Minutes from Guild Council, 25.02.15. Ideas discussed include funding transport to a demonstration on free education and the tampon tax.

1. Change, Policy and Research
GUILD COUNCIL
Democracy and Governance Committee
25/02/15
Chair: Maria Finnerty

2. Change, Policy and Research
Apologies
Carlus Hudson
LucyWhitaker
Oscar Maddox
Chris Nguyen
Natasa Christofidou

3. Change, Policy and Research
AGENDA
1. Student Idea: Unlock the new gates limiting pedestrian
access to Kingdom Mews and Bonhay Close
2. Motion: Funding for the Free Education Demonstration
3. Student Idea: Stop the tampon tax
4. Student Idea: There should be a method to view society
accounts online

4. Change, Policy and Research
5. Student Idea: The Guild should run a safer cycling campaign
6. Student Idea: All use of personal mugs should get a discount
on hot drinks
7. Discussion on Guild Council

5. Change, Policy and Research
1. Student Idea: Unlock the new gates limiting
pedestrian access to Kingdom Mews and Bonhay Close
113 votes
96.5% positive approval
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea119-gates/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea119-
gates/Student-Idea-Report-1119-Gates.pdf

6. Change, Policy and Research
1. Student Idea: Unlock the new gates limiting pedestrian access
to Kingdom Mews and Bonhay Close
Kate Hawkins suggested that this could have been introduced out of concerns
of student safety. Various councillors suggested that if the gates need to remain,
a code system be installed to let students through.
Council voted to instruct Kate Hawkins to discuss this with Campus
Services.
PASSTO KATE HAWKINS - 16
FAIL - 0
ABSTAIN - 4

7. Change, Policy and Research
2. Motion: Funding for the Free Education Demonstration
Marcel Golten
28 March in Birmingham organised by the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC).
The aim of the demonstration is to encourage the Labour Party to commit to a policy of free
education and will be held in the constituency of Labour's shadow universities minister.
Aiming to secure 20 free tickets for students who cannot afford to go.The cheapest tickets
available were £26 return each, (a total of £520).We will aim to raise these funds from the
following sources:
• £100 from a suggested voluntary contribution of £5 per student
• £50 raised from university societies (£25 from the Green Party Society and £25 from the
Socialist Students Society)
• £50 from the Exeter Green Party (TBC)
• £100 from local trade unions (TBC)
• £220 from the Student's Guild.
More information: http://anticuts.com/2015/01/22/national-demo-living-grants-not-a-graduate-tax-
demand-labour-commits-to-free-education/
Declaration of support for the march: http://anticuts.com/2015/02/04/get-your-su-to-support-
the-liam-byrne-demo-now/

8. Change, Policy and Research
2. Motion: Funding for the Free Education Demonstration
Marcel Golten introduced the motion, stating that this was important as one of the main roles of
a union is to allow members to protest on issues that interest them.
Ben Street suggested discussing potential funding with NUS.
The Sabbatical Officers gave their support to the students’ right to protest, but raised concerns
with where the money would be taken from to fund this. Matt Bate asked how the previous
application to the Society Execs for demonstration funding had gone; MG replied that they had
been sent there by Guild Council, but been turned down. MB stated that he was surprised by the
Soc Exec decision, but had no control over them as they are autonomous. He suggested that he
could try working with both groups and favoured using society funding, as not all students are
interest or in support of this and he would therefore be uncomfortable using central funds. Ben
Street supported this, saying that taking this money from central funds was the issue, not lack of
support for the protest.
Maria Finnerty informed Council that the deadline for Soc Exec funding had already passed. MG
stated that this was more important than society activities and should therefore receive central
funds.

