Minutes from Guild Council's Democracy and Governance Committee, Wednesday 22 October 2014. Ideas discussed include the price of the Ram burger deal and a slide on campus.

1. Change, Policy and Research
GUILD COUNCIL
Democracy and Governance Committee
22/10/14
Chair: Emily Bevan

2. Change, Policy and Research
AGENDA
1. Apologies
2. Student Idea: Reduce the Burger Meal back to £5
Report on online votes and method
Vote on further action
3. Student Idea: Make a Slide down Cardiac Hill
4. Student Idea: Add to the Slide Down Cardiac with a Chairlift
Up

3. Change, Policy and Research
5. Student Idea: Widen the Staircase Beside the Student Health
Centre
6. Student Idea: The Guild Should Have a Deli-style Salad Bar
7. Student Idea: Install More Laundry Machines in Student
Accommodation
8. Student Idea: Put 'Residents Sleeping' Signs Up Around the
Campus
9. Student Idea: Have a Small Kitchen in Devonshire House
10. Student Idea: Have Water Fountains In All Buildings

4. Change, Policy and Research
Apologies
Maria Finnerty
Oscar Maddox – proxy to Natalie
Anderson
Ben Street – proxy to Matt Bate
Rachel Gillies – proxy to Matt Bate
Kate Hawkins – proxy to Matt Bate
Carlus Hudson – proxy to Lucy Whitaker
Kane Davis – proxy to Harry White
Fong Khei Mah – proxy to Milly Hindle
In Attendance
Nicola Carter
Julia Bush
Present
Emily Bevan
Matt Bate
Milly Hindle
Khoa Nguyen
Lucy Whitaker
Naomi Armstrong
Natalie Anderson
Harry White
Alexandra Beeler
Natasa Christofidou
Marcel Golten
Bess Tuo

5. Change, Policy and Research
2 . Student Idea: Reduce the Burger Meal back to £5
127 votes
Falls within ‘neutral’ category – but over 65% strongly agree
Possible financial impact
Results: http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea60-burgers/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea60-
burgers/StudentIdeaReport-60-BurgerMealDeal2.pdf

6. Change, Policy and Research
2 . Student Idea: Reduce the Burger Meal back to £5
Nicki Carter (Students’ Guild Commercial Operations Manager) explained that the
reason prices rose were due to increased supplier costs and the introduction of the
living wage for Ram staff. Harry White spoke in defence of the living wage for staff, and
expressed that this in addition to inflation meant that the 50p increase in price did not
seem unreasonable.
Marcel Golten asked for an estimate of how much it would cost the Guild to reduce
the price back to £5. NC estimated that given 3500 deals were sold in freshers’ week
alone, this could cost the Guild £10,000 in revenue that funds other Guild services, such
as societies and representation.
Matt Bate stated that he works throughout the year to review prices.
Council voted to keep the price the same and take no further action.
YES - 19 NO - 0 ABSTAIN - 1

7. Change, Policy and Research
3 . Student Idea: Make a Slide down Cardiac Hill
197 votes
Highly positive
Results: http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea63-slide/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea63-
slide/Student-Idea-Report-63-Slide.pdf

8. Change, Policy and Research
3 . Student Idea: Make a Slide down Cardiac Hill
Several councillors raised doubt that this idea would ever be implemented,
given financial, health and safety and planning issues. Lucy Whitaker asked if
there was an access problem with the hill. Julia Bush recommended a
possible course of action of using the idea to implement creative and fun
events. MB stated that FXU created a water slide, and Milly Hindle said that
this was something RAG had looked into in the past.
Council voted on two options:
A. Instruct Matt Bate to propose the exact idea to the University
B. Instruct Matt Bate to continue the idea of a slide on campus in
some form, possibly as a one-off student society event
A - 0 B - 17 ABSTAIN - 3

9. Change, Policy and Research
4 . Student Idea: Add to the Slide Down
Cardiac with a Chairlift Up
62 votes
Neutral
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea68-chairlift/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea68-
chairlift/Student-Idea-Report-68-chairlift.pdf

10. Change, Policy and Research
4 . Student Idea: Add to the Slide Down Cardiac with a
Chairlift Up
Emily Bevan raised the issues of cost, health and safety and planning and
cast serious doubt on it ever being created. MH raised the idea of finding
other ways of making ‘Cardiac Hill’ a more positive experience, for
example art installations. HW suggested promoting the health benefits of
the hill, or making it into a competition, e.g. your name on a plaque for
running up in a certain time.
Council voted to instruct the sabbatical officers to explore these
and other creative ways of making ‘Cardiac Hill’ more bearable.
YES - 19 NO - 0 ABSTAIN - 1

