1 | P a g e

Senate: Agenda and Papers

Thursday 29th September, Council Chambers

No. Item: Paper No.

1 Welcome • Welcome from the Senate Chair • Quorum check • Apologies for Absence

2 Explanation of Senate

3 Minutes of Previous Senate (to approve) 1 pp. 2-5

3 State of the Union Report

4 Steering Report (to approve) 2 p.6

6 Constitutional Proposals 1. The Students' Union should Restructure the Media Group Committee

and introduce Manchester Media Group Heads 2. The Students' Union should Introduce Part-time Working Class

Students' Officers 3. The Students' Union should create a second International Students'

Officer position

3 pp. 7-10

8 Policy Proposals 1. The Students' Union should Develop the existing BME Forum 2. The Students' Union should stop selling The Daily Star 3. The Students' Union should Have a Referendum on Leaving the NUS 4. The Students' Union should Oppose PREVENT to Challenge

Islamophobia (replaces existing policy) 5. Motion for an Effective Strategy to Combat Sexual Harassment on

Campus

4 pp. 11-

15

9 Close

Drinks in the Union Bar

2 | P a g e

Paper 1: Senate Minutes

Meeting attended by: a full list of attendees is available from frances.muscatelli@manchester.ac.uk

Apologies: Megan Robertson, Jess Lishak, Amy Jones, Imotep Baptiste, Fred Craig, Chloe Dootson, Ros Wolfe

Date: Thursday 12th May

Time: 16:00 – 18:00

Secretary: Frances Muscatelli (FM)

Agenda Topic #1: Welcome, Quorum and Apologies

Acting Chairs Chris James (CJ) and Sophie Broke (SB) open the meeting by welcoming the room. They read out apologies and the meeting is declared quorate and opened at 16:20. CJ and SB invite members to begin with an icebreaker.

Action Items: None

Agenda Topic #2: Explanation of Senate

CJ and SB use a PowerPoint to give an overview of the meeting. This covers the agenda, rules relating to debate, and the use of hand signals.

Action Items: None

Agenda Topic #3: Minutes of Previous Senate

CJ and SB presents the minutes from the previous Senate meeting and these are approved unanimously.

Action Items: FM to upload approved minutes to Students’ Union website.

Agenda Topic #4: State of the Union Report

General Secretary Naa Acquah presents the State of the Union report, updating the room on the My Future Union building development plans. She explains the Union has done well throughout the academic year, with record participation in societies and other activity.

Agenda Topic #5: Steering Report

The Steering Report is summarised, the main decision being that two policies have been rejected on the grounds that they are ineffectual or meaningless.

Action Items: None

3 | P a g e

Agenda Topic #6: Lapsing Policy

CJ and SB give members a final opportunity to highlight that they wish to debate any of the

seven lapsing policies. No person opposes or wishes to discuss so these policies automatically

pass.

Action Items: None

Agenda Topic #7: Policy Proposals

1. The Students’ Union should create a Faith Students’ sub-committee that represents the voices of faith students within the Students’ Union’s democratic structures.

Student Saffa Mir presents this idea which would create a Faith students’ sub-committee of Diversity and Liberation. She presents the idea and explains that it would create seven reserved spaces for students from different faiths as defined by university demographic statistics. There are two amendments which have been submitted. Neither submitters are able to attend so a student from the audience presents: A1: Reserve a space for one atheist and one secular person The student presents the amendment. Senate rejects this with 26 Against, 18 For and 4 Abstain. A2: Replace every mention of the word “faith” with the words “faith and no faith” The student presents the second amendment. It is also rejected with 32 Against, 9 For and 6 Abstain. The policy is then voted on as a whole and passes with 38 votes For, 7 Against and 4 Abstain.

