Student Council Minutes Tuesday 20 March 2012 at 6.30pm in Francis Bancroft Room 1.02.6, Mile End.

Chair apologies: Eleanor Hallam

Mile End Officers present (8): Ben Richardson (Student Representative) - Chair Caz Parra (Secretary) Ciara Squires (Student Representative) Darcie Tyler-Henley (Volunteering Officer) Ellen Kiely (RAG Officer)

Ozzy Amir (Campaigns Officer) Shaun Ramanah (Students with Disabilities Officer) Wilson Wong (Societies Officer)

Mile End Officers apologies (6): Chris Smith (Student Representative) Dominic Todd (Sports Officer) Edoardo Palombo (Welfare Officer)

Michael Gilbert (Postgraduate Officer) Tom Voice (Ethical and environmental Officer) Wanda Canton (Women’s Officer)

Barts and The London Officers present (9): Eva Pathmananthan (Dental President) Jeeves Wijesuriya (VP London) Jon Cramphorn (VP Barts) Mandi Pal (Secretary) Ramey Assaf (External Affairs Officer)

Richard Donovan (SSLC Rep) Rob Zabihi (Dental Represenative) Sam Chequer (Welfare Officer) Tim Foster (Clubs and Societies’ Officer)

Barts and the London Officer apologies (7):Adnan Aslam (Dental Representative) - part Amy Coulden (Entertainments Officer) Andrew Smith (Student Representative) Aran Ali (RAG Captain)

Michael Samy (Communications Officer) Hannah Downer (Treasurer) Salem Al-Sawaf (Entertainments Officer)

Faculty and Year Representatives present (3):Alex Schpektor (Humanties and Social Sciences Faculty Representative) Ollie Brown (Middle Years Representative)

Nicolas Meier (Year One and Foundation Representative)

Faculty and Year Representatives apologies (1):Andrew Williams (Medicine and Dentistry Faculty Representative)

Executive Officers in attendance: Sophie Richardson (President) - part Dominic Bell (Vice President Activities)

George Ryan (Vice President Association) Sam Creighton (Vice President Communications)

Union Staff in attendance: Kate Little (Course Rep Co-ordinator) Philip Gilks (Student Voice and Development Manager) Tom Sutton (Representation and Democracy Co-ordinator)

0.0 Election of a Chair Ben Richardson was elected Chair. 1.0 Apologies Apologies were noted and accepted. 2.0 Chair’s Welcome Announcements Chair welcomed members to the third meeting of the semester. 3.0 Minutes from the meeting of Student Council held on 28 February 2012

Noted and approved as an accurate record. 4.0 Officer Reports

Noted.

11.1 President Action Plan Student Council received and accepted the March update of the President Action Plan.

11.2 Vice President Student Activities Action Plan

Student Council received and accepted the March update of the Vice President Student Activities Action Plan.

5.0 Amendments to the Clubs Sport and Societies Bye-Laws

Jeeves Wijesuriya spoke for a motion that proposed amendments to the Club Sport and Societies Bye-Laws. He argued the motion formalised the role of the General Committee Meeting (GCM) in electing Barts and The London Sports and Society Representatives to the Club Sport Committee and Societies Committee. 5.1 Amendment

Noted an amendment proposed by George Ryan and accepted by the proposer of the motion Jeeves Wijesuriya.

Dominic Bell spoke against the motion. He argued the motion proposed nothing new and restricted how representatives could be elected. Jeeves Wijesuriya spoke for the motion. He argued the amendment clarified how the Barts and The London Sports and Society Representatives were elected. Dominic Bell spoke against the motion. He argued the motion was badly written and referred to bodies with the wrong names. 5.2 Clarification

QMSU resolves 2. Should read: 13.4 Representatives from Queen Mary Clubs will be elected at a General Clubs

Meeting by Queen Mary Clubs only. The Barts and the London representatives will be elected in a similar manner by Barts and The London Clubs.

to read

13.4 Representatives from Queen Mary Clubs will be elected at a General Clubs Meeting by Queen Mary Clubs only. The Barts and the London representatives will be elected in a similar manner by Barts and The London Clubs at a General Committee Meeting.

Jeeves Wijesuriya spoke for the motion. He argued the Union’s Executive Officers should listen more to the views of Barts and The London students who supported the role of the GCM in electing Barts and The London Sports and Society Representatives.