11. Change, Policy and Research
5 . Student Idea: Widen the Staircase Beside the
Student Health Centre
87 votes
Very strongly positive
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea62-stairs/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea62-
stairs/Student-Idea-Report-62-Stairs.pdf

12. Change, Policy and Research
5. Student Idea: Widen the Staircase Beside the Student Health
Centre
A photo of the queue was shown to Council. EB made the point that any
changes would have to be made by the University. MB said that there could be a
reason that it can’t be expanded due to the building’s listed status.
Natasa Christofidou and MH discussed alternative, less busy routes to the
staircase. Harry White and Bess Tuo supported this and recommended
publicising these routes better, possibly with signs along the route.
Council voted to instruct Kate Hawkins, VP Welfare and Diversity, to
work with the University in seeking alternative options to the
problem, such as suggesting alternative routes.
YES - 19 NO - 0 ABSTAIN - 1

13. Change, Policy and Research
6 . Student Idea: The Guild Should Have a Deli-
Style Salad Bar
35 votes
Neutral
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea64-saladbar/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea64-
saladbar/Student-Idea-Report-64-Salad-Bar.pdf

14. Change, Policy and Research
6 . Student Idea: The Guild Should Have a Deli-Style Salad Bar
EB raised the point that salads are available from Comida, but aren’t labelled
very clearly. MH agreed with the idea in theory but questioned where it would
go, especially as DH1 has only just been refurbished. NC told Council that the
Guild tried this idea a few years ago but couldn’t make enough money with it.
JB pointed out that all previous salad options were still available, and this could
be an issue of publicising them better.
MB reminded Council that a previous student idea had instructed Rachel to
explore healthier options (especially for dietary requirements).
Council voted to not recommend creating a new salad bar, but to
pass on these comments to Rachel in her work on looking at
healthier food options.
YES - 19 NO - 0 ABSTAIN - 1

15. Change, Policy and Research
7 . Student Idea: Install More Laundry Machines
in Student Accommodation
40 votes
Positive (technically neutral, but very close to positive threshold)
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea65-
laundrymachines/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea65-
laundrymachines/Student-Idea-Report-65-
LaundryMachines.pdf

16. Change, Policy and Research
7 . Student Idea: Install More Laundry Machines in
Student Accommodation
JB reminded councillors that due to low voting figures on this idea, the Guild
recommends doing further research on how many students are affected by
this before going to the University. HW agreed but said more needed to be
done to consult with residents first. AB suggested letting Moberly residents
use the Birks Grange machines. Council discussed the best way to work on
this – from a sabbatical officer, or from the students themselves.
Council voted on two options:
A. Instruct Kate Hawkins to lobby the University on this idea
B. Contact proposer to work with Kate Hawkins and other
residents on taking this to the Residents’ LifeTeam
A - 0 B - 19 ABSTAIN - 1

17. Change, Policy and Research
8. Student Idea: Put 'Residents Sleeping' Signs
Up Around the Campus
42 votes
Neutral
Result: http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea66-sleeping/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea66-
sleeping/Student-Idea-Report-66-ResidentsSleeping.pdf

18. Change, Policy and Research
8 . Student Idea: Put 'Residents Sleeping' Signs Up
Around the Campus
MB acknowledged that this is an issue taken very seriously by the Guild, but
that similar signs were put up by the City Council in freshers’ week with
little effect. MH suggested that these signs can in fact provoke students to
make more noise.
Council voted to take no further action on the idea.
YES (take no further action) - 19 NO - 0 ABSTAIN - 1

19. Change, Policy and Research
9. Student Idea: Have a Small Kitchen in Devonshire
House
32 votes
Neutral
Result:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea67-
kitchen/Student-Idea-Report-67-kitchen.pdf
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea67-
kitchen/Student-Idea-Report-67-kitchen.pdf

20. Change, Policy and Research
9. Student Idea: Have a Small Kitchen in Devonshire
House
JB pointed out that these facilities already exist in Devonshire House (DH1).
MH stated that she didn’t know she could use them, and so it is likely that
others don’t either. Wider publicity of these facilities were discussed, but
it was decided that the facilities would not be able to cope with mass
demand.
Council voted to inform the proposer of the idea that these
facilities are available for use.
YES - 19 NO - 0 ABSTAIN - 1

21. Change, Policy and Research
10. Student Idea: Have Water Fountains In All
Buildings
63 votes
Positive
Result: http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea69-fountains/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea69-
fountains/Student-Idea-Report-69-waterfountain.pdf

22. Change, Policy and Research
10 . Student Idea: Have Water Fountains In All
Buildings
Due to the meeting overrunning, this idea and any
other business was postponed until the next
Democracy and Governance Committee.