2. This Union should campaign against the cuts to DSA and lobby the University to commit to funding DSA

Disabled Students’ Officer Nayab Begum presents her policy, which would mandate the Students’ Union to lobby against the cuts to Disabled Students’ Allowance and to put pressure on the university to commit to provide monetary support for disabled students. There are no amendments so Senate votes, and the policy passes with 49 votes For, 1

4 | P a g e

Against and 0 Abstain.

3. Both the University and the Union should provide a designated space for use by parents and carers, mature, part-time, living off campus and postgraduate students.

The third policy proposal is presented by Student Parent Senate Rep Jenni Smyth, who explains the need for a space within the Students’ Union where these students can meet and socialise. She explains that traditional undergraduate activities and spaces are often a bit overwhelming or unwelcoming to non-typical students. Senate votes and the policy passes with 37 votes For, 7 Against and 4 Abstain.

4. Lobby the University to be more welcoming to breastfeeding mothers by increasing signs promoting the campus as a breastfeeding friendly space, and providing areas for expressing on campus

Jenni Smyth presents her second policy. Senate votes and the policy passes with 42 votes For, 0 votes Against and 4 Abstain.

5. Provide comprehensive and accurate drug education available through the Union

The student who submitted this idea was unable to attend Senate, so Education Officer Michael Spence introduces the idea to allow it to be discussed and voted on. He briefly introduces the idea. Senate votes and the idea passes with 43 votes For, 4 Against and 0 Abstain.

6. Effectively countering drug misuse This policy has been submitted by Education Officer Michael and BME Officer Deej Lashley-Johnson. They present their idea, which would mandate the Students’ Union to take a legalisation stance and provide support to students affected by drug misuse. There is one amendment: A.1: For the Union to sell, or if possible subsidise, drug testing kits for students as a way to prevent overdoses from drugs of a high purity, or from other chemicals present in the drugs The amendment is presented and voted on and it passes with 40 votes For, 4 Against, 2 Abstain. The motion plus amendment is voted on and passes with 40 votes For, 3 Against, 4 Abstain.

5 | P a g e

7. The Students' Union should provide structured welfare support to Liberation Officers

This idea is presented by Diversity Officer Natasha Brooks. She explains that Liberation Officers often need additional support to deal with both the pressures of the role and additional needs relating to supporting students from liberation groups. The idea is discussed and voted on. It passes with 41 votes For, 1 Against and 1 Abstain.

8. The SU should change the name of the council room to the Peterloo Room (or the Peterloo Memorial Room) in 2019.

This idea has been submitted by Student Community Officer Joseph Clough. There is a short debate before the room vote. The idea passes with 29 votes For, 9 votes Against and 8 Abstain.

9. To stream Live Fuse FM from the Union Bar and all/ as many RA bars as possible.

At this point the meeting loses quorate so Senate vote to allow two audience members to join the student panel. The student who presented this idea is unable to attend so Student Community Officer Louis Appolinari introduces the motion. There are some quick questions before the idea is voted on – it passes with 41 votes For, 0 Against and 5 Abstain. A number of members of Senate leave the meeting, and it is no longer quorate. The meeting ends at 18:00.

Action Items: FM to update SU Policy and Bye Laws.

Next meeting: Thursday 29th September 18:00-20:00

6 | P a g e

Paper 2: Steering Report

To present at Senate on Thursday 29th September 2016

This report outlines some of the more major decisions made at the Steering Committee meetings

on 13th and 22nd September 2016. The minutes from these meetings contain more information on

these and other decisions.

Decision Reasoning Reject the ‘Stop the Victimization of Disabled Students by University Policy’ idea

Steering committee decided the ‘Stop the Victimization of Disabled Students by University Policy’ could not be accepted as it was built around the experience of one student. They agreed Senate shouldn’t create policy around individual cases as it could set a precedent for other students who’ve had an unsatisfactory experience with the University to submit policies in an attempt to tackle problems. Izzy (Wellbeing Officer) has offered to help the student create a more general policy around this issue.

