Minutes from Guild Council, 11.03.15. Ideas discussed include replacing the Grove Diner with a McDonalds, election debates and better labelling of recycling facilities.

1. Change, Policy and Research
GUILD COUNCIL
Democracy and Governance Committee
11/03/15
Chair: Maria Finnerty

2. Change, Policy and Research
Apologies

3. Change, Policy and Research
AGENDA
1. Student Idea: Replace the Grove Diner with a McDonalds for
the academic year starting this September
2. Student Idea:An up to date grades tracking system for
students
3. Student Idea: Better labelling and clarity on recycling
facilities on campus
4. Student Idea:The Guild should provide a clear and simple
route for students to renounce membership

4. Change, Policy and Research
5. Student Idea: Hold an International Officer debate during
next years elections
6. Student Idea: Have a trustee debate for next years set of
elections like other positions
7. Student Idea: We need change machines in the University
Laundry Rooms
8. Student Idea: More plugs in the Sanctuary or extension leads
9. Student Idea: Sell Exeter merch Bomber Jackets

5. Change, Policy and Research
1. Student Idea: Replace the Grove Diner with a
McDonalds for the academic year starting this
September
118 votes
25.4% positive approval
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea131-mcdonalds/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea131-
mcdonalds/Student-Idea-Report-idea131-mcdonalds.pdf

6. Change, Policy and Research
1. Student Idea: Replace the Grove Diner with a McDonalds for
the academic year starting this September
Nicki Carter, Catering Manager at the Guild, told Council that the Grove is
leased from the University for ten years, and that the Guild is under contract
for this to operate as a Guild-run american style diner for a minimum of five
years. It would be a breach of this contract to sublet this space to an external
company.
Council voted to fail the idea.
PASS - 0
FAIL - 16
ABSTAIN - 4

7. Change, Policy and Research
2 . Student Idea: An up to date grades tracking system
for students
90 votes
95.6% positive approval
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea133-gradetracking/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea133-
gradetracking/Student-Idea-Report-133-GradeTracking.pdf

8. Change, Policy and Research
2 . Student Idea: An up to date grades tracking system
for students
Bethan Jones, the proposer, told Council that this idea stemmed from a
discussion by academic reps on how to spend college budgets. She said that up-
to-dates records of students’ grades must exist, but that students had no
access to them. She told Council that the problem seemed to be that there
was no technological link between the records and ELE, but Uni staff had
expressed support for this idea and needed support to implement it.
Council voted to instruct Ben Street to lobby the University to
implement this.
PASSTO BEN STREET - 16
FAIL - 0
ABSTAIN - 4

9. Change, Policy and Research
3. Student Idea: Better labelling and clarity on recycling
facilities on campus
104 votes
78.9% positive approval
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea151-recycling/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea151-
recycling/Student-Idea-Report-151-Recycling.pdf

10. Change, Policy and Research
3. Student Idea: Better labelling and clarity on recycling facilities on campus
Henry Frowen, the proposer, told Council that most students are not ‘conscious recyclers’,
which results in recycling bins becoming contaminated, and so recycling facilities need to
be more convenient and better labelled. Rachael Gillies reminded Council that the Guild
is separate from the University, and so any proposed change to University facilities would
need to be lobbied for.
Matt Bate told Council that he had been working with Phil Atwell, Head of Campus
Services, who had agreed to report back on all Campus Services related ideas and action
those feasible to appropriate staff.
Council voted to instruct Kate Hawkins and Matt Bate to work on improving
clarity of Guild recycling facilities and lobby the University to do the same.
PASSTO SABBATICAL OFFICERS - 17
FAIL - 0
ABSTAIN - 3

11. Change, Policy and Research
4 . Student Idea:The Guild should provide a clear and
simple route for students to renounce membership
57 votes
49.1% positive approval
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea134-membership/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea134-
membership/Student-Idea-Report-134-membership.pdf

