Last Monday, the guild sabbatical officer group was presented with a motion, to the guilds sabbatical officer executive group. The motion promises significant reform of the way the guild decides how it campaigns.
At the meeting I argued that to little consultation had been done and that the decision should be pushed back a week to Monday the 12th.
Currently constitutionally it is the Sabbatical officer group, (SOG) which approves campaigns and expenditure from the guilds £7000 pounds campaigns budget. The motion changes this. Instead of SOG making the decisions a group called “team 10” which has no mention in the guilds constitution or any terms of reference will be given this power. Team 10 will contain the 7 sabbatical officers and three appointed non-students.
Additionally the motion sets up a steering group for campaigns before they get to team 10 this steering group will contain The President, VP Democracy and Resources and two appointed non students. The steering group will have the power to reject and amend any campaign before it goes to team 10. Additionally, the steering groups demands a 5 day advance, before any approval, which means the guild loses the ability to make political decisions instantly as it currently does by SOG e-resolutions.
Clearly this will significantly alter the guilds political decision making, for a student to get a campaign going they will in future have get approval of.
Guild council Steering group–guild council – Trustee board- Steering Team 10 group – Team 10
When this process is compared to this process to other student unions like LSE whose students have to get the approval of one body which is a weekly union general meeting at which anyone can turn up and vote… some might consider our process unresponsive and bureaucratic.
Additionally, in future the voting at executive bodies will be fundamentally altered by the change in balance that the three non elected non-student members will bring.
The officer team is yet to make it up its mind about this constitutional reform, please let your opinions be known to the team.