Reject two amendments Add: The Students' Union should also introduce two "Student Staff" Part-time officers. These must be two people who are Student Staff (i.e. students at the University of Manchester who work for this Union) and are members of Unite. These officers will be elected by students at the University of Manchester who work for this Students' Union and are members of Unite. The students' union must provide all administrative assistance required by Unite to run the ballot. (Added to ‘Working Class Students’ Officer’ motion) The SU should start selling the Morning Star (for at least a trial period of a few months and stop if it is financial harmful). A woman's place is in the revolution. (Added to ‘Stop Selling the Daily Star’ motion)

Steering Committee agreed these were not amendments as they did not aim to alter the original proposal. They were rejected and the submitter encouraged to re-submit them as policy proposals before the next deadline.

7 | P a g e

Paper 3: Constitutional Proposals

Proposal 1: Change the Student Media Bye Law Proposed by: Elise Gallagher

The Students' Union should Restructure the Media Group Committee and introduce Manchester

Media Group Heads

Change: 6. The Media Group shall be overseen by the Media Group Committee, which will be composed of:

a. Mancunion Editor (non-voting member, except to break ties); b. The Heads of the Media Outlets; c. One other member from each of the Media Outlets.

7. The Activities and Development Officer shall have a right of attendance at every meeting of the Media Group Committee. 8. The Media Group Committee will appoint a member of the Committee to be Secretary, who will take minutes and distribute these to the members of the Committee, and who will organise meetings. 9. The Media Group Committee will be open for any student to observe, and meeting dates will be published on the Students’ Union website. 10. The remit of the Media Group Committee is:

a. To create, assist and review the creation of long-term development plans for each Media Outlet; b. To discuss issues of shared concern including finance, membership, inclusivity, standards and value for money; c. To coordinate joint activity between the Media Outlets; d. To agree on the distribution of any funds provided to the Media Outlets jointly; e. To hold the Heads of the Media Outlets to account for their compliance with this Bye-Law and to examine whether their published content meets all required standards set out in this Bye-Law.

11. The Media Group Committee will meet at least twice each term, and any member may call for a meeting with at least one week’s notice.

To:

6. The Media Group shall be overseen by the Media Group Committee, which will be composed of:

a. Mancunion Editor (non-voting member, except to break ties); b. The Heads of the Media Outlets;

8 | P a g e

c. Manchester Media Group Heads for the following categories: Sport, Music, Current Affairs, and Culture

7. The Activities and Development Officer shall have a right of attendance at every meeting of the Media Group Committee. 8. The Media Group Committee will appoint a member of the Committee to be Secretary, who will take minutes and distribute these to the members of the Committee, and who will organise meetings. 9. The Media Group Committee will be open for any student to observe, and meeting dates will be published on the Students’ Union website. 10. The remit of the Media Group Committee is:

a. To create, assist and review the creation of long-term development plans for each Media Outlet; b. To discuss issues of shared concern including finance, membership, inclusivity, standards and value for money; c. To coordinate joint activity between the Media Outlets; d. To agree on the distribution of any funds provided to the Media Outlets jointly; e. To hold the Heads of the Media Outlets to account for their compliance with this Bye-Law and to examine whether their published content meets all required standards set out in this Bye-Law.

11. The Media Group Committee will meet at least twice each term, and any member may call for a meeting with at least one week’s notice. Proposal 2: Change the Officers of the Union Bye Law Proposed by: Deej Lashley-Johnson

The Students' Union should Introduce Part-time Working Class Students' Officers

Change: 13. The Student Officers of the Union are: a. The International Students Officer; b. The Ethical and Environmental Officer; c. The Faculty Officers (defined below); d. The Liberation Officers (defined below); e. The Student Community Officers (defined below). To: 13. The Student Officers of the Union are: a. The International Students Officer; b. The Ethical and Environmental Officer; c. The Faculty Officers (defined below); d. The Liberation Officers (defined below); e. The Student Community Officers (defined below). f. The Working Class Students Officers