Dominic Bell spoke against the motion. He argued he had listened to the views of Barts and The London students and supported them in drafting a previous amendment. He did not agree with making the process for electing Barts and The London Sports and Society Representatives more prescriptive. Jeeves Wijesuriya gave the summation for the motion. He argued the amendment to the Bye-Laws defined a clear process for electing Barts and The London Sports and Society Representatives to the Club Sport Committee and Societies Committee.

Student Council voted for the motion.

- 10 members voted for - 5 members voted against - 3 member abstained

6.0 Action Plan for Students with Disabilities

Ozzy Amir spoke for a motion that proposed that the Union and College develops and adopts an action plan to improve accessibility for students with disabilities. He argued the Union should do more to publicise and develop accessibility for students with disabilities.

6.1 Clarification

George Ryan sought clarification of how the need for sports clubs and societies to be ‘non-discriminatory’ might impact on sports clubs and societies.

- Ozzy Amir replied that the motion resolved that sports clubs and societies should take a note of the need to be accessible and non-discriminatory of students with disabilities.

Chair moved to a vote.

Student Council voted for the motion.

- 15 members voted for - 1 member voted against - 2 member abstained

7.0 Accessibility for Students with Disabilities on Campus

Shaun Ramanah spoke for a motion that proposed to lobby the College to improve physical and virtual accessibility. He argued the motion would reinforce Union efforts to improve College accessibility for students with disabilities.

7.1 Clarification

Ollie Brown sought clarification on whether the motion was necessary as the motion was clearly the role of the Students with Disabilities Officer.

- Shaun Ramanah replied that the motion mandated the Students with Disabilities Officer to lobby the College to improve physical and virtual accessibility or the Union generally in their absence.

Chair moved to a vote.

Student Council voted for the motion.

- 17 members voted for - 0 members voted against - 1 member abstained

8.0 Opposition to Health and Social Care Bill

Jeeves Wijesuriya spoke for a motion that proposed Union opposition to the Government’s Health and Social Care Bill. He argued government’s proposed reforms, which was opposed by patient groups and health workers unions, would damage the NHS and the Union should take a stance against the bill. Sam Creighton spoke against the motion. Although he broadly supported the motion, it would soon be out of date as the bill was already set to pass through Parliament.

Ozzy Amir spoke for the motion. He argued the motion should be passed to show support against the bill however out of date. Sam Creighton spoke against the motion. He argued the proposers of motion should re-write the motion taking into account the current status of the reforms. Jeeves Wijesuriya gave the summation for the motion. He argued the Union should take a stance against the bill and pass the motion though it might be out of date.

Student Council voted for the motion.

- 8 members voted for - 7 members voted against - 3 members abstained

9.0 Student-Led Commercial Services

Jeeves Wijesuriya spoke for a motion that proposed to create a Student Council working group to identify how the Union’s commercial services can be more student-led. He argued the working group the motion proposed would help develop ways for students to have more input into the operation of commercial services.

9.1 Clarification

Sophie Richardson sought clarification on the evidence for the ‘frustration of some students with the ability to influence the way students’ union commercial services are run and staffed’.

- Jeeves Wijesuriya replied that this was the feedback he had received from students.

Chair moved to a vote. Student Council voted against the motion.

- 17 members voted for - 0 members voted against - 1 member abstained

10.0 Time, date and place of next meeting

Thursday 10 May at 6.30pm venue to be confirmed.

officer: position: 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0

for against abstain for against abstain for against abstain for against abstain for against abstain

Caz Parra Secretary X X X X X

Ciara Squires Student Representative X X X X X

Darcie Tyler-Henley Volunteering Officer X X X X X

Ellen Kiely RAG Officer X X X X X

Ozzy Amir Campaigns Officer X X X X X

Shaun Ramanah Students with Disabilities Officer

X X X X X

Wilson Wong Societies Officer X X X X X

officer: position: 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0

for against abstain for against abstain for against abstain for against abstain for against abstain

Eva Pathmananthan Dental President X X X X X

Jeeves Wijesuriya Vice-President London No record

Jon Cramphorn Vice-President Barts X X X X X

Mandi Pal Secretary X X X X X

Ramey Assaf External Affairs Officer X X X X X

Richard Donovan SSLC Representative X X X X X

Rob Zabihi Dental Representative X X X X X

Sam Chequer Welfare Officer X X X X X

Tim Foster Clubs and Societies Officer X X X X X

officer: position: 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0

for against abstain for against abstain for against abstain for against abstain for against abstain

Alex Schpektor Humanities and Social Sciences Representative

X X X X X

Ollie Brown Middles Years Representative X X X X X

Nick Meier Year One and Foundation Representative X X X X X