for Lower
Prices in the Forum Marketplace
130 votes
95.4% positive approval
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea84-marketplace/
Report:
marketplace/Student-Idea-Report-84-ForumMarketplace.pdf

3. Student Idea: Lobby the University for Lower Prices
in the Forum Marketplace
Council noted that there may be good reasons for why prices
are the way they are – for example, because a living wage is paid
to staff.
Council voted to pass this idea and instruct Rachael
Gillies to lobby the University.

4 . Student Idea:The Students' Guild ShouldVote to
Condemn ISIS
76 votes
Neutral but with 73% positive approval
Result:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea89-condemnis/
Report:
condemnis/Student-Idea-Report-89-CondemnIS.pdf

4 . Student Idea:The Students' Guild ShouldVote to Condemn ISIS
Marcel Golten suggested also condemning Britain for its part in helping bring about ISIS.
Council discussed whether, despite ‘obviously’ condemning ISIS and their actions, it was
appropriate for the Guild to declare an official position on this matter. Various Councillors
expressed that they didn’t think that declaring positions on international issues was necessarily
what the Guild was for. Kate Hawkins said that she felt the NUS was more involved in
international politics, which is why the issue was raised there. Carlus Hudson recommended
lobbying the NUS to condemn ISIS and offering solidarity to Kurdish students at Exeter.
Council voted to condemn ISIS and specified that the actions for Sabbatical
Officers on this would be lobbying the NUS to condemn ISIS at the next NEC
meeting and work with the Kurdish Society on any solidarity actions they may be
running.
Condemn ISIS and appoint Sabbs to complete these actions - 10
Put the idea to an all-student vote - 4
Reject idea and take no further action - 1
Abstain - 5

Following discussions from the previous Democracy and
Governance Committee, the proposal is to:
1. Have Sabbatical Officers look at the agenda beforehand and
identify student ideas they are already working on or would
like to incorporate into their work; start each Democracy
and Governance Committee with a list of these ideas to be
discussed and approved by Council
2. Include an agenda point on Scrutiny Panels following up the
student ideas appointed to Sabbatical Officers

Kate Hawkins said how useful she found it to discuss ideas she is working on
with Council, and so was in favour as long as this discussion could still take
place.
Council voted to change the agenda of meetings to allow
Sabbatical Officers to highlight actions they are working on already
or are going to pick up, to be discussed and ratified by Council, and
to include follow-up questions on Student Ideas in Scrutiny Panels.

6 . Student Idea: Go Plastic Bag Free by Shifting
Towards Recyclable and Sustainable Paper Bags
62 votes
90% positive approval
Result:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea85-plasticbags/
Report:
plasticbags/Student-Idea-Report-85-PlasticBags.pdf

6 . Student Idea: Go Plastic Bag Free by Shifting Towards
Recyclable and Sustainable Paper Bags
Kate Hawkins suggested that this would be an appropriate issue for the
Students’ Green Unit; Carlus Hudson recommended instructing Molly Aldam,
the Environment and Ethics Officer to work on this.
Council voted to pass the idea that the Guild should not use plastic
bags in its retail outlets, and for the Sabbatical Officers to work with
the Environment and Ethics Officer on lobbying the University to do
the same.This refers only to bags given out or sold to customers and
does not include external companies (for example, fairs and stalls).

7 . Student Idea: Introduce a Points System to
Reward Student Participation
45 votes
Neutral
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea87-points/
Report:
points/Student-Idea-Report-87-Points.pdf

7 . Student Idea: Introduce a Points System to Reward
Student Participation
Kate Hawkins told Council that this idea is already being worked on, and
there are plans for a Guild loyalty scheme in the future.
Council noted that Rachael Gillies and Matt Bate are already
working on this (in the form of a Guild loyalty card) and that
therefore the idea is being worked on already and no further action
is required. Council noted that the Sabbatical Officers should invite
the proposer to give their input on this work.

8. Student Idea: Introduce a Loyalty Card
Scheme to Pieminister Customers
37 votes
Neutral, but with 75.7% positive approval rating
Result: http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea83-
pieminister/
Report:
pieminister/Student-Idea-Report-83-Pieminister.pdf

8. Student Idea: Introduce a Loyalty Card Scheme to
Pieminister Customers
A question was raised about whether Pieminister profits benefit
the Guild; as a Guild franchise, they do.
Council voted to incorporate this idea into the existing
work being done on a Guild loyalty card.

9. Student Idea: Lobby for Bike Storage at Cook
and Llewelyn Mews
Open until 21 November
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea90-
cookllewelynbikes/

9. Student Idea: Lobby for Bike Storage at Cook and Llewelyn Mews
Ruth Pearson, the proposer of the idea, told Council that residents have been chaining
their bikes to railings because there are no bike racks, but have been told by the
University that bikes left there will be removed. Various councillors agreed that it was
unfair to encourage students to travel sustainably and then not give them space to
secure their bikes safely and appropriately.
Matt Bate told Council that he sits on Transport Management Group and would take
this issue there – Council suggested that Ruth Pearson and other residents affected by
this issue should join him at the meeting.
Council voted to instruct Matt Bate to work with the proposer on taking
this toTransport Management Group and the Residence LifeTeam.

Lobby University for Lower Prices and Bike Storage

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