9 | P a g e

as well as all other relevant Bye Laws Details: Notes

• Our Student Union is committed to broadening access to disenfranchised and under-represented groups of students

• We in our democratic structures in our union have representation for all groups the NUS label as marginalized bar working class students and Care Leavers

• Other SU’s for example KCSU have Working Class Student officer positions Believes

• Liberation officers represent the interests of underrepresented groups and facilitate campaigns and self organization

• Policies such as the scrapping of maintenance grants, the cutting of the Manchester Bursary and systematic inequality highlighted in such cases as the attainment gap and the underrepresentation of working class students enrolling at our university highlight the need for dedicated officers to represent the needs of working class students.

• The HE White Paper if and when implemented will disproportionately affect students with lower socio-economic status

Resolves

• To create 2 part-time officer roles (at least one of which identifying as a woman) with autonomous budgets on par with other officers to sit on senate and the Diversity and Liberation Committee

• That these officers will represent students who identify as working class, receive the Manchester Bursary, Care-Leavers and/or the first generation of their family to go to university

• These officers will be focused on improving the lives/ student experience of and representing, advocating for and organizing Working Class students

• To lobby NUS to create a Working Class Students Campaign Proposal 3: Change Officers of the Union Bye Law Proposed by: Ilyas Nagdee

The Students' Union should create a second International Students' Officer position

Change: 13. The Student Officers of the Union are: a. The International Students Officer; b. The Ethical and Environmental Officer; c. The Faculty Officers (defined below); d. The Liberation Officers (defined below);

10 | P a g e

e. The Student Community Officers (defined below). To: 13. The Student Officers of the Union are: a. The International Students Officers; b. The Ethical and Environmental Officer; c. The Faculty Officers (defined below); d. The Liberation Officers (defined below); e. The Student Community Officers (defined below) as well as all other relevant Bye Laws Details:

• The University of Manchester Students' Union is home to over 40,000 Students of whom a third are International students.

• The only reserved representation for International Students is one Officer which I believe should be expanded to two.

• International Students are facing a difficult time at the moment - post-Brexit especially we should be doing all we can to ensure that International Students feel welcome on our campuses.

• The creation of a second officer will help us better coordinate and expand the work done by the Diversity Officer with regard to International Students.

• The main hope for a second ISO is to help us reach more International Students and help them re-invigorate the International Students Forum.

11 | P a g e

Paper 4: Policy Proposals Proposal 1

Proposed by: Deej Lashley-Johnson

The Students' Union should develop the existing BME Forum

Details: The Union notes:

• Currently Black Asian and Minority Ethnic students are represented by two Part-time BME Student Officers. These officers sit on Senate, and on the Diversity and Liberation Senate Committee

• There is a provision in the Bye Law for a Diversity and Liberation sub-committee for BME students, called ‘BME Forum’ but there is little information explaining how this should work or be structured

• Approximately 46% of the university population are of non-white British ethnic origin • 162 countries are represented in our student population • The Students’ Union is home to multiple cultural, National and Faith based societies as well as

societies whose focus is on matters concerning issues in our home countries and elsewhere such as Recognize Refugee Rights and societies and groups whose work and focus is on specific issues and interests of and faced by sections of communities such as the Black Feminist Society, the Women of Colour forum, Rainbow Noir and the Black Film Club

The Union believes:

• That it is the duty of the Union to facilitate more meaningful participation with its BME population • That developing the BME Forum to ensure it is democratically run and includes representation from

all liberation groups will lead to more engagement in the unions processes and help ensure BME officers represent as wide a range of student opinions as possible

• That increased and more meaningful student participation in the BME Forum will further legitimize the work of the elected officers

• A properly structured forum for BME students to discuss their own unique and shared issues, experiences, ideas and plans would create and environment where societies and campaigns can thrive.