12. Change, Policy and Research
4 . Student Idea:The Guild should provide a clear and simple route for
students to renounce membership
Rachael Gillies told Council that everyone had the option to leave the Guild when they join the
University, and that approximately 14 people had done so this year. Julia Bush told Council that
legally it is the University’s, not Guild’s, responsibility to inform members of how to renounce
their membership. Council discussed the potential benefits of leaving the Guild, but found there
were none, as there is no extra fee to join the Guild and renouncing membership make them
ineligible for many free services available to students.
Harry White said that as this posed no benefit to students, it seemed reasonable that those who
felt strongly about leaving the Guild on principle would be able to find out themselves how to
do this. Rachael Gillies agreed, and said she would rather not waste staff resources on an issue
that had no benefit to students and affected so few of them.
Council voted to fail this idea.
PASS IDEA - 0
FAIL IDEA - 13
ABSTAIN - 7

13. Change, Policy and Research
5 . Student Idea: Hold an International Officer debate
during next year’s elections
34 votes
73.5% positive approval
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea154-
internationaldebate/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea154-
internationaldebate/Student-Idea-Report-154-
InternationalDebate.pdf

14. Change, Policy and Research
5 . Student Idea: Hold an International Officer debate during
next year’s elections
Matt Bate gave his support to this idea in principle but suggested that the part time
positions be combined with each other or with full-time debates. Julia Bush told
Council that staff were already under huge time pressures at election time so it was
just a matter of resource. Rachael Gillies said she thought it unlikely the Guild would
have the resource to match the full-time debates and so these could perhaps be more
student led. Matt Bate reiterated that this purely depends on feasibility, but would
include it in Katie O’Connor’s handover.
Council voted to instruct the current and incomingVP Activities to include
this if feasible.
PASS (depending on feasibility) - 17
FAIL - 0
ABSTAIN - 3

15. Change, Policy and Research
6. Student Idea: Have a trustee debate for next years
set of elections like other positions
33 votes
75.8% positive approval
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea138-trusteedebate/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea138-
trusteedebate/Student-Idea-Report-138-Trustee-Debate.pdf

16. Change, Policy and Research
6. Student Idea: Have a trustee debate for next years set of
elections like other positions
Council reiterated the points made in the discussion on the previous idea.
Council voted to instruct the current and incomingVP Activities to
include this if feasible.
PASS (depending on feasibility) - 17
FAIL - 0
ABSTAIN - 3

17. Change, Policy and Research
7. Student Idea: We need change machines in the
University Laundry Rooms
66 votes
95.5% positive approval
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea152-laundry/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea152-
laundry/Student-Idea-Report-152-Laundry.pdf

18. Change, Policy and Research
7. Student Idea: We need change machines in the
University Laundry Rooms
Rachael Gillies reminded Council of the previous ideas on this issue that had
been actioned to Kate Hawkins. Matt Bate said that he had spoken about
these ideas with Phil Atwell and so it was useful to have specific areas
highlighted by students.
Council voted to instruct Kate Hawkins to incorporate this idea
into her current work on this issue.
PASSTO KATE HAWKINS - 17
FAIL - 0
ABSTAIN - 3

19. Change, Policy and Research
8. Student Idea: More plugs in the Sanctuary or
extension leads
35 votes
91.4% positive approval
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea153-
sanctuarypower/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea153-
sanctuarypower/Student-Idea-Report-153-
SanctuaryPower.pdf

20. Change, Policy and Research
8. Student Idea: More plugs in the Sanctuary or
extension leads
Council voted to instruct Ben Street to look into this,
possibly including an audit of power outlets in study
spaces.
PASSTO BEN STREET - 17
FAIL - 0
ABSTAIN - 3

21. Change, Policy and Research
9 . Student Idea: Sell Exeter merch Bomber Jackets
35 votes
45.7% positive approval
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea150-bomberjackets/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea150-
bomberjackets/Student-Idea-Report-150-bomberjackets.pdf

22. Change, Policy and Research
9 . Student Idea: Sell Exeter merch Bomber Jackets
Council looked at what was already on sale and decided that as
there was already a very similar product on sale, the low
interest on this idea was not enough to warrant instructing the
shop to change their stock.
Council voted to fail this idea.
PASS IDEA - 2
FAIL IDEA - 9
ABSTAIN - 9