9. Change, Policy and Research
2. Motion: Funding for the Free Education Demonstration
Kate Hawkins said that the role of a union is to give students a voice, but that this request was for
funding for political party action, which the Guild is impartial on. BS said the Sabbs would have to
discuss with their director about budgets, but stressed that no money is ‘unallocated’ – any
funding would have to be taken from a project it has already been assigned to.
MG stated that this was not the work of political parties, but the view of the student body, which
MB questioned, saying that there was no proof this was the view of the majority of the student
body. BS suggested that an all-student vote could answer this. Julia Bush stated that there was not
enough time to have this debate before the demonstration, so action would also have to be taken
before then.
MB said that even without subsidy from the Guild, the cost of travelling to the demonstration
seemed reasonable enough that interested students should be able to afford it; MG said that it
was needed to ensure a bigger presence than last time. MB questioned the level of passion for
this issue if it had to be free for students to be interested. KH said that many societies have to
travel to London for events, but none of these were funded, and so questioned whether this was
fair for all students. MB said he would speak to Soc Exec about reconsidering the funding
application but reiterated that Sox Exec make their own decisions.

10. Change, Policy and Research
2. Motion: Funding for the Free Education Demonstration
Council decided that supporting free education and funding the demonstration were two different
issues, and the Sabbatical Officers said they would look into funding streams available. Council
decided that an all-student vote was needed on the issue of supporting Free Education, and this was
noted by Guild Staff, who will explore potential dates.
PASSTO SABBATICAL OFFICERS TO SUPPORT PROPOSERS TO FIND FUNDING
- 16
FAIL - 0
ABSTAIN - 4

11. Change, Policy and Research
3. Student Idea: Stop the tampon tax
90 votes
78.9% positive approval
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea132-tampontax/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea132-
tampontax/Student-Idea-Report-132-TamponTax.pdf

12. Change, Policy and Research
3. Student Idea: Stop the tampon tax
HarryWhite told Council that this idea is as much about principle as it is the
financial implications. Emily Bevan said that other unions had adopted a
principle of selling not-for-profit tampons – over 23 so far.
Council voted for Kate Hawkins to work with the NUS Women’s
Liberation Campaign Officers, look into how other unions have
supported this and how we can replicate this at Exeter.
PASS - 16
FAIL - 0
ABSTAIN - 4

13. Change, Policy and Research
4 . Student Idea: There should be a method to view
society accounts online
65 votes
90.8% positive approval
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea128-onlineaccounts/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea128-
onlineaccounts/Student-Idea-Report-128-
SocietyAccounts.pdf

14. Change, Policy and Research
4 . Student Idea: There should be a method to view
society accounts online
Matt Bate said that he looked into this over summer but there
wasn’t time to bring it in before the start of term. He said he
will reinvestigate it.
PASS - 17
FAIL - 0
ABSTAIN - 3

15. Change, Policy and Research
5. Student Idea: The Guild should run a safer cycling
campaign
27 votes
90.8% positive approval
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea120-cycling/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea120-
cycling/Student-Idea-Report-120-cycling.pdf

16. Change, Policy and Research
5. Student Idea: The Guild should run a safer cycling
campaign
Kate Hawkins told Council that the University already do a lot
of work on this and have staff dedicated to it, and so there was
no point in replicating what was already being done. Ben Street
suggested alerting the proposer to the work already being done
on this. KH said she would try to publicise it over social media.
PASS - 0
FAIL - 17
ABSTAIN - 3

17. Change, Policy and Research
6 . Student Idea: All use of personal mugs should get a
discount on hot drinks
59 votes
90.8% positive approval
Results:
http://www.exeterguild.org/change/ideas/idea121-discounts/
Report:
http://www.exeterguild.org/pageassets/change/ideas/idea121-
discounts/Student-Idea-Report-121-Discounts.pdf

18. Change, Policy and Research
6 . Student Idea: All use of personal mugs should get a
discount on hot drinks
Council voted to pass this idea to Rachel Gillies to see if it could
be incorporated into the existing ‘cups for life’ scheme.
PASS - 17
FAIL - 0
ABSTAIN - 3

19. Change, Policy and Research
7. Scrutiny
Currently
• One hour a week, 4 themes
Proposed Change
• Is Scrutiny working? How could we improve it?
Meetings
Currently
• Need to be same place each week and accessible to all
Proposed Change
• Do the place and timings of meetings work?
• How should meetings be recorded?

20. Change, Policy and Research
7. Scrutiny
As a result of these discussions, Council voted to scrutinise officers
based on their role , rather than strategy themes.