The Union Resolves:

• To support and facilitate a democratic BME Forum with the following members: 1. The two BME Students’ Officers (co-chairs of the forum) 2. Any voting member of Senate (including officers, Chairs of JCRS, Society Reps etc.) who

identifies as BME 3. 12 Elected Places (1 LGBTQ place, 1 Disabled place, 1 Women’s place, and 9 Open Places

elected from the student body) • To advertise the forum to BME students and any Union or University staff members who identify as

BME • To advertise the forum to relevant societies

12 | P a g e

• That this forum would inform and help facilitate the work and campaigns of the BME Students’ Officers, and any other Students’ Union Officers working on relevant issues, and strengthen the ties between students and staff of colour

• That this forum would meet regularly, monthly when possible. • That whenever possible a BME-identifying Students’’ Union staff member will support and secretary

the forum’s meetings

Proposal 2

Proposed by: Olivia Meisl

The Students' Union should stop selling The Daily Star

Details:

The sun is already banned from being sold. This paper objectifies women and is totally inappropriate to be sold particularly in an academic setting when we already have problems at the university where women are disregarded, spoken over and sometimes treated in a sexist manner. Although a small gesture, showing women that they are being valued for something other than their bodies would be a good start.

Proposal 3: Proposed by: Edward Broadberry

The Students' Union should have a Referendum on Leaving the NUS

Details:

Clearly the nus is a very divisive organisation and a lot of students have problems with its policies and

stances. We should follow in the footsteps of Exeter, as a democratic union to give the students a voice on

this matter.

Proposal 4 Proposed by: Ilyas Nagdee

The Students' Union should Oppose PREVENT to Challenge Islamophobia (replaces existing policy)

Details:

This Union Notes:

• The government’s Counter-Terrorism and Security Act (CTS Act) 2015 places a statutory

requirement on ‘specified authorities’ – including universities and colleges – to ’prevent people

being drawn into terrorism’ and to implement the ‘PREVENT’ strategy.

13 | P a g e

• The PREVENT strategy, as part of the Government’s ‘counter-extremism’ agenda has been used to

create an expansive surveillance architecture to spy on the public and to police dissent,

systematically targeting Black people and Muslims.

• Under PREVENT, lecturers have been known to report students as being ‘at risk of radicalisation’

for merely taking an interest in political affairs in class, or for observing their religion more closely,

whilst politically active students have found themselves visited by counter- terrorism officers.

• The Government’s counter- terrorism/security policy is fundamentally flawed in its approach; its

operant concepts of ‘extremism’ and ‘radicalism’ are ill-defined and open to abuse for political ends.

• The Act further criminalises Muslims and Black people, and comes amidst a campaign of fear and

demonisation from the government.

This Union Believes:

• Islamophobia is massively on the rise across Europe, is state-sponsored and legitimised by the

mainstream

• media.

• The government’s identified ‘warning signs’ of “radicalisation” problematise and renders suspect

those with mental health difficulties.

• That the Act could serve to isolate many students who already feel that the only avenue through

which the Government will engage them is ‘anti-radicalisation’ initiatives, resulting in further

alienation and disaffection.

• The Act discourages free expression and analysis of ideas.

• Academics, as well as anyone in a public sector job, should not have to be part of this surveillance.

• We fundamentally believe that universities and colleges are places for education, not surveillance

• The implementation of the PREVENT strategy on campus will not only isolate Muslim students but

• undermine the civil liberties of other groups such as environmental, political and humanitarian

activists.

• That the National Union of Students (NUS) and the University and College Union (UCU) have both

passed motions at their national conferences opposing the Act and PREVENT.

• As a Charity, we as a Union are not legally bound to engage with PREVENT and should seek to

boycott it as far as legally possible

This Union Resolves

• To mandate the Officers of this Union to not engage with the PREVENT strategy or implement any

of the proposals of the Act to which they are not legally bound.

• To release a statement expressing our opposition to PREVENT and the CTS Act for being racist

and a threat to academic freedom and civil liberties.

• To work with campus trade unions including UCU on combating the PREVENT strategy and its

• implementation on campus.

