► Union Council

Paying to much money for sub-standard teaching? Worried about the environment? Fed up with the way your Students' Union is run? Want to have your voice heard and help decide what your Students' Union does? Come along to Union Council, this is your opportunity to argue your point and vote on serious issues.

In recent years your Union Council has voted on a number of issues that directly affect your time at university. Issues that have been debated on in Union Council range from the Iraq War, fascists on campus and better food on campus.

Union Council is the second highest decision making body of your Students' Union. Anything passed at Union Council affects the whole Students' Union. This could be the decision to ban "Nestlé" products in our shops or even decide the Sabbatical positions that represent you as a student. Union Council has the power to debate policy, scrutinise budgets and hold your elected Officers to account. If you don't agree with any of the Students' Union's decisions then come along to get your voice heard.

If you don't get involved then you can't make a difference!

WHAT IS THE UNION COUNCIL?

The Union Council exists to pass policy and make decisions about the governance and direction of the Students' Union. It is the process in which we ensure that the Students' Union's actions are student-centric and student led. It is also a way to hold all of your elected officers/representatives to account for their actions over their term of office.

WHO IS THE UNION COUNCIL?

The Union Council consists of all the full time (Sabbatical) officers, Part Time Officers (including Liberation and Buxton Campus Committee), Programme and Faculty Representatives and Sports Club and Society Committee Members.

However, any member of the Students' Union (any student) is welcome to attend meetings of the Union Council in the capacity of observer. Observers may not contribute to discussions or vote in decisions.

WHEN DO THE UNION COUNCIL MEET?

The Union Council meet once every term, with the final meeting also being an Annual General Meeting (where any student gets full voting and discussion rights).

The next meeting of the Union Council can be found at the top of this page.

WHAT WILL BE DISCUSSED AT THE MEETING?

Any member of the Students' Union (any student) can write a policy motion for submission to the Union Council.

An example of how a Policy Motion is constructed can be downloaded from our website (60kb PDF) - a policy motion is discussed, can be amended, and then voted on at the meeting. If a motion is passed it becomes Union Policy and must be adhered to the the University of Derby Students' Union of the next three years.

Any policy motions to be discussed at this meeting must be submitted to the Chair of Union Council via ( peter.west-oram@udsu.co.uk ) by the deadline set at the top of this page. These will then be made available to all students as soon as possible after the deadline.

Any proposed amendments to these submitted motions, to be discussed at the meeting, must be submitted to the Chair of Union Council via ( peter.west-oram@udsu.co.uk ) by the amendments deadline set at the top of this page. These will then be made available alongside the meeting agenda before the meeting begins.

WHAT IF I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions relating to the Union Council or it's meetings, please feel free to direct them to the Chair via chair@udsu.co.uk - it is the chair's responsibility to organise the meetings and ensure they run smoothly and fairly.