Your guide to voting in the union policy ballot:“The Union should proceed with creating the

Campaigns and Representation Hub”.-------------------------------------------------------

Time to hav

e your s

ay...

For Against Abstain

Vote in the Hive/LCR on:Tuesday 12th May 11am-7pm

Wednesday 13th May 9am-5:30pmOr see inside to find out how to get

an electronic vote.

Policy Ballot 2009

The Facts

What’s it all about?The idea is to provide a space within Union House for representatives, staff and student activists to work in.

What are the aims of this project? - To improve communication between sabbatical officers, non-sabbatical officers and student representatives.- To improve communication between officers and staff- To improve the Union’s working ethos to one of feeling part of a team- To re-emphasise the primary importance of the Union’s representation and campaign functions- To improve officers and representation staff more visible and accessible to students and to improve officer accountability.

What will this mean in practice and where it will be?

A workspace for the four sabbatical officers to work from, alongside members of Union staff, part-time officers, convenors and activists will be constructed on the top floor of Union House overlooking the Hive. There will be ten workstations and a meeting space and the activities within the Hub will be visible through a glass wall. The changes to Union House are included in this pack.

How did we get to this point?

The concept of a Campaigns and Representation Hub was approved by Union Council on the 16th October 2008.

The Executive Committee then agreed to create a group of officers and staff being responsible with the UEA Estates Department to create a budget and basic plans for the project. The Executive Committee received a project update on the 8th December and approved the draft plans. Final plans and costings were then drawn up and approved by the Management Committee (of the four sabbatical officers) on the 3rd March and by the Executive Committee on 12th March.

The plans were then put on the agenda of Union Council on 19th March, and there the plans were approved by 44 votes to 24 votes (with four abstentions). Union Council made one revision to the plans - that the desirable expenditure on environmental projects should remain. However, between March 15th and 18th over 500 hundred students signed a petition to send this matter to policy ballot. On May 5th at 9am campaigning began on the policy ballot – “The Union should proceed with creating the Campaigns and Representation Hub”.

How much is this going to cost?

The predicted cost for this project, is £100,000 according to the Estates estimate which is including in this pack in ‘The Figures’ section. However this does not include furniture and equipment.

Where is the money coming from?

To spend that amount money we will need to cut some of the capital expenditure programme for the next three years. Capital expenditure is reserved for one-off projects or expenditure. This is different from revenue expenditure – things that need to be paid for regularly – wages, energy bills, stamps etc.

To pay for the Hub, the Executive have suggested removing some “desirable” items - (as opposed to “essential” – the other category of item). The items removed are included in ‘The Figures’ section.

Club and Society Funding

Clubs and Societies receive various different kinds of funds from the Union. Whichever way this vote goes, grant funding, accommodation funding, travel funding and competition funding will be unaffected. The proposal reduces capital funds available to £20k for 2009/10 and 2010/11.

To put this into context, so far this year clubs and societies have spent £28,093 of their £30,000 “essential” capital expenditure allocation. In 2007/08 £26, 643 was spent and in 2006/07 the figure was £14,215. As you can see capital expenditure in this area can fluctuate year-on-year.

How can I find out more about this policy ballot? The manifestoes of the respective campaigns are included on the next two pages. You can attend the debate which is being held on Monday 11th May at 5pm in Lecture Theatre Four to ask questions of the campaign leaders. You can email questions to the campaign leaders to – Martin Jopp (Yes) – martinjopp@hotmail.co.uk and Sam Hilton (No) – Samuel.hilton@uea.ac.uk or approach any of the campaigners over the next few days. Both sides have Facebook groups and there also is coverage on the Union Website [www.ueastudent.com], in Rabbit and in Concrete.

Finally, how can I vote?

There are two ways you can vote:

A) Bring your campus card along to the Hive on Tuesday 12th May 11am-7pm and Wednesday 13th May between 9am-5:30pm to cast your vote by a paper ballot.

B) If you are not going to be on the campus when the ballot boxes are open you may vote electronically. Simply follow these steps:

1. In order to obtain electronic ballot papers email elections@uea.ac.uk from your own @uea.ac.uk email address.2. You must include your full name and registration number and explain why you will not be on the campus during the election period eg. studying abroad, on a placement etc.3. You must apply for electronic ballot papers before 9.00am on Monday 11 May 2009.4. The relevant electronic ballot papers will be sent to your @uea.ac.uk email address on or before 12.00 noon on Monday 11 May 2009.5. You must return the ballot papers from your @uea.ac.uk email address before 9.00am on Wednesday 13 May 2009.6. Providing that you have not already voted in person your electronic ballot papers will be placed in a ballot box before the count which starts on Wednesday 13 May 2009 at 5.30pm.7. Only the Deputy Returning Officer and the Returning Officer will have access to the elections@uea.ac.uk account.

The count of the votes will begin at 5:30pm and the result will be known shortly after. It will then be posted on www.ueastudent.com.Any complaints or questions about the election process? –then email the Deputy Returning Officer, David Sheppard – su.academic@uea.ac.uk

The FiguresBUDGET COST OF THE CAMPAIGNS AND REPRESENTATION HUB PROJECT

ITEM COST

£

Demolition and strip out 8,600

Building works to new office including new ceiling, flooring, decora-tion, lighting, power, data, doors alterations to heating.

30,000

Fire rated glass window to office facing Hive balcony area 13,000

Associated costs including shelving, notice boards, data infrastruc-ture upgrade to cope with extra points

5,000

Changes to fire exit route from Grads Bar 1,700

Building Contingencies 10,000

Project Administration Fees, including health and safety advisor, building regulations fee, and insurance

18,500

Sub Total 86,800

VAT @15% 13,020

TOTAL COST 99,820

NB: This budget excludes the cost of any furniture and equipment.

ITEMS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE CAPITAL PROGRAMME TO FUND THE CAMPAIGNS AND RERPESENTATION HUB

The total reduction of £246,800 significantly exceeds the cost of the Hub project as it is recognised that some of these desirable capital expenditure items will become essential during the next two years.

Department / Item Replacement Replacement New New

Essential Desirable Essential Desirable

£ £ £ £Clubs and Societies

Equipment 0 40,000 0 40,000Central Services

CCTV System throughout Union House 40,000

Refurbishment of top floor toilet blockin Union House

35,000

Sub-total 0 75,000 0 0Union House Bars and EntertainmentsBars

Pub/Bar Audio / Visual System 15,000

CCTV Link to tills 5,000

2 Mobile Bar units 4,000

Eye level fridges and moving optics 4,000

Premium coffee equipment for Pub/Bar 5,500

Bar Training Video 2,000

Bruline wasteage control system 12,000

Sub-total 0 20,000 0 27,500Entertainments

5 Varilites for LCR 21,000

Extend WIFI System to LCR 300

Video mixing equipment for club nights 3,000

Pearl Lighting Desk 6,000

Sub-total 0 6,000 0 21,300Retail Services

UFO Warehouse Shelving 4,000

Post Office Back Office Carpet 1,500

Travel Shop Redecoration 1,500

Paper Shop and Post Office Floors 10,000

Sub-total 0 13,000 0 4,000

TOTAL OVER 3 YEARS 0 154,000 0 92,800