Change, Policy and Research

GUILD COUNCIL

Democracy and Governance Committee

11/03/15

Chair: Maria Finnerty

Change, Policy and Research

Apologies

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

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

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

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

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

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.

PASS TO BEN STREET - 16

FAIL - 0

ABSTAIN - 4

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

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.

PASS TO SABBATICAL OFFICERS - 17

FAIL - 0

ABSTAIN - 3

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

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

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

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 incoming VP Activities to include

this if feasible.

PASS (depending on feasibility) - 17

FAIL - 0

ABSTAIN - 3

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

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 incoming VP Activities to

include this if feasible.

PASS (depending on feasibility) - 17

FAIL - 0

ABSTAIN - 3

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

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.

PASS TO KATE HAWKINS - 17

FAIL - 0

ABSTAIN - 3

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

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.

PASS TO BEN STREET - 17

FAIL - 0

ABSTAIN - 3

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

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