• To educate students on the dangers of the CTS Act and the PREVENT strategy.

• To lobby the college/university to be more open and transparent about how they are engaging with

• PREVENT and other similar initiatives.

14 | P a g e

This involves:

• Demanding publications of how the policy is operating within the university and Students' Union.

• This includes access to materials used to train staff and students.

• Holding consultations with the student body regarding how this affects students.

• To lobby the college/university to publicly condemn PREVENT and the CTS Act and to call for its

repeal.

Proposal 5 Proposed by: Sara Khan

Motion for an Effective Strategy to Combat Sexual Harassment on Campus

Details:

The Union notes that:

• According to the Telegraph, 1 in 3 female students in the UK are sexually assaulted or abused on

campus, and according to an NUS survey, 37% of female and 12% of male students reported

unwanted sexual advances in 2014. These are only the reported cases.

• A Guardian investigation in May 2015 showed that fewer than half of elite universities in Britain

monitor the extent of sexual violence against students, and 1 in 6 do not have specific guidelines for

students to report such allegations.

• The University of York has set a brilliant example as to how universities should approach the issue.

They have a policy which clearly defines “consent” and “sexual assault”, and ensures that

perpetrators of sexual assault on campus will be disciplined to the point of expulsion when

necessary. In addition, they provide inclusivity training and education on what sexual assault is, as

well as how to prevent and how to respond to it, to orientation leaders, residence dons, and campus

security. They also have a 24/7 student support line, which offers victims emergency funding and

housing, and liaises with the appropriate organisations to provide counselling and legal advice.

The Union believes that:

• Students at university will have varying and non-uniform levels of sex and relationship education,

therefore many may enter university ignorant of issues concerning consent and sexual harassment.

• The University of Manchester does not provide comprehensive education about consent and sexual

harassment.

• The processes for reporting sexual assault and harassment to the university are unclear.

• Students do not have confidence that the university will remove perpetrators of rape, sexual assault

and sexual harassment.

• Education about consent and sexual harassment should be compulsory for all students.

15 | P a g e

The Union resolves that:

• Existing mandatory fire and safety talks at halls should include a satisfactory portion on consent and

sexual harassment.

• The Students’ Union should lobby the schools of the University to provide mandatory talks on

consent and sexual harassment, in order for this education to be comprehensive and to reach all

students.

• Leaflets provided for both new and prospective students should include a satisfactory portion on

consent and sexual harassment.

• In addition to existing online safety courses, there should be mandatory online courses on consent

and sexual assault.

• Inclusion Officer training for all societies should include a satisfactory portion on consent and sexual

harassment.

• The university’s code of conduct should have an explicit no-tolerance policy towards rape and

sexual assault.

• Educational displays on the subject of consent and sexual assault should be present throughout

campus throughout the year, and should be prominent in the Students Union.

• The Students’ Union should lobby the university to equip staff and students to challenge

unacceptable behaviour using active bystander strategies.

• The Students’ Union should lobby the university to provide accessible ways for students to report

their experiences.

• The Students’ Union should work with the Living At Home coordinator to ensure that off-campus

students receive consent training and victim support.

• The Students’ Union should work with relevant charities to review and update its policies and

procedures, and offer services to students.

• The Union and university’s codes of conduct should clearly define “consent” and “sexual assault”,

and ensure that perpetrators of sexual assault on campus will be disciplined to the point of

expulsion when necessary.

• The Union should develop or lobby the university to develop a student support line, liaising with the

appropriate organisation to offer victims emergency funding and housing, as well as counselling and

legal advice.

• The Students’ Union should lobby the mayor of Greater Manchester, the leader of the council and

the Greater Manchester Police and Crime commissioner to improve policing and investigations into

sexual assaults on students, as well as to be proactive in developing strategies for prevention of

rape and sexual harassment.

• This policy should be reviewed annually in order to ensure that the university is making progress on

this issue.